Jammu, September 23
Various functions were held today to remember Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, on his birth anniversary.People recalled the qualities of the late Maharaja, who had signed the historical Instrument of Accession with India to merge the state with it.

The Panthers Party expressed gratitude to the last Dogra ruler for taking a bold step by signing the Instrument of Accession with the Union of India in respect of 8,40,0000 sq miles of its territory.

“Maharaja Hari Singh was the real ‘Bharat Ratna’ as he made significant contributions, sacrifices and suffered humiliation during his exile,” a party leader stated in aresolution while demanding the highest award for thelast Dogra ruler.

Recalling that it was Maharaja Hari Singh, who enacted the State Subject Law in 1927, which saved every Kashmiri from extinction, the Panthers Party glorified his unimaginable farsightedness and interest in the Kashmiris.

The resolution pointed out that Maharaja Hari Singh was the first ruler in the world who had described his religion as justice. He gave equal rights to all depressed classes.

The resolution demanded that the Government of India should publish letters that Maharaja Hari Singh had written immediately after the accession to the Prime Minister of India, the Union Home Minister and the President of India in connection with the blunders committed by Congress leaders.

The party meeting expressed unhappiness over the attitude of the Congress and the National Conference towards the late Maharaja who was a patriot, true secularist, great general, intellectual and thinker, who died in isolation and humiliation only because he was a Dogra patriot.

The resolution was passed by Harsh Dev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia, PK Ganju, Daljit Singh, Anita Thakur, HC Jalmeria, Raghubir Singh Biloria and others.

Srinagar, September 23
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed confidence that the all-party delegation will give its recommendations promptly and the Centre will take swift action on them.

Appreciating the visit of the delegation, Omar said, “We have hopes that the visit of the all-party delegation to the state and its interaction with various shades of opinion will yield a positive result to address the political issues of Jammu and Kashmir politically.”

Addressing a large number of deputations of civil society at Doda and Kishtwar yesterday, the Chief Minister said issues could only be discussed and addressed through a dialogue in a peaceful atmosphere. “Sustained interactions are must to move ahead purposefully to settle issues amicably,” he said.

Omar said peace and tranquillity were imperative for both political and economic development in the state and everyone had to contribute in this direction. Violence and the disruption of law and order only created hurdles and resulted in the loss of precious lives and damage to public property, he added.

Expressing sorrow over the loss of lives in the Valley, the Chief Minister appealed to the people to cooperate with the government in restoring normalcy and moving ahead on the path of addressing issues in a political manner. “We are committed to facilitating a dialogue between the Centre and various shades of political opinion in the state and help work out an amicable solution to all issues as per the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” 
he said.

Omar praised the residents of Doda and Kishtwar for maintaining calm and not falling prey to the nefarious designs of mischief mongers. He asked them to keep a constant vigil on such elements and act in coordination with the administration in foiling any attempt to disturb peace and communal harmony in the twin districts.

On development, Omar said despite a law and order problem in the Valley, the government was trying its best to carry forward its development agenda smoothly and address the grievances of people promptly.

The Chief Minister said various projects had been launched in Doda and Kishtwar districts to upgrade facilities in health, education, R&B, PHE, power and other sectors and improve the basic amenities.

He said the fast-track development of hill, backward and far-flung areas had been one of the most important concerns in the development policy of the government.

“The administration in these areas has been sensitised to deliver on ground and ensure that the benefits of the schemes reach the people at grass-roots,” he added.

Udhampur, September 23
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz today put to rest speculations about fissures in the NC-Congress coalition government. The difference of opinion surfaced during the recent visit of the all-party delegation to the state.

Addressing a party rally organised at Chenani, about 25 km from here, Soz categorically said the coalition government would stay and reports of strains in two parties’ relationship were far from truth.He said his party was sincere in ensuring the survival of the coalition government.

Soz called upon local leaders and the cadre to work unitedly to achieve this purpose. Interestingly, Soz showered praise on MLA, Chenani, Krishan Chander Bhagat, who is a staunch loyalist of Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad, for playing a key role in organising the rally that had an impressive presence of the rank and file.

Soz stressed for unity among people of Kashmir, Jammu, Ladakh regions and his own party. He also used the opportunity to convey to the mediapersons that it was his initiative that paved the way for the visit of the Central delegation to the strife-torn Valley.

He reiterated that a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders was the only way to find a solution to the Kashmir problem. The Centre would ensure that the interests of people of all three regions were protected. The recent reports emanating from New Delhi about a package for Kashmir had not gone down well in the Jammu region.

Soz also called upon people to not get emotionally swayed by whatever verdict the Allahabad High Court gave on the Babri Masjid dispute. It should be accepted by all. Those disagreeing with it had the right to appeal against it in the Supreme Court. But the issue should not be blown out of proportion by taking to the streets as this would be detrimental to democracy, he said.

Jammu, September 23
Ahead of the Ayodhya verdict, which has been deferred to September 28, the district administration has prepared a dossier of troublemakers and rumourmongers.

“We urge the civil society here not to trust rumourmongers and maintain communal harmony in the winter capital. The district administration has prepared a dossier of elements inimical to peace,” Deputy Commissioner MK Dwivedi told reporters here today. If warranted, they would be dealt with sternly, he added.

Punjab Police DIG Iqbal Singh also met senior officers in the civil administration and the police here and assured every possible help to them in maintaining the law and order in the twin districts of Jammu and Samba.

At least one battalion of the Punjab Police has been deployed for maintaining the law and order in Jammu and Samba districts.

The Deputy Commissioner said to ensure peace in the temple city, the district administration and the police were keeping a close watch on the activities of the
troublemakers.

If they tried to create trouble, a strong action would be taken against them, said Dwivedi.

The district administration has been provided with additional security personnel, including CRPF men, in view of the impending court verdict.

Meanwhile, the Joint Welfare Association Ekta Vihar, Gangyal, has appealed to all communities to maintain communal harmony and brotherhood.

The association has also decided to take out a peace march under the chairmanship of its president Baldev Singh Wazir in various parts of the capital city here tomorrow.

The association particularly appealed to the muslims in the Valley to follow their fellow men in other parts of the country, who have appealed to their community members that irrespective of the nature of the judgement they would neither celebrate nor protest.

Jammu, September 23
Sitting chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Chhering Dorje today charged the state government with adopting all illegal means to rig the coming elections of the hill council to get the Congress candidate elected unanimously from the Skumorhkha segment.

Dorje pointed out that after imposing elections on the flood-affected people, the Congress leadership had been trying to capture the hill council by brazenly misusing the official machinery. He, however, announced to challenge the unanimous election of the Congress candidate in the court as nomination papers of the opposition candidate were rejected on the flimsy ground.

Even former MP and ex-patron of the Ladakh Union Terroritory Front (LUTF) Thupstang Chhewang expressed disappointment over the indifferent attitude adopted by the the local administration and the state government in regard to complaints made by the opposition groups.

He rushed to Delhi today to caution the Union government against the alleged nefarious designs of the local administration.

“Although conducting elections of the LAHDC is purely a job of the state government, I will try to meet ministers of the Central government to sound them about the ongoing developments in Leh,” Chhewang said.

He will take up the issue with the BJP high command so as to exert pressure on the government not to allow the local administration to rig the elections.

Sources in the BJP said former president of the party Rajnath Singh had already taken up the issue with the state government and warned that the BJP would not remain a mute spectator, if people of Ladakh were not allowed to elect representatives of their choice.

At Jammu, BJP leader Dr Nirmal Singh took up the matter with the authorities concerned and cautioned against the alleged game plan of the local administration to rig the elections at the behest of the ruling party at any cost.

Smelling a deep-rooted conspiracy in imposing election on the people at a time when Ladakhis were struggling to restart their lives after the devastating cloudburst followed by flash floods, Dorje said untimely elections for the LAHDC was announced only to reap political benefits of the human tragedy. The local administration, at the behest of the Congress, has announced elections only to take benefit of the prevailing chaos, he said.

“We were opposing elections as the rehabilitation of people is the priority. But the insensitive local administration was adamant due to directions from the leaders of the ruling party,” Dorje said and aired a apprehension that the government would not allow people to elect representatives of their choice in the election.

Jammu, September 23
Even as the curfew was relaxed for three hours on the ninth day today since it was clamped on the violence-hit Mendhar town of Poonch district, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Pawan Kotwal urged the people in Mendhar town to maintain communal harmony.

The district administration relaxed the curfew for three hours from 3 pm to 6 pm today. Chairing a meeting of the peace committee in the town today, Kotwal said Kashmir was already on the boil and communal harmony and peace across the Jammu region becomes all the more important.

“I urge people here to maintain peace and remain in touch with the civil administration so as to inform it about anti-national elements,” he said. Kotwal was accompanied by IG, Jammu zone, Ashok Kumar Gupta and ADC, Poonch, Matloob Khan.

The curfew was imposed on the town after three persons were killed and several others injured in police firing to quell a mob trying to set ablaze a missionary school while protesting against the alleged act of sacrilege in the USA.

The curfew was relaxed for 3 hours from 5 pm to 8 pm in Mendhar last evening, which passed off peacefully.

Jammu, September 23
Separatist leader Shabir Shah, imprisoned in the Kot Bhalwal Jail under the Public Safety Act and under treatment at a private hospital, said today that the visit of the all-party delegation to the state was a welcome step and it would bring positive results.

Talking to mediapersons at the local Medical College where he went for some tests, Shabir said Kashmir should be treated as a national issue and though it involved India and Pakistan, no decision could be taken without taking the aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir residents into consideration.

He said they were equally concerned about Jammu and Ladakh and when they talk of Kashmir they mean the entire state. “We are not just talking about Kashmir but about the whole state,” he said.

Shabir Shah said he was surprised that the BJP was criticising the initiative of some of the delegates to meet the separatists.

“The BJP, when it was in power at the centre, had invited us for talks and now it was criticising a dialogue with the separatists,”he added.

Jammu, September 23
With the Kashmir valley already on the boil, separatists used an alleged act of sacrilege in the USA as a ploy to whip up violence in the Jammu region.Over 18 persons were killed and several others injured in the violence fomented by the separatists following a report of the alleged sacrilege.

Sources in intelligence agencies told The Tribune that as soon as the report was aired by a dubious Iranian channel, persons affiliated to various separatist outfits, including the Hurriyat Conference, first tried to inflame passions and then whip up violence and mob frenzy.

“Initially, the protests and the ensuing violence were confined to the Valley, but the separatists saw the alleged act as an opportunity to spread the arc of the Valley violence to the Jammu region,” said sources.

Towns in region had remained largely unaffected by the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, mainly due to an excellent rapport between the population, government agencies and the security forces.

Since any violence in the Jammu region was bound to promote the separatists’ agenda and the cycle of unrest in the Valley, by weaning away the people from the endless protests and violence, they (separatists andtheir sleeper cells) tried to grab the opportunity, added sources.

“No acts of violence were witnessed anywhere else in the world, including Iran, from where the news was aired. No such protests and damage to property was even reported from Pakistan, a country which misses no opportunity to project itself as the voice of the Muslim world.

Within the country, no violence or protests of any kind were reported, even from places with substantial Muslim population. Then why this reaction in Jammu and Kashmir,” asked a senior intelligence official.

Why and how, an act, however dastardly, which had no effect anywhere else in the whole Muslim world, could end up claiming 18 precious lives in the state, besides leaving many critically injured and property worth crores of rupees damaged was a mystery, he quipped.

Separatists used it as an opportunity to whip up communal frenzy and spread the violence and hatred to even the peaceful regions of the state, which had largely remained immune to their nefarious designs, he said.

The Tribune had reported in its recent columns in the wake of the alleged act of sacrilege that separatists had been trying to activate their sleeper cells across the Jammu region.

However, the intelligence official appreciated the Jammu leaders and people, who could see through the designs of separatist leaders.

Jammu, September 23
A class IX student of Army School, Nagrota, has brought laurels to the state by winning highly competitive FEI Children International Competition held recently at Sirhind.

Shaurya Bali of Jammu outshined his rivals by winning the FEI International Showjumping Competition held over four rounds of showjumping at Sirhind.

There were 18 participants of which 14 were eliminated on the first day itself while riding the highly technical and difficult international showjumping courses designed by an international course designer Hossen Shafiee from Iran.

Shaurya set his lead on the first day itself by having a flawless first round. Both he and Arjun Rathore of Madhya Pradesh incurred four penalties by knocking down one obstacle each in the afternoon round but the Jammu boy was faster in time and led on the first day.

On the second day Shaurya maintained his unmatchable horsemanship with two clear rounds and won this international event in his stride.

Arjun Rathore stood second followed with Sthavi Asthana and Raman Deep Singh finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Shaurya Bali (13) is the son of Lt-Col Dushyant Bali who is posted in the field area in the state.

Shaurya, a dedicated child rider who has been riding since the age of 10 years, so far having won around 40 medals out of which seven at Junior National Equestrian Championship. Last year, he was declared the best rider at the Delhi Horse Show in the age group of 10 to 12. The boy had been awarded the trophy by Gen Deepak Kapoor, the then Chief of the Army Staff. Shaurya repeated his stupendous performance by winning all jumping events and dressage event of Delhi Horse Show in his upgraded category with total of four gold medals and best rider trophy in the age group of 12 to 14 years in March this year. The boy was awarded with best rider trophy by Gen VK Singh, Chief of the Army.

Jammu, September 23
The annual national conference of the Indian Association of Private Psychiatry (ANCIAPP) will be held in Jammu from September 24 to 26.

Speaking to reporters here today, the head of the Psychiatry Department, Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, Dr Jagdish Raj Thapa, said: “It is the first national conference on psychiatry being held in Jammu”.

“The theme of conference is ‘Social and Cultural transitions: A mental Health Perspective’. During the conference, various social and political conditions like natural and man-made disaster and migrations would be discussed,”Dr Thappa said, and added, “the conference will be host to a number of psychiatrists of repute from national and international arena”.

He said psychiatrists like Dr VK Razdan, Dr Avdesh Sharma, Dr Rajesh Nagpal, Dr Vijay Nagaswami, Dr Margoob Mushtaq and TS Rao were expected to attend it.

Minister for Sports and Medical Education RS Chib would be the chief guest at the inaugural function, he said.

During the conference, various papers would be read out on subjects like dyslexia, schizophrenia, mental discord, sexual disorders, besides social and cultural contexts of psychiatry. — TNS