|
|
Ayodhya Case Verdict Assembly Session Begins
Centre’s 8-point initiative |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PDP blames govt for turmoil, stages walkout
Schools, colleges record thin attendance
Dental college students
end fast
Calm in Udhampur,Doda, Kishtwar
Noisy scenes over MLA’s remarks
PDP stages walkout
Killed ultra was Pak national
|
|
Ayodhya Case Verdict
Jammu, September 30 The city had already been turned into a fortress in view of the BJP’s call for a Jammu bandh against the eight-point initiative of the Central government. A large number of security personnel were deployed in the city. Earlier, there were apprehensions of a breach of the peace at some prominent locations and adequate security arrangements were made at both Tawi bridges. Special security arrangements were made outside all religious places, including the Raghunath Temple. The city wore a deserted look and only a few vehicles were plying. As the details of the verdict started appearing on national news channels in the evening, the security forces were also alerted. However,the situation was peaceful in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri and Poonch districts.
|
||
|
Assembly Session Begins
Srinagar, September 30 “I am not ready to do politics over 109 deaths. I am not ready to change the condolence resolution into a political resolution, but me and my God know that I am saddened more than anybody else here about the loss of precious lives,” Omar said while responding to the points raised by opposition members and leaders of various political parties, including the NC and the Congress, in the Assembly here. “I feel like somebody has put a hand into my chest and pulled out 109 pieces from my heart. Somebody fired the bullets (which killed the youths) but I feel like the gun was on my shoulder,” Omar said. The Chief Minister was speaking on the obituary references moved in the Legislative Assembly today to pay homage to the former Vice-President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, and state legislators GM Bhaderwahi, Shahjahan Dar, Shanta Bharti, KC Sharma and Ghouri Shankar. The obituary references were also moved to pay homage to those killed in the recent turmoil in Kashmir and those killed in the Ladakh flash floods. He hoped that such incidents did not take place in future and assured that the government would embark on a phase of peace and tranquillity. Omar said many people had made it a tradition to deliver political speeches and tie black bands to exploit the grief and sorrow of common people.
|
||
|
Centre’s 8-point initiative
Jammu, September 30 All business establishments and shops remained closed and the public transport remained off road. Despite the opposition of bandh by a section of the minibus union, operators preferred not to keep their vehicles off road in view of the strike. Panthers Party activists also organised demonstrations at some places against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. After it got an encouraging response to its today’s bandh call against “pro-separatists policies” allegedly being propagated by the state and the Central government, the BJP asserted to intensify its agitation against the attempt of the government to demoralise the forces fighting a proxy war in the Valley. “People’s overwhelming response to our bandh call against the eight-point initiative of the Centre should be an eye opener for the government. The complete strike in this part of the state is a clear indication that people of the Jammu region are against these initiatives,” said Shamsher Singh Manhas, state president of BJP. He said the agitation against the Centre’s initiatives would not be confined only to the state as the Central leadership of the BJP had already decided to take up this issue at the national level. “We will not allow the state as well as the Central government to accomplish the nefarious designs of the separatists,” he said. Taking a serious note of the constitution of the provincial-level committees to identify the areas from where the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) would be repealed, the BJP warned the government against any such move as, according to the party, it would prove disastrous for the state. Manhas charged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah with accomplishing agenda of the Hurriyat Conference by raking up the issue of the AFSPA. He said Omar had completely failed to deal with the situation. The wrong policies of the Chief Minister had further created a wedge between all the three regions of the state. “The government has soft corner towards the separatists. It is also working day and night to demoralise the security forces,” he said. “It is an open secrete that the package after package were announced for Kashmir since 1947 but not even a single package was announced for people of the Jammu region,” he said. |
|
PDP blames govt for turmoil, stages walkout
Srinagar, September 30 Speaking on obituary references regarding the loss of lives during the recent turmoil in the Kashmir valley, the leader of the PDP Legislature Party, Mehbooba Mufti, asked the government to deliver justice to the families of 109 killed youths. The PDP chief said the masses had lost confidence in the elected members. “I cannot go to my constituency in view of the prevailing situation,” she said. “We have nothing to say.? You have everything to do by taking proper action to improve the situation in Kashmir which has become a jail,” she told the government and urged it to lift the siege and stop arresting youths. Mehbooba asserted that the role of the Assembly was important, but lamented the inability of the government to restore its credibility among people. “Today, our heads are down in shame. We cannot do anything,” she said. She added under the prevailing circumstances, when the entire Valley was under siege, nothing could be done as people were not able to come out of their houses. The healing touch after the firing by the police and the CRPF was missing, she pointed out. Mehbooba also questioned the decisions being taken by the Central government regarding the situation in the Valley and referred to the “reopening” of the schools and the announcement of Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to kin to those killed in the recent violence. Those killed included 45 teenagers, three children and some women while all others were youths, Mehbooba said. She added that it was not known what the government was going to do next. She lamented the price tag being attached to the killings and also questioned the killing of Tufail Ahmad Mattoo, who was killed on June 11, triggering the recent killings. The PDP chief claimed that confusion had been created by branding the protesters as “miscreants” who were being paid Rs 200 for stone throwing. “Therefore, it was an indirect licence (to the police) for the killing of youths,” Mehbooba said. She added that the government’s assurances on action over the killings, particularly of the three youths in Anantnag on June 29, did not yield any result.
|
|
|
Schools, colleges record thin attendance
Jammu, September 30 The private transport was plying smoothly on the road but the public transport remained off road, because of which majority of the students could not reach to the schools and colleges. Meanwhile, the autorickshaw drivers took full advantage of the bandh by charging exorbitant fare from passengers. Though the government schools and colleges remained open, students, particularly those belonging to far-flung areas, failed to reach to schools and colleges because of the absence of transport facility. Government Ranbir Higher Secondary School witnessed a negligible attendance whereas Government Higher Secondary School witnessed zero attendance. JK Sooden, Principal, Government Ranbir Higher Secondary School, said, “The entire staff of the school was present but the attendance of students was very less. Students, living adjacent to the school, could mange to reach the school whereas those living in far-flung areas could not do so due to the absence of public transport. Expressing similar views, Nalini Kholi, Principal of Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, said, “This was for the first time that our college witnessed zero attendance. The bandh call is not a new thing for us. We are used to witnessing at least 30 per cent attendance in any cause but not the zero one.” Simultaneously, students also faced difficulty to attend their tuition classes due to the absence of transport on the road. “Due to which, neither I could reached to the school nor I was able attend my tuition as well,” said Aneek Singh, a student. Rahul Gupta, another student, said, “Though I reached to the tuition center after covering a long distance on foot but most of my teachers were absent.” Besides students, others also faced trouble to reach to their respective destinations. Many pedestrians were seen on the road. Some could not attend their patients in hospitals whereas others could not attend social functions. The number of devotees was also thin in a hawan organised by the Kashmiri Pandit Community to celebrate the 90th birth anniversary of the Late Pandit Prem Nath Shastri at the Bohri area. “I had to walk around two kilometres to attend a social function in the Bohri area. I was lucky enough because I got a lift from one of my community members after covering half of the way,” said Sham Rani Koul.
|
|
Dental college students
end fast
Jammu, September 30 Azad reportedly told the agitating students that “one-time relaxation” would be granted to the students of 2004, 05 and 06 batches whereas the issue regarding the shortage of faculty at the college would also be redressed within three months. “The Health Minister has promised that an official correspondence in this regard would be sent to the college administration within three days,” said Pushkar Kumar, a spokesperson of the protesting students. However, he said the students would continue with the peaceful protest demonstration on the college premises till some concrete steps were taken in this regard. “Tomorrow, we will meet Minister for Health and Medical Education RS Chib and ask him to compensate the academic loss during the agitation following the de-recognition of the college by the Medical Council of India,” he added. |
|
Calm in Udhampur,Doda, Kishtwar
Udhampur, September 30 By and large people hailed the High Court decision as politically correct, which should be acceptable to everybody. The administration of these districts, however, remained in a state of preparedness to meet any eventuality. Nothing was left to chance as the day of verdict coincided with a bandh call by the BJP in Jammu province in protest against the 8-point initiative of the Centre for Kashmir. The police had already made elaborate security arrangements in all districts since September 24 when the verdict was deferred on the directions of the apex court. A heavy deployment of police was in place since then. All ingress point had been identified and sealed, especially in Kishtwar and Doda districts. “I believe the High Court exercised the utmost judicial sagacity in delivering the verdict. With this, no party involved in the dispute is left with any credible reason to hit the streets,” said Sheikh Nasir Hussain, a Kishtwar-based advocate. The educational institutions, markets and offices functioned normally except Udhampur, which witnessed a partial response to the bandh call. The public modes of transport almost remained off the road here but attendance in offices was normal. Vegetable vendors did a brisk business while the markets wore a deserted look. “I was a bit apprehensive about the public reaction to the High Court verdict but the closure of shops and restricted vehicular movement due to the bandh call contributed in keeping people indoors. I hail the verdict as a very balanced one as the judiciary has done what the politicians ought to have,” commented Vijay Kumar, a government employee at Udhampur. An important factor that seems to have helped in keeping the situation under control was the initiative taken by the administrative heads of all these districts to involve public representatives and prominent people of their respective areas. A number of meetings were organised between the police and public to drive home the point that maintaining peace and communal harmony was of paramount importance. Despite a positive response of public representatives, the administration did not lower guard. A three-hour meeting chaired by DIG, Doda Range, MK Sinha at Kishtwar today with prominent people and youths was the case in point.
|
|
Noisy scenes over MLA’s remarks
Srinagar, September 30 Intervening in the heated exchange of arguments, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar said the member had transgressed by referring to the Kashmir issue as a dispute. The members were speaking on the obituary references moved by Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone. Later, the Speaker directed that the remarks made by a member on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh be expunged. “Behave as a legislator? and maintain decorum of the House,” the Speaker told the member. In the Legislative Council, obituary references in this regard were made by Deputy Chairman S Arvinder Singh Micky. He paid glowing tributes to the former Vice-President of India, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, and four other legislators of the state. The council also expressed grief over the loss of lives during the recent unrest in the Kashmir valley and the flash floods in Leh. |
|
PDP stages walkout
Srinagar, September 30 Speaking on obituary references regarding the loss of lives during the recent turmoil in the Kashmir valley, the leader of the PDP Legislature Party, Mehbooba Mufti, asked the government to deliver justice to the families of 109 killed youths. The PDP chief said the masses had lost confidence in the elected members. “I cannot go to my constituency in view of the prevailing situation,” she said. “We have nothing to say.? You have everything to do by taking proper action to improve the situation in Kashmir which has become a jail,” she told the government. |
|
|
Curfew back in major Valley towns
Srinagar, September 30 The administration and the security agencies had been engaged in a counter-strategy against the APHC protest calendar over the past two weeks now. Today’s restrictions also coincided with the beginning of the Assembly session here, which had been delayed for about two months due to the ongoing trouble in the Valley. The authorities imposed restrictions also in view of the Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya Ram Janambhoomi case today, according to official sources here. Strict curfew restrictions remained in force in the entire Srinagar city since early this morning, after these were imposed last evening when relaxation was given in phases in different areas of the capital city. Roads were deserted and only official vehicles carrying ministers, legislators and officers at the beginning of the Assembly session were seen on the roads. Students again faced difficulties this morning in reaching schools and boarding buses. While some of the private schools had started operating bus services on some routes, most of the students stayed away from the schools in view of the mounted tension. A police spokesman said the curfew was reimposed on all other districts except Pulwama and Shopian. The districts and major towns where restrictions were imposed included Srinagar, Budgam, Hyderpora, Peerbagh, Humhama, Sheikhpora, Ompora, Choon, Safdan, Magam, Chadoora, and Charar-i-Shrief in Budgam district. Other towns included Ganderbal, Kangan, Bijbehara, Anantnag, Awantipora, Tral and Pampore. In Baramulla district the curfew was reimposed on Pattan, Kunzar, Tangmarg, Sopore and Baramulla towns. Kupwara, Trehgam, Kralpora, Handwara, Kulangam, Bandipora and Sumbal were also under the curfew, the police said. However, the curfew was relaxed in Kupwara and Handwara from 9 am to 2 pm, while it was extended in Kupwara up to 4 pm.
|
|
|
Killed ultra was Pak national
Srinagar, September 30 “As per preliminary investigation, the identity of the slain militant has been established as Aijaz Ahmad, who was operating under the aliases of ‘Amir’ and ‘Umar’, a resident of the Basant area of Lahore in Pakistan,” the spokesman said. —
PTI |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
As the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court delivered its verdict on the Ram Janambhoomi case this afternoon, people maintained peace and communal harmony and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the Jammu region.
Refusing to be drawn into political gamesmanship, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said today that he was saddened more than anybody else over the 109 deaths during the ongoing
unrest.
Srinagar, September 30
