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PDP’s maiden rally at Jammu’s Parade Ground
BJP, Sena men target Shabir’s Kathua seminar
War refugees’ march foiled
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New cycle of arrests hurts interlocutors
Govt floats global tender for mining of Kashmir sapphires
PoK refugees to file plea for ‘mercy living’
Minor twins fly microlite aircraft
Taxi operators threaten self-immolation
Don’t encroach upon forest land, warns Minister
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PDP’s maiden rally at Jammu’s Parade Ground Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service
Jammu, March 13
Addressing a public meeting at Parade Ground here, Mufti offered the support of his party for creating a conducive atmosphere for initiating any serious effort for the lasting resolution of Kashmir problem. He said to make any initiative fruitful and acceptable to all stakeholders, it is necessary to create a congenial atmosphere. For the first time after the formation of PDP in 1998, the party has chosen Parade Ground to hold public meeting at the Jammu region where it has been trying to establish its base. All senior leaders of the party, including MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders from Kashmir valley, were present at the meeting. Upbeat over the heavy turnout at the, Mufti said the PDP, during its rule, had set "an example of good governance and all regions and sub-regions were treated equally". He listed four pre-conditions for starting a meaningful dialogue. He said the release of political prisoners as well as hundreds of innocent youths languishing in different jails was a must. "Draconian" laws such as AFSPA and Disturbed Area Act (DAA) should be revoked immediately and security forces should be withdrawn from the civilian areas, he said.
"The government, on record, has stated that infiltration has come down and there is a decline in militancy. So, there is no reason to keep the security forces in the civilian areas," he argued. "After fulfilling these conditions, Prime Minister should convene a Round Table Conference by involving all stakeholders, including the separatists, to make the process meaningful," Sayeed said. He said no group could afford to spurn the dialogue offer the four conditions were fulfilled. Addressing the genuine concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and restoring their democratic rights was a must for developing grounds for dialogue process, he said, demanding that the sense of uncertainty and fear that had gripped the people of the state for the last two years should be removed. In her address, party president Mehbooba Mufti assured the people of Jammu that all regions of the state would be involved in finding a solution to the Kashmir problem. Former Deputy Chief Minister and party stalwart Muzaffar Hussain Beigh also addressed the gathering.
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BJP, Sena men target Shabir’s Kathua seminar
Jammu, March 13 As soon as Shah, who is the chairman of the J&K Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), reached the venue of the conference — held to discuss Kashmir crisis — BJP activists resorted to sloganeering. Shouting anti-Pakistan, anti-separatist and anti-government slogans, the activists tried to enter the hall to disrupt the function. However, a posse of police force, deployed as a precautionary measure, foiled their bid and arrested 25 activists after mild cane-charge. Meanwhile, BJP leader Janak Raj has blamed the government for allegedly encouraging the separatists to preach secession in different parts of Jammu. He said the people of Jammu wanted to live in peace but separatist leaders were time and again “trying to spoil the atmosphere here”. He said the government was “responsible” for triggering protests as it allowed the separatists to use the soil of Kathua for anti-India and pro-freedom propaganda. Earlier, Shah said the Centre and state government should create conducive atmosphere for talks. Terming Jammu and Kashmir as a tri-lateral issue, he demanded that the talks between India and Pakistan should also involve the people of Kashmir. Shah also addressed another conference at Chadwal.
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War refugees’ march foiled
Jammu, March 13 The refugees under the banner of POJK (Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu and Kashmir) Refugees Front today assembled in Khor town and started rallying towards the border. The police detained at least 25 protesters, but released them in the evening. They were shouting slogans demanding treatment on par with the displaced people from Kashmir. “The refugees are uneducated and gullible people as a result of which some politicians are misleading them,” said general secretary of the organisation, Rashpal Singh Chib. “The Relief and Rehabilitation Minister presented a defective memorandum of demands on behalf of the refugees to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his recent visit to Jammu.” “In the memorandum, the number of refugees is proportionately lesser than the actual figures,” he said. — TNS |
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New cycle of arrests hurts interlocutors
Srinagar, March 13 “Unfortunately, there is no good news despite our recommendations (to release the youth)… there has been a renewed cycle of arrests in Kashmir,” said Prof Radha Kumar, one of the interlocutors while replying to a question at a press conference here today. Prof Kumar said the group of interlocutors held a two-day convention of women of Kashmir and some recommendations were given during the convention. “A special task force of eminent women from all three regions should be set up to address the problems of women victims of violence. In this context, we welcome the recent offer of the Army to help in tracing the boys who have disappeared and we hope it will yield desired results,” she said. Prof Kumar said after their appointment as interlocutors, they had visited Kashmir six times and had made several recommendations to both the state and the Centre. While some of them had already been implemented, others were in the process of being executed, she said. “We have recommended relocation and reduction of troop presence from the urban areas and so far 16 bunkers have been removed. And the process to remove more is on. The security forces are being trained in peaceful methods of crowd control. There is an increase in contact and trade across the LoC,” she said. She said many of the women present underlined the need for the relocation of troops and removal of security installations from the residential areas. “Our attention was also drawn to the continuing arrests of youths and the indiscriminate use of the PSA against them. The laws for the protection of juveniles in India does not exist here and the state Assembly could consider whether similar legislation is required in Jammu and Kashmir along with amendments to restrict the use of the PSA,” she said. She said there was a focused discussion on the problems of migrant women, especially the Kashmiri Pandits. “A valuable suggestion was that women can provide a bridge for Kashmiri pandits to reconcile with their co-citizens in the Valley,” Prof Kumar said. She added that there was a lively discussion on the political contours of the solution, with divergent aspirations being expressed from the three regions. However, it was heartening to know the flexibility that women displayed in finding a common ground.
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Govt floats global tender for mining of Kashmir sapphires
Jammu, March 13 “The government has gone for global tendering to ensure systematic extraction of sapphire at Paddar Valley in Kishtwar district. The step has been initiated to ensure competitive bidding at a large scale with utmost transparency," State Minister for Industries and Commerce Surjeet Singh Salthia said. He said, "We have already received one tender from a global company till now. It is yet to be opened. We are expecting some more in this regard," Salathia said. The minister hoped that Paddar sapphires would now make a comeback in the market. State-run J&K Minerals Limited had invited an Expression of Interest (EOI) from interested parties with expertise in exploration, mine planning and mining of gemstones for undertaking exploration and exploitation of sapphires in Paddar through a joint venture (JV), the Minister said. J&K Minerals Limited holds the mining lease for a 6.65-square kilometre area on GT Sheet 52/C at Paddar, situated at a height of 4,327 metres between a latitude of 33° 20' 10" and 33° 30' 10" and a longitude of 76° 15' 00" to 76° 25' 15". Based on the EoIs received, qualified parties will be short-listed for submission of technical and financial bids, he said. According to a notice of J&K Minerals Limited, the precious mineral is world famous because of its unique peacock blue colour, which is rarely available in other parts of the world. The sapphires are renowned for their clarity and transparency and are mainly used for jewellery, with a high ornamental value. Till now, extreme geographical conditions and lack of resources have hampered the commercial exploitation of this valuable natural reserve, officials of J&K Minerals Limited said. “We expect to see change on this front soon, as the government has entered into the final stage of awarding the tender of extraction to a major company,” they said. The companies will be assessed for their financial and technical capability, as well as past experience, to ensure that the Paddar sapphires are mined in the most scientific manner, they added. The project would be implemented on a joint venture basis with state-owned Jammu and Kashmir Minerals Ltd (JKML), which currently holds the lease for the sapphire mines. Extraction of these sapphires from mines in Paddar began in 1885 and they achieved legendary status in the jewellery world. The gems mined during this period are valued highly and usually fetch enormous prices around the world, officials said. "Their colour holds up in all kinds of light, which experts describe as a magical property, as compared to other fine sapphires such as Burmese stones, which lose their rich colour in the evening light," they said, adding that the stone has a magical 'velvety' effect, creating a soft, yet strong colour. The price of these pure sapphires easily crosses USD 100,000 a carat, making them the most expensive in their category. The state industries department plans to undertake a satellite survey as part of a multi-pronged study to determine the sapphire deposits. Toward this end, the Indian Remote Sensing Centre at Hyderabad was contacted to lend its expertise last year, they said, adding that the survey is expected take place this year. — PTI
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PoK refugees to file plea for ‘mercy living’
Jammu, March 13 In a statement, Rajiv Chuni, chairman of the organisation, said that their body would file a petition in the high court, and approach the State Human Rights Commission as well, on March 14. Chuni said: “The refugees have been living in filthy camps under unhygienic conditions for the last 63 years. We want a dignified life for them.” He said the SOS International had prepared a comparative chart showing the alleged discrimination against the PoK refugees vis-ŕ-vis Kashmiri migrants. Also, he has condemned the decision of the state government for unilaterally allocating Rs 8 crore in the state budget for group insurance of the Valley migrants. This, said he, was another example of how the PoK refugees were being “ignored”. “The statement of the Relief and Rehabilitation Minister, Raman Bhalla, regarding equal treatment to all would provide no solace to anybody. Our people are now fed up of such political assurances. Now, we have decided to fight on our own for our rights,” he added. |
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Minor twins fly microlite aircraft
Jammu, March 13 Organised by the Indian Air Force’s Adventure Wing, the special event saw the brother-sister duo flying the aircraft for 15 minutes each in two different sorties. Notably, the IAF’s Adventure Wing frequently holds such events to spread awareness regarding aviation as an adventure activity and to attract youth to opt for Air Force as career. For the Jammu-based twins, originally hailing from West Bengal, the opportunity clicked in as they were in the news recently for ‘Pushpak’ experience. Both had a cockpit experience during Army Aviation’s Pushpak expedition in February this year. It was around 1 pm today that Swapnil got the first call sign from Air Traffic Control from Hindan Air Base and subsequently was given clearance for the take-off. The next turn was of Swapnila. Wing Commander Akhilesh Chauhan was the captain of the flights while Sgt MP Singh and Sgt Santosh, who have been trained in Germany, helped the kids. Sharing his experience, Akhilesh Chauhan, also the Chief Instructor and Pilot Wing Commander, said, “Swapnil is more active with strong technical conception while Swapnila has inquisitive mind with sense of maturity.” Before the flying session, both were given a detailed briefing about the microlite aircraft. Swapnil and Swapnila were too excited after getting the offer from New Delhi. They were waiting to finish their Class I examination and once they got over, they came all the way from Jammu with their parents for this special sortie. Swapnil said, “It was an amazing experience to see the view from sky.” Sarmistha Acharaya, mother of the twins, said the children were very enthusiastic whereas she herself was a bit worried.
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Taxi operators threaten self-immolation
Jammu, March 13 The taxi operators have been demanding suspension of the government bus service between Jammu airport and Katra, besides revocation of car inter-service tax. “The airport authorities did not keep their word even after all their demands were fulfilled,” alleged the chairman of the association, Inderjit Sharma, saying that the pre-paid fee, car rental fee and replacement of all cabs by new ones were the demands of the airport authorities.
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Don’t encroach upon forest land, warns Minister
Jammu, March 13 Altaf, who visited the Roop Nagar area to oversee eviction of encroachers from 60 kanal of forest land, asked the officers to be tough against the encroachers and smugglers, who were out to destroy the green reserves of the state for their petty gains. Earlier, the Minister laid the foundation of forest demarcation office at Sidhra, which would be completed at a cost of Rs 15 lakh in the first phase. |
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Former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today stressed on the need to start a meaningful dialogue by involving all stakeholders to restore lasting peace in the region.
Jammu, March 13
Terming the unabated arrests of youths here by the police and security forces as unfortunate, the
Centre-appointed interlocutors on Kashmir today said there was no stopping the practice despite their recommendations to the government against it. Besides, they said, the government had failed to secure the release of the youths already in jail.
Jammu, March 13
Jammu, March 13
