The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Violence mars Eid festivity in Anantnag 17 security men injured in clashes with ‘pro-freedom’ protesters Srinagar, November 7 At least 17 security personnel were today injured as protesting youths clashed with them soon after the congregational Eid-ul-Adha prayers concluded in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the police said. Clashes also broke out at Sopore town in Baramulla district and some parts of the city, marring Eid festivities. 17 police and CRPF personnel were injured in Anantnag, 50 km from here, when clashes broke out after the security forces tried to prevent a large group of youths from taking out a protest rally after the congregational Eid-ul-Adha prayers, the police said. Shouting “pro-freedom” slogans, the agitators threw stones at security personnel, who retaliated with tear-smoke canisters, they said. At least 12 policemen, including Anantnag SSP R K Jalla and SP (Operations) Zahid Malik, and five CRPF personnel were injured in the clashes, the police said. Several protesters were also injured in the clashes, they said. In Sopore, people took out a protest march soon after coming out of the Eidgah, the police said. When the police attempted to intercept the rallyists, they started throwing stones at them. The police fired several tear-smoke canisters there to disperse the crowd. Protests also erupted in the old city here as youths clashed with the police at Saraf Kadal locality after the Eid prayers. — PTI
	Omar extends greetings Srinagar, November 7 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today greeted people on Eid-ul-Azha and expressed hope that the day would herald peace, progress and development. Omar, in a statement, said Eid-ul-Azha "reminds us of making sincerity and truthfulness way of our life". “I hope the day would herald peace, progress and development in Jammu and Kashmir and the country,” he said. Omar along with Union Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah today offered the congregational Eid-ul-Azha prayers at the Hazratbal mosque. Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Forest Minister Mian Altaf Ahmad, Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora also greeted the people on the occasion. Greetings were also extended by state Sports Minister Rajinder Singh Chib, Health Minister Shah Lal and Higher Education Minister Abdul Gani Malik. — PTI
	Festival celebrated with fervour in Jammu No untoward incident reported Archit Watts/TNS Jammu, November 7 The Eid-ul-Azha (Bakr Eid) celebrations remained by and large peaceful in the Jammu region. A large number of people wearing new clothes thronged various mosques and Eidgahs in the morning to celebrate it with religious zeal and fervour. The excitement for the festival appeared much more than the previous years. The celebrations, which started today, will last till November 9. A number of people sacrificed goats and camels to mark the festival. Scholars from different schools of thought delivered special sermons to highlight the significance of the day and the purpose of the sacrifice rendered by Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim. In Jammu, the biggest Eid congregation was held at Eidgah on the Residency Road, where a large number of people offered prayers. They were seen hugging each other and extending greetings to each other. Similar celebrations were also held in Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Samba, Doda, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Ramban and Reasi districts of the region. Security men were put on high alert for the occasion and were directed to make special security arrangements. Talking to The Tribune on phone, IGP (Jammu Zone) Dilbag Singh said: “All possible arrangements were made to tackle any untoward incident, keeping in mind that anti-national elements might try to create some disturbance on such occasions. Luckily, the day passed off peacefully.”
	India, Pak troops exchange sweets Poonch, November 7 Indian and Pakistani troops today exchanged sweets on the Indo-Pak border in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion Id-ul-Azha. Indian troops, led by Major R K Sengupta, gifted sweets and fruits to their Pakistani counterparts at the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch district, officials said. Pakistani troops also reciprocated the friendly gesture by giving packets of sweets to the Indian troops, they said. — TNS
	Security stepped up as Darbar set to reopen in Jammu Police on alert as students remain adamant on “Secretariat chalo” call Ravi Krishnan Khajuria/TNS Jammu, November 7 With the ongoing demonstrations against the state government’s new recruitment policy, the Darbar Move offices are expected to reopen here on November 9 amid protests as various student organisations under the banner of Youth of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (YJKL) have given a call for “Secretariat chalo” on that day. In addition, if a consensus emerges at a crucial meeting here tomorrow, the West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee and the SOS International - an organisation of PoK refugees --- may also compound the problems of the state government. They may give a call for “Jammu bandh” on November 9 - the day when the seat of power shifts to Jammu for the next six months. Even as the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has stayed the new recruitment policy for three weeks, students are demanding nothing less than the rollback of the “draconian” policy. “No doubt, temporary relief has come from the High Court but we will not rest till the government revokes the draconian policy,” said Suresh Ajay Magotra, chairman of the Youth of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, which has been spearheading the agitation. We stand by our call for “Secretariat Chalo” on November 9 when students will show black flags to ministers and MLAs of the ruling alliance to give vent to their anger and press for the withdrawal of the policy, added Magotra. With inputs from intelligence agencies that some students may attempt self-immolation on November 9, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has taken sufficient measures to tackle the situation. Police sources said besides the routine deployment, around 500 cops in civvies will also be deployed around the civil secretariat to keep an eye on “troublemakers”. Meanwhile, the West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee and the SOS International will jointly take a decision on Jammu bandh on November 9 in a crucial meeting here tomorrow. “Though a final decision on Jammu bandh will be taken tomorrow, this time around we have decided that the West Pakistani Refugees Committee will start a protest demonstration from day one of the Assembly session so as to wake up those in the corridors of power,” said Committee president Labha Ram Gandhi.
	For 6 months, this road will be out of bounds for public Ravi Krishnan Khajuria/TNS Jammu, November 7 Yet again with the reopening of the Darbar Move offices in the winter capital here on November 9, an important road in front of the civil secretariat complex, which connects two densely populated parts of the walled city, will remain out of bounds for the common man for the next six months. There is, however, no such restriction on the movement of traffic and public on the road outside the civil secretariat complex in the summer capital of Srinagar. Daily commuters, including schoolchildren and senior citizens, will now be forced to adopt longer routes to reach Kachi Chawni and the Shalamar Road. An officer in the security wing admitted that there had never been a single militant attack on the civil secretariat complex here in Jammu but owing to security reasons, the 200-metre stretch remains out of bounds for the people. For the next six months till Darbar Move offices shift back to Srinagar again, the road will remain under “siege” of the security staff. Only officials and employees of the civil secretariat besides visitors with passes and politicians would be allowed to enter the “high-security” area. “We had been using this shorter route to go to Shalamar but now with the arrival of Darbar Move offices we would be compelled to cover a longer distance via the Parade Ground, said Amarpal Singh, a resident of Dogra Hall.
	BJP steps up tirade against ‘corrupt’ NC-Cong coalition Archit Watts Tribune News Service Jammu, November 7 Stepping up the attack against the ruling National Conference (NC)-Congress coalition for their failure to solve basic problems of people, the BJP today exhorted the people to launch a decisive war against this “corrupt” regime in the state. Addressing series of public meetings in different areas of the Jammu region in connection with the ongoing “Jan Jagran Yatra”, BJP leaders came down heavily on the ruling coalition for its failure on all fronts. The leaders said since formation of this government, problems of the people have increased, but the government was much concerned about raking up irrelevant issues to appease separatists and other anti-national elements active in the state. They further lambasted the regime for raking up the issue of revocation of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) in the state and said this issue was raised only to appease separatists and other pro-militant elements active in the Kashmir Valley. They also warned that any decision to withdraw the AFSPA would prove disastrous for the state because situation was not conducive. BJP MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma, while addressing public meetings in different areas of the Nowshera and Kalakote assembly segments, flayed the government for not fulfilling the promises made during the last Assembly elections. Addressing a meeting at Kishanpur, state president of BJP Shamsher Singh Manhas said in response to the clarion call of the BJP against corruption, black money, price rise and several issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir, the people were turning up in rallies in large number, which was an indicator that they were fed up by the anti-people, anti-youth, anti-farmer and anti-poor policies of the government and endorse the demand of the BJP that “the CM should step down”. He said the Congress-led UPA has set new records in corrupt practices. It has added to the woes of a common Indian citizen by making steep rise in the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG, kerosene oil and other essential items, he added. Ashok Khajuria, MLA, Jammu East, and other senior leaders also addressed the meetings.
	Opposition presses for abolition of Legislative Council ‘Government can save nearly Rs 150 cr annually by scrapping LC’ Dinesh Manhotra/TNS Jammu, November 7 As the Omar Abdullah-led government has been hiding behind the excuse of “financial constraints” in the state to announce the controversial recruitment policy, opposition parties have emphasised the need to initiate some visible austerity measures at the higher level instead of victimising unemployed youth. The demand for abolishing the Legislative Council has been gaining momentum as opposition parties have observed that this step would save a lot of money, which could be used for providing relief to the unemployed youth of the state. Political groups observed that with the abolition of the Legislative Council alone, the government could save nearly Rs 150 crore annually, which, according to them, could provide employment to several thousands of unemployed youth every year. “Why is the government making the youth of the state victim of its own wrong policies”, asked CPM state secretary M Y Tarigami. “If the government is interested in taking austerity measures, it should first of all abolish institutions like the Legislative Council which have become a white elephant and are putting a huge financial burden on the state,” Tarigami argued. He recalled that he had moved a resolution in this regard a couple of years ago but at that time his resolution was not taken seriously by any political party. “It is high time all of us to took some effective steps in this regard,” he said. Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh, referring to the new recruitment policy, said: “I don’t think this step would improve the financial condition of the government”. He said that the government should drastically cut down on its frivolous and wasteful expenditure and ensure strict compliance with austerity measures. “The government should restrain its ministers and seriously consider the abolition of the Legislative Council, which is not only an unaffordable luxury but has been at the centre of controversies since its inception,” he said and reminded that 22 states of the country had already abolished the Legislative Council in their respective states in view of the huge financial implications. Besides the CPM and Panthers Party, the BJP has also indirectly supported this demand. The party observed that the Legislative Council had failed to serve the basic purpose for which it was constituted.
	Schoolteacher admits to thrashing student: CEO Archit Watts Tribune News Service Jammu, November 7 The teacher, who on Thursday allegedly thrashed a Class XII student of Government Higher Secondary School, Gambhir Mughlan in Rajouri district, finally confessed before the chief education officer (CEO) that he had thrashed the boy when the latter refused to provide him the phone number of a girl student. Though an inquiry report is yet to come in this regard, ML Sharma, CEO, Rajouri district, said, “The guilty teacher, Shahid Mughal, has admitted his fault. He has admitted that when the student refused to give him the girl’s number, he thrashed the boy.” Sharma added, “I have sought an inquiry report from the school principal, who will submit it on November 9 when the offices will resume after a gap of holidays.” He further said the final action would only be taken against the teacher when the report would be submitted in this regard. “So far, the teacher has been barred from taking the classes,” added Sharma. Meanwhile, victim Shariq Nissar has lodged a complaint with the police seeking strict action against the accused. In his complaint, Nissar has alleged that when he reached the school on November 3, contractual teacher Shahid Mughal asked the phone number of a girl student and on his refusal, the teacher started beating him. The Manjakote police has been investigating the matter. The victim’s father has also alleged that they were afraid of any further attack from the teacher’s side as he belonged to an influential family.
	‘Death in custody’ Police was harassing my son for long, alleges woman Ashutosh Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, November 7 The family of a youth, who was arrested up by the police on November 1 in connection with an old theft case and later his body was recovered from fields at Galbadechak in the Gajansoo area near Domana next day, has accused the police of killing him in the custody and then dumping the body in the fields. The family, besides villagers, alleged that the police was harassing Vijay Kumar (26), alias Lilli, for long. “According to some villagers, he was picked by four policemen, who tied him to the vehicle and made him to run up to the police chowki. He was publicly thrashed by the policemen at the Gajansoo bus stand,” said mother of the slain youth, Pushpa Devi. She further alleged that she was not allowed to meet her son in the police lock-up. “The police post in charge did not allow me to meet my son despite pleadings. He also did not disclose the reasons for which he was arrested,” she claimed. “The police used to come to our home earlier as well and take him to the police station as a suspect involved in the smuggling of drugs in the area,” she said and stressed that her son was not involved in any illegal activity. She further said that one of his sons was physically challenged, whereas her daughter was a widow, who was living with them after being abandoned by in-laws. Official records at the local police post revealed that Vijay was arrested by the police in connection with investigations into some theft case. The family members said Vijay was working as driver at a private hospital and the past 4-5 moths, he was doing farming in the village. Vijay’s family further accused the police of foul play. “He was arrested at around 2 pm on November 1. Next morning, we were summoned to the Kanachak police station, where we were told that he had fled form the custody after crossing a 12-15 feet wall that has barbed wires on the top. It is unbelievable that a person can climb such a wall and that too in the presence of police,” said Vijay’s father, Puran Chand. “In the evening, we were told by a villager that Vijay’s body was lying in nearby fields. We reached there with a group of villagers and village head,” he said and added, “Later a police party from Kanachak led by senior police officials from Jammu also reached the spot. The body was thoroughly searched, but nothing incriminating was recovered.” “However, in the mortuary at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), the police had placed intoxicant capsules near his body. They were also taking photographs of the body along with the capsules to give an impression that my son was a smuggler,” he alleged. “One of his front teeth was broken, whereas the lower lip was injured. It indicates that he was thrashed to death and then his body was left in the fields,” he apprehended. A magisterial probe is already going on in the case, whereas two policemen have been suspended, including police post in charge Omar Prakash, and 15 others shunted out to the police lines. “It has become a trend in the state that the police picks up innocent youths and kills them. We demand that inquiry reports in all the custodial deaths be made public,” said Rajinder Manhas, state vice president of People’s Democratic Party, who visited the family on Sunday. He also demanded adequate compensation for the family. Police post in charge Kamer Singh feigned ignorance over the issue.
	Doda Mishap Another body recovered from Chenab Raju William Tribune News Service Udhampur, November 7 Besides recovering one more body, the divers were able to locate the Matador van which had fallen into the Chenab in the tragic accident on Saturday near Thathri in Doda district. The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Aslam of Kishtwar. With this, the number of bodies recovered so far has increased to six. During the day-long search operations, a bag containing some documents was also found. Farooq Ahmed Khan, Deputy Commissioner, Doda, said the documents belonged to a youth from the Gandoh area of the district. Though the divers succeeded in locating the ill-fated Matador van, but it could not be pulled out of the river despite several efforts. “We will try again tomorrow,” said Virender Sharma, SSP, Doda. The district police authorities have so far received information about the missing passengers from their kin.
	President to address SMVDU convocation Tribune News Service Udhampur, November 7 Besides addressing the convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) at Katra, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil will inaugurate a spiritual growth centre set up by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) at Katra, the base camp of Vaishno Devi cave shrine on November 26 during her visit to Jammu. Reportedly, the President is scheduled to reach Jammu on November 25. As per university officials, she would reach the university the same day to address the convocation there and award degrees to the pass-outs. During the visit, the President will pay obeisance at the cave shrine, besides inaugurating a religious-cum-cultural centre constructed by the SMVDSB at Katra. Officials said she would review the activities of the board. Governor NN Vohra, who is also the chairman of the SMVDSB, chief executive officer of the board RK Goyal and other top officials will soon review the arrangements regarding the visit.
	Manufacture, sale of Letrozole banned Tribune News Service Jammu, November 7 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has imposed a ban on sale and distribution of Letrozole, a drug used for induction of ovulation in infertility. As per an official handout issued by the state government, the chemists and druggists are directed to stop the sale of these formulations with immediate effect and return the unused stocks to the manufacturers. However, Letrozole formulation for the treatment of breast cancer would continue to be manufactured and marketed.
	Teachers seek support of Panthers Party Tribune News Service Jammu, November 7 A large number of teachers and lecturers today met MLA Ramnagar Harsh Dev Singh of National Panthers Party to seek his support to get their various problems resolved. In a statement issued to the media, Harsh said he had extended his full support to the teachers and lecturers, who had come to meet him demanding early regularisation of all teaching staff working as in charge. “All kind of genuine concerns of teaching fraternity will be taken up not only in the legislative assembly but also at other forums,” said Harsh. After assuring his support, Harsh also demanded that the present coalition government should immediate fill up the promotional avenues at different levels in the education department.
	Three Army men killed in avalanche Srinagar, November 7 Three army personnel were killed when they were hit by an avalanche outside their post near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir, officials said today. The three soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer, were killed at Roshni Post, around 120 km here, near the LoC in north Kashmir's Baramulla district last night when they were clearing snow outside their post, a police officer said. The bodies of the three victims have been retrieved, he said. — PTI
	Militant tries to shoot cop, escapes Srinagar, November 7 An unidentified militant today tried to shoot a police constable in south Kashmir's Anantnag district but escaped without firing a shot, a police spokesman said. “The vigilant constable on duty got hold of him and tried to overpower the militant. Due to a huge crowd in the market, the militant could not fire and managed to escape,” he said. — PTI