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Army doesn’t want a Manipur repeat in J-K
Mufti lashes out at govt on AFSPA withdrawal
BJP sharpens attack on NC-Congress coalition
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Governor inspects helipad site at Katra
Maj-Gen Surinder Singh new GOC of Tiger Division
Militant hideout busted in Kishtwar
Mirwaiz welcomes Manmohan, Gilani’s gesture on continuing talks
Army provides furniture to Rajouri school
11/11/11 fails to catch fancy of expectant mothers in Jammu
Who's leaking UHQ meeting details, tweets Omar
Students block road over detention of 4 protesters
Top Hizb militant held in Srinagar
Kidnapped girl recovered
Ladakh gets first snowfall of season
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Army doesn’t want a Manipur repeat in J-K
Jammu, November 11 Sources revealed to The Tribune that these were the arguments the Indian Army presented in the Wednesday’s Unified Command meeting in support of the continuation of the AFSPA in the state.
“Militants and their supporters will shift to the districts from which the Act is removed. It would be a safe haven for them. This is what happened in Imphal when the AFSPA was partially revoked from certain areas in 2004,” claimed Army sources. The sources claimed that the partial revocation has no meaning. “Our convoys pass through all areas. We need special powers to deter an attack and counter attack if we are targeted. There is demand for the removal of the AFSPA from Srinagar and Budgam. We oppose it as our convoys pass through them daily,” the sources said. Claiming that there was a lot of misinformation on the use of the Act, the sources said in the last 15 years only 3 per cent of the cases of human rights violations have been proved right,” This is not our study. Those are the figures of the National Human Rights Commission,” the sources said. Talking of other factors, the sources argued that the non-implementation of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the state of Jammu and Kashmir was also a block in the way of revoking the AFSPA, “The Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), applicable in the state, does not have the Section 45 of the CrPC, which protects security forces from prosecution in operations against criminals or terrorists. The CrPC is applicable in all parts of the country. May be the state government can think of amending the RPC ,” the sources said. |
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Mufti lashes out at govt on AFSPA withdrawal
Srinagar, November 11 Mufti said the AFSPA had outlived its utility and the PDP had pointed this out in 2007 as part of the larger peace process that had been set in motion in 2003. “I had taken it up with the PM and committees were set up at the highest level to review it”, he said. Mufti, however, lamented that the state government had failed to follow up on the initiative. The PDP leader said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had lowered the prestige, position and status of the CM by his ham-handed handling of a sensitive and important issue. He claimed that the Chief Minister had surrendered the constitutional powers of the state government in the process and had engaged himself in a futile confrontation which was increasingly looking like shadowboxing in order to divert the attention from the recent exposure of the corruption in the ruling family and the inefficient governance record of He said instead of taking the state legislature into confidence on the issue the Chief Minister had turned it into a slanging match between him and the He added that when it came to implementing or revoking laws, the PDP had refused in 2002 to enforce POTA even though the preceding Farooq Abdullah government had enforced it. Mufti said armed forces had completed their job in very trying circumstances and helped create a situation conducive for political activity and democratic functioning. The space reclaimed by the people of the state with the assistance of the government forces had now to be made exclusively available to democratic institutions and civil society as in other parts of the country. The forces would have to be relieved of their duties in civilian space and the democratic institutions would have to be fully revived in the state, he said. |
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BJP sharpens attack on NC-Congress coalition
Jourian (Akhnoor),November 11 Winding up the 10-day-long Jan Jagran Yatra launched by the state unit of the party, BJP national general secretary and spokesperson J P Nadda launched a direct attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and dubbed him a “total failure” who, through his “childish acts”, had created “anarchy, chaos and confusion” in the sensitive border state. He regretted that the state of Jammu and Kashmir had become a hub of corruption and nepotism due to the “immaturity and non-serious attitude” of Omar Abdullah. “Instead of providing good governance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah has legalised corruption in the state through his misdeeds,” Nadda said while referring to the incident of the mysterious death of NC worker Syed Yousuf in Srinagar. The BJP national general secretary declared that the “death” of Yousuf had exposed the rampant corruption in the state government as well as in the ruling NC. He said it was unfortunate that in this sensitive state, ministries and membership of the Legislative Council were openly on sale. “Syed Yousuf’s death has exposed that the ruling party has fixed a rate of Rs 1 crore for the post of minister and Rs 60 lakh for the post of MLC,” he said, adding that during the last three years corruption had crossed all limits. Nadda also drew the attention of the gathering towards the defence land scam in the Kashmir valley in which defence land worth crores of rupees had been encroached upon by land grabbers with the connivance of members of the ruling party. “Encroachment on the defence land shows how deep-rooted corruption is in the administration of Jammu and Kashmir,” he observed and called upon party workers to expose the misgovernance of Omar Abdullah. Nadda said the main aim of organising the Jan Jagran Yatra was to highlight corruption at the state level. He said both the state and Central governments had failed to check corruption. The BJP leader highlighted the discrimination with the Jammu region and sought the support of the people to put an end to the discrimination. “Give us support, and we will not allow the state government to discriminate with any region of the state,” he said. To wind up the Jan Jagran Yatra, the BJP selected the venue of Jourian, where seven persons had lost their lives while participating in “Ek Vidhan Ek Pradhan Ek Nishan” agitation of the Jan Sangh in the early 1950s for total integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. |
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Governor inspects helipad site at Katra
Udhampur, November 11 His Principal Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), RK Goyal, DIG, Udhampur-Reasi Police Range, Jagjit Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, PK Pole, and Technical Consultant to SMVDSB, HL Maini, accompanied the Governor. While inspecting the proposed helipad site on the Katra-Reasi road, the Governor stressed the need for all required parking space for vehicles and facilities for eating, medical aid, drinking water and toilets. He asked the CEO to have the suitability of the proposed helipad site inspected by the authorities of the Civil Aviation Department as well as the state and Central governments. The Governor, who is the Chairman of the SMVDSB, also visited the Spiritual Growth Centre at Katra and took stock of various facilities set up there. The centre is all set for its inauguration on November 26. The Governor visited library hall, souvenir shop, auditorium, exhibition hall, conference hall, training and development section, meditation and prayer halls of the centre. Its Director SM Saini briefed the Governor about the various facilities and the manner in which these would be utilised after its inauguration. Later, the Governor reviewed the progress of the upcoming Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence at Kakriyal, Katra, and the finalisation of the building plans. He also reviewed the progress of the ongoing work on the dedicated mule track from Katra to Adhkuwari and directed the CEO to draw a time-bound action plan to ensure the timely completion of the track. |
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Maj-Gen Surinder Singh new GOC of Tiger Division
Jammu, November 11 The GOC was received by Brig Pankaj Saxena, Deputy GOC of Tiger Division.Brig Saxena also introduced all the senior commanders to the GOC. Gen Surinder Singh, who earned the distinction of being the 43rd GOC of Tiger Division, has a varied operational experience of serving in both J&K and North-East. Among his earlier stints are important assignments of commanding an infantry unit during peak militancy in J&K and commander of an infantry brigade in the North-East. Gen Surinder Singh has widely travelled around the world and also held the coveted appointment of the Mission Senior Military Observer in the United Nations Mission in Congo. Recently, he was the Defence Attache, Indian High Commission, in Kabul. Anupama Chhikara, wife of the GOC, also took over the charge of the Chairman of the Family Welfare Organisation of Tiger Division today. |
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Militant hideout busted in Kishtwar
Udhampur, November 11 On a tip-off, a joint column of Rashtriya Rifles and the Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a search operation in the Jabu area, about 4 km from Keshwan in Kishtwar district. As per the press note issued today, the security forces recovered three UBGL and Chinese grenades each along with a box with protruding wires. The box weighing about 40 kg is yet to be opened by bomb disposal experts.
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Mirwaiz welcomes Manmohan, Gilani’s gesture on continuing talks
Srinagar, November 11 Addressing Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid here today, the Mirwaiz hoped that both the countries forget the past skirmishes and take bold steps and make dialogue process a meaningful exercise by including the Kashmir issue. He said Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani gave a welcome gesture to the dialogue process on the sidelines of the SAARC summit at Male. The Mirwaiz reiterated the APHC stand on cordial and friendly relations between India and Pakistan, adding that this would continue only when the Kashmir dispute was resolved in accordance with the aspirations of its people. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also hailed the efforts of China in bringing India and Pakistan closer and continue the meaningful dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue. Suggesting to bring down the density of armed forces along the borders between India and Pakistan in the state and in the hinterlands on the either side of the borders, the Mirwaiz also sought to withdraw troops from these areas. Such measures would help in paving way for meaningful efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue. “If the withdrawal of troops starts, there would be no need for laws like AFSPA,” the Mirwaiz said. |
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Army provides furniture to Rajouri school
Jammu, November 11 Government Middle School, Rependi, in Rajouri district, is a small school having a strength of 110 students and seven teachers, located along the Line of Control in a remote area. The school is completely underdeveloped lacking basic amenities for students and teachers. On the request of the school authorities, a project was envisaged under the Operation Sadhbhavna by one of Rashtriya Rifles battalions under the aegis of Romeo Force to provide furniture. It comes as a much-needed respite for the schoolchildren, who were until now sitting on the floor while attending classes, even in the extremities of harsh winters in this region. The furniture was handed over to the school authorities in a simple yet impressive function. The items distributed included benches, plastic chairs, wooden table, dustbins, lecture stands, steel almirah, book shelf and blackboards. The function was attended by the teaching staff, schoolchildren, their parents and eminent citizens of the nearby villages. |
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11/11/11 fails to catch fancy of expectant mothers in Jammu
Jammu, November 11 There wasn’t any increase in the rush of delivery cases in the two maternity hospitals — SMGS Hospital in Shalamar and Government Hospital in Sarwal. “Despite the ‘numerological significance’ of the day, we did not get any request from parents to schedule the delivery of their babies today. The total number of delivery cases remained as usual, just like other normal days,” said Dr Dara Singh, Deputy Medical Superintendent, SMGS Hospital. This is the main hospital in the Jammu region which caters to a large number of gynaecological cases daily. Dr Singh added, “Normally, we handle 30-60 delivery cases, including caesarean sections, per day. The number also remained the same today. Till 1 pm, 10 babies took birth in the hospital and not a single expectant mother had pre-planned the delivery for this day.” Medical Superintendent of Government Hospital, Sarwal, Arun Sharma said, “The day passed off just like other days. People are more worried about their health and not even one would-be-mother took the risk to bring forward or postpone the delivery, just to give birth to the baby on this special day.” Dr Sharma added, “Five babies took birth in the hospital today, and two of them were caesarean deliveries.” However, Rakesh Kumar, who became father of a baby today, said, “We are happy that we got a baby on this special day. But, we had not scheduled the delivery for this particular day. There are a number of health-related risks involved when you pre-arrange the delivery date.” All the new mothers too in the two hospitals were ecstatic that they had given birth to their babies on this special date. |
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Don’t ignore Army’s concerns, warns BJP
Jourian (Akhnoor),November 11 “Azad’s statement on the AFSPA is unfortunate and uncalled for,” BJP national general secretary and spokesman J P Nadda told The Tribune. He said by giving such confusing statements, the Congress leadership has been sending “divisive” signals among the masses as “Azad’s statement also speaks about the utter confusion within the Congress party which is ruling at Centre and is a major partner in the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir,” he observed. Coming down heavily Nadda said the BJP had been opposing any move to withdraw the AFSPA and would continue to do so in future also. “Our stand is very much clear. The view of the Army should be taken into consideration before taking any decision on the AFSPA,” he said and warned that the party would not remain a mute spectator if any such step would be taken by compromising on the security and integrity of the country. |
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Who's leaking UHQ meeting details, tweets Omar
Jammu, November 11 “Who the hell is leaking the proceedings of the UHQ to the media?” Omar said on micro-blogging website Twitter while reacting to media reports on the proceedings of the UHQ meet on Wednesday. — PTI
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Students block road over detention of 4 protesters
Jammu, November 11 Nearly 50 students were holding a peaceful protest demonstration on the university campus and requesting other students to boycott their classes when a police party, anticipating trouble during the Education Minister’s programme, detained four protesting students. This led to the blockade of the university road around 1 pm by the protesting students. The students were lodging a protest demonstration against the new recruitment policy of the state government, under which all new recruits (non-gazzetted) would get 50 per cent of their basic salary for the first two years and 75 per cent of the basic salary for the next three years. As soon as the news of detention of the four students spread, a number of students descended on the road opposite the university under the banner of the Progressive Students’ Association (PSA) and the Youth of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, demanding unconditional release of their activists. Sensing the gravity of matter, all senior officials of the district administration, including the duty magistrate, SP and the DSP reached the spot. Despite their assurances that the students would be released in the evening, the protesters did not end their protest and demanded the immediate release of the students. The agitating students, including girls, sang patriotic songs and raised anti-government slogans against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for clearing the recruitment policy, which they termed “anti-youth”. While demanding the unconditional release of their activists, they also raised slogans against the area Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajeshwar Singh, alleging that the officer had given them the assurance that their activists would be released within minutes. Meanwhile, the university security closed the main entrance to the campus. No one was allowed to go inside or come out for almost one hour. Traffic was also diverted from Bikram Chowk and rotary outside the police headquarters, as the students had blocked the road. Later, with the efforts of the police, the road was opened around 3 pm. But, a large number of students remained present outside the university till late evening. “We will continue our protest against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah till he revokes this anti-youth policy. The present coalition government is playing cheap tactics to suppress our voice, but we will stick to our genuine demand,” said Suresh Ajay Magotra, chairman of the Youth of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Later, the police released all four detained students, which defused the tension. |
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Top Hizb militant held in Srinagar
Srinagar, November 11 One of the last surviving field commanders of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Shafi was the senior most militant commander operating in Kashmir and headed the outfit inside the Valley, he said. Shafi, alias Dawood, alias Doctor, is a resident of north Kashmir's Bandipora district and was a pharmacist before he joined the militant outfit in the early 1990s. He was in direct contact with Pakistan-based Hizb supreme commander Syed Salahuddin, sources said. Hizb-ul-Mujahideen this year has lost some of its long-time field commanders, including Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, the outfit's Ganderbal district commander who was killed in an encounter last month. —PTI
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Kidnapped girl recovered
Udhampur, November 11 The police recovered the victim from the possession of three kidnappers, identified as Muzaffar Hussain, Mohammad Latief, both of Beshti village, and Manzoor Ahmed of Chenani. The girl had been handed over to her family, which expressed gratitude to the police for promptly cracking the case. A case was registered against the kidnappers, the SSP said.
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Ladakh gets first snowfall of season
Leh, November 11 Following snowfall and inclement weather, Ladakh remained cut off from the state and the rest of the country due to closure of highways and cancellation of scheduled flights from national capital Delhi and Jammu today. According to airport sources, all the three scheduled flights, including an Army charter flight, have been cancelled due to bad weather. The Leh-Srinagar national highway, which is the only route for surface connectivity at this time of the year for Ladakh after the closure of the Leh-Manali highway from the last month for traffic, also remained closed for vehicular traffic from last night till this afternoon due to snowfall at the Zojila Pass. According to the police control room, Kargil, it has reopened in afternoon. Also, the snow-bound Khardongla Pass, which connects the Nubra Valley, and the Changla Pass connecting Nyoma subdivision with the district headquarter, Leh, remained closed for traffic due to snowfall today. —
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Jammu, November 11
Jammu, November 11
On National Education Day, when Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed was chairing a programme to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad at the Zorawar Singh Auditorium in the University of Jammu
(JU), the student community held a massive protest demonstration on the campus and later blocked the road leading to it for more than two hours.
Addressing party workers here today, the PDP patron said: “Jammu and Kashmir cannot be denied full democratic rights on the pretext of security. The people of this state have proved that they are the best guarantors of peace and all emergency measures will have to go sooner than later”.