The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Pak again opens fire on BSF posts Rangers target Arnia subsector in Jammu district Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, August 21 Showing scant regard for the mutually brokered ceasefire, Pakistan Rangers this evening opened unprovoked fire targeting Indian forward posts in the Arnia subsector in Bishnah tehsil along the 192-km-long international border. The unwarranted act of the Rangers forced the BSF to give them a calibrated response. Both sides were busy trading fire when reports last poured in. Sources said around 4 pm, the Rangers opened small and medium arms fire on Stop-2, Pindi and Narayanpur posts of the BSF in the Arnia subsector in Jammu district. The BSF also gave them a calibrated response and the gun battle was on between both sides till 6.30 pm. The sources said frequent firing by the Rangers had triggered panic in the forward villages along the international border. “Though villagers in Pindi and Narayanpur haven’t yet fled their homes, they rushed to their houses as soon as the Rangers opened fire. Shops have been closed in forward villages,” they said. However, a senior BSF officer said the Rangers opened intermittent fire around 4 pm for a while inviting a calibrated response from the BSF. On August 6, Indian and Pakistani troops had traded small arms fire in the Arnia subsector after Pakistan violated the truce deal between the two countries. Similarly on August 7, the Rangers had opened fire in the Hiranagar sector along the international border injuring two BSF personnel, who had sustained splinter injuries after a rocket-propelled grenade hit a bunker and exploded. On August 11, the Rangers had opened fire in the Arnia subsector targeting the Pindi post where a BSF border guard, Ram Avtar, had sustained injuries in his right thigh.
	Pak’s border force being trained by commandos SSG commandos suspected to be behind sniper fire in Krishna Ghati sector in June Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, August 21 Pakistan’s Mujahid Force Regiment — a paramilitary group deployed on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) — resorts to truce violations either to aid infiltration or divert attention of the Indian Army in the Krishna Ghati (KG) sector of Poonch district. Of late, commandos of the Special Services Group (SSG), a special operations force of the Pakistan army, have started training them in sniper fire. “By and large the ceasefire is holding on along the LoC in the KG sector but sometimes 653 Mujahid Regiment personnel do violate it either to aid infiltration or divert attention of Indian soldiers despite knowing that the Indian Army enjoys a topographical advantage,” said defence sources. Not trained like the regular Pakistan army soldiers in conventional warfare tactics, the Mujahid Regiment, however, has close links with the ISI, they added. The force had been raised with lesser training only to defend its border. It is not trained in attacking the enemy but has come a long way over the years, the sources said. Since Pakistan has a heavy deployment of army soldiers on the western border, it has placed 653 Mujahid Regiment soldiers in the area facing the KG sector. The Mujahid Regiment personnel, however, are sitting in a disadvantageous position in the KG sector, particularly in the Nangi Tekri area, where Indian Army soldiers are on a higher ground. Mujahid Regiment personnel sometimes violate the ceasefire with the dual purpose of aiding infiltration and showing that they are better prepared than the Indian Army, said the sources. Their disadvantageous position and conventional weaponry adds to their nervousness, the sources added. The sources, however, confided that the June 13 sniper fire from Pakistan that killed border guard PK Mishra and Lance Naik Harvinder Singh and injured four other troopers in the KG sector was believed to have been carried out by SSG commandos, who were sighted in forward units on the other side of the border. The situation had escalated to such an extent that the Army had to move an artillery battalion from Mendhar to the KG sector. Now, the SSG has started training the Mujahid Regiment in sniper fire, the sources said.
	7-kg shell recovered in Samba district Tribune News Service Jammu, August 21 The Samba police today recovered a 7-kg shell from a nullah at Morga Morh in Samba district. Sources said after locals saw the shell in a nullah, they informed the police, which rushed to the spot along with a bomb disposal squad. Samba SSP Israr Khan said the bomb was an old one and rusted. “Due to rains and flash floods, it has come on the surface. We have shifted it to a safer place and tomorrow it will be destroyed at an isolated place,” said the SSP. The one-foot-long shell had a “PUM 51A” mark on it.
	Rangers avoiding flag meetings Last meet with BSF took place on August 9 in Hiranagar sector Ravi Krishnan Khajuria/TNS Jammu, August 21 With no let-up in truce violations by Pakistan all along the 192-km-long international border and amidst simmering tension between the Rangers and the BSF, the flag meeting held to de-escalate the situation remains a casualty. The last flag meeting between the two sides was held on August 9 at the Zero Line in Hiranagar sector. “Flag meeting has not taken place since August 9. Yesterday too when the BSF had gunned down a Pakistani intruder in the Pargwal sector, we had sought a meeting with the Rangers but they didn’t respond”, said a senior BSF officer. “It is up to them to respond but we have been seeking flag meetings with them,” he added. Ever since the BSF detected Pakistan’s secret transborder tunnel in Chalyari in the Samba sector on July 28, there has been frequent truce violations by Pakistan. Consequently, the BSF had lodged a written protest with the Rangers via the Octroi border outpost on July 31. It may be recalled here that a similar stand-off had been witnessed in the KG sector along the Line of Control in June this year when Pakistani firing had claimed the lives of border guard PK Mishra and soldier Harvinder Singh. Sources, however, attributed the delay in holding a flag meet to Pakistan’s dilly-dallying tactics to avoid the BSF. “They (Rangers) had been indulging in ceasefire violations without any provocation from our side for obvious reasons because we have succeeded in maintaining zero infiltration along the international border in the past two years. They are desperate to push militants to this side,” they said. “In such a scenario, they are simply avoiding flag meets to de-escalate the situation. With Eid celebrations over, they may hold the flag meet in due course of time but we are fully alert to the situation,” said the sources. Pakistan had inked the ceasefire agreement almost nine years back on November 26, 2003, on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr.
	9 killed, 46 injured as bus falls into gorge in Rajouri district Ranjit Thakur Rajouri, Aug 21 Nine persons, including a couple, were killed and 46 others sustained serious injuries when the minibus they were travelling in fell into a 200-feet-deep gorge in the mountainous Palma area of Rajouri district this afternoon. A rashly driven vehicle (JK11-9270) was on its way from Rajouri to Palma when it fell into the gorge, resulting in the death of seven passengers on the spot. Sources said the over-loaded bus skidded off the track resulting in the mishap. Local rescue teams of the administration rushed to the spot and took the injured to the district hospital. The district administration asked for help for air lifting critically injured passengers but that could not be made possible due to bad weather conditions. “A chopper was sent back from Katra after the weather condition deteriorated,” sources said. The district hospital, which is already reeling under staff crunch, faced difficulties in attending to the large number of injured patients. Mostly trainees were seen running around the hospital. The hospital was cramped with a huge crowd of relatives of the accident victims. They said there was an acute shortage of blood in the hospital. Five of the critically injured passengers were referred to Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu after administering first-aid. The deceased in the accident have been identified as Subash Chander, Abdul Quoom Nizir Hussain, Khurshid Begum, Mohammed Ashraf, Arshad Begum, Ruksana, Naseem Aktar. A minor boy’s body is to be identified, said the police. Minister of State, Transport and Forest Shabir Ahmed Khan and District Development Commissioner Saugat Biswas reached the district hospital to enquire about the state of the injured. Biswas said, “It is an unfortunate incident which happened due to over-loading, a frequent traffic violation that needs to be curbed. We are investigating the matter.” The mountainous areas of Rajouri are notorious for road accidents, attributed mostly to overloading of buses, poor maintenance of vehicles, shabby road conditions and the dearth of mountain driving skills. Guv expresses grief Srinagar: Governor NN Vohra has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Rajouri road accident. The Governor conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured in this mishap.
	Tourist footfall in Kashmir to cross 18 lakh by year-end M Aamir Khan/TNS Srinagar, August 21 As Kashmir continues to witness a booming tourist season, the number of arrivals to the Valley is expected to cross the 18-lakh mark by December-end. “We have already received more than 10 lakh tourists and we are hopeful that the number will cross 18 lakh by the end of this year,” said Director, Tourism, Talat Parvez. While the figure does not include over six lakh Amarnath pilgrims, who performed yatra this year, around 13.5 lakh tourists had visited Kashmir last year. Parvez said the Tourism Department was on the job to further boost the infrastructure so that more visitors come here. “In 1989 (before militancy), only seven lakh tourists had come and then there was a slack period. The rise in the number of tourist inflow is the main achievement of the Tourism Department,” he added. However, with the ever-increasing inflow of visitors, hoteliers of the Valley have for long been demanding an improvement in the infrastructure while urging the government to identify new areas for setting up more hotels. Parvez said the problem could be tackled if more people approached the Tourism Department for converting their homes into paying guest houses. The department even offered attractive incentives to the interested people. During the peak tourist season from mid-April till June-end, the visitors, who do not have advance bookings, face many problems during their stay. Despite the problems, there has been no let-up in the tourist inflow this year. Apart from the period when militancy was at its peak in Kashmir, the tourism season has been hit hard for three consecutive years recently due to the Amarnath land row agitation in 2008, the infamous Shopian incident in 2009 and the summer unrest of 2010.
	Poor storage facility renders PDS defunct Deserving families struggle to get ration as food grains rot in stores Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, August 21 Even as poor families are struggling hard to get subsidised ration from depots of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CAPD), quintals of food grains are rotting in warehouses due to casual approach of the authorities. The ration in the stores of the CAPD is meant to be supplied under the public distribution system (PDS) to the below poverty line (BPL) families. According to official data, there are 2,32,100 families under the BPL category and yet other 1,00,200 families who are availing the benefit of Antyodya Anna Yojna (AAY). There are 6,37,257 families which fall under the above poverty line (APL) category. All these families get subsidised ration from the CAPD depots. The store is in a deplorable condition. The water over-flowing from drains usually enters the store, virtually turning it into a pond. “Since the commencement of rainy season, water has been accumulating in the store, which houses a huge quantity of ration for poor people,” a resident said, while pointing towards gunny bags full of rice half-dipped in water. Although no officer of the CAPD was ready to come on record regarding the issue, sources said a proposal to construct a new store at a cost of Rs 50 crore had been sent to the higher ups but no action was being taken. When the attention of the Minister of CAPD, Qamar Ali Akhoon, was drawn towards the issue, he said the director, CAPD, Jammu, was answerable for this. Despite repeated attempts, the CAPD director was not available for comment. Shortage of ration is a big issue in the grain-deficit state, where current allocation of food grains is based the 2001 census data- a population which is 25.5% less than the present figure. The problem is conspicuous in all the districts and is forcing the deserving families to buy ration from private shops, thereby nullifying the very purpose of the PDS system.
	A lesson in unity from cab drivers of state Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 21 While theories of “educated and articulated” intelligentsia have failed to bridge the regional divide between two regions of the sensitive state of Jammu and Kashmir, taxi drivers from the Kashmir and Jammu regions have been giving a message to “educated” people on how to cement relations between the two regions. Over 2,000 taxi drivers from the two regions, plying their vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, have devised a result-oriented mechanism, increasing the dependency of drivers of one region over the other and strengthening the relations. The “mechanism of unity” is confined to only 2,000 taxi drivers. They are giving a “big message” to the people of the state, where the regional divide is deep and politicians exploit it for their petty political gains. The cab drivers of the Jammu and Kashmir regions have “blind faith” on travel agents who arrange passengers for them during their trips to the two capital cities. “I have full faith on the travel agents of Jammu who arrange passengers for my cab,” said Shakur Ahmed, a driver from Shopian in south Kashmir. “It is all due to the help of the travel agents from Jammu that I earn a handsome amount every month,” said Shakur. Shakur is fully dependent on his counterparts in Jammu to book passengers for his taxi because without their help it would be impossible for him to find passengers in Jammu. Same is the story of Ashwani Kumar, a tax driver from Hiranagar in Kathua district, who parks his vehicle in front of Tourist Reception Centre, Srinagar. “Travel agents of Srinagar usually fix fares for my cab and I never doubt them,” Ashwani told The Tribune and said he was totally dependent on his Kashmiri colleagues for survival. “Even during the turmoil in 2008 when the regional divide between the Jammu and Kashmir regions was at its peak, taxi drivers and travel agents maintained their relations. We didn’t allow politicians to create a divide among us,” he said and admitted that the survival of taxi drivers was dependent on the help of the travel agents of both the regions.
	Realignment of LoC fence a relief to Chapriyan villagers Tribune News Service Jammu, August 21 The Army has achieved another milestone in its bid to combat terrorism and restoration of normalcy in the state with the realignment of fence at Chapriyan village in Poonch near the Line of Control (LoC). “Chapriyan village in Mandi was one of few villages in the vicinity of the LoC where the fence was not realigned. By realigning the fence beyond the village, the Army has met the long-standing demand of residents and also given them a sense of security,” said Jammu based Defence PRO, Col RK Palta. The LoC fence was constructed by the Indian Army in 2004 to thwart infiltration attempts by terrorists from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Due to terrain and security constraints, some villages like Chapriyan were left ahead of the fence in their original alignment. This made these villages vulnerable to terrorist activities and imposed restrictions on routes and timings of movement of the villagers across the fence, Col Palta said. “We lived in constant fear of terrorists sneaking into our village during night. There was also a single gate into our village across the LoC fence that had restricted timings due to security considerations. We were leading a virtually captive life so far,” said Mohammed Akbar, a resident of Chapriyan. Residents of Chapriyan in the past would keep their festivals and marriages low-key affair due to the fixed timings of the gate and fear of terrorists. Apart from reducing the hardships faced by civilians here, the development will also give major tactical advantages to the Army troops manning the LoC in preventing infiltration, sources said.
	Machail Yatra raises hopes of villagers living on the route Say tourism boost may help improve basic amenities, infrastructure in region Arteev Sharma Tribune News Service Gulabgarh (Kishtwar), August 21 A huge influx of devotees in the remote Gulabgarh area-a hub of militant activities in the late 90s-for undertaking 38-km-long arduous Machail pilgrimage has generated a ray of hope among the locals that it would bring the region on the world map. Though the entire belt is blessed with nature’s bounty, the unexplored Gulabgarh and other villages en route the Mata Chandi shrine, at an altitude of 9,500 feet, are a picture of official apathy. The people here have been virtually living in medieval times, as far as provision of basic amenities is concerned, despite the government’s claim that promotion of tourism and development of religious places was its top priority. The local population does not have access to electricity and quality education. The villagers can be seen trekking miles on tough, hilly terrains with heavy weight on their back to meet the the ends every day despite the fact that they have been providing all logistic support to lakhs of visitors from various parts of J&K and other neighbouring states. Devotees have also been facing hardships while undertaking the pilgrimage due to lack of toilet facilities and bathing facilities, especially for women, on the route. “Successive regimes have failed to pay any attention to infrastructural development of our villages. Contesting candidates visit us only at the time of elections. Huge influx of devotees has given a major boost to the economy. We are hopeful that the administration would focus on raising infrastructure en route the sacred shrine of Mata Chandi,” said Ajay Rathore, a resident of Masu, which is about 8 km from Gulabgarh. Rathore says the area was earlier heavily infested with militancy and some pilgrims were gunned down by terrorists in the late 90s. “It could not deter the devotees from undertaking pilgrimage. Infact, the number of devotees coming here has swelled with every passing year. This has turned the region into a major tourist destination,” he adds. Om Prakash, who is an active member of Sarv Shakti Sewak Sanstha, a Trust which manages the yatra affairs, also regrets the official apathy. “Apart from security and subsidised ration for langars (community kitchen), the trust does not get any support from the government,” he says. “We have formed separate units and all the yatra-related affairs are being managed by the Trust. When the yatra was started in 1980, only 25 pilgrims had visited the sacred shrine. Now, lakhs of pilgrims visit the shrine every year as the Machail yatra has gained popularity not only in J&K but other parts of the country as well,” he says.
	Jammu doctor brings laurels to state Vikas Sharma/TNS Jammu, August 21 The representation of J&K sportspersons may have been virtually absent at the London Olympics this time but Jammu-based sports medicine specialist Dr Sanjogita Soodan has brought laurels to the state by accompanying the Indian contingent in the recently concluded mega sports event. Apart from Dr Sanjogita, Dr Sarala Rao from Sports Authority of India (SAI) had also accompanied the Indian contingent as chief medical officer. Besides providing medical support to the country’s ace pugilist in women category, Mary Kom, Dr Sanjogita also provided specialist sports medicine cover and support to athletes representing the country in archery, judo, weightlifting, wrestling and shooting. Prior to accompanying the Indian contingent for the London Olympics, she was on deputation with the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, where she joined the core group of the national coaching camp of Indian women’s boxing team till mid August. Presently she is posted at the Government Accidental Hospital at Vijaypur, Samba. The Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) has lauded Dr Sanjogita for her services hoping the J&K government will utilise her vast experience and practical knowledge in the field of sports medicine besides general conditioning and general physiology. The IABF is also hopeful that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will submit a request to the J&K government to send Dr Sanjogita on permanent deputation to the SAI as part of the specialised Sports Medicine Hospital which is going to be set up at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, if the state is not planning such facility of sports medicine.
	Case registered in mob assault case Majid Jahangir/TNS Srinagar, August 21 Even as an explanation has been sought from the in charge of the Qamarwari police post, whose police vehicle was set ablaze by a mob after Eid prayers on Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir police has registered a case of attempt to murder against unidentified persons. Sources said the case was registered in the Safakadal police station. “The unknown persons have been charged under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 152 (assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot), 307 (attempt to murder), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy building), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of Ranbir Penal Code,” said a senior police officer in Srinagar. “After the registration of the case, we are trying to identify the culprits involved in the assault on policemen and in setting ablaze the official police vehicle,” he said. The police said no one had been arrested in the case so far. On Monday, a mob set ablaze a police vehicle at Eidgah, Srinagar, immediately after the Eid prayers ended. Three policemen, including the in-charge of Qamarwari police post, were injured in the assault. The injured policemen managed to escape from the spot and were able to reach a nearby police station from where they were shifted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment. The police top brass has sought an explanation from the officers as to why the police party was passing through the area at the time of conclusion of the Eid prayers. “The police party was on way to SKIMS to collect the body of an accident victim. The three, however, showed utmost restraint and did not open fire on the protesters,” reasoned a senior police officer.
	One killed in house collapse in Poonch Special teams constituted to assess rain damage across state Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, August 21 Incessant rains have claimed another life in Poonch district. The deceased, identified as Tariq Ahmed, 22, was killed when his house collapsed in the Dhar Galone area of Mendhar. Ahmed’s was one of the many houses which have collapsed in this mountainous belt of the district. Tehsildar Mendhar Subash Dogra told The Tribune over phone that some of the families, whose houses had caved in due to heavy rains, were being provided alternative accommodations. In the wake of heavy damage due to floods and heavy downpour this monsoon season, the state government has ordered a village-level survey to assess the total losses so as to give compensation to the affected families across the state as early as possible. Minister of Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla told The Tribune that teams of Revenue Department officers had been constituted to assess the losses. He said the teams were conducting surveys and preparing reports. Bhalla said his department had already put an ample amount at the disposal of all the Deputy Commissioners to enable them to sanction relief in case of any emergency. “Adequate compensation would be given to the affected families,” he said. Special attention in this drive is being given to Kathua district as it is the worst affected. Kathua Deputy Commissioner Zahida Khan told The Tribune that reports regarding collapse of houses were continuing to pour in. The District Administration of Kathua has also taken help from the Red Cross to provide relief to those who have been injured due to the rains. Over a dozen persons, who were trapped in a flash flood in Maggar Khad of Kathua district, were rescued on Monday evening by the police.