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Valley remains cut off for 2nd day; vehicles stranded
Separatists split on Pak visit
Cong to press NC over powers to panchayats
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Vaishno Devi shrine records 1.01 cr pilgrims
Pakistan again opens fire in KG sector
All eyes on Hurriyat’s Pak visit
My suggestion for delaying visit ignored, says Shabir
Film on human rights violations barred from screening
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Valley remains cut off for 2nd day; vehicles stranded
Srinagar, December 15 The arterial highway, the only all-weather road link between the Valley and rest of the country, was closed yesterday following heavy snowfall on either side of the Pir Panjal range in south Kashmir. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway is the lifeline to the Kashmir valley and its only surface link with the rest of the country. Any disruption due to heavy snowfall at places on the high altitudes like Jawahar Tunnel or Banihal Pass and Patni Top lead to the blockade of traffic. All essential commodities and merchandise are transported to Kashmir via this highway round the year. Any decision to restore normal traffic of passenger vehicles and truckloads of commodities would be taken after reviewing the road condition. The weatherman has forecast an improvement in weather conditions in the coming days. After three days of intermittent rains in the plains and snow in the upper reaches, there was no rainfall in central Kashmir areas around Srinagar today. According to Met Department officials, rainfall was reported from Pahalgam, Qazigund in south Kashmir and Kupwara in north Kashmir. With an improvement in the weather conditions, Srinagar recorded maximum temperature of 6.8 degrees Celsius today, a slight rise from the past few days. In Ladakh region, Leh district reeled under freezing conditions, recording a minimum temperature of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius. Kargil recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 1 degree while heavy rains measuring 14.6 mm were recorded in the area today. The weatherman has forecast light rain or snow at many places in the state during the next 24 hours. However, a further improvement is expected during the next two days. Slightly bad weather conditions for a couple of hours are also expected on Tuesday morning, the Met officials said. |
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Separatists split on Pak visit
New Delhi, December 15 That explains why the Pakistan visit by a seven-member delegation of the moderate Hurriyat (beginning today) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is being seen in part of the separatist leadership of the Valley as an “exercise in futility” marked by as it is with a “divided voice”. “We had accepted the invitation but suggested that the visit be delayed keeping in mind the current political situation in Pakistan, where elections are due next year. Kashmir is a complicated issue and it would have been good had all the leaders representing the Kashmiri sentiment travelled together to speak on one voice. Still the moderates decided to go, we cannot help it,” Shabir Shah, founder and president of the J&K Democratic Freedom Party and a prominent separatist leader from the Valley told TNS today. More than one separatist hardliners has rejected the Pakistan invitation at the moment led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani who recently criticised Pakistan’s Kashmir policy stating that it did not reflect the “wishes and sacrifices of people”. Another top separatist leader and JKLF chief Yasin Malik is not visiting Pakistan. He is currently undergoing treatment for a medical condition in New Delhi. Besides, even the chief of the United Jehad Council and chief of the Hijbul Mujahideen militant outfit Syed Salahuddin spoke against the Kashmiri leadership’s visit to Pakistan. He is on record having called for a “common strategy and joint programme from the resistance leadership of the Valley” and said the visit of Hurriyat-Moderate delegation to Pakistan “would not be fruitful in the absence of consensus among the separatists.” Asked about the divisions among separatists on the issue and the remarks of the Mirwaiz that the hardliners needed to change their outlook, Shah told The Tribune today, “If by the change in outlook, he means the withdrawal from the right to self determination which we are seeking, that is not possible. We were simply asking for the delay in visit to Pakistan. We needed to build an opinion around the visit by calling the genuine leaders who represent the “Azad Kashmir” sentiment. The moderates have, however, decided to proceed. That’s fine.”
The upcoming visit of Hurriyat-Moderate delegation to Pakistan won’t be fruitful in the absence of consensus among the
separatists |
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Cong to press NC over powers to panchayats
Jammu, December 15 As the committee constituted by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz has already submitted its report on the ‘relevant’ clauses of the 73rd Amendment, the party has decided to force the NC to accept these recommendations in the meeting of the Coordination Committee, which is scheduled to be held on December 18. The Coordination Committee comprised members from both the Congress and the NC and this Committee set the agenda for the government. Sources said the PCC chief, who is chairman of the Coordination Committee of the coalition parties, would place the recommendations before the members of the committee and ask them to recommend the same to the state Cabinet so as to ensure early elections of the BDCs by incorporating relevant clauses. “The party would put up pressure that instead of waiting for the Assembly session to amend the existing Panchayati Raj Act, the government should issue an ordinance to incorporate the recommendations given by the Congress and announce elections for the BDCs,” a source said and added that the party would not compromise on this issue at any cost. Former minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who is a member of the committee constituted by Soz, told The Tribune that they have already submitted their recommendations to the PCC chief. “Now the party president has to take a final decision on our recommendations,” he said. Sources said there was a feeling among the Congress leaders that the party has already shown much flexibility on the issue of the 73rd Amendment so there was a need to take tough stand on the issue of granting reservations to the weaker sections in the Panchayati Raj Institutions. Sources said the Congress leaders in their recommendations have opposed any move to nominate chairman of the District Development Councils (DDC). The party has reportedly recommended that the DDC chairman should be elected. Due to pressure of the Congress, the state government had decided to defer elections to BDCs on October 15. These elections were scheduled to be held on October 17 but the Congress, which was demanding incorporation of provision of reservation in the Panchayati Raj Act, had forced the government to postpone the elections at the eleventh hour. |
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Vaishno Devi shrine records 1.01 cr pilgrims
Katra, December 15 The pilgrimage touched the record number at 5:20 pm today. Amit Agarwal, a resident of Bada Bazaar, Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, was the record breaker. A total of 1.01 crore pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine so far this year and the number is likely to go up to 1.1 crore by the year end. In 2011, 1,01,15,647 pilgrims had paid obeisance at the cave shrine. The number of pilgrims who paid obeisance at the cave shrine in 2010 was 87,49,326, 82,32,896 in 2009, 67,92,223 in 2008 and 74.17 lakh in 2007. |
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Another CRPF bunker goes
Srinagar, December 15 While sources said more bunkers would be removed from the city in the coming days, a total of 46 CRPF bunkers have been removed so far from the Valley in the past three years. “We removed the Reckichowk bunker in Batamaloo today that was set up when militancy erupted in the Valley,” CRPF spokesman in Kashmir Sudhir Kumar said. “In the past two days we have removed three bunkers; one in Amira Kadal and another in Baghias,” he added. As the news of CRPF vacating the Reckichowk bunker spread today morning, dozens of youth from the locality started dismantling it. “This bunker had been there since the militancy erupted in the Valley and we are happy it has been removed,” said a local shopkeeper. The removal of bunkers in the city is part of the government’s efforts to reduce the visible presence of security forces in the civilian areas. The CRPF was first brought into the Valley in 1990 to fight the militancy but it was gradually replaced by the BSF. However, the CRPF was brought back to replace the BSF. The replacement took place after a recommendation of a Group of Ministers. The CRPF’s primary role is to assist the state in police operations to maintain law and order and contain insurgency. “The step of removing bunkers in the civilian areas is aimed at building confidence among the people and giving more responsibility to the local police,” said a government official. |
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Pakistan again opens fire in KG sector
Jammu, December 15 “Around 9.15 pm last night, Pakistani troops opened small arms fire on Indian posts in the Nangi Tekri area of KG sector,” said officiating Defence PRO, SN Acharya. Pakistani troops fired around 25 rounds of small arms fire but we didn’t retaliate, he claimed. There was no loss of life or property in the unprovoked and unwarranted act of Pakistani troops, he added. Intelligence sources said the Pakistan army had opened heavy firing on forward Indian posts. “Indian troops also retaliated to silence their guns and foil any possible attempt of armed militants to sneak into the Indian territory. They (militants) try to intrude into Indian side during inclement weather conditions and for the past three days weather in Poonch is bad,” they said. A group of 16 militants is being shuffled regularly by the Pakistan army from one place to another opposite the KG sector with an ulterior motive to push them during inclement weather conditions, they added. Last time Pakistani troops had opened heavy firing on four Indian posts in the same sector during the intervening night of December 11 and 12. |
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All eyes on Hurriyat’s Pak visit
Srinagar, December 15 All eyes are set on the APHC delegation’s visit which began today. Before leaving for New Delhi, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had said the delegation was going with an “open mind”. The delegation would have talks with the government, opposition, distinguished personalities and the media. The talks would be held with Pakistan leadership in the wake of its dialogue process with the Government of India, the Mirwaiz said. He added that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were the basic party to the Kashmir dispute and should be given their role in its resolution. It is with these views that he had led the delegation in 2005, seeking involvement of the people of the state for an amicable solution to the problem which was acceptable to all. The visit takes place eight years after the much-hyped first visit that was undertaken via the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, within two months after the cross-LoC road was thrown open after 57 years. Both the visits have been undertaken by the moderate Hurriyat faction while the hardliners, led by Syed Ali Geelani, have rejected the invitations. Not much development has taken place in the wake of Hurriyat’s earlier visit, though its leadership was optimistic about its visit to Pakistan when the government was led by the then President, Parvez Musharraf. The present visit has at least one thing in common with the last visit- both the governments, in India and Pakistan, are on the threshold of completing their term and preparing for the next elections. Earlier, the APHC delegation had had two rounds of talks with the NDA government while it had another round of talks with the UPA government. The Hurriyat-New Delhi talks have not taken place for quite some time now. Former Pakistan President Parvez Musharraf had then described the Hurriyat visit as recognition of the “disputed status” of Kashmir by both the countries. Those comprising the APHC delegation include Abdul Ghani Bhat, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Bilal Lone, Agha Syed Hassan, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza and Musadiq Aadil. In 2005 visit, the APHC delegation led by the Mirwaiz comprised Abdul Ghani Bhat, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Bilal Ghani Lone, Fazal-ul-Haq Qureshi, Mohammad Yasin Malik of the JKLF and Mohammad Abdullah Tari of Shabbir Shah’s Democratic Freedom Party and two representatives of the Mirwaiz’ Awami Action Committee, Mohammad Yaqoob Vakil and GM Bhat. |
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My suggestion for delaying visit ignored, says Shabir
Srinagar, December 15 “I had suggested to the Hurriyat Conference to delay its visit by about three months. However, my suggestion was not taken and it (Hurriyat delegation) went ahead with its programme,” said Shah. Shah, who heads the Democratic Freedom Party, is one of the senior executive members of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The seven-member delegation, headed by the Mirwaiz, was scheduled to leave for Lahore from New Delhi on Saturday evening, from where it was expected to travel to Islamabad. The hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani has rejected the invite to Pakistan. “I had told them that it was not the right time to visit Pakistan. The political situation there is not appropriate now. Politicians are busy with the forthcoming Parliamentary elections,” Shah said. “I am not against the visit. In Pakistan, arrangements are being made to put in place a caretaker government. So, it in this backdrop I had suggested to them to delay the visit,” he said, adding that Kashmir is a “complex issue” which cannot be solved “in just one sitting.” Asked why he didn’t travel to Pakistan when he had accepted their invite, Shah said, “I have not been allowed by the authorities to visit Pakistan as my passport has not been issued as yet. Besides, I had also applied for travel permission to Pakistan by a bus via the Line of Control in Uri.” He, however, declined to comment on the outcome of Hurriyat’s Pakistan visit, saying it would be premature to say anything. “Let them finish their visit first, then I will comment,” he said. |
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Film on human rights violations barred from screening
Srinagar, December 15 Although the Indian Censor Board has given a clean chit to the 27-minute-long documentary, its screening was stopped minutes before its scheduled time at Convocation Complex, University of Kashmir. The university authorities say the police informed them that it (police) had received complaints about some “disturbing content” in the film which could lead to violence and that is the reason the screening was stopped. “I have nothing against the film. There were apprehensions of law and order problems after the film screening. Thats why we took the step,” said Prof Zaffer Reshi, Registrar of the University of Kashmir. A seven minute trailer of the film on YouTube has already registered over 1 lakh views. Film-maker Bilal A Jan decried the police move, calling it a curb on the freedom of expression, even when the Indian Censor Board had found no problems with the film. “The Censor Board went for a series of meetings and gave it a final nod, which means I can screen it anywhere in country,” Bilal Jan said. Bilal had booked the convocation hall at the university in advance and paid Rs 20,000 for it, which he thought was an apt venue for his film’s first public screening. “If my film sends out such negative vibes which could perpetrate violence, I wouldn’t have the I&B Ministry backing me. I am associated with the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PBST), an independent organisation comprising 335 documentary film-makers, which has won many national awards throughout the course of the film history in India,” Jan said. Bilal A Jan, who hails from downtown Srinagar, bagged the PSBT fellowship in June 2011 for making the film and was supported by a team of women, Tanveen Kawoosa, Khair-un-Nisa and Ezabir Ali, in research and script writing. The film incorporates the first hand accounts of Kunan Poshpora rape victims, a border village in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Women aged between 17 and 80 years narrate their woeful tales of torture, humiliation and social isolation after they were allegedly raped by Army men on February 23, 1991, when a search operation was launched in the area. The film presents the psychological and sociological aftermath of the rape incident on these women and their families. Bilal manages to interweave accounts of daughters, fathers, husbands and sons, who witnessed their women being raped and could do nothing to prevent it. “I was working in the field, when I heard my mother screaming. The Army had cordoned off the area. So I went to tell the elderly people in the village. When we returned, I could see my mother’s clothes torn apart,” says Jamila (name changed). Rahat Begum (80) from the same village, who was raped when she was 70, had to get her uterus surgically removed after she was raped many times that day. “I still spend Rs 5,000 every month on my medicines,” says Rahat while hiding her face in her cloak (phiran). The stories of victimisation of Kashmiri women remain the same, be it in Kupwara or Srinagar, as Bilal turns to the plight of old city women who hold protests, candle light vigils holding placards showing pictures of their missing sons, husbands and relatives. “I am not showing something new to the world. I have just collected stories of women from every nook and corner of the Valley and compiled them together in one frame,” Bilal says. The SP, Hazratbal, could not be reached despite repeated attempts. |
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It (Kashmir) is a grave political and human issue. Trade ties (between the two parts of Kashmir) can’t change the ground reality that this bloody line (LoC) has consumed thousands of
lives
Those who are raising unnecessary objections lack the understanding of the changing world political
scenario
We wanted to delay the visit and do with a united voice. If the moderates have decided to still go, that’s
fine
What have they got with their approach? Criticism for the sake of criticism won’t help. They (the hardliners) need to change their outlook. The leadership must give the Kashmiris an
alternative