The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

No claim made so far on unmarked graves: Omar
Raises pitch for setting up Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 21
Not a single claim in respect of the bodies buried in unmarked graves across north Kashmir has been made to the state government yet, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said. No DNA profiling has thus been conducted to link the blood sample of anyone to that of those buried in the graves.

‘AFSPA must go’
Militancy in J&K at present was at an all-time low, just 5 per cent as compared to the 2002 levels, said Omar while batting for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from parts of the Valley. “On the one hand the J&K Police and the CRPF are praised for a good job and on the other they are not trusted to handle the situation. The Army should be withdrawan from areas where people don’t want the Army,” he said.

The State Human Rights Commission had in 2011 detailed the existence of 2,730 bodies in close to 38 unmarked graves in north Kashmir raising the hopes among families who have been saying that their kin disappeared following militancy and could be among those buried in unmarked graves.

But no such linkage has yet been established with Omar Abdullah today saying in response to The Tribune query that no one had given a blood sample yet or identified a grave where their kin could be buried to enable the state to exhume the body to determine the truth.

The state had earlier told the families to identify the graves of their missing relatives and give blood samples so that the government could exhume the particular body and conduct DNA tests on it to match the samples.

“We had earmarked an officer in the state human rights cell. We had asked families to come forward with DNA samples. No one has come,” the CM said while raising the pitch for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission through a joint initiative between India and Pakistan to determine the truth behind the Valley’s disappearances and bodies in unmarked graves.

“A Truth and Reconciliation Commission straddling the Line of Control must be set up by India and Pakistan to determine the truth behind the Valley’s disappearances. Answers to this question don’t lie here alone.

Everyone who disappeared wasn’t killed by security forces here. What about those killed by militants and those who may have died during training in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir camps?” asked the Chief Minister.

He argued that it was easy to say that the alleged forged elections of 1987 in J&K were the root of militancy. “But is the answer so simplistic? Where did militancy start? What happened to our people?

The commission which India and Pakistan create through joint signatures and which works across the LoC alone can determine these truths,” Omar said.

The state had earlier rejected the demand of DNA profiling of all bodies in unmarked graves and asked families to come forward with blood samples if they felt their kin were among the buried.

The families have maintained that the identification of graves was impossible for them.

Time conducive for Pandits’ return
Omar said the time was most conducive for Kashmiri Pandits to return to Kashmir. He said actions of the state would speak louder than words to make this happen. “There have not been targeted attacks on the Pandits in the past and we have been encouraging reverse migration,” he said.

‘Alliance between NC, NDA was unnatural’
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 21
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today rejected all possibilities of the National Conference returning to the NDA fold let alone backing the third-time elected Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the next prime ministerial candidate of a BJP-led alliance.

Speaking to journalists at the Press Club of India today, Omar termed the past alliance between the NC and the NDA as “unnatural” and said there was no possibility in the future of a rethink in the NC of returning to the BJP-led grouping.

“The NC-NDA alliance was not a relationship that should have evolved. It was actually an alliance between our party and the NDA led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who brought people together. I see no one in the NDA today even close to the credentials of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and until anyone of that order is thrown up, there is no possibility of the NC joining the NDA,” said Omar Abdullah, throwing his weight firmly behind the Congress for the time being.

On a question whether the NC would back someone like Bihar CM and JDU leader Nitish Kumar if the latter was to emerge as the head of the NDA, Omar said he did not want to respond to hypothetical situations.

Lashkar-e-Toiba militant involved in sarpanch killing held
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 21
The J&K Police has arrested a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant who was allegedly involved in the killing of sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Yatoo in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Yatoo was shot dead on September 10 at Palhalan by militants when he was coming out from a mosque after offering evening prayers.

“Police achieved a breakthrough by arresting LeT militant Altaf Ganie, alias Cheema, son of Abdul Hamid, a resident of Raipora, Palhalan, who was involved in the killing,” a police spokesman said.

He said Cheema was arrested in a joint operation by the Baramulla Police, 29 RR and 45 Bn of the CRPF.

“One AK-47 rifle, four AK magazines, 192 rounds of AK ammunition, one pistol, four pistol rounds, one pouch, one wireless set and 32 IED circuit packs were recovered from the militant,” he said.

The police said Cheema’s other accomplice in the killing Shabir Ahmed Sheikh, alias Shaka, was still at large.

While the police has made a breakthrough in the killing of a sarpnach, they were yet to zero in on the suspected militants who were behind the killing of deputy sarpanch Mohammad Shafi Teli in Nowpora Jageer, near Palhalan, on Septmber 24.

One killed in road mishap
Our Correspondent

Rajouri, Dec 21
One person was killed and nine others injured in a road accident in Rajouri district today when the vehicle they were travelling in collided head-on with a bus coming from the opposite direction. The deceased has been identified as RG Panna of Rajasthan.

The police said the injured were travelling in a Jeep (RJ06-C-7230) when a bus (JK02AJ-5185) on way to Poonch collided head-on with it injuring all the occupants.

Eyewitnesses said the mishap took place when the bus, which was driven rashly, hit the vehicle on a sharp curve. After the incident, people from nearby houses informed the police and took the injured to the district hospital Rajouri for treatment.

Skewed gender ratio
Curbs on sale of drugs for abortion
Sumit Hakhoo

Jammu, December 21
The government has put restrictions on the sale of abortion drugs misoprostol and mifepristone in the state by issuing directions to pharmacies that prescription of only gynaecologists should be accepted while selling these drugs.

Officials said these drugs were being used to induce abortion, a major reason for decline in gender ratio in the state. As per Census 2011, the gender ratio in the state has declined to 869 women per 1,000 men.

As per directions issued by the Drug and Food Control Organisation, both these drugs have been put on red category. Studies conducted across the world show that these drugs increase the chance of abortion among pregnant women. Sources said it has been found that in many cases women take these drugs as abortion drugs without the approval of doctors as these are easily available in the market.

“Prescription of only a gynaecologist will be accepted. Pharmacies will have to retain a photocopy of the dispensed prescription for record and stamp the document mentioning the date and quality of drug supplied”, said Satish Gupta, Controller, Drug and Food Control Organisation.

Gupta said during a recent high-level meeting of the health officials, the issue was discussed and keeping in view the duel use of these drugs in the state, it was decided to monitor their use.

On April 16, 2011, the government had issued an order directing the Block Medical Officers at district levels to engage ANMs/Multi-purpose Health Workers (MPHW) (male)/CHOs/EE/HE and other health functionaries in the areas of their respective blocks to carry out the “actual survey” of male/female births during the past five years.

“The area of concern for the state is drastic fall in the child gender ratio. Provisional data shows that the child gender ratio (0 to 6 years of age) has fallen from 941 in 2001 to 859 in 2011”, Dr Gupta said.

State BJP chief election today
Rudy in Jammu to evolve consensus
Dinesh Manhotra
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 21
The election for the state president of the BJP is scheduled for tomorrow but a consensus on the issue still eludes the two warring factions of the party.

A team deputed by the high command reached Jammu this afternoon to evolve a consensus but till this evening the leadership had failed to finalise the name of any candidate for the post of state president. The team comprised former Union Minister Rajiv Partap Singh Rudy and other party leaders Jagdish Mukhi, Anil Jain and R P Singh.

Sources said Rudy reached Veer Bhawan, the RSS headquarters at Jammu this evening, and held a closed-door meeting with senior Sangh Parivar functionaries to seek their suggestions on the name of the party president. “Leaders of various organisations of the Sangh Parivar have suggested to Rudy that a person with a clean image should be appointed as new state president”, sources said.

Former Mayor of Jammu Municipal Corporation Kavinder Gupta and party MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma are in the race for the post of state president, the sources said. Interestingly, both contenders belong to the same faction in the party and their supporters hope that at the eleventh hour one of them would withdraw his candidature in support of the other.

Meanwhile, the faction of incumbent president Shamsher Singh Manhas and some detractors of Kavinder Gupta, following their failure to project their own candidate for the post of state president, have put their weight behind Jugal.

Last time during the election of state president, the BJP leadership had ignored the choice of the Sangh Parivar and appointed Manhas president. Two veteran leaders, at that time, had played an important role to sabotage the move of the Sangh Parivar to appoint its own man as the state president.

2 militants arrested
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 21
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested two suspected militants along with their families here. The militants had spent nearly 15 years in Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where they had gone for arms training,

DIG, Jammu-Samba-Kathua range, JP Singh today said the militants had gone to PoK some 15 years ago and had returned along with their wives and eight children via Nepal.

The two suspected militants have been identified as Ali Mohammed and Mohammed Akhtar, both residents of Kupwara district in Kashmir.

“After questioning them, we handed them over to the Crime Investigation Department of Kashmir,” added the DIG.

Assembly Poll
National Conference, PDP lay groundwork to mobilise support in Jammu
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 21
Although Assembly elections in the state are scheduled to be held in October 2014, two main political players of the state --- the ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ---- have decided to intensify their activities next year to woo the voter.

Buoyed by victory of two party candidates in the just concluded Legislative Council elections, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has declared that for his party 2013 would be the “year of reaching out to the people”.

Similarly his archrival and president of the PDP Mehbooba Mufti has also exhorted her party cadre to observe 2013 as “year of consolidation”.

Both parties have already chalked out a series of programmes as part of their preparations for the next Assembly elections.

Devender Singh Rana, political adviser to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has already started the ground work for the party by visiting different areas. Rana has begun concentrating on those Assembly segments of Kathua district from where NC candidate Shahnaz Ganai had secured more votes as compared to other candidates during the Legislative Council elections. As part of preparations for the Assembly elections, NC ministers are also targeting some constituencies.

Sources in the NC said the party would organise a series of meeting all over Jammu from January to April to make inroads into new areas and consolidate its base in areas considered its stronghold.

The PDP, on the other hand, has also announced that it will intensify its activities in the Jammu region. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has decided to strengthen the party’s organisational structure.

In the coming year, Mehbooba will convene meetings in all Assembly segments to infuse confidence among the cadre at the grass-roots level. The party has assigned jobs to senior leaders to ensure that the organisational structure should be set up till the polling-booth level.

Interestingly, the Congress, which has been claiming that it will form the next government on its own, is still grappling with infighting.

The Congress leadership has failed to devise any strategy for the coming year. The same is the case with the BJP, which claims to champion the cause of Jammu people. Instead of devising a strategy for the coming year, the state unit of the BJP has been struggling to keep its flock together.

Governor felicitates Sahitya Akademi awardees
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 21
Governor NN Vohra has congratulated Makhan Lal Kanwal and Chanchala Devi, wife of late Bal Krishan Bhoura, for getting Sahitya Akademi awards. The awards have been conferred on Kanwal and Bhoura for their contribution to the enrichment of Kashmiri and Dogri languages, respectively.

In separate communications to Kanwal and Chanchala Devi, the Governor has complimented the eminent authors for their contribution to the advancement of Kashmiri and Dogri languages.

He observed that their well-deserved recognition would serve as a source of inspiration for the upcoming authors, writers and poets.

The Governor has also felicitated Prof Shashi Pathania and Abdul Ahad Hajini for being selected by the Akademi to get awards for their translations.

He also felicitated Yash Raina and Farooq Shaheen for their selection for the Yuva Puruskars in Dogri and Kashmiri languages, respectively.

Ministers inspect tourism infrastructure at Suchetgarh
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 21
Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora and Minister for Medical and Technical Education RS Chib today inspected the under-execution tourism infrastructure in Suchetgarh, being created to promote border tourism in the state.

The development of tourism infrastructure at the frontier area of Suchetgarh in Jammu district and Chamliyal of Samba district was taken up last year under a Central-funded project of Rs 6.39 crore.

The project works include construction of tourist facilitation centre, budgeted accommodation, restaurant, fencing work, flower stalls, construction of pathways, toilet block, view decks, landscaping, besides conservation and development work of historical Radha Krishan temple and Peer Baba Ziarat at Suchetgarh.

The government has so far released Rs 5.11 crore, out of which Rs 4.68 crore has been spent on creation of different tourist facilities in these border areas.

Over 80 per cent construction and development work has been completed and the tourist facilities being created at the twin border spots are likely to be thrown open by the end of February next.

After taking stock of the project works, Jora said the government was focusing on promoting border tourism to attract more visitors to the state. He said the initiative would help in developing border areas, which possess immense tourism potential.

He said over the years Jammu has emerged as a major tourist destination and to expand the tourism scope beyond urban areas, the tourism-related infrastructure was being constructed in Suchetgarh and Chambyal areas for promotion of border tourism.

He said Suchetgarh was being developed as a border tourist destination and celebration of Baisakhi festival would now be made an annual feature in the area to attract visitors to this prime border tourism destination.

He hoped that the spot would become a symbol of friendship between India and Pakistan because of its location on the zero line.

Sopore remains shut for third consecutive day
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 21
A complete shutdown was observed in north Kashmir’s Sopore town for the third consecutive day today to protest the killing of six Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, which also included a local militant.

All shops and business establishments in the town remained closed and there were also reports of minor clashes between the protesters and the police from various parts of the town. Normal life was also disrupted in the town due to strike.

"The strike is also against the damages caused by the security forces during the encounter," a Sopore resident said.

Six militants of Pakistan-based LeT were killed in a 30-hour-long encounter in Sadapora, Sopore, which had erupted in the early hours on Tuesday after the police and the Army cordoned the village. The encounter ended on Wednesday evening after the killing of six militants. An Army officer and a soldier were also injured in the gunfight.

Soon after the killing, announcements were reportedly made on public address system of local mosques asking people to observe strike. However, no separatist group had called for any strike in the town in the wake of killing of the militants.

Locals alleged the security forces had damaged orchards and also uprooted many apple trees using earth excavation machines. Two houses and a cowshed were also damaged in the gun battle.

However, the police denied the charges of damaging the orchard.

“It was a successful operation,” said a police officer in north Kashmir. “The houses were damaged as militants had taken shelter there,” he added.

Hardline Hurriyat rejects Omar’s plea for dialogue with Centre
Says govt must first consider Kashmir a disputed territory
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 21
The hardline separatist group led by Syed Ali Geelani on Friday rejected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s appeal for a dialogue with the Centre saying that talks were a “meaningless affair” until the Government of India accepted Kashmir as a “dispute”.

The spokesman of the hardline Hurriyat Conference said the group “in principle” was not against talks but any such process should be “result-oriented”.

“We are not in principle against talks, but the process should be result-oriented. India should at least accept the disputed nature of Kashmir then only can we proceed,” said Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat.

Akbar said till the Centre remained stuck on the “atoot ang (inseparable part)” policy vis-à-vis Kashmir, talks would remain a “meaningless affair”.

“India should take a realistic approach,” Akbar said.

The Chief Minister had on Thursday said the “other separatist group” should also get involved in talks to address complex issues for the good of the general public and peace and prosperity in the state. He was referring to chairman of the hardline Hurriyat faction of Geelani.

Omar had also welcomed the ongoing talks between the moderate Hurriyat faction and Pakistan saying that the separatist leaders of Kashmir should also hold talks with the Centre.

The moderate separatist group led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is currently in Pakistan holding a dialogue with the leadership there. Geelani’s group had rejected the invite from the Pakistan government to visit the country.

Mantra Airlines to link Kargil
Our Correspondent

Leh, December 21
After successful flight trial landing at Kargil airport, Mantra Airlines will soon operate regular civil flights to Kargil using small aircraft. Member of Parliament Hassan Khan said the airline has agreed to operate small aircraft to Kargil and talks were on to finalise formalities, including fares.

He said all necessary clearances and security-related issues had been completed.

The airlines had conducted a test flight at Kargil airport in the first week of November.

With the operation of civil aircraft, the Kargil district, which remains cut off from the rest of the country for seven months in a year, will be connected.