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Pepper gas has no adverse effects, police tells HC
7,000 securitymen hurt in stone-throwing incidents since 2008
Search operation continues for militants in Kupwara
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Government nod to mediclaim insurance for gazetted officers
Ladakh yet to get electricity supply from two new
projects
Hijab now a fashion statement for Valley women
A woman in a abaya (loose overgarment) in a shop displaying abayas in Srinagar. Tribune photo: Yawar Kabli
Tackling militancy
Locals out for free joyride add to rush on Banihal train
Party hopping?
Demand for special duty allowance
Critically ill pilgrim evacuated to Pahalgam
Economic Adviser meets Governor
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Pepper gas has no adverse effects, police tells HC
Srinagar, July 11 The police also revealed that since 2011 it had procured 15,000 units of non-lethal munitions, which includes 12,500 units of pepper gas (oleoresin) grenades as part of its non-lethal methods of crowd control in Jammu and Kashmir, which witnesses large-scale protests and stone-throwing incidents in 2008 and 2010. This has been submitted by the J&K police to the J-K High Court in its response to public interest litigation (PIL) applications seeking a ban on the use of pepper gas, which have now been clubbed with another petition seeking a ban on the use of pellet guns on civilian protesters in Kashmir. The PILs were listed before a division bench of the high court today. “The petitioner has tried to make an issue out of the use of tear smoke/ oleoresin grenades and other non-lethal munitions for controlling unruly mobs”, the Inspector General of Police (Personnel), Police Headquarters, has submitted in his objections filed in the high court through Advocate General M Ishaq Qadri. The police has said there is enough scientific evidence to prove conclusively that these methods are completely safe for use against the human beings, while showing two certificates of Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE). “Tear smoke grenades, including oleoresin grenades (filled with chemical compound oleoresin capsicum and which is also called pepper gas), were used in the larger interest of the general public after these munitions were cleared for use by the DRDE by holding that these munitions do not have any adverse effect”, the JK police has said. It has also provided the toxicology report of tear gas munitions containing ortho-chlorobenzylidene malononitrate compound and tear smoke munitions filled with pepper gas. In the documents provided to the court, it has also been revealed that in 2011 the JK police procured 2,500 units of oleoresin (pepper) and other tear smoke grenades. While in the current year, the police has purchased 10,000 units of pepper grenades. The high court had on April 18 told the official respondents to file their response to the PILs seeking a ban on the use of pepper gas. While responding to another PIL seeking a ban on the use of pellet guns, which was filed by Hurriyat leader Syed Munan Bukhari on My 28, the police has sought time to file its supplementary affidavit saying a report on its detailed description and features are awaited. After taking the police response on record, a division bench of the J&K High Court headed by Chief Justice MM Kumar granted the J&K police two weeks’ time to file a supplementary affidavit on pellet guns. The court also granted the petitioners two weeks to file objections to the response submitted by the police. A Health ‘Hazard’
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7,000 securitymen hurt in stone-throwing incidents since 2008
Srinagar, July 11 “The Kashmir valley witnessed sporadic incidents of stone throwing since 2008. During this period, 2,317 incidents of stone throwing were reported,” the Inspector General of Police (personnel), Police Headquarters, has submitted in his 20-page response to the High Court this week. “In these incidents, 5,463 J&K Police and 1,356 CRPF personnel were injured and property worth crores was either set ablaze or damaged by the unruly mobs,” he has further submitted in his response. The report further stated that during the law and order duties, the law-enforcing agencies, apart from bringing the situation under control, had to protect the lives of the civilians and their own. During the protests and stone-throwing incidents, particularly in 2008 and 2010, more than 200 civilians allegedly lost their lives in the firing by the state police and security forces, including the CRPF. While justifying the use of force during such situations, the state police has further said the use of different types of tear smoke grenades had become necessary to bring back peace and normalcy within a shortest possible time in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir. “During these law and order problems, it had become imperative to use these non-lethal munitions for restoring peace and normalcy in the affected areas, as educational year had to commence and schools had to open after the winter vacations. Moreover, the tourist season had also set in, which needed peaceful atmosphere for attracting a maximum number of tourists,” the police has told the court, while justifying the use of force and other non-lethal methods of riot control, more particularly to control the situation in the wake of the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on February 9.
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Search operation continues for militants in Kupwara
Srinagar, July 11 Sources said the troops from at least six units of the Army’s counter-insurgency force in north Kashmir --- Kilo Force --- were carrying out searches in the vast forest areas of Kawari Khurahama in Lolab, 120 km from here. “We suspect that one militant might have been injured in the gunfight on Wednesday morning, so the searches in the area are continuing,” said a senior Army officer. “There has been no contact with the militants after the firefight yesterday morning,” he said.An Army jawan was killed when troops and the police launched a search operation in the Kawari Lolab area in the wee hours yesterday after specific information about the presence of militants in the area. As the cordon was being laid, militants opened fire. A soldier was critically wounded in the firing. He later succumbed to his injuries. The troops retaliated but sources said the militants managed to escape from the area. The Army had an input that three militants were involved in the attack.
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Government nod to mediclaim insurance for gazetted officers
Jammu, July 11 According to the circular issued by the state finance department, the policy aims to benefit the policy holder and five of his or her dependants in the age group of 3 months to 80 years and may involve an annual premium of Rs 6,081, including taxes and stamp duty. “In case both the husband and wife are in government service, the premium shall be payable by any one of them,” the circular said. Insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh for a family of five on “floating basis” will be available for one financial year. It also states that the policy will be enforceable for three years with the same terms and conditions, except the annual renewal premium of Rs 6,081, including the taxes and stamp duty. It may be mentioned here that the employees had been demanded implementation of the insurance policy for a long time. The circular stated that the benefits under the scheme would be availed individually or collectively by the members of the family or dependants during the policy period, subject to the maximum insured sum of Rs 5 lakh. “Cashless treatment will be available in all panel or network hospitals in and outside the state on production of the health insurance card by any member of the family. The card will be generated by the company one month before the inception of policy. The insured persons who have been enrolled would be entitled to all benefits of the scheme from the date of joining the policy,” the circular said.
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Bodh Gaya attack brings Rohingya Muslims in Jammu under scanner
Jammu, July 11 With intelligence agencies seeing the Mahabodhi Temple attack as a revenge attack for the alleged atrocities on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar by Buddhists, the state police and intelligence agencies have increased their surveillance on Rohingya Muslims settled in shanties along railway tracks from Bari-Brahmana in Samba district to Gujjar Nagar in Jammu district, said a top Intelligence source. The state has considerable followers of the Buddhist faith and has ancient sites in Ladakh while the majority of students from the community pursue their studies in Jammu city. “Following the attack on Mahabodhi Temple, we had asked our field officers to immediately augment security in all religious places,” said the Jammu zone IGP, Rajesh Kumar. The IGP said a close watch was being maintained on all elements who pose a threat to the security. “Though as of now there is no evidence to suggest that a particular group carried out the attack in Mahabodhi Temple, we have taken requisite steps at our end,” said the IGP. An Intelligence source, however, said that out of over 1,000 Rohingya Muslims living in Jammu, nearly 400 of them were not registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “The possibilities of sleeper cells (of radical terror outfits) among this floating population cannot be ruled out and we are keeping surveillance on them,” he said. Referring to the presence of the HuJI militant outfit in Bangladesh, which has the patronage of ISI, He said: “Let us not forget that the HuJI has a connection with the Lashkar-e-Toiba in Jammu and
Kashmir.” Security forces fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the state said illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar certainly posed a threat to the security in the militancy-plagued state. On September 25 last year, a six-member team of the UNHCR from New Delhi had visited clusters of Rohingya Muslims at Narwal Bala in Jammu district and the chief of the UNHCR mission had asked unregistered refugees to get registered. The UNHCR team had also asked them to stay away from illegal activities.
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Ladakh yet to get electricity supply from two new
projects
Jammu, July 11 The PDD had to take over the transmission and distribution network of both high tension (HT) and low tension (LT) wires put in place by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY). The PDD is responsible to lay the network but the Centre brought it under the RGGVY scheme and the NHPC laid the network for the PDD but it is yet to take over it. Due to this, the electricity being generated from the two new power projects at Nimo Bazgo in Leh and Chutuk in Kargil but is yet to reach the people. Nimo Bazgo, 45-MW and Chutuk, 44-MW power projects were constructed by the NHPC by working at -35 degree Celsius where apart from the Army no department functions in the winters. Even during extreme cold weather condition, the NHPC engineers worked 24x7 with 30 per cent less oxygen and this year and constructed the power houses of these projects. “This year both these power projects have started generating electricity but machines are working under capacity as electricity is not being distributed outside. The machines are in danger of getting damaged if the situation is not improved,” NHPC sources said. Ladakh is the coldest region in the country and the temperature at few places goes down to -35 degree Celsius. People mostly use generator sets run on kerosene and diesel to get electricity. The NHPC has so far laid transmission network in Leh, Zanskar and Mulbek and but PDD is not taking over most of the lines. “We haven’t yet taken over the transmission and distribution network but the process is on. Two new electricity divisions are coming up in the area and when they will get completed, the situation will improve, Chief Engineer, PDD, Kashmir division, Muzaffar Mattoo, said. He said by September, laying of the network by the NHPC will be completed but going by the facts that the PDD is yet to appoint well qualified staff in the area, the process may not be possible till that time. Sources said there is a shortage of PDD staff in the area, which is hampering the department to take over the T&D network. “The NHPC is not supposed to take care of the transmission and distribution process and the PDD has to look after this. The NHPC had constructed lines in few areas and now PDD should take over but they are not doing so,” sources add.
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Hijab now a fashion statement for Valley women
Srinagar, July 11 Srinagar-based hijab sellers say the sale of abayas (loose overgarment and a robe like dress worn by Muslim women) and hijabs has increased at least five times in the last five to six years. They predict that the sales will only surge in the coming years. Fancy Abbayas, Srinagar’s top hijab selling shop, located in the Goni Khan market of Lal Chowk, sells 25 to 30 abayas every day. Abdul Majid, owner of Fancy Abbayas, told The Tribune that some five years ago he would sell almost one-fifth of the number of abayas that he sells now. “It is a blessing from Almighty. Women are returning to their faith. Abayas and hijabs are a mark of our faith and women are embracing it,” Majid said. Interestingly, during 1990s, when militancy was at its peak in the Valley, not many women wore hijab. Women started wearing hijab after some militant organisations pasted posters asking the Valley women to wear veil or face harsh consequences. Back then, wearing hijab was considered as sign of oppression and fear. However, today, no such threats exist and yet more women in the Valley are wearing hijab and abayas. Hijab and abaya sellers/makers reason that now the fashion sense of women is not ignored while making their dresses and the imports from Turkey and Iran have played a pivotal role in this. Furthermore, they say the traditional Kashmiri burqas (enveloping outer garment) are no more in vogue as women have turned fashion conscious. “Muslim women in Iran, Palestine, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have always worn hijabs and have eloquently mixed fashion with it. Such fashionable hijabs are gaining popularity here as well. We now have embroidered, georgette, silk and multi-coloured abayas which wasn’t the case before,” said Tariq Ahmad, owner of Sapna Duppatta House, at Lal Chowk. For women who have started wearing hijab, the change is refreshing and breaks the stereotype of Muslim women being forced to wear veil. “I am tired of the stereotypes who portray hijab-wearing Muslim women as suppressed. It is basically my choice whether I want to wear it or not. For me, hijab is a mark of my identity (faith). I think I am equally fashionable when I wear hijab as that of the one who doesn’t,” said Huma Andrabi, a college student. VEIL IN VOGUE
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Tackling militancy
Srinagar, July 11 “The situation is well under control as there is total synergy between various security and intelligence agencies,” said General Officer Commanding
(GOC) of Srinagar-based strategic Chinar corps, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh. The number of security forces personnel killed in militant attacks in the Kashmir valley in the first six months this year has gone up to 28, an increase of more than 50 per cent over the total fatalities the security forces suffered last year. “I am satisfied with the prevailing situation in Kashmir and the situation is under control,” Singh said while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar for the first time after he took over as the GOC of Chinar Corps. He said they were able to foil an infiltration bid in Keran sector on Monday night in which five militants were killed. “The infiltration threat is there. The training camps and launching pads are active from the other side (Pakistan), but we have an effective intelligence to foil any infiltration attempt,” the GOC said while lauding the troops along the Line of Control
(LoC) for foiling infiltration bid in the Keran sector. On the recent deadly attack on the outskirts of Srinagar in which eight Army men were killed and over a dozen injured, Singh said they had learnt lessons from the attack. “An inquiry has been ordered into the attack. We have identified certain areas which need to be strengthened,” he said. The Army officer said for them, the number of militants active here did not matter. “The number of militants active here is not important for me. What is vital is
having intelligence about their intentions, capability and plans. I am satisfied with the intelligence
efforts we have produced, which was indicated a day before yesterday in the Keran sector when an infiltration bid was foiled,” the GOC said. Singh said that a court of inquiry is underway into the killing of two youth in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district recently. “A court of inquiry is underway. The loss of lives is very unfortunate. But I can tell you that it was a joint operation by the Army and the police on specific inputs,” he said. |
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Locals out for free joyride add to rush on Banihal train
Jammu, July 11 Banihal in Ramban district of the Jammu region and Qazigund in Anantnag district of the Kashmir region are divided by the Pir Panjal range. Both towns are connected by an 11-km-long rail tunnel which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on June 26. Since then, the train has been witnessing a huge rush of passengers, with people risking their lives and travelling atop the train without tickets to enjoy a “joyride”. “The IGPs of the Jammu and Kashmir regions --- Rajesh Kumar and Abdul Gani Mir --- have written to the IGP, Railways, to look into the issue as this disturbing trend (of travelling atop the eight-coach train that passes through the 11-km-long tunnel) may cause fatal casualties anytime,” said a top police source. The IGP, Railways, and the Railway authorities have been asked to regulate the heavy rush of passengers on the Banihal and Qazigund railway stations, the police source said. The source also informed that the IGP, Railways, had been asked to evolve a foolproof mechanism to ensure that no passenger travelled atop the train and without a ticket. A picture of passengers, mostly locals, travelling atop the train has gone viral on social networking site Facebook, attracting sharp comments from users. “The Railway Police has been asked to deploy additional staff at both stations to check the trend as it may cause a mishap anytime,” said the source. Part of the Kashmir rail project, the all-weather rail link has reduced the surface distance between the two towns by 18 km. Built at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore, the 11-km tunnel is the longest rail tunnel in the country and the second longest in Asia.
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Party hopping?
Jammu, July 11 Sources said two prominent National Conference leaders, including one former minister, have opened a channel with the Congress to explore possibilities of shifting loyalty before the elections. Both the NC leaders, who are in touch with the Congress leadership, are considered to be close to the NC president and Union Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah. A Congress minister, in the coalition government, had arranged meeting of one of the prominent National Conference (NC) leader with a Union Minister, sources said, adding that the NC leader, who is former minister, discussed possibilities of joining the Congress. “Before joining the Congress, the NC leader wanted assurance of getting the party mandate,” sources said and disclosed that due to factionalism in the party, the NC leader was hesitating to join the Congress because there was no surety of getting mandate. Sources said another prominent NC leader recently met a senior Congress leader and expressed his desire to join the party. “The NC, who has been sidelined in the affairs of the party, belongs to erstwhile Doda district and the Congress leaders are not in a position to give him assurance of the party mandate in the coming Assembly elections,” sources said. A senior Congress leader, on the condition of the anonymity, admitted that leaders of different political parties were in touch with the party leadership. “Actually we are running a coalition government with the NC, so it is not appropriate from our side to enrol NC leaders in our party before the Assembly elections,” he said, adding that the decision to admit NC leaders in the party would be taken at an appropriate
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Demand for special duty allowance
Leh, July 11 The strike affected the functioning at all government departments in Leh district today. The SGEA, which is spearheading the strike, has been demanding the state government to grant special duty allowance at the rate of 12.5 per cent on a par with the Central government employees serving in the Ladakh region, in view of specific hardship, inhospitable climatic conditions, inadequate health care facilities and high cost of living. SGEA president Tashi Chosphel said, “The strike has been postponed till July 19 as the Chief Executive Councillor of the LAHDC assured us at a meeting that he would take up the demand with the state government.” “Earlier, we had planned to observe a pen-down strike from today till July 15, followed by a five-day mass casual leave even by the employees of the essential service providers.” Chosphel said: “Our demand is genuine and the drafting committee of the Sixth Pay Commission has also recommended special duty allowance for the state government employees serving in
Ladakh.”
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Critically ill pilgrim evacuated to Pahalgam
Srinagar, July 11 The SASB CEO said the entire expenses on the helicopter evacuation of the patient would be borne by the Shrine Board. “On the basis of a very precise grid reference provided by 4 Bihar Regiment, an Army unit deployed at Sheshnag, Pawan Hans was tasked to send a helicopter to Zojibal for evacuating the patient. — TNS
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Economic Adviser meets Governor
Srinagar, July 11 As per an official statement, they discussed issues related to the mobilisation of larger resources for furthering the economic advancement of the state and implementation of various development projects and welfare schemes. Khan also briefed the Governor about the progress achieved in the past four years and the initiatives being taken to secure identified fiscal management targets within envisaged timelines.
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Srinagar, July 11
