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Militants target police station in Pulwama, 2 civilians injured CRPF and police personnel cordon off the Awantipora market in Pulwama district
on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Amin War Janmashtami celebrated amid tight security in Kishtwar
BSF nabs man along border
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Militant hideout busted in Reasi
Arms and ammunition seized by security forces from a hideout in Reasi on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph PDP to field heavyweights in LS polls
Coalition allies yet to reach consensus on
AFSPA, civic polls
Valley apple hit by leaf disease, produce may decline by 80%
An orchardist checks the apple crop infected with leaf blotch disease in Baramulla district on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Amin War
Over 30 kanals encroached upon in Samba industrial area
No fresh firing along LoC in Poonch
Rein in supporters of Asaram
Bapu: Sikh body to Centre
Northern Command chief ends visit to forward posts in Valley
Panthers Party flays govt for ignoring development issues
NC, Cong not on same page
Why has Zubin Mehta’s concert run into controversy?
Metrology dept fines erring traders
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Militants target police station in Pulwama, 2 civilians injured
Anantnag, August 28 “Around 3 pm, less than half an hour after the IGP left, motorcycle-borne militants attacked the police station evoking a retaliatory fire from the policemen,” a police source said. He said the militants escaped from the scene after a brief exchange of fire. The civilians who came under militant fire were travelling from Anantnag to Srinagar in a Tavera, said a police spokesperson. “They were rushed to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar where their condition has been termed as stable by the doctors,” the spokesperson said. He, however, maintained that the police station was not the target and the incident was not connected to the IGP’s visit. The police and the CRPF cordoned off the area after the attack and a manhunt to nab the unknown number of militants was launched. This is the third attack in south Kashmir in three days and the fourth in just over a month. On August 26 afternoon, militants shot multiple times at a member of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police, killing him on the spot in the Arwani area of Anantnag district. Later in the evening that day, militants attacked the escort vehicle of a National Conference lawmaker in Awneera village of Shopian district. A CRPF constable was killed and another injured during the brief exchange of fire. On July 18, militants fired upon the two security guards of renowned cardiologist, Dr Jalaluddin, in the Pampore area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. While the two policemen were killed on the spot, the doctor succumbed to his injuries after a month at AIIMS in Delhi. Militants also decamped with weapons and ammunition of the slain security personnel in all three attacks. Vowing to kill policemen, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant outfit had circulated posters in Tral town of Pulwama district on July 3, advising the general public to stay away from policemen in market places. Terror strike *
Around 3 pm on Wednesday, less than half an hour after the IGP, Kashmir, Abdul Gani Mir, left the Awantipora police station, motorcycle-borne militants attacked the police station evoking a retaliatory fire from policemen *
The miliants fled the scene after a brief exchange of fire. The civilians who came under militant fire were rushed to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar, where their condition is stable |
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Janmashtami celebrated amid tight security in Kishtwar
Jammu, August 28 The entire town was turned into a fortress with security personnel sealing all the entry and exit points to ensure a peaceful shobha yatra of Lord Krishna. The vehicular movement within the town was also restricted and most of the shops remained closed in view of the yatra. People from the majority community were particularly told by the authorities to stay indoors to avoid any untoward situation. The markets also wore a deserted look as most of the shops remained closed. The ones which were open were also directed to shutdown by 1:00 pm. Meanwhile, thousands of Hindus participated in the yatra, which started from the Sarthal Devi temple. The yatra passed through various areas of the town, including the Muslim dominated Bagwan Mohalla, before culminating at the Raghunath temple. “Around 8,000 to 10,000 people participated in the yatra. Tight security arrangements had been put in place to avoid any untoward situation,” Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Rajesh Kumar, said. “There was heavy rush of people. It seemed as if no one from the minority community wanted to remain indoors on the occasion. This is quite unprecedented. We have never seen so many people participating in the annual shobha yatra in the past,” added Kuldip Kumar, a local. Sources told The Tribune that the administration had inputs about some miscreants trying to disturb the situation in the area. Three persons were killed and many others were left injured in the communal clashes that broke out in Kishtwar on August 9. “To overcome any untoward situation and provide peaceful atmosphere for the yatra, the district administration had wide consultations with people from both the communities. It was decided that Muslim community should stay inside their homes so that no altercation takes place during the yatra,” sources said. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kishtwar, Sanjay Kotwal, had reportedly tried to convince people from both the communities to make the yatra a show of communal solidarity. However, the idea was opposed. “Few Muslim leaders were ready to install counters and provide water to the people participating in the yatra, but some Hindu religious leaders didn’t agree,” sources added. Rajesh Kumar, though, said that his department would continue to make efforts to bring both the communities on a common platform, so that the harmony in the town is restored.
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Militant hideout busted in Reasi
Jammu, August 28 The team seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including UBGL, pistols, magazines, AK-47 rifle magazines, Chinese hand grenades, explosives and huge amount of AK-47 ammunition, from the hideout, he said. They also recovered binoculars and cameras, the official added. “The arms and ammunition were hidden inside a natural cave which was about four feet deep and two feet wide,” he said, adding that the explosives were detected with help of metal detectors and sniffer dogs. The cache, as per sources, was buried by local terrorists, who operated in the region few years ago and was likely to be used for the revival of the militancy in the area. “The successful operation conducted by the Rashtriya Rifles battalion located at Bagga in Mahore sub-division is a major setback to any future terrorist activity in the Gulabgarh bowl,” defence official said. |
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PDP to field heavyweights in LS polls
Jammu, August 28 Although Lok Sabha elections are scheduled for 2014, the party today announced Yash Pal Sharma, MLC, as its candidate for Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat. In 2009, the party had not fielded “heavyweights” and failed to win even one seat in the parliamentary elections. The PDP had even lost the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, which was considered the citadel of the party. Sources said the PDP leadership was seriously thinking about fielding party president Mehbooba Mufti from the Anantnag segment this time to consolidate the party’s position in its stronghold. Former Deputy Chief Minister and senior leader of the party Muzaffar Hussain Beigh is likely to contest for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. |
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Coalition allies yet to reach consensus on
AFSPA, civic polls Jammu, August 28 Moreover, the leadership of both parties is unlikely to settle these issues in the wake of the forthcoming parliamentary and state Assembly elections. To start with, the alliance partners have failed to evolve a consensus on the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s 5th Working Group headed by Justice Sagheer Ahmed thus far. This despite the fact that the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) — comprising of eight Cabinet ministers, four each from the NC and Congress, constituted to examine the report and bring unanimity over contentious issues — had been given an extension after extension. “On August 16, the General Administration Department (GAD) headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ordered the eighth extension to the CSC, which was reconstituted on February 18 this year for examining the recommendations, including autonomy, self-rule, Centre-state relations, problems of refugees and discrimination, made in the report of Working Group-V. It was asked to submit its report by February 18 next year,” a source said. Justice Sagheer Ahmad, a former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, died on January 31, 2011, but the CSC which was formed in October 2010 has failed to reach a consensus on his report till now. Justice Sagheer Ahmad had submitted the Working Group recommendations to Omar in December 2009. Sources said the Congress had been opposing the NC move of submitting “pro-autonomy” recommendations by the CSC. “The Congress has made it clear that it stands for the Indira-Sheikh accord for the basis to any solution to the Kashmir problem and does not favour autonomy. The Working Group-V had recommended autonomy as a solution to the Kashmir problem,” the source said. Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar, who is one of the members of the CSC, admitted there were differences between the two coalition partners over some key issues. “There are differences over some issues which will be sorted out by the two parties soon. We will soon hold a meeting and try to evolve a consensus,” the Rural Development Minister said. The alliance partners have also failed to draw a consensus over the conduct of the urban local bodies (ULBs) and block development council (BDC) elections. The elections to these bodies have been postponed on a number of times. The last ULB elections were held in January 2005 and all the local bodies, including municipal corporations in twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, completed their five-year tenure in March 2010. The BDC elections were put on hold in November 2012. The issue pertaining to the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has also led to strained relations between the two alliance partners. The Congress has been opposing the NC’s demand for revocation of the AFSPA from some parts of the state. The party has maintained that “all stakeholders must be taken into confidence over the subject”.
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Valley apple hit by leaf disease, produce may decline by 80%
Srinagar, August 28 The intensity of the disease in the affected orchards is 80 per cent which may lead to a drastic decline in the apple production in the Valley this year. The Kashmir Fruit Growers Association has estimated that the apple produce is expected to decline by 80 to 85 per cent this year due to the disease. The disease is characterised by the appearance of small, circular, light brown lesions with purple margins which on coalescing form irregular necrotic patches on leaves. The disease ultimately results in premature defoliation (falling of leaves). “This is the worst year for the Kashmirs apple industry since many decades. The apple production, particularly of delicious varieties (red delicious and Kullu delicious) has been severely affected by alternaria leaf blotch. The intensity of the disease has shocked the apple growers' community,” said Ghulam Rasool Wagay, president of the Kashmir Fruit Growers Association. Wagay said all districts of the Valley were equally affected by the disease, including Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir and Shopian, Anantnag and Kulgam in south Kashmir. Scientists say the reason as to why the Kashmiri apples have suffered a severe blow is the non-adherence of fungicide spraying schedules by the farmers during the fruit-setting season from January to March. Fungicides as per scientists could have prevented the growth of the pathogens during the high temperatures followed by frequent and intermittent rains coupled with high humidity during June-July. Director, Extension Education, SKAUST-K, Afeefa Kamili told The Tribune that a central diagnostic team along with scientists of the Krishi Vigyan Kendras took a tour of various Valley orchards to ascertain the nature of the problem. “The weather vagaries coupled with the non-adherence of guidelines by the apple growers have led to the problem. Apart from the alternaria leaf blotch disease, minor incidence of necrotic leaf blotch disease on golden delicious variety of apple due to physiological stress has also been reported. Experts have been flown in from Delhi to suggest remedial measures to keep the disease under check,” she said. The varsity has issued a fresh fungicide spray schedule, which it says needs to be adhered strictly to to avoid further damage. However, apple growers are predicting losses to the amount of Rs 100 crore
this year. “Kashmir produces apples worth Rs 200 crore annually. As per the ongoing crisis, at least the sector will incur losses worth Rs 100 crore,” Wagay said. Crop damage *
40 per cent of the apple orchards in Kashmir severely infected with alternaria leaf blotch disease *
The disease is characterised by the appearance of small, circular, light brown lesions with purple margins which on coalescing form irregular necrotic patches on leaves. *
Scientists attribute the problem to non-adherence of fungicide spraying schedules by the farmers during the fruit-setting season from January to March |
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Over 30 kanals encroached upon in Samba industrial area
Samba, August 28 Despite the claims of the government that it had taken strict measures against land encroachers in the state, encroachers have moved towards the industrial area as well. Sources said locals of the adjoining area of the SIDCO complex, Samba, had encroached upon 15 to 20 plots of the industrial area. The owners of the plots were not allowed to start their ventures on the plots allotted to them by SIDCO. “Encroachment has taken place in a planned manner. Due to the criminal record and political influence of encroachers, no one dares to argue with them. Even SIDCO has failed to provide possession to the actual owners of the land,” a source said. “Several structures have been erected in an illegal manner, but neither the Revenue Department nor SIDCO dares to take action against them (encroachers),” the source said. Kishore Dutta, Senior Manager, Estate, SIDCO Industrial Growth Centre, Samba, said, “There were some cases of encroachment in phase-1. We have shifted the firms to phase-2 and requested the Revenue Department and the local police to provide
us possession of the plots, as they belong to the industrial area.” There are two phases of the industrial area in Samba, in which there are 350 plots on 3,494 kanals. SIDCO has allotted all plots to various firms and now it is planning to start phase-3. More than 150 plots are still unused in both phases. “Firms have hundreds of excuses to hold their projects. Some owners get ill, somebody has raw material problem and many of the units have been locked by banks, revenue or excise departments,” said Dutta. |
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No fresh firing along LoC in Poonch
Jammu, August 28 “After moving nearly 300 families in the Nakyal sector in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir opposite the Mendhar and Hamirpur areas to safer places, they have now made some readjustments opposite the Saujiyan, Doda Battalion and Sarla Battalion areas,” said an Intelligence source. A top Army officer, who confirmed the development on the other side of the border, said there was no fresh firing by Pakistani troops since last evening. “They have certainly readjusted their troops in the Saujiyan, Doda Battalion and Sarla Battalion areas,” he said. The officer attributed the fresh adjustments by Pakistani troops to strong and effective response of the Indian Army in recent days. “So far, we have decimated over a dozen of their posts in the Poonch sector. Unless and until they reconcile and start honouring the ceasefire agreement in letter and in spirit, any unprovoked fire from their side would get a befitting response,” he said. The officer said there were no additional reinforcements of Pakistani troops on the other side of the LoC. “On our side, some of the villagers from Digwar and Kerni have shifted to their relatives’ houses in Poonch but we cannot call it migration,” he said. Defence Ministry spokesperson Col RK Palta said since 3.15 pm yesterday, there has been no fresh firing by Pakistani troops in the Poonch sector till 6.30 pm today. Army sources told The Tribune that so far both sides had been using battalion-level weapons such as automatics and mortars (82 mm). “Artillery has not been used by them (Pakistan) so far. Using artillery would be flaring up the situation to a point of war,” he said. Since August 6, when Pakistan’s border action team killed five Indian soldiers in the Chakan da Bagh area leading to border skirmishes, Pakistan had stopped firing for over 24 hours on August 21 followed by today. |
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Rein in supporters of Asaram Bapu: Sikh body to Centre
Srinagar, August 28 “The government should rein in Asaram’s supporters who had recently compared him with Guru Nanak,” APSCC chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina told reporters here. Raina said that the statement has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community and warned that such comments could flare up the communal tension. “Guru Nanak is a universal guru and such statements could flare up communal tension. Such people need to be reined in,” he said. Asked about the stand of the body over the Zubin Mehta concert scheduled to be held at the Shalimar Garden here on September 7, Raina said, “We will support what the majority (community) decides in this regard.” Several quarters, including both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, besides Grand Mufti Bashiruddin, have been opposing the concert. They have also appealed the German Embassy, which is organising the event with the support of the state and the central authorities, to cancel the event. |
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Northern Command chief ends visit to forward posts in Valley
Srinagar, August 28 The visit, which began on Sunday, had gained significance in the wake of escalating tension and frequent ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC). The Northern Command chief, during his visit, also reviewed the security situation in the Valley. Sources said, on the last day of his visit, Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra visited 31 Sub Area and the “The Army Commander concluded his four-day visit today,” said an official. During his visit, the Northern Command chief visited various forward areas along the LoC in the Gurez, Machil, Tangdhar and Gulmarg sectors in north Kashmir. He interacted with troops deployed along the LoC. Lt General Chachra was accompanied by Srinagar-based Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Gurmit Singh during his visit to forwards posts. The GOC-in-C called on Governor NN Vohra on Sunday. They discussed issues relating to internal and external security management, both along the LoC and the Line of Actual Control. |
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Panthers Party flays govt for ignoring development issues
Jammu, August 28 Singh regretted that despite a lapse of five months, the minutes of the decisions taken in various DDBs meets had neither been issued nor approved by the authorities concerned. In a statement issued here today, Singh said with the approvals of the minutes of such DDB meets having been delayed, planned works under the district plans for 2013-14 could not be taken up for execution. He said it was only the spillover schemes of the previous year where some activity was evident but works prioritised for the current year had not even been started, with the working season in the hilly and remote areas almost coming to an end. He said under such circumstances it was impossible to ensure the execution of works in the hilly and far-flung areas which get snowbound in winter. Flaying the ruling coalition for its negligence and apathy towards development-related issues, he said the government had consistently been under attack for eroding the sanctity of the DDBs. He said the decisions taken by the government in board meetings in consultation with elected representatives, including MLAs and MLCs, were either dishonoured or their implementation was delayed, thus depriving the ultimate beneficiaries of the benefits of development. |
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NC, Cong not on same page
Jammu, August 28 Moreover, the leadership of both the parties is unlikely to settle these issues in the wake of forthcoming parliamentary and state assembly elections. To start with, the alliance partners have failed to evolve consensus on the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s 5th Working Group headed by Justice Sagheer Ahmed thus far. This despite the fact that the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC), comprising of eight cabinet ministers — four each from NC and Congress — constituted to examine the report and bring unanimity over contentious issues, had been given extension after extension. “On August 16, the General Administration Department (GAD) headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ordered eighth extension to the CSC, which was reconstituted on February 18 this year for examining the recommendations, including autonomy, self-rule, centre-state relations, problems of refugees and discrimination, made in the report of Working Group-V. It was asked to submit its report by February 18 next year,” sources said. Justice Sagheer Ahmad, a former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, died on January 31, 2011, but the CSC which was formed in October 2010 has failed to reach at a consensus on his report till date. Justice Sagheer Ahmad had submitted the Working Group recommendations to Omar Abdullah in December 2009. Sources said the Congress had been opposing the NC move of submitting “pro-autonomy” recommendations by the CSC. “Congress has made it clear that they stand for the Indira-Sheikh accord for the basis to any solution to the Kashmir problem and not autonomy. The Working Group-V had recommended autonomy as a solution to Kashmir problem,” sources said. Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar, who is one of the members of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, admitted there were differences between two coalition partners over some key issues. “There are differences over some issues which will be sorted out by the two parties soon. We will soon hold a meeting and try to evolve consensus,” Sagar said. The alliance partners have also failed to draw consensus over the conduct of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Block Development Council (BDC) elections. The elections to these bodies had been postponed for indefinite period. The last ULB elections were held in January 2005 and all the local bodies, including municipal corporations in twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, completed their five year tenure in March 2010. The BDC elections were put on hold in November 2012. The issue pertaining to revocation of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) has also led to strained relations between the two alliance partners. The Congress has been opposing the NC’s demand of revocation of the AFSPA from some parts of the state. The part has maintained that “all stakeholders must be taken into confidence over the subject”. Omar had even suggested modification of the law (AFSPA). “If revocation was not acceptable to the Centre, modification should be looked at,” he had said. |
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Why has Zubin Mehta’s concert run into controversy?
Srinagar, August 28 In a stereotypical pointed cap, a weary-looking Kashmiri man is shown dancing as a soldier points a gun at him. Mehta, standing on the barrel of the gun, is playing the music. The internationally acclaimed music maestro’s stature has been diminished in the cartoon caricature by the soldier’s gigantic size. “It is funny that he (Mehta) is coming here and wants the people to dance and enjoy,” Mir Suhail, who drew the cartoon, said. The characters in Kashmir’s new controversy involve Bombay-born Mehta, who will perform Beethoven, Haydn and Tchaikovsky at the Mughal-era Shalimar garden, and Kashmir’s moderate and hardline separatists, its clergy and the civil society, who are all up in arms, once again. The concert, scheduled to take place on September 7 at the 17th-century garden, built by Mughal emperor Jehangir, has been criticised by separatist figures, who in the past have demonstrated the capacity to bring the region to a standstill, sometimes even for several months. The concert may end up as a big win for Kashmir’s tourism industry, but the voices in its opposition are growing stronger than those who support it. The high-profile guest list, which includes ambassadors, top industrialists and heads of international corporate houses, will introduce Kashmir’s mesmerising landscape and centuries-old cultural heritage to a complete new set of audience. But the opposition remains steadfast and is even growing with each passing day, as more and more separatist groups are speaking in tandem. Kashmir’s leading Islamic scholar, Grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad, who initially chose to stay away from the controversy, also threw his weight behind the opposition saying “musical programmes cannot solve the problems”. A group of civil society members that includes doctors, academicians and human rights activists are opposing Mehta's concert saying it can be used to “further an occupying state’s narrative”. Abir Bazaz, a Kashmiri academic based in the US and one of the signatories of the civil society group’s “protest letter” to the German ambassador, said they have valid reasons for suspicion. “It is coming after the suppression of 2008 and 2010 uprisings (street protests). We have seen a pattern of such events being planned here, which have no history in this region. We would have no problem with this if the person concerned did not have a dubious past,” Bazaz told The Tribune. He raked up Mehta’s Israeli connection, saying he has been used by Israel in its “propaganda efforts” after the 2002 Palestinian uprising or “the second intifada”. “Zubin Mehta was fundamental to Israel’s propaganda efforts after the 2002 intifada. If, after the 2010 uprising, he is coming here for a concert then it raises questions,” he said. The event has also been compared by the separatist leadership with the 1983 One-day International between India and West Indies, which was disrupted midway. “We oppose and we have similar reservations,” hardline separatist Syed Ali Geelani said in a statement few days ago while drawing comparison between Mehta’s musical concert and the 1983 cricket match. However, there are people who support the idea. One such voice is that of singer Waheed Jeelani, who said the grand musical event should not be mixed with the politics. “By these international concerts, the Kashmiri people, Kashmiri artists and Kashmiri community on a whole will benefit. The expenses on the concert will be spent here, which will benefit people,” Jeelani said. |
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Metrology dept fines erring traders
Jammu, August 28 Some of the prominent brands were found using unverified measures by the department in violation with the package commodity rules and less measurement-weight, which fall under the Weights and Measurement Act. Surprise raids were conducted by officials of the department on 14 shops last evening after complaints by people against them. Officials said in the past eight months 800 traders have been booked by the department for violating the norms. “In most of the cases traders and shopkeepers are selling goods below the net weight printed on the product and charging in excess from the consumers. Particularly the goods manufactured by local industry,” said Manoj Prabhakar, Deputy Controller Legal Metrology (Consumer Protection). He urged the people to come forward and inform the department about any wrongdoing by the sellers.
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Two civilians, including a woman, were injured when militants today attacked the Awantipora police station, along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, half an hour after Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Abdul Gani Mir, left the police station.
Security forces today busted a militant hideout in Reasi district and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Based on specific information, a joint team of the Rashtriya Rifles and police personnel launched a search operation in the dense Deolmarg forests in the upper reaches of the Pir Panjal mountains in the district and busted a militant hideout, defence official said.
In what has signalled a red alert for Kashmir’s apple growers this year, scientists at the
Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Kashmir (SKAUST-K), have corroborated that 40 per cent of the apple orchards in Kashmir are severely infected with alternaria leaf blotch disease.
Over 30 kanals (18,150 square yards), belonging to the State Industrial Development Corporation
(SIDCO), have been encroached upon by some locals, including influential persons, in Samba.
Despite the claims of the government that it had taken strict measures against land encroachers in the state, encroachers have moved towards the industrial area as well.
The All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) today urged the Central government to “rein in” the supporters of god man Asaram
Bapu, who has been accused of raping a 16-year-old girl in his Jodhpur ashram.
Police sources said the IGP was at the police station to attend a meeting.