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Valley remains shut on Day 2
Can Modi be Vajpayee?
Police wants to verify identity of fourth youth killed in Shopian firing
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Cross-LoC traders demand single-window system
AICC leader for committees at booth, panchayat levels
3 lakh aspirants to take test for 17,000 posts tomorrow
Justice Gandhi panel assesses damage
Political parties gearing up for Assembly session
Rana lambasts BJP, PDP for ‘divisive’ role
Pak fires on forward posts in Mendhar
Experts roll up sleeves to solve Katra’s drinking water woes
Book, music album to be released to ‘remember’ Afzal Guru
SIT questions People’s League activists over
ex-militant’s death
Buddhist heritage fest begins today
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Valley remains shut on Day 2
Srinagar, September 15 The shutdown was called by hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani as part of the protest against the killing of five men in two firing incidents in Shopian district. Shopian district, where the five men were killed, remained curfew-bound for the fourth consecutive day today. The killing of four persons in the south Kashmir town on September 7 when internationally acclaimed music maestro Zubin Mehta was performing in the city and of a youth on September 11 at the same spot had stoked anger in the region. The police had said it suspected that one of the four youths killed in the first incident was a militant while the rest of the victims had no record of militancy. Shopian district and its adjoining districts of Pulwama and Kulgam have remained shut and under curfew most of the time since the killing of four youths took place. A police spokesman said the curfew continued in Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam towns. The spokesman said the situation remained normal across the region. The shutdown affected public transport in the city and elsewhere in the region. Private cars were being plied on roads in the city, the summer capital of the state. Markets were closed in the city in the wake of the shutdown. Kashmir had remained shut on four days since the killing of four youths in Shopian. There were a few reports of violence today, including at Gojwara and Nawab Bazar in the old city, where protesters threw stones at police and paramilitary personnel. A resident of Nawab Bazar said dozens of youths clashed with police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel near a bridge in the area. Sporadic clashes were also reported from Bandipora, Ganderbal and Baramulla districts of the region. |
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On the frontline
Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), can make a difference to the Kashmir situation provided he really becomes another Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He has committed himself to walk on the path shown by Vajpayee.
Vajpayee, whose revolutionary steps had pulled Kashmir out of darkness, is rated among the best leaders in the Kashmir valley. The then Prime Minister had offered “dialogue within parameters of humanity” to militants and others in 2000. In 2003m he had extended the “hand of friendship to Pakistan” from the soil of Kashmir. These steps had yielded results — for the first time face-to-face talks were held between Hizb-ul-Mujahdeen militants and representatives of the Government of India. His gesture to Pakistan, which came when Indian and Pakistani armies were deployed in an eyeball-to-eyeball position on the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border, brought about ceasefire on the border in November 2003. The benefits of the ceasefire flowed to the border population from Kathua to Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi will not be of much consequence in Jammu and Kashmir if his politics revolves around old slogans and jingoistic rhetoric or pushes people towards polarisation. Instead, he will be playing with fire. He will have to rise above all those things and tune on to the changed Kashmir. He will have to lift spirits of the new generation of the youth that is full of aspirations and loves availing nationwide opportunities. This will be a litmus test for him. So far, he is seen here as a man who inspires divisive politics and sharpens polarisation. Some love him as a hero, others view him in quite the opposite frame. In Jammu and Kashmir, the fact is that his party, the BJP, is not in a position to lift itself up to a point where it can call the shots. It had the best results in 2008 when it won 11 seats in the Assembly elections. It committed a political sin by discarding its own candidate in the legislative council elections in April 2011. Seven of its 11 MLAs had voted for ruling alliance candidates. That was a betrayal of the faith that the voters had reposed in BJP legislators. The men in uniform — the Army, the BSF, the CRPF, the ITBP and the Jammu and Kashmir Police -- have made supreme sacrifices. Their sacrifices and relentless fight against terrorism has brought some semblance of peace to the state. Their sacrifices, as he said, deserved a salute. No amount of salutes is enough to measure up to their sacrifices. In fact, Indian soldiers have seen and experienced much more than any other army in the world in counter-insurgency operations. At the same time, there is a need, rather an urgent one, to show similar concern for the innocents killed at the hands of security forces and also those who disappeared mysteriously. Their families have been waiting for their near and dear ones for years now. Some condemnation and condolence of the killing of innocents is equally important. Will Modi summon that courage? Vajpayee had that. The spilling of blood of innocents deserves condemnation, not excuses. The fact that Kashmir is an integral part of India should be underscored by deeds and not words alone. Human beings and their lives are much more precious than anything else. Kashmir is looking for that human touch. |
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Police wants to verify identity of fourth youth killed in Shopian firing
Srinagar, September 15 The technical evaluation has become necessary as the police wants to be sure that the fourth youth who was killed on September 7 along with three civilians was Pakistani LeT militant Abdullah Haroon, allegedly involved in the Hyderpora attack on an Army convoy ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to Srinagar in June. "The evidence collected from the spot and subsequent verifications suggest that the fourth person killed was Abdullah Haroon of the LeT. A pistol and two grenades were recovered," said a senior police officer. "The mobile phone recovered from his pocket had a video clip showing weapons snatched from police and CRPF personnel in the incidents at Arwani Bijbehara and Awnera Shopian last month. His mobile phone had Dialer and Skype software which is available with LeT commanders. We are sending the SIM card and Skype details of the slain youth to the Chandigarh laboratory for technical evaluation," he added. Four persons were killed by CRPF personnel in Gagran Shopian on the day of the Zubin Mehta concert on September 7. While three were identified as civilians by the police, the fourth was suspected to be a Pakistani LeT militant. The CRPF continues to maintain that the four were militants who were killed after they tried to attack the CRPF camp. The killing of the four persons on September 7 and the subsequent killing of a driver on September 11 in the same area had triggered tension across Kashmir. Most parts of south Kashmir continue to reel under curfew. DK Pathak, Special Director General, CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Zone, said the police was investigating the case and waiting for the outcome. "The Jammu and Kashmir Police is investigating the case and it will not be proper to comment at this stage. Let us wait for the outcome of police investigations," he said. |
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Cross-LoC traders demand single-window system
Jammu, September 15 Since the cross-LoC trade began in 2008, it has failed to find its groove because of the involvement of several authorities unlike in Pakistan, which has a one-man authority — the Director General for the trans-LoC trade and travel in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Nearly 800 cross-LoC traders from Jammu and Kashmir have yet again reiterated their demand for a single-window system at the Chakan da Bagh and Salamabad trader centres, on the lines of their counterparts in PoK for hassle-free trade between the two parts of Kashmir. The cross-LoC traders are crying hoarse over the alleged harassment by the Customs Department. “On one or the pretext, the Customs Department keeps creating obstacles for us and as a result the trans-LoC trade continues to suffer,” Pawan Anand, president of the Chamber of LoC Trade, Jammu and Kashmir, told The Tribune. Over 600 Indian traders from Kashmir and 165 traders from Jammu are associated with the trade via Salamabad in Baramulla district and Chakan da Bagh in Poonch district. Anand said for a thriving trade between J&K and PoK, a one-man authority should be put in place like in PoK. “Presently, the cross-LoC trade from the Chakan da Bagh and Salamabad trade centres is being regulated by at least four departments, Customs, CID security, Union Agriculture Ministry and two custodians of the trade. Every authority, day in and day out, comes out with new orders and restrictions without properly intimating us,” said Anand. He alleged that the Customs Department, in particular, instead of facilitating the trade, had been acting as a deterrent. “In recent times, the Customs Department imposed a ban on mango and then on dry dates despite the items being traded between the two sides since the trade began on October 10, 2008,” said Anand. The state Forest Department also suddenly woke up to its job when it seized herbs from PoK via Chakan da Bagh on the grounds that these consignments would only be allowed after traders were issued naqsha number 25 (Rabdari) by them. The Union Government had made it mandatory for the traders to export only locally manufactured/produced goods in Jammu and Kashmir to PoK but hardly any product is produced or manufactured in the state. On one or the pretext, the Customs Department keeps creating obstacles for us and as a result the trans-LoC trade continues to suffer |
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AICC leader for committees at booth, panchayat levels
Jammu, September 15 The AICC leader, who was accorded a rousing reception on his arrival at the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (J&KPCC) headquarters here today, told party men to strengthen the party at the grassroots by propagating the policies of the party and programmes of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre. Haque, who also addressed hundreds of Congress leaders and workers, said the UPA government had numerous achievements on all fronts and had extended all sorts of support to Jammu and Kashmir. He praised the leadership of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi. He urged party workers “to unitedly counter the mischievous propaganda of communal forces aimed to divide the people in the state”. Earlier, several senior leaders of the J&KPCC, district Congress committees and frontal organisations of the Congress were present to receive him. A function was organised under the chairmanship of Dharam Pal Sharma, former Member of Parliament and senior vice-president of the J&KPCC. Addressing a public meeting in the Nagrota constituency later, the AICC secretary said the strengthening of panchayati raj institutions on the pattern of the 73rd and 74th Amendments and holding the remaining elections to these institutions was the key to strengthening democracy and ensuring the participation of people in governance. “The Congress is committed to strengthening democracy and secularism in the state and the country,” he said. |
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3 lakh aspirants to take test for 17,000 posts tomorrow
Srinagar, September 15 The examination is being conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board. The exam was earlier scheduled for September 14, but due to curfew and restrictions in Shopian district of south Kashmir and some areas of north Kashmir, the exam was postponed till September 17. The state government took the decision to fill up the vacancies in July 2012 under the fast-track employment programme, through which it intends to offer jobs to 80,000 youth across the state. The first phase of the recruitment drive began last year with the filling up of 3,193 non-gazetted cadre posts in various public departments of the state. Although the initiative has been welcomed by the youth of the state, the salary paid is 50 per cent of the basic pay for the first two years of service, which has not been welcomed by the youth. The pay scale ranges from Rs 2,870 to Rs 6,790 per month (the basic pay scale being Rs 4,440- 34,800 per month). Aspirants say the pay offered is very low when compared with the job profiles and qualification of candidates. |
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Kishtwar violence
Jammu, September 15 Justice Gandhi was accompanied by officials of the local administration when he did a round of the whole area today. He reached Kishtwar on Saturday and met government officials. The state government, on August 23, appointed Justice Gandhi to probe the events leading to communal clashes in Kishtwar on August 9, following which three people were killed and several shops, some houses and a petrol pump was damaged by rioters. On August 9, few miscreants threw stones at a procession which was heading towards Chowgan Ground in Kishtwar to offer the Eid prayers, leading to communal clashes. Justice Gandhi has been given one month to probe the case, but is set to get an extension as he received the formal letter to probe the clashes some days ago. “He toured the market today and in the coming days he is expected to meet people of both communities in the town. On Sunday, he only toured the town where damage occurred on that fateful day,” said an official of the local administration. Justice Gandhi is expected to stay in Kishtwar for a few days and collect evidences gathered by the administration and the Police Department, besides himself gather more evidences. The government has appointed a Special Investigation Team of the police to investigate the case and on its direction, many youths have been arrested and three charge sheets prepared against 12 of them. Most of the accused are from the majority community. The media has been kept at bay and no one is being allowed to approach Justice Gandhi since his arrived in Kishtwar. |
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Political parties gearing up for Assembly session
Srinagar, September 15 The Governor on September 11 had summoned the session and accordingly the members have been asked to attend the sitting from September 30 to October 8. Out of the seven working days, the Assembly would have five days of government business, while a day each would be devoted to private members’ bills and the resolutions. Though, the principal opposition Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) is yet to finalise the agenda for the session, its focus would be on the governance, corruption and the human rights issues. “The overall situation in the state is deteriorating and there is rampant corruption despite the claims of transparency by the government in the fresh appointments,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told The Tribune. She alleged that the backdoor entries were going on and the people in general were feeling dejected on account of nepotism and favouritism adopted by the National Conference led coalition government in the State. The party had boycotted the previous Assembly session over the execution of the parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru. Senior Congress leader and PCC spokesman Ravinder Sharma said the party would focus on the issues of public welfare and overall progress and development in the state. He said the party members would draw the attention of government towards the problems faced by the people of their respective constituencies. “We will raise issues of people…it should be debatable and purposeful,” Sharma said. The party would also focus on various initiatives taken by the state and the Centre for the welfare of the people, he said. The CPM state secretary and Member of Legislative Assembly from
Kulgam, M Y Tarigami, said the issue of killing of innocent people and corruption in the state would be on top priority.
Tarigami, who is the lone CPM member in the Assembly, said he would move a resolution against corruption in the upcoming Assembly session. He is also likely to move a private member’s bill seeking to bring down the term of an elected government from the present six years to five years. Apart from taking up problems of the people, the ruling National Conference (NC) will focus on the smooth functioning of the business. There were disruptions during the last Budget session. The NC's legislature party meeting would be held under the chairmanship of party president Farooq Abdullah on the eve of the commencement of the session. The session will be conducted on seven working days. The NC, according to additional general secretary of the party Sheikh Mustafa
Kamal, would deliberate upon its demand for greater autonomy and the political resolution of Jammu and Kashmir. |
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Rana lambasts BJP, PDP for ‘divisive’ role
Jammu, September 15 Addressing a workers' meeting at Upper Jandyal in the Nagrota Assembly constituency to welcome new entrants to the party this afternoon, the NC provincial president said 'fascist' parties like the BJP had absolutely no role in a state like Jammu and Kashmir that stood for co-existence and harmony between various segments of society. Upper Jandyal sarpanch Balbir Singh joined the NC along with his naib sarpanch and panches in the presence of senior party leaders. Rana referred to the recent disturbances in Kishtwar and alleged how the BJP had hobnobbed with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to aggravate the situation with the view to put the state on the boil for furthering their hidden and nefarious agenda. Rana said the bonhomie between the two was not new and it dated back to the formation of the PDP. Terming the PDP as an extension of the BJP in Kashmir, he recalled their role in the Amarnath land row agitation in 2008 and the secret understanding during elections to the Legislative Council. "They did not succeed because the people gave stiff resistance and foiled their machinations with full might," Rana added. The NC provincial president cautioned the people against the designs of the PDP and the BJP. Terming them as chips of the same block, he alleged that the two parties would leave no stone unturned to disturb the situation, especially in the wake of elections to Parliament and the Assembly next year. He urged the people to foil their designs by maintaining unity and tranquility for which Jammu and Kashmir was known. He referred to the emergence of known communal forces in the political landscape of the country and said this was not a good omen for peace and tranquility. Rana sought a decisive mandate for the NC in the elections and said a strong government was the key to solving the problems of the people and satiating their socio-economic and political aspirations. Rana welcomed the new entrants to the party fold and hoped that their joining would further strengthen the NC at the grassroots. |
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Pak fires on forward posts in Mendhar
Jammu, September 15 "The Pakistani side fired heavily on Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic waepons. The Army retaliated with similar weapons. No loss of life or property was reported on our side," said Shib Narayan Acharya, officiating defence spokesperson. The Pakistani side was silent since firing on Indian posts during the afternoon of September 11. The LoC is the temporary border separating Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Jammu and Kashmir. A majority of terrorist camps are still functioning across the LoC which provide arms training to militants. There are launchpads near the LoC from where militants try to infiltrate into Indian territory. Infiltration had decreased despite increase in attempts due to the alertness of the Army on the LoC. The Army had established a well-prepared security grid along LoC. The Army had been maintaining that ceasefire violations by the Pakistani side were aimed at pushing in infiltrators and the firing by the Pakistani side for the last more than a month was the result of frustration as almost all infiltration attempts had been foiled. |
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Experts roll up sleeves to solve Katra’s drinking water woes
Jammu, September 15 The team has been given a time frame of one month by the government to prepare the comprehensive document, which will be presented before the Union government for funding. “Experts are already on the job to prepare vision document,” said Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma. The minister disclosed that a plan would be formulated to meet the drinking water requirement of Katra up to 2040. “Every aspect, including the increasing number of devotees with every passing year, would be taken into consideration,” he said. “At present, we are facing a shortfall of nearly 4 lakh gallons of drinking water every day in Katra town,” Chief Engineer, PHE, KK Gupta said while admitting that it was not possible to meet the current requirement from the existing sources in Katra and adjoining areas, including Reasi. “To identify new resources, we decided to prepare the vision document,” he said. Giving reasons for preparing the vision document when work on another big scheme was already going on, Gupta said the “much publicised” Rs 47.42-crore water supply scheme for Katra, which was sanctioned by the Central government on the recommendations of the special task force in 2011, was not going to solve the problem. “Hopefully the scheme is likely to be completed by the end of the current financial year but the problem will not be fully solved. So, we have to look at other viable options,” he said. Sources said due to the non-availability of water resources in Katra and adjoining localities, technical experts had made it clear that except lifting water from the Chenab, there was no other way of meeting the drinking water requirement of the holy town. Vision Document
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Book, music album to be released to ‘remember’ Afzal Guru
Srinagar, September 15 A book by Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and a music album “to remember” him are slated for release on September 17 and 21, respectively, in Srinagar. Afzal Guru, hailing from Jageer village of Baramulla district in north Kashmir, was executed on February 9 this year in Tihar Jail and buried there. The book titled, ‘Ahl-e-Imaan Kay Naam Afzal Guru Ka Aakhiri Paigaam” (The Last Message of Afzal Guru for the Faithful), is being released in Srinagar on September 17 by the National Front headed by Naeem Khan. The book is based on the “original writings” of Afzal, which he penned during his stay in Tihar Jail, Naeem Khan told The Tribune. “The 94-page book is a composition of Guru’s writings, which we are publishing with the consent of his family members,” Khan said, adding Afzal’s writings have been used in the book “unedited”. Apart from the book, a music album is also planned for release “in memory” of Afzal Guru on the weekend by the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society and organisers of the parallel concert, “Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir”, who recently opposed the musical performance by Zubin Mehta at the Shalimar Garden in Srinagar. The producers of the musical album say it is a “tribute” to Afzal, whose remains were not handed over by the jail authorities to his family for burial. The album, organisers say, was planned in February-end and completed recently. “We are planning to release the music album on World Peace Day on September 21,” said Khurram Parvez, spokesperson for Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir, who is also the convener of the Coalition of Civil Society. The music album titled “Kharaaj-e-Aqeedat” (Tribute) comprises eight songs, penned, composed and sung by “young and upcoming poets and artists”, in Kashmiri and Urdu. The album is not for commercial purpose and will be available in an audio-video format, free of cost on the Internet, Khurram said. The organisers are, however, tight-lipped about divulging the credits, fearing a backlash by security agencies against the artists. “We will give limited credits. But the music album is essentially an artistic tribute to a person, whom the authorities would have loved to be forgotten by the people,” Khurram said. |
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SIT questions People’s League activists over
ex-militant’s death
Srinagar, September 15 The sources said three activists of the Peoples League, which is a part of the moderate separatist group headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, were questioned by the SIT on Friday. “We questioned three activists of People’s League, who were accompanying Gazi in the train from Anatnag to Sopore station on Wednesday,” a police officer said. “Except Gazi, all the three disembarked from the train at Sopore railway station,” he said. “We have also checked with the other passengers of the train. They confirmed that Gazi stepped down from the train at the last railway station near Baramulla town,” the officer said. A SIT was constituted by the government after instant protests broke out in the north Kashmir on Thursday, after the 68-year-old’s body was recovered from Nowpora Wagoora village, 45 km from Srinagar. The family members of Gazi suspect that he was murdered. Protests continued for the third day today in his native town of Baramulla. Besides the Peoples League activists, nine other persons have also been questioned by the team so far. “We are looking into all the possible angles,” the police officer said, adding that the police was waiting for the postmortem report, which would help it in the investigations. The SIT is also looking into the circumstantial evidence to probe Gazi’s death. The police had earlier claimed that it was a hit and run case. |
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Buddhist heritage fest begins today
Leh, September 15 Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is scheduled to declare the festival open at the Sindhu Sanskiriti Kendra. Karnataka Public Works Department Minister HC Mahadevappa will be present at the inaugural function. The festival is being organised by the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC) in collaboration with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil, the All-Ladakh Gonpa Association and the Ladakh Buddhist Association. MIMC Leh founder Gelong Sanghasena said, “The festival was started last year by expanding the meditation and yoga festival organised during the Ladakh festival, The aim is to promote Ladakh as a Buddhist pilgrimage centre and spiritual destination.” He said, “Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims visit the country’s Buddhist sites like Bodh Gaya and Sarnath. They can include Ladakh in their India tour to visit Buddhist monasteries and culture.” He said about 150 delegates from Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, New Zealand and Germany would attend the festival. A heritage tour to the ancient Buddhist monasteries of Hemis, Alchi, Liker and Thiksay and a one-day seminar on Buddha’s way of inner wisdom are main events of the festival. |
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Jammu, September 15
