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APHC chief
terms Pak as ‘central player’ From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Dec 12: The Vajpayee Government is understood to have endorsed a suggestion favouring holding of talks in Pakistan by a team of leaders of Kashmir’s All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC). The Government will grant permission to three Kashmiri leaders, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mr Yasin Malik, to undertake a visit to Pakistan for talks with various individuals and groups there. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami leader and former president of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah, who is also keen to visit Pakistan, might find it difficult to obtain the necessary travel papers. The Vajpayee Government seems to be perturbed by his far-from-positive role since the announcement by New Delhi of the unilateral cease-fire in Jammu and Kashmir. According to sources, the Government will not stop the chief of Kashmir’s Jamaat-e-Islami, Mr Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, if he decided to go to Pakistan. Mr Bhat has, on more than one occasion, welcomed the unilateral cease-fire. Mr Bhat had also welcomed the Hizbul Mujahideen’s cease-fire offer in July this year. After ‘informal’ meetings by three interlocutors with two Hurriyat leaders in the past some days, the Prime Minister was quietly given the list of three persons, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mr Yasin Malik, who, it was said, were interested in holding negotiations in Pakistan with the Government and militant leaders. Sources told EXCELSIOR that the Government was "satisfied" with the Hurriyat’s "positive" response to contacts established with them. The Government, which has taken cognizance of what is termed as "negative" attitude adopted by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his company towards the Prime Minister’s peace initiative in Kashmir, has, significantly, been assured by Mr Abdul Ghani Lone of his support and cooperation to "any sincere efforts" by New Delhi to promote peace and stability in Kashmir. After his return to Delhi on the completion of his three-week visit to Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Mr Lone told one of the interlocutors that Syed Ali Shah Geelani would not be allowed to dictate terms to the rest of the people in the Hurriyat Conference. Mr Lone termed as "preposterous" the description by Syed Ali Shah Geelani of the Government’s cease-fire offer as a "conspiracy against the Kashmiris’ freedom struggle". Much against the wishes of Mr Geelani, Mr Yasin Malik has suggested that the unilateral cease-fire should be extended even if the militants defy it. His message to one of the interlocutors: "About 600 men of JKLF were killed after I declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1995, but I never retreated from my position. In the same way, the Government of India should exhibit restraint even if militants strike and the cease-fire should be extended beyond the month of Ramzan". The Hurriyat Conference chief, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, too has conveyed his suggestion to the Prime Minister for further extension of the Government’s cease-fire process. Prof Bhat has, in a media interview, admitted that the ‘movement’ by the Government of India on the question of talks with the Hurriyat leaders "is slow". He said: "Let us wait and see out the Ramzan period. If India has moved one step, Pakistan has moved two. I am happy with the response from across the border. There is already a slowdown in firing from across the LoC, and that is a good step". Prof Bhat, however, emphasised the importance of Pakistan’s inclusion in any talks on Kashmir. "They are central to the dispute. India and Pakistan have been talking anyway with full-fledged diplomatic relations. Keeping Pakistan out means a significant input will be lost in the dialogue. An essential part of politics is to be flexible", he said. Commenting on New Delhi’s ‘no’ to third-party negotiations, Prof Bhat said that he had hope in Mr Vajpayee. His argument: "After all, the cease-fire is his initiative. All I can say is that the problem is complex and people should take care before they say something. Every word said in the present circumstances should be carefully weighed so that the peace process is not derailed". Prof Bhat’s colleague in the Hurriyat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, on the other hand, is of the view that there will be "no outcome". The present cease-fire, Mr Geelani has been reported to have said, "is not going to work as there have been cease-fires in 1949, 1966 and 1971, and this cease-fire will meet the same fate". |
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IEDs fitted with
detonators seized Excelsior Correspondent UDHAMPUR, Dec 12: Making their presence felt in the heart of Udhampur town for the first time, the militants this morning made an attempt to blast the Government-run district hospital but the bid was foiled by an alert constable of Special Security Bureau (SSB). Three powerful gelatin rods fitted with detonators and planted in the district hospital, which was packed with patients and their attendants besides the staff, had been planted by some unidentified militants in an apparent attempt to blow up the health institution and cause a large number of casualties of the civilians, official sources said. They said a constable of SSB identified as Hokwar Wengan, hailing from Andhra Pardesh and on guard duty at the hospital, noticed a polythene bag lying in the premises of the hospital at 0545 hours today and became alert. With a close look, the constable could detect the bag was containing some explosive devices. The cop immediately sounded an alert and cautioned the patients and their attendants to remain inside the hospital. In the meantime, he informed local police. A police party alongwith a Bomb Disposal Squad rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. The explosive devices were taken away by the Squad and defused in a safer area, the sources said, adding the devices were capable of causing extensive damage in the hospital. "It was due to alertness of SSB constable that the devices were detected and a major tragedy was averted. Otherwise, there would have been a large number of casualties in the hospital", they added. Sources said this was for the first time in decade long militancy that the militants managed to strike in the town and succeeded in planting bombs at a vital installation. Though upper reaches of Udhampur district were infested with militancy, the town had hitherto remained peaceful and free from any militancy-related incident. The incident created a wave of panic and resentment among the hospital patients and their attendants besides local people. Some of the panic-stricken people left the hospital after the recovery of explosive material. They returned only after the devices were defused. Meanwhile, the district adminis-tration has further beefed-up security arrangements in the town in anticipation of more such attempts by Pakistan-trained militants to blast vital installation. Authorities were also planning to carry out searches in some specific areas to weed out the anti-national elements. |
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Ceasefire holding remarkably well: Gen Padmanabhan NEW DELHI, Dec 12: Army chief General S Padmanabhan today said the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir was holding "remarkably well" with firing from across the Line of Control (LoC) coming down to negligible levels and interiors also not witnessing any major clashes. "The ceasefire is holding well with some odd hiccups here and there like some beastly acts of throwing grenades", he told reporters, adding that violations were confined to foreign mercernary groups, who were against the ceasefire. Padmanabhan said due to heightened vigil by forces infiltration attempts from PoK had also come down."Recently we had two major contacts and both of them were repulsed with heavy casualties". On the step-up in attacks by suicide squads, he said "if somebody wants to commit suicide, he will do so ceasefire or no ceasefire" and added that "security forces were on full alert against such tactics". Asked whether there was a delay in acquisition of Unmanned Aerial Reconissance Vehicles (UAV’s), the Army chief said "we already have some operational. More will come". He was speaking to newsmen after flagging off the Army contingent in the 20th Indian Antartica expedition. Elaborating on the UAV’s and their application to spot infiltration from across the LoC, Padmanabhan said "we have asked for more. They will be coming". On reports that Pakistan was using the UAV’s to spot gaps in Indian defences for pushing in foreign mercenaries, the Army chief said "we have been keeping track of Pakistani UAV’s. We know their make and marks". Padmanabhan also announced that Army had done away with shortened courses for officers introduced by his pedecessor Gen V P Malik to overcome serious shortage of officers. "We have reverted back to the old systems", he said. With this the direct entrants would now have to do a course of a year and half instead of one year, the NDA entrants one year instead of six months and Army cadet College entry also for a year instead of six months. The Army is despatching fifteen members to join the combined winter and summer 20th Indian Army Antartica expedition. (PTI) |
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J&K too enters into an
agreement From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Dec 12: The Government of India has decided to continue its plans to shore up fiscal position in all States and Union Territories. And a move is afoot to make all States enter into the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre in this regard. The Union Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha, has apprised the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Mr KC Pant, of the state of finances in States and the tactics the Centre has adopted to bring the States into the path of fiscal prudence through efforts to eliminate expenditure extremes and populistic policies. According to Mr Sinha, as many as 13 States, have so far entered into an agreement with the Government of India. They include Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Orissa, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) experience, is said to have sensitised States to the overwhelming need to reform to varying degrees and has also thrown pointers to the degree of commitment. Even as the Fiscal Responsibility Act is yet to be introduced in Parliament, the MoU experiment has put States and the Centre a little higher along the ‘learning curve’ in how fiscal reforms programmes should be designed and monitored. There are States where milestones have been substantially hit but there has been little perceptible improvement in balance on current revenue (BCR)-most States including Assam, Orissa and Nagaland. Government sources told EXCELSIOR that total non-performers included Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Manipur. Analysing the shortcomings of the MoUs, the sources explained that they were too limited in scope and the period of three years was too short for fiscal consolidation. It was felt that assistance to the States should have been extended in tranches against achievement milestones. There are States like Andhra Pradesh and Mizoram where milestones have been achieved and there was improvement in BCR too. A disquieting development, despite the fiscal reforms being undertaken by the States, is that interest payments on their past loans have been mounting from a level of Rs 15,657 crores in 1993-94 to Rs 44,995 crores in 1999-2000. As a percentage of GDP, they have gone from 1.82 to 2.33 during this period and as a percentage of revenue receipts interest payments had swelled from 14.96 in 1993-94 to 21.40 in 1999-2000. What further worries the Centre, Government sources point out, is the magnitude of State Government guarantees as outstanding on this score has risen from Rs 48,866 crores in 1993-94 to a whopping Rs 99,476 crores last year and the data pertains only to 17 States. Fiscal reforms were designed to improve progressively the balance of current revenues, resulting in reduction of revenue deficits of the States in the medium-term through improving the resource base of the States through appropriate taxation, reduction in non-Plan expenditure through appropriate expenditure measures and pricing and power sector reforms to reduce fiscal burden of the State and improve allocative efficiency and reduction in the role of Government from non-essential areas. In many States, the annual rate of growth of guarantees outstrips the growth in revenue receipts, thereby further straining the fiscal position. All these imply that as much as 63. 23 per cent of the borrowings of the States, including Plan assistance, goes for current consumption. |
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‘Centre has realised
that Farooq is a burden’ Excelsior Correspondent SAROOTE (DANSAL): Dec 12: Describing ruling National Conference as ‘sinking-ship’, former Union Home Minister and president of the J&K Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Mufti Mohammed Sayeed today said that Central leadership has realised that Farooq Abdullah has become a burden and it was high time to get the people relieved of this burden. Addressing a public meeting at this backward village of Dansal block, Mufti said that Farooq Abdullah and his Government has lost representative character due to its callous and casual approach towards miseries of this militancy plagued State. "Neither Farooq nor National Conference is a force to be reckoned with ", he told his party activists, predicting "State Government will succumb, very soon, due to the burden of its stupid misdeeds". "Braving militants’ threats masses had expressed their faith in ballot with a hope that democratically elected Government would mitigate their woes", he recalled peoples’ participation in the 1996 Assembly elections but in the same breath lamented that instead of initiating some serious steps ruling elites resorted to looting public exchequer. "In the 1996 Assembly elections all political groups including the then Central Government had offered full support and cooperation to Farooq Abdullah with a hope that National Conference will meet the political challenge ", he recalled and regretted that National Conference has brazenly spoiled positive atmosphere which was developed during Governor rule. "The situation was much better during Governor rule", he said, adding, "alienation has been increasing among masses all due to the wrong policies of the State Government" Coming down heavily on State Government for its failure on all fronts, ex-Union Home Minister lamented that callous and non-serious attitude of the National Conference Government can be gauged from the priorities listed by this Government. "While the masses have been groaning with pain and hunger our Chief Minister is more concerned over purchasing helicopter and golf courses", he said, adding "crores and crores of rupees meant for welfare and development activities have been diverted for accumulating luxuries of the ruling elites". Giving reasons for parting way with Congress and forming a regional political out-fit, Mufti said that this way or other every political party has been blindly supporting mis-deeds of Farooq Abdullah. "We decided to form a party for the people of the State to provide an alternative of National Conference", he said and told the gathering that policies and programmes of the PDP were guided by the aspirations of the people of the State. First time highlighting economic policies of the PDP since its formation in July 1999, Mufti promised that they would provide job to atleast one person of each family. "Like other political parties we do not promise moon but we intimate every possible step for the upliftment of socio-economic conditions of the masses", PDP supremo said and promised that PDP, if came to power, would provide unemployment allowance to unemployed youth. PDP vice-president, Ms Mehbooba Mufti in her address said that National Conference Government has utterly failed to ameliorate lot of the people. "Instead of mitigating ever-increasing miseries of the masses this Government has further compounded their woes due to its anti-people policies and non-serious approach", she said and exhorted party workers to reach to the grass-root level to highlight woes of the masses. Contesting, what she called false, claim of State Government of providing one lakh jobs to the people of the State, Ms Mufti said that jobs were brazenly sold by the ruling elites. "Farooq Abdullah has doled out licence to his Ministers and other leaders to sell Government jobs and make money", she alleged and added that touts of NC Ministers have been openly auctioning Government jobs. She expressed anguish that leaders of all main-stream political parties have been supporting Farooq Abdullah for their petty political gains. She narrated an example how Farooq Abdullah had offered favour to a prominent BJP MLA. Prominent Gujjar leader, Master Tasaduq Hussian in his address, strongly criticised the ruling National Conference for exploiting sentiments of the people for its petty political gains. He cautioned the Gujjars against nefarious designs of the NC and said that Centre has allotted crores and crores of rupees for the betterment and upliftment of the Gujjars and Bakerwals but these funds were pocketed by the National Conference leaders. He said that since long National Conference has been befooling the Gujjars and other weaker sections. He exhorted the Gujjars and Bakerwals to remain united against nefarious designs of NC. Vice-president of the PDP youth wing, Mr Ashok Sharma while speaking on the occasion appealed to people in general and youth in particular to strengthen hands of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who has been assiduously trying to get the people rid of corrupt NC Government. Mr Sharma asked the people to launch a war against anti-poor policies of the Farooq Government. Mrs Shanti Devi, PDP Mahila wing president, who had organised the public meeting highlighted problems of the inhabitants of this Kandi belt which lacks even adequate drinking water. Mr Anam Choudhary, another PDP leader, highlighted woes of the Gujjars and Bakerwals. |
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LS may discuss Ayodhya censure motion today NEW DELHI, Dec 12: An end to the week-long standoff in Lok Sabha on the Ayodhya issue appeared in sight with an all-party meeting today reaching an agreement to hold a discussion tomorrow on the opposition’s censure motion focusing on the demand for resignation of three charge-sheeted ministers in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Emerging from an hour-long meeting, Speaker GMC Balayogi told reporters "the House will take up the issue under Rule 184 modalities of which will be worked out by me." The rule provides for voting on the motion. However, in the Rajya Sabha where the Government is in minority there seems to be no agreement yet. Parliament sources indicated that the opposition-sponsored motion will seek dropping of ministers L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti and a discussion on it would begin after the question hour in the Lok Sabha tomorrow. The opposition is understood to have re-worded the motion in the wake of the Speaker disallowing an earlier motion on the issue yesterday holding it went against the principle of collective responsibility of the Government to the House. The Speaker, however, had said that to break the deadlock he would not stand in the way of a discussion if the House agreed provided sub-judice matters were not touched. Parliament has been stalled for the last one week with the opposition demanding resignation of the three ministers and subsequent remarks of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. Government will reply to the discussion on Thursday to be followed by voting, the sources said, adding there would be no bar on members raising any issue related to the controversy. Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha Madhavrao Scindia told reporters that a "broad agreement" has been reached at the meeting and that the motion would reflect the views expressed by various political parties. Asked whether the decision on the discussion was a climb down by the Government, Scindia said he would not like to categorise it as a victory or defeat. "I am happy that democratic principles have been upheld and all parties have agreed to a debate on the Ayodhya issue," he said. The meeting, second during the day, convened by the Speaker, was attended among others by Scindia, Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Somnath Chatterjee (CPI-M), Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD), K Yerranaidu (Telugu Desam), Mayawati (Bahujan Samaj Party) and P H Pandian (AIADMK). Government was represented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan. An earlier meeting convened by the Speaker failed resulting in uproarious scenes in the House over the opposition demand leading to adjournment for the seventh day. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said the motion could reflect the disapproval by the House of the statement by the Prime Minister rejecting the resignation of three ministers. He, however, said a final view on the language of the motion would be taken by the Speaker. According to sources the various notices for discussion Under 184 will be put to ballot and the contents will be vetted by the Lok Sabha secretariat. They said it was unlikely that the motion would focus on the Prime Minister’s statements, which were made outside Parliament. On the opposition drawing a parallel between the resignation of Minister of State for Defence Harin Pathak, chargesheeted in a riot case in Gujarat, and the Ayodhya cases, sources said BJP saw the Ayodhya issue differently and the two could not be linked. In the Rajya Sabha, the deadlock continued as a meeting of leaders of various parties convened by Chairman Krishan Kant failed to make any headway. The opposition, conscious of its strength, was keen on pressing a censure motion in a bid to embarrass the Government. However, the demand was not accepted by the Government. (PTI) |
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No split in Hurriyat on talks with India NEW DELHI, Dec 12: The All-Party Hurriyat Conference, a conglomeration of several Kashmiri separatist groups, is not going to split on the issue of dialogue with India or on the tripartite talks, a spokesman of the party said here today. Describing reports of a split in the Hurriyat as "speculative", he said there can be differences of opinion on various ticklish issues, which are confronted by the grouping at this critical juncture. "But respect for varying views is indicative of the healthy democratic set-up in the organisation,"he said. There is no question of any split in the Hurriyat, which has served the cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to the best of its ability, the spokesman said. He said the executive committee meeting of the Hurriyat Conference will meet to finalise its strategy on a number of subjects including initiation of dialogue with the Centre and rejection of the tripartite talks offer by the Indian Government. The Hurriyat will have a common and unified approach on all the issues. He said some disgruntled elements are spreading disinformation about the Hurriyat leaders to create confusion among the people of the State. It was the Hurriyat, which has been recognised as the legitimate representative body of the people of the State. Asked about unruly scenes at the human rights seminar at Srinagar, he said no one should take such incidents seriously. Such events are not going to affect the unity of the grouping, which is striving to get for the people of Jammu and Kashmir their due rights. (UNI) |
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HM hideout smashed in Poonch, arms seized Excelsior Correspondent POONCH, Dec 12: Mandi police in the district today smashed a hideout of Hizbul Mujahideen militants in a forest area of Mandi sector and effected recovery of a large quantity of explosive devices including four kg RDX and ammunition. According to official reports, a Mandi police party headed by DySP (Probationary) Ranjit Singh Samyal carried out a raid in a forest area surrounding Mandi town in the early hours of this morning on the basis of a specific information about militants’ movement in the area. After over two hours long searches, the police personnel succeeded in detecting a hideout of Pakistan-sponsored militants, located in the midst of a cluster of trees, and smashed it. Though no militant was present in the hideout at that time, the policemen recovered explosives, ammunition and eatables. Recovery included two rocket launchers, two rocket boosters, four kg RDX, two remote control devices, two detonators fitted with 20 meters cordex wire, one large bag and some eatables and personal belongings of the militants. Following recovery, the police team carried out searches in the forest area to track down the militants but they remained untraced. Few letter heads recovered from the hideout indicated that it was being used by the militants of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. Meanwhile, police have made a breakthrough in the killing of a Special Police Officer (SPO) Mohd Sadiq son of Mohd Latif, a resident of Gali Nar, whose dead body was recovered from village Dundak the other day. Police said a handout of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit was recovered from the spot which owned responsibility for the killing of SPO. The handout said he was killed for his association with security forces. |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 12: A Special Police Officer (SPO) was gunned down by the militants where he was returning to his house this evening after day’s duty in Gandoh area of Doda district. He has been identified as Abdul Rashid, a resident of Gandoh. Reports said two militants intercepted the SPO on way to his house and shot him dead. Militants escaped after the killing. A police party reached the spot and shifted the dead body to hospital for post-mortem. A case has been registered in the killing. |
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Govt warns striking Postal employees NEW DELHI, Dec 12: Hardening its stance Government today warned the postal employees of stern action if they did not resume duty immediately even as unions declared their resolve to continue with the indefinite strike which has paralysed the services across the country for the last 8 days. "I appeal to postal employees to return to their work. We do not want to take any difficult decisions but also we do not want the public to suffer," Communication Minister Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters after the fresh round of talks between unions and postal secretary B N Som. Asked if Government would invoke ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) to break the strike, Paswan said "wait till tomorrow," while referring to the Delhi High Court directive to inform it of measures taken by the Centre to resolve the strike to press for wage related demands. "We have agreed to most of the internal demands. But no decision can be taken having a bearing on other departments for which we will have to wait for the outcome of the meeting of Group of Ministers (headed by Home Minister L K Advani)," he said in an obvious reference to demands relating to wages and pension. He emphasised that Government was willing to talk to unions on their demand but they also should resume work. "We can’t allow them to cause hardship for the public". V S Yadav, secretary general of Bhartiya Postal Federation which is one of the three labour outfits that had called the strike, told PTI immediately after talks with Som that "we will continue with our strike. We can’t withdraw only on the basis of Government accepting some of the minor demands." (PTI) |
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Govt not rethinking on ceasefire, says Fernandes BANGALORE, Dec 12: Defence Minister George Fernandes today said India’s unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir during Ramzan month would continue despite unabated violence in the border State, and there was no rethinking by the Government. ‘We are having a ceasefire in Kashmir and that ceasefire holds,’ Fernandes told reporters here when asked if there was a rethinking on the Government’s part in the ceasefire in view of the continued violence in the border State. Asked whether the Government was firm on the ceasefire, he said: ‘the ceasefire is going on fine’. Fernandes earlier visited the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) here, India’s premier aerospace company, along with British Secretary of State for Defence Geoffrey Hoon. According to HAL sources, with India deciding to buy the British Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT), it is likely to result in production of the plane under British licence by the HAL. The company in the past had produced the Jaguar long-range bomber under a British licence, it was noted. (PTI) |
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NEW DELHI, Dec 12: Buoyed by opposition "success" in forcing a discussion in Lok Sabha on Ayodhya issue, Congress today said its strategy on censure motion in the Rajya Sabha would be decided tomorrow. "The parliamentary party would be meeting tomorrow morning to decide the strategy on the Ayodhya motion in Rajya Sabha", party chief whip Priyaranjan Dasmunsi told reporters when asked what would be the party line in the Upper House. He did not disclose the text of the motion but said "the texts in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were not the same". He said that party leader Jaipal Reddy would initiate the discussion if the Congress was asked to move the motion. Dasmunsi squarely blamed the Government for the week long impasse in Parliament and said "it could have accepted the decision earlier gracefully to avoid all these developments". Congress, which has given 45 fresh notices on the issue, has "re-worded" the motion in the wake of the Speaker disallowing an earlier motion on the issue yesterday holding that it went against the principle of collective responsibility of the Government to the House. (PTI) |
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Train between Nizamuddin, Jammu Tawi cancelled NEW DELHI, Dec 12: Northern Railway has decided to cancel the special train running between Hazrat Nizamuddin to Jammu Tawi from today to December 20 in view of poor utilisation by passengers. The last trip of New Delhi-Allahabad special train will run on January seven instead of January nine and New Delhi-Lucknow special train on January six instead of January eight, a Northern Railway release said. (PTI) |
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