Mercenary groups may have estrela missiles

NEW DELHI, Nov 5: Pakistan Army may have onpassed shoulder firing estrela surface to air missiles to mercenary groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir adding a dangerous dimension to ongoing militancy in the State.

Estrela, a SAM-7 variant is a 1970 Vintage shoulder fired tube launched passive missile with a source seeking lock on system, highly placed defence sources told PTI. The missile, however, lacks the state-of-the-art features of the American stringer missles, which Pakistan Army illegally usurped from supplies meant for Afghan Mujahideen.

The sources were commenting on claims made recently by top mercernary commander Shaikh Jamilur Rehman that militant groups had acquired shoulder firing SAM missiles and planned to induct them into Jammu and Kashmir soon.

We have designed and produced an indigenous anti-aircraft missile to counter the Indian Air Force, Rehman, who is also the amir of mercenary group Tehrikul Mujahideen, was quoted by Pakistani media as saying.

Defence officials scoffed at claims by the mercernary groups of having designed a SAM missile and said it could be a signal that Pakistan Army might have onpassed these missiles to the militants.

According to defence sources, the estrela missiles are essentially infantry missiles with a vertical range of 50 metres to 2.5 km.

A light air defence regiment of the Army engaged in counter insurgency operation had captured an estrela missile with its tube launcher in Poonch-Rajouri sector.

This was the second capture of a SAM missile in Kashmir. Earlier in 1997 another estrela tube launcher had been seized by security forces in frontier district of Kupwara, which had led to then Prime Minister I K Gujral warning his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif that any attempt by militants to down an Indian aircraft could add a dangerous dimension to the conflict.

Pakistani experts say that militants had planned to target Indian helicopters with the surface to air missiles, but were warned that this could be a major escalation, which could invite western wrath on Pakistan.

The Pakistani mercenary groups which now constitute almost 85 per cent of militants in Jammu and Kashmir have recently received big setbacks after air force helicopters were used to dislodge them from the heights in Doda district. (PTI)

Tussle between Sonia Gandhi, Prasada becomes inevitable

NEW DELHI, Nov 5: A tussle between Sonia Gandhi and Jitendra Prasada for the Congress president post becomes inevitable with the dissident leader sticking to his stand of remaining in the fray for the November 12 elections at the close of withdrawal today.

Both candidates are in the fray, the Central Election Authority (CEA) chairman Ram Niwas Mirdha told PTI at the end of withdrawal.

Prasada, who is taking on Gandhi, had earlier declared there was no question of his withdrawal as he was on a fight unto finish.

Prasada has thereby become the first Congress leader to fight against a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family for the post of party president.

The last party president’s election in 1997 had witnessed a triangular contest with Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot challenging the then incumbent Sitaram Kesri.

Prasada has remained in the fray despite almost the entire Congress Working Committee rallying behind Sonia Gandhi and declaring its unanimous and whole-hearted support to the candidature of Gandhi and requesting their colleagues in the electoral college to do so.

While Prasada has declared his move was to strengthen inner party democracy and he was not against the Nehru-Gandhi family, almost the entire CEC in a joint statement yesterday dismissed Prasada’s charge that the party was lacking inner party democracy.

Yesterday’s statement by almost all the CWC members barring Prasada was seen as an apparent move to isolate the dissident leader so as to pressurise him to withdraw from the fray.

The CWC members had also sought to eulogise Gandhi’s leadership by saying this is a significant moment in the history of our great organisation ..... It is a moment to look back with pride and look forward with confidence and renewed hope.

They said this is a moment to recall the inspiring example of the giants of the freedom movement, who under Mahatma Gandhi made the Congress a mighty national movement.

After filing his candidature on October 29, Prasada said his decision to contest was a tribute to late party leaders Sitaram Kesri and Rajesh Pilot who strove for inner party democracy and to honour the wishes of the party workers.

Soon after Prasada filed five sets of nomination papers, there was a scuffle between his supporters and Sonia loyalists amid vociferous slogans and counterslogans.

A quick look at the Congress history shows that only four times in the post-independence era there was contest for the top post.

In 1948, the first tussle took place when Purushottam Das Tandon, backed by Sardar Patel defeated Acharya Kripalani, whose candidature was supported by Pandit Nehru. Tandon, however, resigned a few months later as some senior leaders including Nehru declined to work in the Congress Working Committee. (PTI)

Prospects of Third Front brighten
V P Singh to return to active politics

CALCUTTA, Nov 5: The prospect of a Third Front in the country has brightened with former Prime Minister V P Singh deciding to return to active politics and veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu devoting more time for the formation of the alternative.

Mr V P Singh called on Mr Basu last night to convey his decision of returning to active politics and discussed the present national scenario and future strategy.

Mr Basu welcomed the decision and said he would discuss the issue with Mr Singh after the formalities to in-state the new Chief Minister tomorrow was over. Another former Prime Minister Chandra Sekhar who was here yesterday said he was willing to contribute to the Third Front as an alternative to both the BJP and the Congress.

"I am neither the initiator nor an active participant of the Third Front but I am willing to contribute to the third alternative as there is very little difference between the BJP and the Congress," he said.

Beside Mr V P Singh and Mr Chandra Sekhar former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had already praised the move of Mr Basu to form the third alternative.

Describing Mr Basu as a ‘path finder’ Mr Deve Gowda assured that he would work for the cause of the Third Front which he hoped would be successfull.

Political observers said that the move taken by the four former Prime Ministers including Mr I K Gujral several months back was now on the path of taking a shape. They said that except Mr Gujral the three former Prime Ministers came to Calcutta and held a discussion with Mr Basu about the prospects of a Third Front.

Now that Mr Basu had decided to work more for the cause of the Third Front after his retirement, the task of the four former Prime Ministers would be easier for creating an awareness among the people against the misrule and danger of the BJP led Government, the observers pointed out.

Mr Basu who is retiring tomorrow as the Chief Minister had already announced that he would take up the difficult task of rebuilding a Third Front as an alternative to both the BJP and the Congress.

The observers pointed out that with the CPI-M updating its programme to make it more fitting with the times and even accepting the possibilities of joining hands with the Congress to dethrone the BJP Government, the task of the Third Front would become easier.

The observers felt that there was a general feeling in some corners that the United Front had failed in 1996 because of non-participation of the CPI-M in the Government. Mr Basu had himself called it a historic blunder and worked relentlessly to change the party’s programme and incorporate the provision of joining the Government in the Centre in future which took shape at the last plenum of the party at Thiruvananthapuram.

"This move by the CPI-M has once again brightened the prospects of a Third Front and Mr Basu’s efforts was likely to strengthen the base of the alternative," the observers opined.

But the task still remained difficult as many of the partners of the erstwhile United Front have joined hands with the BJP. "It is now to be seen how Mr Basu and the four former Prime Ministers become successful in isolating the secular forces from the BJP led NDA," they said. (UNI)

Arms, explosives haul in Surankote
IED expert among two top militants killed

Excelsior Correspondent

RAJOURI, Nov 5: Romeo Force and Special Operations Group (SOG) today eliminated two foreign mercenaries of Tehreek-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (TJI) in a joint encounter along Sangla Kas nullah at village Dara Sangla in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district.

A Defence spokesman here said that troops of columns of Rashtriya Rifles of Romeo Force and SOG led by SP Operations Pankaj Maggoo launched a search operation in general area of Dara Sangla near Surankote. The operation was based on a specific information about the presence of militants in the area.

He said when one of the column, moving along the Sangla Kas nullah reached near Dara Sangla village, they were fired upon by the militants from one of the village overlooking the nullah. Immediately, army and SOG personnel retaliated and kept the militants engaged on the ground.

In the meantime, rest of the columns established an effective cordon around the nullah. Troops started a house-to-house search operation in the village. When the searches were in progress, the security personnel were again fired upon by the militants from a very close distance.

A fierce encounter ensued between the search party and the militants which continued for an hour in which two top foreign mercenaries were eliminated. There was no report of any casualty on army or police side in the gun-battle.

Identity of the slain militants has been established as Zahid alias Hassan Khan and Rahim Dar, both residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir and activists of Tehreek-ul-Jehad-e-Islami. Their identity was established from two identity cards found in their possession.

Zahid was among the most wanted militants in Surankote involved in a number of subversive activities. He was an expert in making and planting the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). A series of IED blasts were triggered by him on Surankote-Poonch road during the last six months.

From the scene of encounter, troops recovered two AK-56 rifles, nine magazines, 230 rounds, three hand grenades, two rifle grenades, one Kenwood radio set and a large number of incriminating documents. The documents established militants’ affiliation with TJI outfit.

Sources said there were reports that a couple of militants managed to slip from the village during the course of encounter. Troops hadn’t lifted a cordon of the village so far and were carrying out searches anticipating the presence of more militants in the village.

Wild bears attack people in Darhal; five injured

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 5: Two wild bears attacked people at village Rakiban in Darhal tehsil of Rajouri district this evening causing serious injuries to five of them including a woman. One of the bear was later killed by the villagers while other escaped into a forest area.

Official reports reaching here said that two bears, emerged out of Rakiban forest area in the evening, and attacked the villagers working in the fields. Panic gripped the village as people ran helter skelter to save themselves.

Five villagers were attacked by the bears causing them serious injuries. Some youths of the village chased the bears with lethal weapons and after a fierce 20-minutes fight killed one of them. The other bear then fled deep into the adjoining forest area.

A police party from local police station also reached the village and shifted the injured to district hospital. Four of them were male while another injured was a woman. Their condition was stated to be serious in the hospital.

Police and security personnel besides some Forest Department officials were camping in the village to protect the civilians from any further assault by the wild bear. People in the village remained panicky following the bear attack.

Local people told police that though they had the reports of wild bears presence in Rakiban forests, this was for the first time that bears attacked the villagers. Body of the killed bear has been handed over to Forest officials.

NDA rejects JMM demand

NEW DELHI, Nov 5: The NDA today rejected JMM (Soren) demand for Jharkhand Chief Ministership and backed BJP’s claim for the top post, drawing a strong protest from JMM supremo Shibu Soren who indicated he might pull out of the combine if it failed to convey by tomorrow its stand on his demand.

The decision to turn down JMM (S) demand was taken at an informal meeting NDA convenor George Fernandes had with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the latter’s residence, according to highly-placed BJP sources.

Prior to the meeting, Fernandes had held parleys with Shibu Soren on the vexed issue even as Soren and other NDA leaders also held several rounds of separate talks throughout the day today in search of a solution.

Soren, the sources said, has been told by NDA leaders that he should give up his claim as BJP had 32 MLAs against 12 of his party in the 81-member House and reconcile to the reality.

Reacting to BJP’s stand, the JMM leader questioned the authority of BJP saying BJP cannot talk on behalf of NDA and it is for NDA alone to take a final decision.

We will wait till tomorrow. After the NDA’s decision is known to us, we will be free to chalk out our future course of action which may include sitting in the opposition or trying to form a Government minus NDA, Soren told PTI. (PTI)

IT expedites scrutiny of cricketers

NEW DELHI, Nov 5: The Government is instructing the Income Tax authorities to expedite their appraisal of the assets of some top cricketers, bookies and others in the light of the match -fixing scandal, highly placed sources said today.

This comes as a sequel to the Central Bureau of Investigation naming five players and some bookies in its inquiry into match-fixing in Indian cricket. The CBI report which was made public on November 1 names five cricketers - Mohammad Azharuddin, Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia and Ajay Sharma - besides a host of bookies.

The Income Tax Department sources have said they had come across huge assets and undisclosed income and unexplained investments by some cricketers and bookies while scrutinising the large number of documents and bank accounts seized during the countrywide raids on their residential and business premises in July.

"The volume of documents seized is so large that scrutiny is taking time. Some of the top cricketers have huge unexplained investments and undisclosed income," Department sources said. The appraisal reports of individual cricketers and bookies are being given final touches and is expected later this month, the sources said.

Besides those named in the CBI report, the other cricketers whose premises were raided are Kapil Dev and Navjot Singh Sidhu. Raids were also conducted at the premises of some cricket administrators and Worldtel chief Mark Mascarenhas. (UNI)

Indo-US ties can improve if Bush wins

WASHINGTON, Nov 5: The win of Republican George Bush Jr in the November seven Presidential elections could bring about a qualitative change in the Indo-US relations but if the democrats retain the presidency, Al Gore is expected to tread on the path of his predecessor Bill Clinton.

Republicans do not see the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty putting any hurdles on the way of better relations with India as they had opposed it in the Senate when it came up for ratification, Congressional analysts say.

In the foreign policy debates Mr Bush had been speaking against the previous administration’s policy of seeking out China as a strategic partner in Asia. He sees China as a competitor and not as an ally.

Mr Bush is also opposed to sanctions against fellow democratic countries and has envisaged the role of a strategic partner for India.

The Republican foreign policy establishment would also not let go of Pakistan and the argument that India is likely from them is that stable Pakistan, with its nuclear arsenal, will be in India’s interest.

On the other hand, for Mr Gore’s team CTBT is an obsession. The Vice-President told Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his visit to the US that he would get the CTBT ratified by the US Senate and India should also forge a concensus at home on the issue.

The democrats have tied up the issue of sanctions to the progress on the CTBT. Under Gore administration India could expect continuation of the policies of the previous administration.

While majority of Indians are rooting for the democrats, the republicans enjoy backing of the six million strong Muslim community in the US. Pakistani-Americans play an important role in that vote bank and they could try to influence the progress in the Indo-US relations under Mr Bush.

They had a meeting with Mr Bush some time back and gave their version of the Kashmir issue.

Though Mr Bush is not considered as a foreign policy intellectual, he will be assisted by advisors such as Collin Powel, Condozela Rice and Richard Armitage.

Gore’s foreign policy advisor, Leon Feruth, is considered a non-proliferation hardliner and is likely to be his national security advisor if he occupies the White House. (UNI)

SGPC polls on November 30

CHANDIGARH, Nov 5: Election for the presidentship of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) will take place on November 30, the day when the term of controversial incumbent, Bibi Jagir Kaur ends, a committee spokesman said today.

The filing of nominations will begin on November 9 with the issuance of a formal notification for the election to be held at a general body meeting in the Teja Singh Samundari Hall at Amritsar, SGPC secretary Gurbachan Singh Bachan told PTI on phone from Amritsar.

Besides the president, the senior vice president and junior vice president will also be elected.

Asked about the whereabouts of Jagir Kaur, who has been named by the CBI in the FIR registered in connection with the mysterious death of her daughter Harpreet Kaur, Gurbachan Singh said, she is somewhere in Punjab.

She has remained incommunicado ever since the FIR was registered last month. Remaining six named in the FIR have been arrested.

The SGPC secretary said that he could not confirm the exact whereabouts of Jagir Kaur, but the election schedule has her approval. She contacts me twice daily- once each in morning and evening- to pass on instructions, he claimed.

He said that there were 185 people on the SGPC electoral roll, including the five high priests. (PTI)

Wonder child

COIMBATORE, Nov 5: Not sure about the capitals of countries or names of rivers flowing in the country or that of different Ragas in carnatic music? look up in an encyclopedia or just ask S Vandhana Tharini, the three-year-old "Wonder Child" here.

She will provide you with the right answers with consummate ease in her "Mazhalai Chol" (baby’s voice) in Tamil.

Vandhana has cultivated and developed her memory power right from when she was a one-year-old by listening to her parents talk, her proud father Srinivasan told UNI.

He said she could identify 26 Ragas in carnatic music and also differentiate those appearing in film songs. She could give the names of capitals of countries, of States and Union Territories in India, besides being able to identify the flags of 65 countries, locate 50 countries on the world map, tell 40 sobriquets, and narrate the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

She also pursues a favourite passion of children of her age—reciting nursery rhymes. The child prodigy can recite 30 English nursery rhymes and Tamil rhymes, besides identifying the letters of the english alphabet.

When this reporter quizzed Vandhana on current affairs, she came out with quick answers on the latest developments in the hostage crisis involving Kannada matinee Idol Rajkumar, and also gave a graphic account of it.

She is "gift of god", her parents remarked, indeed. (UNI)

Pak militants sneak into RR camp
2 Lashkar ultras, 4 Army men killed in Handwara

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 5: Two Pakistani members of Lashkar-e-Toiba guerrilla outfit and four Army personnel have got killed in a fierce armed clash at the battalion headquarters of Rashtriya Rifles in Handwara area of Kupwara district today. Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen have shot dead a surrenderee militant while as one civilian has sustained injuries in two different incidents of violence in north Kashmir.

Informed official sources told EXCELSIOR that at 0500 hours, two heavily-armed militants sneaked into the headquarters of RR 24 Bn at Magam in Handwara area of north Kashmir. They managed intrusion after snipping the barbed-wire fencing around the fortified premises. Without opening fire, the intruders proceeded towards the Commanding Officer’s residence and some barracks beside his office. They knocked at the door of a barrack which was opened by the men sleeping inside.

No sooner did the door open than the intruders opened indiscriminate gunfire killing four Army personnel on spot. Five other soldiers sustained injuries. The troopers killed in the shootout were identified as Havildar Arun Kumar Jha, Risaldar Ram Nath, Lance Naik Safaiwallah Fareed Ali Khan and Sepoy Manoj Kumar Singh.

The shootout evoked indiscriminate firing from sentries at different posts. When the two intruders were trying to escape, after engaging the troops in 50-minute-long encounter, they were both gunned down. Official sources identified them as Abu Talaha Saiban and Abu Abdur Rehman — both Pakistani cadres of Lashkar-e-Toiba. Two AK-56 rifles, over a dozen magazines and one rocket-launcher were claimed to have been recovered from the possession of the two militants.

Reports available from Machhil said that in an ambush, troops of 7-Para, fired upon a civilian — namely Abdul Ahad Wani S/o Ghulam Rasool Wani, who sustained injuries and was rushed to District Hospital Kupwara. However, a Police bulletin claimed that Wani got injured when militants intruded into his house and fired upon him.

Meanwhile, one surredered militant, namely Mohammad Ramzan S/o Abdul Khaliq of Rebban, Sopore, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his home during last night.

Unconfirmed reports from Anantnag said that troops and militants engaged themselves in exchange of gunfire at Bon-Dyalgam village. As the evening dawned, all the holed up militants managed to escape.

Tension receding in Valley
Mirwaiz, Mufti call on Aga Sahib

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 5: Even as the tension, that had mounted in the wake of Shia political leader Aga Syed Mehdi’s assassination, seemed to be receding to a marked extent, curfew continued in downtown here on second consecutive day. A large number of common people and political leaders, including the senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and the PDP chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, called on the bereaved family at Budgam and condoled Aga Mehdi’s death. The Shia leader had got killed, alongwith five others, in a landmine blast near Magam town on Srinagar-Gulmarg road on Friday.

Budgam town is limping back to normalcy with the advantage of the DC’s and SSP’s good liaison and influence with the people. The harmonious relationship between Shia and Sunni communities —undisputably built up by late Aga Mehdi during the last several years — has been yet another significant advantage. On day three of the mourning, there was complete shutdown in Shia as well as Sunni-dominated towns in Budgam district and not a single untoward incident was reported from anywhere.

The one-odd trouble-spot was the Shia-dominated township of Magam where restive followers of the Aga burnt tyres and took out a procession upto the site of the blast at Mazhama. Members of the Sunni community had set up a Sabeel at Kanihama crossing but the angry rallyists refused to take any eatables and water. They maintained demanding that the owners of Baba Rishi Flour Mills and other residents close to the site of the explosion be arrested and interrogated. The rally returned to Magam peacefully with heavy security bandobust.

A number of people alleged that the officials responsible for cutting the highway, ostensibly for laying apipe, be also arrested and interrogated as their unauthorised action had facilitated the planting of a landmine.

Even as the examinations of the State Board of School Education were conducted today at Budgam and other towns, it could not be held in Magam where all schools and shops remained closed.

Reports from Baramulla district said that no untoward incident occurred anywhere in the infamous trouble spots on Srinagar-Baramulla highway.

In the capital city here, curfew remained imposed in the jurisdiction of three Police stations so as to stave off any clash between the two communities. However, reports suggested that a sense of relief was now prevailing everywhere. Authorities are now planning how to allow people to Budgam on Monday, Wednesday and Friday next when special prayers are scheduled to be held at Budgam. The main function of Fatiha has been fixed on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a large number of mourners thronged Aga Syed Mustafa Al-Moosavi’s residence today as well and condoled his second son’s death. Those who visited Budgam and paid homage to Aga Syed Mehdi included senior Hurriyat leader and chairman of Awami Action Committee Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, president of J&K Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, another PDP leader and former Law Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, prominant Shia leader and president of J&K Shia Association Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, CPI(M) State secretary and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Minister of State Home Mushtaq Ahmed Lone besides MLA Budgam Syed Ghulam Hussain Geelani, MLA Khansahib Abdul Gani Naseem and MLA Chadoura Ali Mohammad Dar.

Meanwhile, pro-Pakistan radical militant outfit Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen as well as its sister concern, Dukhataran-e-Millat have taken strong exception to the Hurriyat leaders’ going to Budgam and crying over the death of Aga Mehdi. They have described Mehdi as a pro-India Congress leader and anti-movement element who deserved to be killed by militants. Dukhtaran have even asked Aga Mehdi’s brother in Hurriyat, Aga Syed Hassan Budgami, to condemn the Shia community’s anti-Pakistan outburst. The organisation has called upon Hurriyat to expel the Aga if he failed to register his condemnation.

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