RSS, not BJP, a Hindu organisation: Bangaru

NEW DELHI, Oct 23: Bharatiya Janata Party president Bangaru Laxman, who had called upon its partymen to woo the minorities, particularly Muslims, has asserted that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s ideology is linked to Hinduism but BJP has never claimed to be a Hindu organisation.

BJP has said that its doors are open to all. But there are still allegations against it that it is pursuing RSS ideology, he told UNI.

Mr Laxman said the NDA rule in the past two and a half years had proved that the BJP had a different thinking. When the party came to power doubts were expressed that there would be riots every day. But these were proved wrong.

The BJP leader clarified that the relationship between RSS and BJP was the same as that between the Congress and Mahatma Gandhi. The Congress did accept all that Mahatma Gandhi said, he pointed out.

"The RSS is a moral force for BJP. But it is not necessary that it should accept each and everything said by RSS," he maintained.

Similarly Mahatma Gandhi was a moral figure for the Congress. But after the Congress came to power, it had not taken decisions according to his wishes. This was also true in relationship between RSS and BJP. Mr Laxman said in fact the Congress had never implemented Gandhian principles.

Gandhiji wanted total prohibition, rural development and promotion of cottage industries. But the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru promoted heavy industries, he said.

The BJP president did not support the recent statement of RSS chief K C Sudarshan at Agra calling for Indianisation of Islam and Christianity.

Mr Laxman said the BJP had never said that it had been formed to protect the interests of Hindus alone. It had been formed to look after the interests of Indians and therefore the people should have no doubts about the party.

When pointed out that Muslims had a lot of doubts about the party following the Babri Masjid-Ramjanambhoomi controversy, he said the BJP had clarified its stand that it would abide by the decision of the Supreme Court on the issue.

He, however, agreed that the BJP had changed its outlook on the controversy. First the party wanted the issue to be resolved through a dialogue, then preferred a legislation to resolve it. It was really unfortunate the way the disputed structure was demolished in 1992. Now all concerned should wait for the court judgement, he said.

When pointed out that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had reiterated its resolve to construct a temple there, Mr Laxman said it would create some problem. But the BJP stand on the issue was very clear that it would wait for the judgement.

Regarding the religious places bill introduced in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, he said the up unit of BJP had already put it in the cold storage. He, however, objected to the opposition to the bill. He said several states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal had similar legislation, much stronger, but nobody objected to them.

Mr Laxman dismissed as baseless the allegations that the bill had been brought to check activities of Madarsas. He said seizure of illegal arms from some Madarsas had created some suspicion in the minds of some people. Even one can suspect a tea shop, if such seizure occurred at the shop, he added.

The BJP president claimed that his Nagpur message had been well received by the Muslims. There would be a special campaign by the party to enrol Muslims from November 1.

The Nagpur message had also calted for bringing the backward classes into the mainstream. The BJP was against reservation on the basis of religion. The backward classes did not represent only Hindus. This reservation would provide more benefits to Muslims as they had a large number of population as artisans and weavers. The legislation on reservation for OBC can be amended to include this segment, he added.

Mr Laxman said he had not given the call thinking that a very large number of Muslims would immediately join the organisation. But it was an effort to remove apprehensions of Muslims about the party. (UNI)

Dialogue can solve Kashmir problem
Now it will be war if Pak repeats Kargil: George

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 23: Defence Minister Mr George Fernandes today ruled out any threat from Pakistan saying there is no question of Kargil like situation emerging again.

Addressing a crowded press conference on the conclusion of his 2-day tour of the State, he said Pakistan has stepped up hostilities against India and infiltration is continuing. He allayed apprehensions about Kargil type situation arising in Kupwara and Poonch sectors in the State and said "if Pakistan misadventures, it will be war and not intrusion". The army is manning all sectors properly, he added.

"There is no tension on border with China", he said in reply to a question.

To another question on unilateral cease-fire by the Centre, Mr Fernandes said the security forces are reacting in self-defence and the question of unilateral cease-fire does not arises because it is not the army, which initiates it.

On media reports about deployment of nine division army by Pakistan on borders, the Defence Minister said presently one division Pak army is reportedly undertaking exercise about 70 kilometers away from the border. He said India and Pakistan have a treaty under which any of the country can conduct defence exercise at a distance of 70 to 75 kilometers from the border without intimating the other side.

Mr Fernandes expressed himself against deployment of army in dealing with internal situation. He said the army wants to befriend people and there is no question of alienating them.

He said he has opined in early 90s that the solution to problems lie on political front. A dialogue had been initiated with Hizbul Mujahideen that was scuttled by the neighbouring country (Pakistan).

Fernandes said the Kashmir issue could to be resolved only through a peaceful dialogue.

"I was advocating even before joining the ministry that this issue can be resolved only after sitting across the table," Mr Fernandes said.

When asked if he saw any change in the attitude of Pakistan after India made it clear that talks with that country would be held only after it stopped supporting terrorism, Mr Fernandes said he saw no change and, infact, hostility against us has increased.

He said Kargil was unprotected since 1972 with the result Pakistani troops took advantage of it and occupied our land. But, he said the entire Kargil border is now well protected and there is be no question of enemy troops infiltrating into this side.

About the situation on the borders, Mr Fernandes said there is no major change as some time the shelling from across the border increases.

He admitted the infiltration from across the border has increased. However, he said, majority of infiltrators are getting killed either on the border or in the forests.

The Defence Minister, who was here to inaugurate a buyer and seller meet, said despite increase in infiltration there is remarkable change in the situation in Kashmir.

Jawan killed in shelling
Abu Haleefa, associate shot dead in Rajouri

Excelsior Correspondent

RAJOURI, Oct 23: Romeo Force and Rajouri Police today gunned down two dreaded Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit at village Kalali under the jurisdiction of Manjakote police station and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition from their possession.

One of the slain militant was Abu Haleefa, a front ranking militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba involved in a series of subversive activities. He was on the hit-list of security forces.

Meanwhile, one army jawan was killed and another seriously injured in Pakistani shelling at Jhanghar village on the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector today.

DIG Rajouri-Poonch range Ram Lubaya said a police party of Manjakote police station and IRP developed an information about the movement of militants in village Kalali late last night and cordoned off the area. In the morning, police also sought the help of army in searching out the militants.

Sikh troops of Thanna Mandi Brigade, part of Romeo Force and Manjakote police intensified searches in the area and finally traced two militants hiding in the house of Kalu Khan son of Ataullah Khan in Kalali village at 1030 hours today.

Army and police personnel engaged them in an encounter. In the exchange of firing that followed, security personnel gunned down both the militants without sustaining any casualty on their side.

Bodies of two killed militants were recovered from the scene of encounter today. One of them was identified as Abu Haleefa, a Pakistani and a hardcore ultra of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, who was wanted in a series of subversive activities across Manjakote area including killings, kidnappings, extortions and attacks on security forces.

Identity of the second militant couldn’t be established immediately but he too was believed to be a Pakistani. Two AK-56 rifles with nine magazines, 200 rounds, four hand grenades, two pouches and some documents were recovered from the possession of slain militants.

Meanwhile, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling and firing on the LoC in Nowshera and other sectors of Rajouri and Poonch districts overnight. Shelling was particularly very heavy in Lam, Bhawani and Jhanghar areas of Nowshera.

Two Indian army jawans, manning a forward post in Jhanghar area, were seriously injured when a mortar shell exploded in their picket. One of the seriously injured jawan identified as Bulbul succumbed to his injuries. Another injured jawan was shifted to hospital.

Indian side returned firing and shelling at all the places. Some casualties were also reported on Pakistan side but there were no details.

Father-son arrested
4 injured in firing, group clash at Domana

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 23: Four persons were injured, two of them seriously, in a group clash in which both the sides attacked each other with lethal weapons and resorting to firing with 12 bore gun at village Flora in Nagbani area under the jurisdiction of Nagbani police station late last night.

The injured include a man and his two sons. Police have detained two persons in connection with the group clash so far and registered cases against the rival factions.

Police sources said Devi Ditta and Mohan Lal, both cousins had old rivalry over land disputes and were fighting each other legally also. Late last night when Devi Ditta’s son Bhajan Dayal was standing in Flora village outside the house of a marriage function, Mohan Lal spotted him and attacked him with a lethal weapon causing him a grievous wound.

Mohan Lal fled from the spot living the victim in lurch. The injured were rushed to Medical College hospital and admitted there.

As Devi Ditta and his another son Sham Murari got a report of attack on Bhajan Dayal, they attacked the house of Mohan Lal and handed over him a severe thrashing. Getting an opportunity, Mohan Lal brought out his 12 bore gun and opened firing on father-son duo causing them bullets wounds.

Both Devi Ditta and Sham Murari somehow managed to reach their house from where they too were rushed to Medical College hospital. Mohan Lal then walked upto Domana police station and narrated the incident.

Police said Mohan Lal and his son have been detained for questioning. A case of attempt to murder under Section 307 RPC has been registered against Mohan Lal while a case of trespassing was registered against Devi Ditta and his son at Domana police station. Further investigations were being carried out by SHO Domana police station Rawail Singh under the supervision of DySP Akhnoor Jatinder Kapahi.

SOG kills militant in Hiranagar area

Excelsior Correspondent

KATHUA, Oct 23: Special Operations Group (SOG) and police gunned down a militant at village Mawa in Hiranagar tehsil in the early hours of this morning. The militant alongwith his associates had infiltrated deep into the Indian territory after sneaking through the International Border.

Police said jawans of SOG and local police had laid an ambush at village Mawa following Intelligence reports that a group of militants will cross the village after their infiltration from Pakistan. At about 0500 hours today, the police personnel noticed the militants moving through the village and asked them to halt.

One of the militant, however, took position and opened firing on cops with an assault rifle. Policemen retaliated and in the exchange of firing gunned down one militant. There were reports that one or two militants, accompanying the slain ultra, might have managed to escape during the encounter.

Police jawans with the help of security forces continued search operations in Mawa and surrounding villages to look for the militants. People in the forward villages have also been alerted.

One AK-56 rifles with two magazines and 56 rounds, one Improvised Explosive Device (IED) weighing two kg with two remote control devices, four detonators, one fuse wire and one bag were recovered from the scene of encounter.

Meanwhile, Pakistan army continued unprovoked firing in several Indian villages along the International Border (IB) in Jammu sector overnight. The villages, which were targeted by Pak army, include Narainpur, Pindi, Pital Post, Kot Kuba, Mehta Post, Zero Point and Chirag in Arnia, Bhallar and Mallu Chak in Ramgarh, Gharana, Gharani, Joura Farm, Nawa Pind, Sangral and Mangral in RS Pura besides Pallanwalla, Jogwan, Pargwal and Khour in Akhnoor tehsil.

No casualty was reported on Indian side in the firing.

Custodial killing surfaces in Tangmarg
Soldier, woman, 2 militants killed

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 23: While as, in a dramatic episode, a custodial murder has surafced in Tangmarg area, one woman, one soldier of Army and two militants have got killed in different militancy-related incidents across Kashmir valley since last evening.

Well on occasion of the Union Defence Minister Gerorge Fernandes’ visit to Kashmir valley today, the custodial killing of a civilian — allegedly committed by troops of Rashtriya Rifles — has surfaced at Tarhama village of Tangmarg. As the people were digging tomb for a fellow villager who died today, a freshly buried dead body surfaced from the graveyard. It was identified as that of Mohammad Jamal Najar, resident of Naupora Jagir, (Sopore) who had been picked up alongwith his brother Abdur Rasheed Najar by troops of RR 22 Bn from his native village on September 18 last.

According to the details duly confirmed by official sources, troops from Wagub camp of RR 22 Bn had lifted the two Sopore brothers on September 18 and 19 last. Even as the family members lodged a missing report with Police Station Kreeri and authorities made repeated enquiries from the security forces, troops maintained that neither of them had ever been picked up for questioning or otherwise. It was on October 10 that Abdur Rasheed Najar was dropped by his captors at Gund-e-Dachhan in Bandipore. Having been critically tortured, he revealed to his family as well the authorities at Baramulla that he, alongwith sibling Jamal, had been interrogated by Army. Police swung into the investigation but found nothing tangible for the last 12 days.

Finally, this afternoon Jamal’s dead body appeared from the graveyard of Hard-Aboora hamlet, near Tarhama, in Tangmarg area. Senior officials at Baramulla told EXCELSIOR that Police had begun action under Section 174 while as magisterial inquiry under Section 176 (death in suspicious circumstances) was also being launched. They said that, as per the preliminary enquiries, neither Rasheed nor Jamal had any militant connections. Jamal, sources said, was an instructor in Industrial Training Institute (ITI).

Meanwhile, official sources said that militants attacked a patrol of RR 6th Bn near Higher Secondary School Vilgam, in Handwara area, last evening. Lance Naik Pargat Singh got killed while as sepoy Darshan Singh sustained injuries. Later, the same group of troops killed a militant of Al-Barq out-fit in an encounter at Doolipora. However, civilians insisted that the Al-Barq militant , namely Fareed Khan S/O Subhan Khan of Sonmulla had already been picked by and later he seemed to have been killed in a fake encounter. One AK-56 rifle, two grenades and a wireless set were claimed, by officials, to have been recovered from the militant killed.

In another incident, unidentified gunmen intruded into the house of one Sona-ullah Bhat S/o Gaffar Bhat at Machhipora in Handwara area late last night and shot dead his wife Sayeeda Begum. Police sources said that neither the husband nor the wife had apprantly any political, counter-insurgent or militant connections.

Reports available from Baramulla said that someone hurled a hand grenade into the bed-room of a Police constable, namely Riyaz Ahmed Mir at Pazalpora, in Rafee Abad, early this morning. The house suffered some damage but the inmates escaped unhurt as they were out in the compound for performing prayers. Later, Riyaz Ahmed told Police that he had identified the grenade-thrower who, according to him, was a counter-insurgent helper of RR 30 Bn, namely Khursheed Raja. A revengeful and furious Khursheed Raja has been calling himself as "Zakhmi Sher" since the day militants massacred his parents and a brother recently. Riyaz said that he had once arrested Raja in connection with a criminal case.

Reports available from Pulwama said that on the basis of a specific information, troops of RR 1st Bn and SOG launched a search operation at Chewan village, in Kellar area, late last night. According to the tip-off a group of three militants were present in the village. During the operation two militants managed to escape but third one was killed in exchange of fire. He was identified as Rasheed alias Lara Bhai of Afghanistan.

DD producer’s sister sent them for ‘modelling’
Women cops involved in flesh trade racket

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 23: In a sensational disclosure of the inter-state immoral trafficking, Qazi Gund Police in south Kashmir have busted a flesh trade racket. Surprisingly, the conduits and participants include two women police personnel as also the sister of a "private producer" and actor of Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar.

Informed sources told EXCELSIOR that it was during routine checking of a Delhi-bound passenger bus, at Glass Tower, near Jawahar Tunnel that Police found a New Delhi-based "private producer" taking a young Kashmiri girl for "modelling". Initially, the girl, namely Safiya of a Srinagar downtown locality, as well as her companion, Maish Kumar, told Police that they were going wilfully to marry. However, when Police subjected the duo to sustained interrogation, the girl admitted that she was being taken to New Delhi for "modelling".

Safiya identified her companion as Manish Kumar S/o Shyam Lal R/o Moti Nagar 11/28 New Delhi ,Block 11. He has been reportedly operating as a "private producer" and working in some Bollywood films. She revealed that the sister of a Srinagar-based "private producer" and actor of DDK Srinagar had induced her while saying that she would be paid a sum of Rs 30,000 for "working in a film" for 20 days. The job to her was named as modelling and acting.

Further enquiries revealed that the producer’s sister as well as the lady SPO working in DIG Srinagar’s office, namely Gulshan alias "Pepsi", was actually supplying Kashmiri young girls to a New Delhi brothel located at Rajpath Nagar. "Pepsi" was picked up and detained for questioning. During interrogation, she revealed that she had "enrolled" a number of girls one of whom was a constable at Women Police Station Rambagh.

Inquiries also revealed that the racket has been using two hotels in Srinagar, one near Zero Bridge and another at Lal Chowk for unlawful activities. Police sources said that the involvement of some officials and "producers" of DDK Srinagar was being probed as there were considerable apprehensions that the racket was also involved in pornography and making of blue films.

Case FIR No. 166 of 2000 under sections 363 and 109 RPC has been registered at Police Station Qazigund. Police sources said that one of the main accused, known as "Baby", was currently in New Delhi while as 5 girls of Srinagar city were likely to be arrested in a day or two.

Involvement of some "influential" persons is also suspected in the racket.

Match-fixing, betting scandal
CBI to submit report tomorrow

NEW DELHI, Oct 23: Finally it’s coming. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is submitting the much-awaited inquiry report into match-fixing and betting scandal, the worstever cricketing scandal to hit the Indian cricket, to the Central Government on Wednesday.

The inquiry report will be submitted to Union Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on October 25, CBI sources confirmed today. CBI has prepared the report after an extensive exercise spanning nearly six months.

During the period, the premier investigating agency has questioned and grilled a host of cricketers, cricketing officials, bookies, administrators and cricket fans to reach to the bottom of the controversy, which threatened to tear-apart the image of the game, having maximum fan following in the country.

The sources told UNI today, "the report is ready for submission and will be handed over to the Government on Wednesday." However, it is unlikely that the report in its entirety or partially will be made public immediately.

The country may have to wait till the winter session of Parliament, where the report is expected to be tabled, to know its content.

"We will submit the report, but it is for the Government to make it public or not," the sources said.

The report by all probability will indict a few cricketing icons, besides naming a large number of bookies.

Certain media reports also indicate the possibilities of a few foreign cricketers having a hand in the controversy, though it is a different matter that the agency confined its investigation only to the game in the country and allegations against Indian cricketers. The report was due for submission last month, but the agency has taken a couple of extensions citing that a few formalities were pending. (UNI)

Rao files appeal against conviction

NEW DELHI, Oct 23: Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment in JMM MPs bribery case, today filed appeal against his conviction in the Delhi High Court.

The court listed the matter for hearing tomorrow before single bench headed by Justice R S Sodhi, who last week had admitted for hearing an appeal by former Union Minister Buta Singh, also sentenced in the case to three years imprisonment by a special court here on October 13.

CBI counsel A K Dutt said that an advance copy of the appeal petition had been served on the agency.

Associates of Rao’s counsel R K Anand said the petition challenged the trial court order on the ground that the entire judgement was based on confessional statement of approver Shailendra Mahato, whose statement could not be relied upon. There was no other evidence against the former Prime Minister, they said.

Buta Singh had also challenged the trial court order on the same ground.

While admitting Buta Singh’s appeal, the court had asked CBI to file its reply by November 7. (PTI)

ULFA kills 15 in Assam

GUWAHATI, Oct 23: Striking in a big way, ULFA militants gunned down 15 people, mostly small traders and cultivators from Bihar, and injured eight others in two successive attacks in Assam’s Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts late last night, senior police officials said today.

Tinsukia SP P C Saloi told PTI that ULFA militants armed with AK 56 rifles and disguised in ‘Army’ uniform killed ten people and injured four others after lining them up in front of a grocery shop at Kokojan village in Tinsukia district.

The militants escaped in a Jeep after setting ablaze the house of the grocer and some other adjacent shops.

One of the injured died while being rushed to hospital. The condition of three others was critical.

Another group of ULFA militants shot dead four others, including a three year-old-child, and injured five at Naouholia market in Dibrugarh district, SP Anuraq Tanqkha said

Rhe car-borne ULFA militants came to the residence of a local businessman Radhashyam Aggarwal and shot him dead as he refused to meet their extortion demand. Then they opened fire at the people who had gathered killing three others.

Assam Police has sounded a red alert and launched manhunt to arrest the ULFA militants.

"The Assam Police has drawn out a comprehensive plan to nab the ultras responsible for the heinous crime and all efforts are on in that regard", State Director General of Police P V Sumant told PTI here.

Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta condemned the incident and issued order to arrest the killers immediately. (PTI)

Govt regrets "unnecessary controversy" over CJI’s age

NEW DELHI, Oct 23: Government today regretted that an "unnecessary controversy" was raised regarding the date of birth of Chief Justice of India (CJI) A S Anand even though the President had already rejected such a plea in 1991.

"The decision of the President is final under Article 217 of the Constitution", an official release said here.

Justice Anand was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on May 22, 1975 and prior to his appointment an attested copy of his matriculation certificate was filed with the Department of Justice, the release said.

The said certificate dated September one, 1951, issued by the Registrar, University of Jammu and Kashmir, mentioned his date of birth as November one, 1936, it said.

According to the release, one S K Sundaram had questioned the date of birth of Justice Anand in 1991. But the then President, after consultation with the then CJI, had rejected the contention by an order dated May 16, 1991.

Sundaram’s second attempt to reopen the matter in 1999 was also rejected on the ground that President’s decision was final under Article 217 of the Constitution, the release said.

Former Law Minister Ram Jethmalani in his book "Big Egos, Small Men" has again raised the issue by expressing doubt over the "real age" of Justice Anand. (PTI)

AJTs will not wipe off accidents: Tipnis

BAREILLY (UP), Oct 23: Seeking to drive home the point that MiG 21 aircraft are not unsafe to fly, Air Chief, Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis today flew a solo sortie on the fighter as he maintained that introduction of Advance Jet Trainers (AJTs) "will not wipe out accidents from Indian sky".

Alighting from the sortie, a visibly delighted Tipnis said "MiG 21 is a very fine aircraft there are lot many apprehensions about its airworthiness, but let me assure once again that no aircraft takes to air if it is not airworthy."

He, however, admitted various factors like air pollution, bird hit possibilities and human error contributed to 25 air crashes every year.

"Mind you all of these are not MiG 21’s" he said, adding that MiG 21 was a high demand aircraft requiring lot of maneuverability skill and ability to react in time.

To a question, the air chief said time was being taken in induction of the British Aerospace Hawk Advance Jet Trainers as the Government was working on details of price option and right guarantees, to ensure that supply of spare parts was not affected by any development.

He said while induction of hawks will reduce accidents "if you think suddenly it is going to wipe off accidents it will not."

Asserting that accidents are not only the prerogative of the Indian Air Force, Tipnis said lot many accidents had to do with peculiarity of Indian skies and human errors, especially by the young pilots.

Tipnis, who has been flying MiGs since 1963, said steps have to be taken immediately to eleminate poor visibility problems. (PTI)

Militants to adopt deadlier kind of tactics

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Oct 23: Fresh evidence, obtained by intelligence sleuths, has revealed that a section of Pakistan-sponsored ultras will adopt newer and deadlier kind of tactics to trigger panic and disruption in certain parts of Jammu and Kashmir sooner than later.

That various militants and foreign mercenaries have gravitated to "suicide missions" has already become an open secret. And the use of "animal bombs" to frighten Indian security personnel has also become a reality.

Now, if the latest intelligence inputs are any guide, the newer and deadlier tactics going to be employed by the anti-India jehadis will be poisonous gas-bombs. And the areas earmarked for the purpose are Poonch, Rajouri and Doda sectors in Jammu region and Srinagar, Kupwara, Baramulla, Pulwama and Anantnag sectors in Kashmir valley.

Intelligence inputs have also hinted that militants and subversives are quite likely to resort to ferocious strikes not only in Delhi but also along the Indo-Nepal border, Kanpur, Aligarh and parts of eastern UP. These areas already feature prominently on the terrorist map.

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir and in other parts of the country have confirmed reports that the devices in the possession of most of the terrorists and militants are highly sophisticated. Significantly, Pakistani agencies seem unconcerned about concealing their finger-prints in the stepped-up activity against India.

The Union Government has already conceded that parts of northeast region, particularly Assam, Manipur and Tripura, have become "pretty important" for the Pakistani ISI operatives. These areas are known to have also become important for the ISI-sponsored pan-Islamist bodies. A Ministerial source told EXCELSIOR that Hyderabad in the south and pockets in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala also figured quite prominently in ISI designs.

Intelligence specialists are reported to have been assigned the task of determining the nature and extent of nexus some militant outfits in Jammu and Kashmir have with International Brigade of Islam which operates out of Sudan and the International Islamic Front for Jihad of Afghanistan-based "terror merchant", Osama Bin Laden.

According to the Ministerial source, the Government has received a set of suggestions from a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The main emphasis, the source said, was on "more aggressive" steps to deal with multi-faceted terrorism. If the IB’s former Director has called for stringent curbs on the raising of resources and funds by non-descript agencies which can be used to fund terrorism, a suggestion has been advanced in support of a closer watch on ‘hawala’ operations.

In fact, his note has stated that while the order of precedence among Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammadi, Al Badr and Hizbul Mujahideen needs to be clearly established if non-offensive methods are to be contemplated, the leaders’ personality and idiosyncrasies, whom they represent is also "crucial"-the All Party Hurriyat Conference is a case in point.

The note has called for a definitive assessment of the degree and extent to which Pakistan’s Special Forces are now engaged in the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. Yet another suggestion from the IB’s former chief: Governments in the West and elsewhere should be prevailed upon to tighten the screws on fund-raising for terrorist outfits in their countries.

The Union Government has also received a proposal favouring the setting up of a multi-agency centre for counter-terrorism in order to ensure that all the available information is collated and analysed at one place. The proposal wants the Government to devise ways and means for proper liaison with counter-terrorist agencies of countries committed to battle global terrorism.

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