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Orphaned children given
relief Excelsior Correspondent TEETWAL, Oct 8: Visiting the Kashmir valley on the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake that flattened dozens of villages, Home Minister Shivraj Patil today assured the people of the State that the entire nation was backing the endeavour to help the victims of the disaster. "The Government is aware of problems faced by people after such a natural calamity. Several works have already been initiated to minimise these problems and aid is being provided for construction of residential houses, schools and public utility infrastructure," Patil said while addressing a public meeting here. Accompanied by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Agriculture Minister Abdul Aziz Zargar and local MLA, Mr Patil assured the people that the nation was with Jammu and Kashmir in its efforts to help the affected people start a new life. Mr Patil arrived in Srinagar this morning and flew straight to the border village of Teetwal in Kupwara district, which was hit by the temblor, and reviewed the pace of rehabilitation works in the area. After enquiring about the relief and rehabilitation measures, Patil said it is heartening that the state Government and the Army extended all possible help to the victims. The Union Home Minister said that highest praises are due to Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who handled the earthquake created situation most effectively showing quick response to the people’s needs. He said Mr. Azad visited the areas unabated, spent many nights with the sufferers, offered Eid prayers with them and shared gloom and agony. It is Mr Azad’s endeavour that ruins of quake affected areas are developing into modern villages, he said. Mr Patil said that Jammu and Kashmir possesses talented businessmen, industrialists and qualified entrepreneurs, they need more exposure and the orbit of their activities demands expansion. He said, he would write to Chief Ministers of all States to encourage talented entrepreneurs of Jammu and Kashmir and provide them incentives and facilities to raise industries and run business in other States of the country. Mr Patil said the Centre has already sanctioned raising of 15 police battalions in Jammu and Kashmir. He said of these, 10 have already been established in the State and the recruitment drive for the remaining was on. He said Jammu and Kashmir was rich in human resources and a highly qualified number of youth were available in the State. Their services need to be properly utilised in various fields and as such a comprehensive employment generation programme required to be drawn, Mr Patil added. The Union Home Minister said the Centre would also consider raising of more Police battalions in the State to provide employment opportunities to the youth. The Chief Minister while speaking on the occasion said that he was happy to note that profile of entire Tangdhar has changed from ruins to present model villages. He recalled last year’s October 8 when he was attending as a Union Minister a meeting of Congress Chief Ministers at Chandigarh when tremors of this earthquake were felt by him in the conference hall and when UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi enquired about the matter, he communicated his feelings which within minutes proved correct as there was a big jolt. He said it was in the same meeting that he was especially deputed to air-dash to earthquake hit areas of the State to monitor all kinds of rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures. He said since then he personally monitored the entire effort to provide succour to the affected people. Mr Azad revealed that it was Mr Shivraj Patil who provided all kinds of support for ensuring despatch of all kinds of relief material from all States to the affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir. He recalled personal interest shown by President Dr A P J. Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, all Chief Ministers and thousands NGOs to provide relief to the affected population of the State. Chief Minister said that highest ever relief of Rs 1.35 lakh has been sanctioned in favour of the families whose houses have fully damaged in the quake. He said two installments of Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 along with incentive of Rs 5000 have been already paid to the affected families. He said that he has already directed that entire amount of Rs 60,000 should be paid to the affected families in one go, however, the amount will be released only in respect of those who complete the edifice, advising them to accomplish this work before Eid so that entire structure gets raised before on-set of winter. Mr Azad said that during his tour to New York, London and Brussels and interacting with parliamentarians of 25 countries, the leaders expressed appreciation for the efforts of Central and State Governments in combating the earthquake challenges, controlling its aftermath and undertaking relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction tasks meticulously, saying that it has been highly laudable as compared to what they have witnessed on other side of LoC. Minister for Agriculture Abdul Aziz Zargar providing a profile of success story of rebuilding devastated areas said that its credit goes to Mr. Azad who personally monitored, persuaded and sought early rehabilitation of affected. The dignitaries also visited a photo exhibition organised by the Army that depicted rescue and rehabilitation measures initiated by it in the area. They also inspected a tailoring centre where women are trained in cutting and tailoring as well as a computer centre and library set up for the local youth. On the occassion, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Patil for their efforts and assistance in the rehabilitation of the affected people. "The entire country rallied behind Jammu and Kashmir during the difficult time of the earthquake and contributed relief including tents, blankets, eatables and other material," he said. Mr Azad said Patil had personally monitored the dispatch of relief materials gathered from other States. Meanwhile, the children orphaned by the devastating earthquake this day last year had a reason to smile today as Mr Patil and Chief Minister presented pass books containing relief amount of Rs five lakh each to those who have lost their parents. The relief has been sanctioned under Prime Minister’s special package for the rehabilitation of the orphans who can withdraw the entire sum after turning major. Till that time, the interest accruing on this amount would be utilized for their education. The amount of Rs 5 lakh each for the orphans who have lost both parents and Rs 2.50 lakh each for those who have lost single parent has been deposited in their bank accounts. They also visited the local school and presented gifts to the students. Meanwhile, at a separate function held at Srinagar in connection with the anniversary of earthquake, Mr Patil said that the Centre will fulfil a demand of Rs 1300-1400 crore made by Jammu and Kashmir Government for permanent reconstruction in the earthquake-ravaged areas of the State. ‘‘Mr Azad has recently submitted a plan of Rs 1300-1400 crore for permanent construction in the earthquake affected areas of the State to the Centre for approval,’’ Mr Patil said. He said the Centre was examining the plan and would definitely fulfil that demand. "There is no problem in that," Mr Patil said. The Union Home Minister said the Centre had initially given a financial assistance of about Rs 550 crore to the State Government to undertake reconstruction and rehabilitation measures. The Centre was considering a long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction plan for the State being processed by an inter-ministerial committee headed by the Vice Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority. The Centre provided Rs 300.28 crore from the National Calamity Contingency Fund, Rs 32.4 crore from the calamity relief fund and Rs 134.04 crore was released as part of the special package. Also on the recommendation of the Home ministry, the Union Government had approved a special package of Rs 242.95 crore — Rs 134.04 crore given directly by it and the remaining Rs 108 crore provided through Central agencies. Among others, the function was attended by the State Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, Chief Minister Mr Azad, former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Chief Justice B A Khan and other high ranking politicians and officials of the State Government. The Governor in his speech recalled with pride the contribution of the Army, Civil Administration, different States of the country, NGOs besides political, social and religious organizations in rendering yeomen’s help to the earthquake sufferers at grave hour of crisis. General Sinha, however, lamented that so the civil society was engaged with relief and rehabilitation of high magnitude, terrorists chose to strike by engineering violent incidents. This they did during the snow tsunami in Kashmir early last year when the whole administration and the Army were busy in relief work. The terrorists attacked divisional commissioner’s office, which was the nodal point for rescue and rehabilitation of the calamity sufferers, he added. |
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Throat-cutters strike
yet again in apple town From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz SRINAGAR, Oct 8: Taking advantage of the losing grip of Police, BSF as well as Army in Sopore, militants have kidnapped and mercilessly slaughtered a young dental surgeon within 24 hours of beheading a Territorial Army recruit in the apple-rich north Kashmir township. More confident this time, militants have slit the throat of the young dental surgeon and father of three kids with seven shaving blades in broad daylight after subjecting him to untold brutality for about two hours. Civilian sources revealed to the EXCELSIOR that the local Police Station responded to a report and recovered the dead body of 35-year-old Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Shah S/o Masoom Shah R/o Zachaldara (presently Braripora, Handwara) from corn fields in Nopora Kalan locality of the appletown of Sopore in the morning today. They said that unidentified militants, armed with AK-47 guns and pistols, had tied the surgeon in captivity to a tree and mercilessly tortured him for about two hours from 2.00 p.m to 4.00 p.m on Saturday. According to these sources, some people working at the nearby fields had approached the militants with an appeal of mercy after hearing the shrieks and screaming of the dental surgeon but the militants shouted them to retreat. They finally slaughtered the doctor with sharp shaving blades. While senior Police officials in Sopore did not respond to phone calls, their juniors confirmed that seven blood soaked shaving blades were recovered from the site of occurrence. They said that Police learned about the gruesome killing last evening but went to recover the dead body today. According to them, the surgeon had been almost decapitated and his head was attached to the torso with just an inch of skin. They said that a note, purportedly scribbled by a militant outfit, was also found on the dead body. After a decade-long semblance of normality, militants are currently in the process of regaining control over the all-important Sopore town, which had been a stronghold of Hizbul Mujahideen and other guerrilla groups in 1990-94 period. It was during this period that--- with the massive support of alienated people, particularly those from pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami---the Hizb militants like late Majeed Dar and a Sudanese Jihadi Ibn-i-Masood had enjoyed total control on Sopore. After security forces eliminated a large number of militants here in 1993-94, few incidents of violence were witnessed in Sopore. However, after striking on their combat and civilian targets with hit-and-run grenade attacks for several months this year, militants in Sopore have now begun to act in broad daylight. They have killed the young dental surgeon within 24 hours of beheading a Territorial Army recruit whose head was taken all the way to the center of the town and dropped there. In follow up to a broad daylight drive of moral policing, in which several people were stripped and paraded on streets for their alleged offences of promiscuity and gambling, militants have enacted today's brutality just furlongs away from the guarded residence of the naked mystic, Ahad Sahib, who survived a grenade attack earlier this year. Two devotees had died and 15 others sustained injuries in that attack on June 22. An investigation by Excelsior revealed that after completing his BDS, Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Shah had been appointed as a junior dental surgeon by State Health Department. Within a couple of years of his appointment, he went to Saudi Arabia and worked there as a dental surgeon for about seven years. It was during this period that he shifted his residence from Zachaldara and raised a Rs one-crore house in Braripora outskirts of Handwara town near Fruit Mandi. With his wife, Kulsoom, and three young children (an eight-year-old son and two young daughters), Dr Shah had been living at this house after returning from Saudi Arabia about a year ago. His services in Health Department had been terminated but he had been reinstated and posted at Public Health Centre Langet. Informed sources said that on Saturday he had left for duty as usual in his own car but before reaching Langet requested an acquaintance over telephone to record his leave for a day. When his father Masoom Shah was lodging a missing report at Handwara Police Station today, Sopore Police communicated to Handwara Police that Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Shah's slaughtered body had been spotted and recovered from a locality in the town. Later today, Dr Shah's body was buried at his ancestral village in Zachaldara. His brutal killing, that happened in the holy month of Ramazan, spread shockwaves in a vast locality but for obvious fear of militant reprisals nobody dared to register protest in public. Inquiries revealed that Dr Shah was a close friend of the separatist People’s Conference leader, Sajjad Lone, whose veteran politician father, late Abdul Gani Lone, had long back got the Government job of a forest guard to Shah's father Masoom Shah. The Shahs had multiple political connections but they had never associated themselves with militants, counter-insurgents or security forces. One and all in Handwara area insisted that it was not a political killing. While Dr Shah's father continues to be the Vice President of Rajwar Block in the mainstream National Conference, his Handwara-based wife, Kulsoom, happens to be a not-so-distant relative of the former Forest Minister and MLA Handwara, Sofi Mohiuddin. Residents said it was Sofi who had got him from Saudi Arabia and also got him reinstated on the terminated Government job. Meanwhile, official sources in north Kashmir said that some young children found an explosive device and began fiddling with it near Chitti Bandi hamlet in Bandipore today. It exploded, causing injuries to three young students, namely Ashfaq Ahmed Mir S/o Mohammad Yusuf Mir, Altaf Ahmed Mir S/o Zakarullah and Aijaz Ahmed Mir S/o Abdul Ahad Mir. They were evacuated to a local hospital. Critically injured, Aijaz Ahmed Mir was referred to a Srinagar hospital. He was responding to treatment till late this evening. |
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Army jawan killed,
Captain injured Excelsior Correspondent POONCH, Oct 8: Troops of Poonch Brigade today foiled an infiltration attempt by a group of suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants killing four infiltrators on the Line of Control (LoC) in Sabjian sub sector of this district. An Army jawan was killed in the operation while a Captain was injured. Bodies of three infiltrators have been recovered while body of fourth slain militant was reported to be lying near the LoC. Official sources said troops of Poonch Brigade observed movement of a group of infiltrators sneaking into Indian territory from Dhoba Kala Nullah in Sabjian sub sector in early hours of this morning. Army personnel challenged the militants when they came within their firing range. A heavy exchange of firing started between the two sides started at 7 am. The militants separated themselves in two groups and lobbed grenades on Army posts followed by firing. Army jawans retaliated. By 10.30 am, three infiltrators were eliminated by troops. Another militant was gunned down right on the LoC while trying to escape back to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). An Army jawan Sepoy Rahul of Bihar Regiment sacrificed his life while fighting bravely with the infiltrators while a Captain was injured. The Captain was evacuated from the site of firing and shifted to a Military Hospital. Sources said bodies of three slain militants have been recovered from the spot but their identity hasn’t been established so far. Body of fourth ultra was lying near the LoC and couldn’t be picked up till late this evening. They were believed to be the activists of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit. Recoveries made from the scene of encounter include three AK rifles, 10 magazines, 268 rounds, nine Chinese grenades, five grenades of Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), two wireless sets, one mobile telephone and one Global Positioning System (GPS). Weapon of fourth killed militant was also lying near his body, the sources said. They added that troops continued searches in Sabjian sub sector in anticipation of reports that one or two more militants might have succeeded in infiltration to this side. In another incident, two unidentified militants entered the house of a surrendered militant Abdul Qayoom son of Shamas Din at Targain, Budhal in Rajouri district and attacked him with sharp edged weapons. Qayoom, however, managed to flee from the house in an injured condition and reported the incident at a local picket of police. He was later shifted to hospital. Security forces and police have launched a search operation at Targain to apprehend the militants involved in the attack. |
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BJP leaders meet Kalam, oppose clemency to Guru NEW DELHI, Oct 8 : While petitioning the President A P J Abdul Kalam against clemency to Parliament terror attack convict Afzal Guru, the Bharatiya Janata Party today declared that it will take the issue to the masses if the convict was condoned the death penalty. The Government should not delay in deciding on the matter as it is a very serious issue affecting the security and integrity of the country, BJP leader LK Advani told mediapersons after submitting a memorandum to President Kalam. The Congress-led UPA Government should clarify its position on the issue, he said. In the memorandum, the BJP urged the President "to ensure that the rule of law prevails and the executive does not for reasons of vote bank politics, denigrate the needs of India’s security and sovereignty." "If amnesty is shown to those who have masterminded the most heinous attacks in recent history it will be an incentive to terrorism," it said. The BJP said in a situation when cross-border terrorism was thriving, and anti-terror law has been scrapped, amnesty to a person responsible for attack on Parliament and death of 11 people will give very encouraging signals to the country’s enemies. "The three courts have considered the matter and come to conclusive finding of guilt against Mohammad Afzal Guru. It is not open to anyone to reopen the facts and come to any contrary findings. The verdict against this accused has been uniform and clear," said the memorandum. Moreover, the plea of fair trial can be entertained by courts, not by the executive, it said. Besides Mr Advani, BJP president Rajnath Singh, its Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj, general secretary Arun Jaitley chief whip in Rajya Sabha Ahluwalia and vice president Mr Naqvi formed part of the Party delegation which called on the President to submit the memorandum. (UNI) |
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Farooq pays tributes to quake victims URI, Oct 8: Victims of the massive earthquake that hit Jammu and Kashmir exactly a year ago staged a protest here today against the slow pace of the rehabilitation of those affected by the disaster that devastated dozens of frontier villages. Former Chief Minister and National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah and several party leaders joined the people in paying tribute to those who died in the quake and staging a protest against the Government's alleged failure to rebuild the township of Uri. Moulvi Mustafa, a local cleric, led the prayers and sought God's blessings for rebuilding damaged houses and infrastructure. The people gave vent to their frustration soon after the prayers, shouting slogans against the Government and alleging that funds provided by the Centre were misappropriated as many of victims were yet to receive the first installment of the relief package. Over 300 families had not received the first installment of relief for rebuilding their homes, the people claimed. Abdullah said the aid provided by the Centre was enough for accelerating developmental activities but lack of proper planning by the State Government had affected the rehabilitation process. Bringing forth a woman who he said had lost her husband and home in the 7.6-magnitude temblor, Abdullah said she was yet to receive the compensation announced by the Government. "Where has the compensation gone?" he asked. Lauding the army's role in rebuilding Charunda village near the Line of Control, Abdullah said the State Government had "miserably failed" on every front. (PTI) |
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Baba Hardev calls for strengthening peace, brotherhood Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: Exhorting the people to strength peace and brotherhood, Baba Hardev Singhji Maharaj, head of the Sant Nirankari Mission, today said that message of Mission was more relevant today due to prevailing bloodshed and hatred in the world. Addressing a mammoth Nirankari Sant Samagam here today, Baba Hardev Singh said that main objectives of the mission was to end all conflicts, all wars, all enmity and all differences to establish love, peace and universal brotherhood. Baba Hardev Singh, who recently returned after two months Salvation Tour-2006, said that true religion does not confine itself to a particular place of worship. "Mission’s message of peace is finding relevance to the present day needs of every citizen of the world, whereas the world is stricken by hatred, fear and violence’’, he observed, adding, "the Mission is offering peace, love and humanity through spiritual awakening’’. "Nirankari Mission is a global spiritual movement cutting across all religious, cultural, economic and social diversities. It is a systematic way of life based on devotion of God after knowing the formless one’’, he said while elaborating about Mission. He said that Mission endeavours to establish brotherhood through granting the perception of the Supreme Father-God, in every human being. The formless God is sole creator, nurturer and destroyer of this visible universe, he explained. He narrated at length the tales of holy scriptures and Vedanta and advised the Sants to sincerely surrender all one’s belongings to the Lord side by side taking a great care to avoid development of sense of egoism. "It is none other than the Lord, who is operating through the nature and every event is taking place in accordance with his will. Then why should one disturb the calmness of ones mind with unnecessary wants and desires’’, he asked, adding, "happiness becomes a natural companion of one who discharges his duties, having surrendered all possessions to the holy feet of the Lord. He advised the gathering to make it a habit to spend each and every moment of life in contemplating of attaining salvation’’. Baba Hardev further said that ordinarily devotion was considered a means to realize God, whereas the Mission believes that devotion to God was truly meaningful only after knowing and realizing God. He divulged that the supreme entity that remains permanent, eternal and the same even despite the ephemeral nature of the material universe made by five elements is a formless God. "God though formless is worth realizing and can be realized as a matter of fact that ultimate aim of human life is to realize God’’, he observed. The programme started with recitation of Avtarbani and Bhajan. Earlier different singers and speakers pointed out that all conflicts in the name of religion were due to ignorance. Since morning followers of Baba thronged the Parade Ground to participate in the Samagam. |
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MUMBAI, Oct 8: One of the 11 Pakistanis involved in the July 11 serial train blasts had come here exclusively to offer his expertise for making bombs which were subsequently used to strike terror in suburban locals, investigations by the Anti-Terrorism Squad have revealed. The bomb expert assembled the bombs using Research Developed Explosive (RDX), ammonium nitrate and quartz timer in pressure cookers at the residence of accused Mohammed Ali in Shivaji Nagar slum in north east Mumbai, ATS sources said here. Pressure cookers were used strategically in the blasts as they cause high intensity explosions and are compact in size, they said. The core of the cookers comprised a lump of RDX placed in the centre surrounded by ammonium nitrate. A detonator comprising a quartz timer was placed over the explosives to trigger the explosions, sources said. Two to two-and-a-half kg of RDX, four to five kg of ammonium nitrate and a quartz timer were kept in a five-litre pressure cooker to cause the seven explosions, which killed nearly 200 persons and injured over 600, according to Mumbai police commissioner A N Roy. "The compression of all these materials into a pressure cooker gave a high intensity to the explosions," the source said. (PTI) |
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Mirwaiz Umar returns from US visit Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 8: Chairman of the separatist Hurriyat Conference (Mirwaiz), Umar Farooq, today returned from a three-week-long tour of the United States of America. At Srinagar Airport, Mirwaiz Umar was received by a gathering of his followers who escorted him all the way to his home in Hazratbal locality. During his stay in the US, Mirwaiz attended his host Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) conference at New York City. He participated in some sessions of the OIC Foreign Ministers and its Kashmir Coordination Group. In New York, Mirwaiz also met with Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf and some other world leaders. Mirwaiz also participated in a conference organised by the separatist Kashmiri-American activist Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai's Kashmiri American Council at Washington DC. He also attended interactive sessions with the US State Department officials and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. Sources close to Mirwaiz said that the separatist leader apprised his hosts of the latest obtaining political situation, Indo-Pakistan peace process, Delhi-Hurriyat talks and human rights scenario in Kashmir. |
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Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Oct 8: A man-eater leopard which has created a reign of terror in the area for the last few months, killed yet another boy last night. The victim, which is eighth in the district so far in last four months, has been identified as three and half- year-old, Mohd Javed, son of Zubaid, a resident of village Kot Behrot in Thanna Mandi area of district Rajouri. The sources said that incident occurred at around 8.15 pm on Saturday when the boy was playing in the compound of his house at Kot hamlet. The wild beast suddenly pounced upon the little boy and took him away to nearby jungle. The family members rushed out after hearing the screams of the boy but could not help due to darkness and swift action of the ‘man-eater’. They sounded alert in the entire village and the people came out with lathis and guns. The army from a nearby camp and the police also joined the villagers in search operation and after an hour, they could trace the semi-eaten body of the boy. It was burried this morning with full religious honours in presence of a large number of people of the area. Strong resentment was brewing among the people of the area for failure of the concerned Wild Life agency to neutralise the animal. A senior officer of the State Wild Life department, however, claimed that shoot at sight orders have already been issued by the Chief Wild Life warden to eliminate the man-eater and joint teams of police and Wild life department are already after this animal. He said that Army authorities will also be approached for the help. |
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