Ministers more in rallies than at work in Civil Secretariat
Hectic political activity pushes governance to backburner

From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, May 9: Even as the Assembly elections are, by all indications, five months away, almost all mainstream political parties have jumped on the bandwagon of electioneering in Jammu & Kashmir, particularly Kashmir valley, where more than a hundred "election rallies" have been organized by a mosaic of politicians in the last three months and every retiring or retired Government official is aspiring to get a ticket from one or the other political party.

Like the Ministers from Kashmir, who spent more time in the Valley than in the winter capital in three months preceding the Durbar Move last month, most of the Ministers from Jammu returned to home at the end of the first working week at Civil Secretariat today. Everybody of them is scheduled to address one or the other rally in constituency or elsewhere. Even their first week in office has been considerably consumed by political activity. Congress, the party in the hot seat of power, has itself set the ball of electioneering rolling.

With enfant terrible Abdul Gani Vakil shuttling between North and South Kashmir---now in company of his Ministerial colleagues from Jammu---Congress is holding a series of major rallies in the Valley from tomorrow.

Senior leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir’s involvement in a sex scandal, JKPCC chief Peerzada Sayeed’ resignation in the wake of charges of corruption against him, discomfiture of a section of leadership over Prof Saifuddin Soz’s appointment as president of the State Congress, public expression of factionalism in Jammu and now the controversy over Madan Lal Sharma’s purported statement regarding alleged involvement of two more senior leaders of the party in the infamous Srinagar sex scandal have obviously caused considerable damage to Congress in Jammu & Kashmir in the last two years. This trail of ignominy has in a way eclipsed the party’s impressive performance in by-elections of Bhaderwah and Poonch, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s success in getting unprecedented flow of funds for the state’s development from the Centre as also his crusade against corruption.

On the other hand, key coalition partner, PDP, has been equally on the receiving end. With reference to its key constituency in the Valley, it has suffered a many reverses in failing to achieve its target of demilitarization and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Two of its prominent Ministers---Tariq Hameed Qarra and Qazi Mohammad Afzal---have been dogged by their negative references in the Kundal Committee Report. A number of PDP’s senior leaders, including founder-member Ghulam Hassan Mir, have either deserted the party and sought admission in its rival political parties or launched their own parties in the last few weeks.

Opposition National Conference has, on the other hand, emerged as gainer of the coalition parties’ loss in several segments but a couple of the incidents of its infighting in Jammu, coupled with PDP’s increasing influence in a few areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts, have neutralized this party’s jubilation.

In attempts of damage control, all the three mainstream majors have made extensive schedules of public rallies in the State. This heat of campaigning will be entering a higher stage of activity with the series of Congress party’s public rallies in Kashmir valley from tomorrow. It will be for the first time that Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and the newly appointed JKPCC chief Prof Saifuddin Soz will be jointly addressing a rally at Batgund village in Handwara-Langet belt of Kupwara district on Saturday. Senior Congress leader and Minister Taj Mohiuddin has already taken over the responsibility of organizing massive rallies for Azad and Soz in Langet on Saturday and in Uri on May 12th.

A well attended rally of the NC, which was addressed by president of the party Omar Abdullah and others in the senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s Dangarpora-Dooru area last month, forced Congress to organize a presentable public meeting at Dangarpora---residential village of the party’s Sopore MLA Haji Abdul Rasheed. On May 11th, Taj and Rasheed are scheduled to address a big political gathering at Botengo---senior Hurriyat leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat’s village which lies close to Geelani’s and Haji Rasheed’s Dangarpora Dooru villages.

Arch rivals, NC and PDP, have already been on a track of "electioneering" throughout the Valley. While PDP has organized over a dozen meetings, either addressed by patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed or by the Party president Mehbooba Mufti, NC’s father-son duo has been not only pulling out rebels from the PDP but also holding rallies in all districts. NC’s largest rally in recent times was organized last month in Budgam where more than 15,000 people are estimated to have formed Omar’s audience. PDP did not lag behind as it followed with a 3,000-strong rally earlier this week.

In Budgam district again, PDF Chairman Hakeem Mohammad Yasin has addressed over 20 well attended rallies in the last six weeks. Even as NC has failed to put up an assertive candidate against the old defector Yasin, PDP has, of late, attempted to create a formidable challenge for the Minister in the form of a familiar political activist Saif-ud-din Shutroo, whose Hurriyat connections have been trumpeted by the party but quickly contested by a spokesman of the separatist conglomerate.

In the whole process of hectic political activity, Government functioning at Civil Secretariat and other offices has evidently become a casualty. Few Ministers have been seen at work in office in the first week of Durbar in the summer capital. Most of the District Development Commissioners, SSPs and DIGs have remained heavily preoccupied with either escorting the Ministers or making security and other arrangements for the rallies of politicians. Expected to receive and see off every "VIP", DC and SSP of Budgam have established their makeshift offices at Srinagar Airport. Movement of the VIPs has also affected progress of most of the developmental works, particularly in Kashmir valley.

Fearing massive participation in the October elections, all of the separatist leaders, with the exception of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, have begun to surrender with the never-before argument that all Lok Sabha, Assembly and Municipal elections were for "administrative matters". Pakistan’s internal situation in the last five years, particularly in the last one year, has also come as a shot in the arm of the authorities in Srinagar who are relieved over the diminishing figures of active militants in the Valley. Even as senior BSF, CRPF and Army officials have been putting the number of militants between 900 and 1400 in the entire State, men in the forefront of counter-insurgency operations insist privately that not more than 150 militants were present in Valley today.

With the bugle of elections blowing high and all the mainstream political parties looking for "presentable faces", most of the retiring and just retired Government employees have been seen shuttling between the residences of politicians with their CVs. All of them are aspiring to get one or the other party’s ticket for the Assembly elections. This group of former officials includes at least three retired SSPs, two DCs as also a number of the officers of the rank of Additional and Special Secretaries to Government, former Heads of Department from different services. While a retired Forest officer has just launched Save Srinagar Front, another officer has been declared as PDP’s candidate in Handwara well before his retirement in IWDP.

PDP has also persuaded a Chief Medical Officer to resign and prepare for the contest in Beerwah, though this development has led to estrangement of the sitting MLA Sarfaraz Khan as well as MLC Bilal Lodhi. In Beerwah again, NC has been reportedly considering a retired Registrar of Kashmir University as its candidate though the same of a retiring SSP is also said to be under consideration. In the adjoining Tangmarg too, NC has been considering the name of an Additional Secretary to Government who has still more than eight years of active service. PDP been reportedly asking a Secretary to Government to take retirement and contest in Bandipore.

Most of the aspirants have been approaching the parties with the offer of spending their own money on the electioneering. This situation is a sharp contrast to 1996 when not only the political parties but also Government agencies were openly offering huge amounts of money and other privileges to rope in candidates.

BSF, Rangers hold flag meeting
Infiltration bid foiled in Samba sector

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 9: The Border Security Force (BSF) foiled an infiltration attempt by a big group of militants from the international border in forward village of Ragwal between Regal and Benglard areas in Samba sector last night.

Though the BSF authorities said the militants were reported to have escaped back to Pakistan following effective retaliatory firing brought down by them, police said they were not taking any chance and have launched a massive search operation in forward villages between Samba and Hiranagar sector besides Jammu-Pathankote national highway to pin down the militants if they had succeeded in intruding into this side as the fencing was found cut.

Official sources said the BSF jawans of 112 battalion observed some movement opposite their 6R Post at Ragwal in Samba sector at 10.40 am and lit up the area. They found an intruder cutting the fencing while some other militants were seen waiting at a distance.

As security personnel lit up the area, the militants opened heavy firing with AK rifles and lobbed over 15 grenades in quick succession in a bid to pin down the BSF naka party and force their intrusion into this side of the border. More than 1000 rounds were fired by the militants within five to 10 minutes, sources said.

The BSF naka parties also retaliated and a heavy exchange of firing lasted 15 minutes.

While reliable reports said that some shots were also fired from Pandar post of Pakistan by the Rangers, there was no official word on violation of cease-fire. Security forces maintained that only militants opened the firing and threw grenades.

However, an official version of the incident issued by the BSF authorities made an indirect reference to firing by the Rangers. The handout said: "this was possibly the first attempt of infiltration after cease-fire in which militants and their supporters fired more than 1000 rounds". According to sources, the word supporters was a clear reference to the Rangers.

The militants, who had come very close to fencing and even succeeded in cutting it to intrude into this side, retrieved to Pakistan from near Boundary Pillar No. 196 following alertness displayed by the BSF, sources said. More than 450 empty fired cases of AK series ammunition were recovered by BSF jawans during search of the area conducted this morning. Militants had also left behind two AK magazines and one China made wire cutter, which had also been seized by the security personnel.

Sources said the militants kept on firing while withdrawing to Pakistan, which was evident from the trail of empty fired cases leading from place of occurrence to Pakistan.

However, there were no casualties on BSF side in the firing. BSF claimed that the militants escaped back to Pakistan. While three to four militants had come close to the fencing others were reported to be waiting behind for infiltration but their plot failed, sources said.

Police parties led by SSP Samba Rajinder Gupta and SDPO Samba Ram Singh Charak also rushed to the spot and mobilize local police personnel, VDCs and villages and conducted searches in all forward villages as well as Jammu-Pathankote national highway during the night to ensure that even if the militants would have succeeded in infiltration they were apprehended. Searches continued during the day today but no militant was traced, sources said.

At 12 noon today, BSF and Rangers held a Company Commander level flag meeting at Benglard border outpost in which BSF authorities voiced serious concern over infiltration attempt by the militants from the international border.

Clear evidence is available about the intrusion bid, the BSF officers told the Pakistani Rangers during the flag meeting. The Rangers, who were initially reluctant to accept intrusion bid by the militants from their side, promised to look into the matter after they were shown the evidence.

The Rangers also assured that such incidents would not be allowed to take place in future.

Army ready for Assembly elections: Gen Kapoor
*Marked improvement in security scenario

TANGDHAR, May 9: The Army today said a "multi-tier mechanism" is in place to prevent militants infiltrating through the LoC to disrupt the Assembly elections due in Jammu and Kashmir later this year.

"This being election year, militant outfits might try to sneak in more numbers by taking advantage of broken fencing along the Line of Control due to heavy snowfall last winter," Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor told reporters here.

He said the security forces would provide "environmental security" to ensure peaceful polling and create an atmoshere so that people can exercise their franchise.

There was a marked improvement in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir though the level of infiltration over the past couple of years has remained more or less the same, Kapoor said.

He said "an assessment for this year can be made only after the snow starts melting. Once the passes open, we can better gauge the situation".

As per available official figures, 343 militants infiltrated into the State in 2006 and 311 last year.

Fencing along the LoC had been damaged at some places due to heavy snowfall in the winter which "will take some time to repair; may be, by the end of this month or the first week of June", the Army Chief said.

He said the militants might take advantage of these "loop-holes but the Army is upto the task of foiling their designs as a multi-tier mechanism to check infiltration is in place".

Kapoor flew to this north Kashmir sector close to the LoC immediately upon his arrival in Srinagar for a three-day visit to the State.

Accompanied by his wife Kirti Kapoor and Northern Command GOC-in-C Lt Gen P C Bharadwaj and 15 Corps Commander Lt Gen M Sabharwal, he was briefed by the local Army Commanders on the prevailing situation on the border.

Kapoor earlier dedicated a students’ hostel, jointly constructed by the Army and Delhi-based NGO Care Today Foundation, to the people of Tangdhar.

The hostel has 22 rooms for 50 students hailing from areas close to the LoC who were enrolled in the Army goodwill school.

The new building was constructed after a makeshift hostel in the PWD rest house was destroyed in the 2005 earthquake.

The Army Chief will be meeting top Army Commanders in Srinagar to discuss the latest situation in the State and also inspect various formations involved in counter-infiltration and counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir valley, Defence officials said.

He will also review the Army Wives Welfare Association’s activities and visit some Army goodwill schools during his stay.(PTI)

Security for Amarnath yatris
J&K seeks 63 coys of Central forces

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, May 9: Police have sought 63 companies of Central forces to provide security to pilgrims of Shri Amarnath shrine during two month long annual pilgrimage beginning from June 18.

In addition to Central forces, nearly 30 companies would be mobilised from local police to provide security cover to the yatris from Lakhanpur in Kathua district to Amarnath ji shrine in Anantnag district of South Kashmir Himalayas.

Official sources told the Excelsior that 50 companies of para-military forces have been sought from the Home Ministry by the State Government for deployment in Kashmir division and 13 companies in Jammu division.

While 13 companies will be mobilised from "own resources" by police in Jammu division, 17 companies would be deployed from local police in Kashmir division, they said.

Security arrangements for the pilgrims this year will be more stringent as compared to last year as yatra this year comes a couple of months before scheduled Assembly elections in the State. While the yatra is scheduled between June 18 to August 16, the Assembly polls are due in September-October.

According to sources, the militants could make more attempts to target the pilgrims this year in a bid to disturb the elections. Last year, the pilgrims and other tourists travelling in buses were targeted with grenade attacks by the militants.

Sources said Kashmir police have already deployed police parties around Amarnath cave shrine for regular patrolling to pre-empt any sabotage by the militants.

"Patrolling in and around Amarnath ji shrine has already started. Regular police parties have been stationed at the cave shrine to keep a strict vigil on the shrine", they said, adding the police parties will remain deployed at the shrine and their presence would be increased few days before the yatra is scheduled to begin.

Sanitisation operations on both tracks of Baltal and Pahalgam would be undertaken about a fortnight before the commencement of yatra and after that police and para-military personnel will take over positions on the two tracks.

"This time there will be added responsibility of providing security cover at public meeting venues and political candidates as activities for the Assembly elections would start around the same time when Amarnath yatra would be going on", sources said, adding accordingly the deployment of forces would be adjusted in both divisions.

Also, they said, this year the rush of tourists to Kashmir was also more as compared to previous year. Same was the case with Mata Vaishno Devi ji pilgrims, which too was on the rise from the last year.

Peace imperative for KPs' return: Farooq

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 9: Former Chief Minister and National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah is not in the favour of Kashmiri Pandit migrants return to the Kashmir valley till the restoration of complete peace.

In an interactive session with the members of the civil society organised by the J&K Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Dr Abdullah said "National Conference regime made every possible attempt to bring the migrated Kashmiri Pandits back to the Valley but everytime our efforts suffered set-back due to killings", adding "keeping in view the past experience it would not be wise to take the community back to their home and hearths till complete peace was restored there".

What purpose their return would serve if the Government would have to deploy large number of security forces for their protection? he asked and said that instead of luring the community with packages, the Central Government should speed up whatever they have to decide with Pakistan keeping in mind the aspirations of people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions.

"The return of KPs to Valley would be real and joyful only when the Kashmir issue is resolved between the two countries and lasting peace restored", he maintained and said that the delay in resolving the Kashmir issue will only complicate the issue and both the countries will face the brunt of the same.

Stressing the need to protect shrines, temples and properties of Kashmiri Pandits in Valley, Dr Abdullah said that even the crooks within the KP community were equally responsible for the loot and plunder of their properties and also of the shrines.

While highlighting the pro-KP migrant steps initiated by National Conference regime, he assured that his party will struggle hard for the Kashmiri Pandits’ return and resolution of their all issues.

Pointing towards the statements of leaders from Pakistan and PoK, who in a seminar at New Delhi mentioned that terror camps still exist on the other side of border, the National Conference patron said that much hype should not be created about the dialogue process between the two countries till the terror camps are removed and apprehended that such camps can once again create trouble.

Cursing those politicians, who mix up religion with politics for the sake of vote bank, Dr Abdullah said "in Jammu and Kashmir such practice started in 1987 elections when Muslim United Front (MUF) set the precedence of seeking votes on the name of religion", adding "elections should be fought only on the developmental issues and religion, caste and creed should be kept away from it".

In response to certain queries, he announced that if the National Conference comes to power it’s first step would be to hold Panchayat elections with 33 per cent reservation to women. He also wanted Kashmiri Pandits to contest elections to make it to the Lower House instead of hankering on the nominations.

Responding to the emerging scenario in South Asia, Dr Abdullah termed China as biggest threat to India and said that recent development vis-a-vis Chinese nuclear submarines was the indicative of the same. He suggested that Indian leadership should not ignore China from security point of view. He also stressed the need to strengthen SAARC on the pattern of European Union.

Earlier, president of the Forum Jatender Bakshi delivered the welcome address.

Cong again snubs Arjun Singh

NEW DELHI, May 9: In yet another snub to senior leader Arjun Singh, the Congress high command today outrightly rejected his contention that the decision-making in the party has "fallen into a bit of disarray".

"We do not agree with it. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has always been fair and transparent in holding consultations," AICC spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed told reporters here.

He said consultations were held at every level in the party before taking decisions and the party president also held discussions with the various allies in the UPA.

Arjun Singh is also a member of the Congress Working Committee, in which the leaders can raise whatever issue they want and can have a free and frank discussion, Ahmed said.

Maintaining that the Congress has always had a tradition of holding discussions within the party, he denied suggestions that the leadership has any lack of communication or a trust deficit with any leader.

To a question that the CWC meetings are generally being held for obituary references, he claimed that they were regular meetings of the apex policy making body of the party.

Arjun Singh had in an interview to noted journalist Kanhaiyalal Nandan in a book edited by him titled "Mohin Kahan Vishram" said: "Earlier there were many opportunities to contribute to the decision and even major decisions of the Congress were taken after going through the process of consultations and people used to accept it.

"But now this process has fallen into a bit of disarray and when people do not have feeling that they have contributed to the decision making process, then they have no hassles in defying it," Singh said.

Ahmed, however, refused to directly comment on the book, saying, "I will not comment on the book before it is released and I don’t know whether such an interview is there."

This is the second time in one month that the HRD Minister has found himself at odds with the party high command.

His statement that there was nothing wrong in projecting Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the next elections had received a strong rebuff from the party leadership, with the AICC saying that Sonia and Rahul stayed away from an environment of sycophancy.(PTI)

We don't want Haj subsidy: Shahi Imam

NEW DELHI, May 9: The Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid, Maulana Mufti Mohammad Mukaram Ahmad, today said Muslims did not want any subsidy for undertaking the Haj pilgrimage, and urged the Government to improve the facilities for them.

"The Government of India is giving subsidy for Haj pilgrims, but does not pay any attention towards improving the facilities for them," he said here.

The Shahi Imam said the Haj pilgrims faced serious problems as far as arrangements for them were concerned. "We do not want any subsidy for people going on the Haj pilgrimage."

He demanded a committee of experts should be set up to find ways and means to address the problems confronting the Haj pilgrims.

The Shahi Imam further said the Government should invite suggestions from those who had already performed the Haj.

He also demanded that the quota of 5000 Haj pilgrims be fixed for Delhi. (UNI)

Chicken-pox spreads to newer areas

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 9: The Government today constituted a high level team to monitor the situation as chicken pox also spread to RS Pura after taking in its grip several children of Kathua district mainly Hiranagar tehsil.

Five cases of chicken pox were today reported from RS Pura while the number of such cases in Kathua district has already exceeded 50.

Director Health Services, Dr Jasbir Singh said a high level team was today constituted on the directions of the Chief Minister and the Health Minister to visit the affected areas and advise treatment and other guidelines to the people.

The team comprise Epidemiologist Dr R S Charak, CMOs Jammu and Kathua, BMOs RS Pura and Hiranagar and District Health Officer, Kathua.

The team has been asked to visit the affected areas and advise the people to keep the children suffering chicken pox in isolation and don’t send them to schools. The school children have also been advised not to mix up with the students affected by the disease.

Dr Jasbir Singh said 75 per cent of chicken pox cases were in recovery mode.

Two HM militants held in Kupwara

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, May 9: Police have arrested two more Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants in the frontier district of Kupwara, official sources said today.

They said Special Operation Group (SOG) of the State Police and 125 battalion Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a joint operation at Handwara in North Kashmir today.

During the operation, two local trained militants (LeT) of HM Mohammad Saleem Sheikh and Abdul Hamid War were arrested.

Sheikh had again joined militants after his release.

They said one AK rifle, two magazines, one grenade, wireless set and 49 rounds of ammunition were recovered from their possession.

More than two dozen HM militants, including some top commanders, had been killed or arrested by the security forces in the Kashmir valley during the past one month.

27 students suffer food poisoning

Excelsior Correspondent

RAJOURI, May 9: A group of 27 students of a private Academy and a madarsa in Darhal fell ill due to acute food poisoning this afternoon.

As per reports, all the students had taken lunch at a marriage party and shortly after that they suffered acute gastroenteritis.

All the students were immediately taken to SDH Darhal, where a medical team of doctors and paramedicos led by BMO Darhal Dr Z A Shawl provided treatment to the students.

After eight hours, the students responded to the treatment and their condition was stable when reports last came in. One of them was referred to District Hospital, Rajouri.

The team of doctors comprised of Dr Tahir Mirza, Dr Shaheen Akhtar, Dr Rajesh Bhagat, Dr Priyanka and Dr Haroon.

Meanwhile, people from village Hayatpora subjected Manjakote hospital to stone pelting on allegedly being denied an ambulance for an ailing villager.

4 killed, 17 injured in bus accident in Doda

JAMMU : At least four people were killed and 17 injured, four of them critically, when a mini bus they were travelling in, skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said today.

The bus was on its way from Bharat to Doda when it met with the accident at 0830 hrs.

"The driver lost control over the bus while negotiating a sharp turn and it turned turtle and fell into a deep gorge, killing four people on the spot," police sources said.

On receiving information, police, army and civilians rushed to the spot and launched a joint rescue operation.

The victims were immediately shifted to the district hospital while four of the critically injured passengers were referred to the Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu.

The deceased included two men and an equal number of women. Their identity is yet to be ascertained, police said.

This is the second incident reported in the past two days in Jammu region. At least 40 people were killed and six critically injured when an overcrowded bus plunged into Chenab river on May 8 in mountainous Kishtwar district.(UNI)

Four killed as bus falls in to river

SRINAGAR : Four persons were killed and 12 others injured when a mini bus they were travelling in fell into Jhelum river in Baramulla district this morning.

The incident occurred when the driver lost control over the bus and it skidded off and fell into Jhelum river near sopore in the district, police said.

Four persons died on the spot while 12 others were injured in the mishap, they said, adding the injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals.

The bus was on its way to Sopore from Sumbal, they said. (PTI)