Void in our hearts

S. D. Rohmetra

There is a void in our hearts. We in Daily Excelsior feel as if a part of our body and soul has gone. The genial figure of Ashok Sodhi will no more be walking up and down the corridors of this newspaper. No more will he enter my room to discuss daily assignments. He had followed this routine for 26 years thus growing up with us. A quarter of a century is a long enough period to closely know a person. Ashok was disciplined and never complained. If he had to say something he would do so softly but firmly. He did not believe in beating about the bush. His sudden departure now is not simply like that of a colleague joining and leaving the organisation. He will not be visible any more. As this feeling sinks in I find it extremely difficult to contain my own personal grief. For lesser mortals like us death is very hard to understand. No one really understands death well. It's difficult to believe that the person who passes away is actually gone forever. Ashok has died a martyr's death. He has laid down his life in the discharge of his duties. His sacrifice strengthens our resolve to take on the evil of terrorism with greater conviction and determination. This will be our tribute to his memory. On the professional front we will continue to stand up and be counted against the cult of violence. At a personal level, of course, we will stand by his family in our humble way.

Two Pak militants eliminated after day long gun-battle in Samba
Ashok, Hoshiar Singh, 2 jawans among 8 killed
First casualty of fourth estate in Jammu region
Major, SP Ops, BSF SI, 2 civilians among 18 injured
Question mark on BSF’s claim of thwarting infiltration bid

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, May 11: Eight persons including Daily Excelsior chief photographer Ashok Sodhi, prominent leader from Samba Hoshiar Singh and his wife, a woman, two Army jawans and two Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed today as normally peaceful Samba was converted into a battle zone by the ultras, who had infiltrated into this side from international border at Regal, Samba on Thursday night.

Sixteen security personnel from Army, BSF and police including SP Operations Mubassir Latifi, Major Mangal Chouhan and a BSF Sub Inspector were injured in the day long gun-battle but condition of all of them was stated to be stable in different hospitals where they have been admitted. Besides, Hoshiar Singh’s daughter and her mother-in-law from Amritsar were among the injured.

Official sources and eye-witnesses told the Excelsior that two militants wearing Army uniform with signs of dust clearly visible on their clothing appeared in the house of Hoshiar Singh, a prominent political leader from Samba and general secretary of Indian National Democratic Party (INDP) at Rakh Amb Tali in the heart of Samba town at 5.58 am today by scaling boundary wall. They knocked door of the house and asked Hoshiar Singh to accompany them as he came out of his bed room along with his wife Shashi Bala.

The militants introduced themselves as Army soldiers on patrol duty. However, the couple was quick to realise that the men in uniform were militants and refused to entertain them. Hoshiar Singh started making telephone calls to neighbours and police station.

The militants fired a burst on him killing him and his wife Shashi Bala on spot. Singh’s son Lok Sevak, a Research Scholar in Jammu University and his wife also tried to come out but were locked from outside by his mother. The ultras also opened firing on another room of Singh's house causing serious injuries to his daughter Bindu Devi who had come to her paternal house from Amritsar and Bindu’s mother-in-law Darshana Devi.

Anticipating that local people would have alerted after hearing gun shots and the telephone calls made by Hoshiar Singh before sacrificing his life, the militants moved towards Kaili Mandi area and took positions in populated area.

In the meantime, Army, BSF and police parties from Samba and Jammu rushed to the spot and took positions. Senior officers including GOC 9 Corps Maj Gen Vinay Sharma, IGP Jammu K Rajendra, IG BSF A K Surolia, DIG Jammu Farooq Khan, SSP Samba Rajinder Gupta and SDPO Ram Singh Charak rushed to the spot along enforcements. Traffic on Jammu-Pathankote national highway as well as interior roads was immediately stopped and movement of civilians was restricted.

The militants equipped with AK-47 rifles and a grenade launcher opened firing and lobbed grenades on observing movement of security forces and police personnel in the area. Intermittent exchange of firing between the two sides continued.

Meanwhile, Ashok Sodhi, chief photographer, Daily Excelsior who had reached the spot for coverage of the incident and had clicked several action photographs surged ahead to capture more live coverage of the encounter.

However, a bullet fired by the militants straight way hit 45-year old Sodhi on his head virtually killing him on spot, cutting short the life of a senior photographer, who had shot several such encounters and other important incidents in past successfully. But the luck ran short for this valiant and courageous photographer in this gunbattle and he sacrificed his life for the cause of nation and the fourth estate.

Always alert to his professional obligations, Mr Sodhi had left his house in Rehari at around 8 am soon after getting a report of the encounter at Samba. Enroute, he twice spoke to Excelsior Jammu Bureau Chief Sanjeev Pargal on telephone, the last call being at 8.39 am and narrated the incident including the killing of Hoshiar Singh and his wife. About 20 minutes later, there was another call, this time from a colleague of Mr Sodhi, who informed that Ashok was hit by a bullet on his head and he died on spot.

His body was shifted to Government Medical College, Jammu where he was declared dead.

Hoshiar Singh’s daughter, Bindu Devi and her mother-in-law Darshana Devi have also been admitted in GMC Jammu where they were responding to the treatment, GMC Medical Superintendent Dr Romesh Gupta said.

The militants, meanwhile, entered into the under construction house of Suresh Singh, who was not present in the house, at Kaili Mandi and held his mother, wife, sister and two children hostages, making tough the task of security forces and police to eliminate them.

DIG Jammu Farooq Khan said several appeals were made to the militants from Public Address System to come out of the house and surrender but every time their request was met with firing of rifle grenades and AK bullets.

A woman Madhu Devi, a resident of Tarore and a tenant in the house of Suresh Singh, tried to come out of the house and was shot dead by the militants.

At about 4 pm, security forces and police fired tear smoke shells in the house of Suresh Singh and in the process managed to bring out his trapped wife Rajni Devi, mother Raj Rani, two children Parshant and Nishant and a sister. Sensing that their end was near after the rescue of hostages, the militants fired over 15 rifle grenades and a volley of shots from their AK rifles killing two Army jawans—Lance Naik Aziz Ahmed and Rifleman Atul Negi and injuring scores of Army, BSF, police and SOG personnel including SP Operations Mubassir Latifi, Major Mangal Chouhan and a BSF Sub Inspector.

At about 5 pm, security forces and police stormed the house of Suresh Singh and gunned down both the militants inside.

Recoveries made from the militants include two AK-47 rifles, one rifle grenade launcher, fresh eatables like Pakistan made biscuit packets, dry fruits, bandages, dry powder packets of sweet ‘sharbat’, a wire cutter and a night vision device. Both of them were wearing Army dresses which had become quite dirty as they were wearing the same dress for last three to four days.

Identity of slain militants has not been established so far but both were Pakistanis, sources said.

While official sources declined to comment on whether the slain militants were the same who had intruded into this side from Regal in Samba sector on Thursday night after cutting the fencing, reliable sources said there was strong evidence to establish that both the militants had recently infiltrated into this side.

Uncleaned Army dresses, possession of wire cutter and Pakistan made fresh eatables clearly indicated that the militants were fresh infiltrators. Moreover, the ultras’ movement in Samba town, the same sector from where the infiltration was reported on Thursday night was another pointer to the fact that the group was the same.

The militants’ strike in Samba has clearly put a question mark on BSF’s claim that they had thwarted infiltration bid by the militants on Thursday night and forced the militants to retrieve to Pakistan. Intelligence agencies had clearly been stating right from Friday morning that the militants had succeeded in infiltrating into this side but the BSF insisted that they had thwarted the intrusion attempt.

Sources said the militants’ target could be Brigade Headquarters in Samba. They wanted to take Hoshiar Singh, presuming him as an ordinary citizen, to show them the route of Brigade Headquarters. However, having failed to reach to their target, they took positions at Kaili Mandi.

According to sources, possibility of infiltration by some more militants from Samba sector on Thursday night has not been ruled out. In view of this, police claimed to have alerted all its police stations and posts in Hiranagar, Samba, Mansar and Dhar Road.

Traffic on Jammu-Pathankote highway remained closed till the operation was over and both the militants were eliminated. Shops and business establishments also remained closed in Samba town.

Bodies of Hoshiar Singh and his wife Shashi Bala were cremated in Samba this afternoon. Virtually entire Samba and people from others places including Jammu and Kathua joined their last rites.

A large number of people thronged the GMC Jammu as soon as the body of Ashok Sodhi reached the Emergency this morning. All out attempts by the doctors to revive him failed.

Sodhi’s killing was first casualty among the journalist fraternity during two decades of militancy in Jammu region though a number of journalists have lost their lives and many others were injured in militancy related violence in Kashmir valley. Information Officer Mr Abrol and other staff of Information Department had died while covering Republic Day celebrations at MA Stadium here on January 26, 1995 in serial blasts triggered by the militants to target the then Governor K V Krishna Rao.

Earlier also, Sodhi had covered several such encounters in different parts of Jammu.

Militancy takes toll of 9 journalists

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 11: The killing of Daily Excelsior chief photographer Ashok Sodhi while covering an encounter between militants and security forces today brings to nine the number of prominent newspersons killed in the State in the last 18 years of militancy.

Sodhi, who was covering a shoot-out between security forces and militants in Samba, was killed when a bullet fired by ultras pierced his head.

Another senior journalist who fell victim to militancy was Radio journalist and Assistant Director of Doordarshan Lassa Koul, who was shot dead by militants in Srinagar in March 1990.

His death was followed by that of ANI photo journalist Mustaq Ali in a parcel bomb explosion on September 7, 1995.

Two other journalists, Yousef Jameel of the BBC and Habib Naqash of The Asian Age escaped with injuries in the blast.

On January 1, 1997 Doordarshan journalist Altaf Ahmed Faktoo was shot dead in Srinagar.

On March 16, the same year Doordarshan part-time journalist Saidian Shafi was shot dead along with his body guard in Srinagar.

This was followed by the killing of Hindustan Times photo journalist Pradeep Bhatia in a landmine blast in Srinagar on August 10, 2000.

Parvaz Mohammad Sultan, editor of a local news agency, was gunned down by Hizbul Mujahideen militants in 2003.

Senior reporter of Information Department Abdul Majid Bhat was killed in a blast in Doda town on May 9, 2004.

Another scribe Asiya Nabi was killed in a landmine blast in Kupwara on April 20, 2004.

An Information Department Cultural Officer A K Abrol and two staffers of the Department had died in serial blasts at M A Stadium, Jammu on January 26, 1995 in an attempt made on the life of the then Governor K V Krishna Rao.

Besides them, over 18 journalists have been injured during militancy. Some of the prominent journalists who escaped with injuries in bomb explosions and attacks include Zafar Iqbal (NDTV), Zaffar Mehraj, Yousef Jameel, Habib Naqash, Tauseef Mustafa, Muzaffar Salam and Shahid Rashid.

Camera wielding valient soldier attains martyrdom
Sea of humanity bid adieu to Ashok Sodhi

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 11: Although he had not adorned olive uniform, however, he always remained valiant soldier of the State in ‘shooting’ the nefarious designs of the anti-national elements during the two decades long insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir besides prevalent social evils.

He never allowed anything to stop him when there came the question of exposing the inhumane face of the terrorists and it was his passion which could not stop him from rushing to Samba this morning soon after getting information about the terrorists attack in the civilian area.

Like a soldier in olive uniform, this camera wielding sepoy of the State and Chief Photo Journalist of the Daily Excelsior, Ashok Sodhi, attained martyrdom when a bullet fired by the holed up militants pierced through his head shortly after he clicked some photographs.

Purely acting as per the policy of this paper of not leaving any stone unturned to expose the enemies of the State as well as country, Ashok Sodhi during his more than two decades long association with this news paper valiantly covered several fidayeen attacks including those at historic Raghunath Temple, Qasim Nagar, Kaluchak Army Camp, Army Camp at Tanda in Akhnoor without caring for his life.

The last rites of senior and prominent photo-journalist of the State were performed amidst sobbings of entire journalist fraternity at Jogi Gate Cremation Ground here this evening.

A sea of humanity was witnessed in the funeral procession and last rites of Ashok Sodhi at cremation ground with large number of politicians, bureaucrats, police personnel, corporators of Jammu Municipal Corporation besides representatives of different social, religious and trade bodies paying tributes to the soul of the departed journalist.

The popularity of Ashok Sodhi can be gauged from the fact that there was hardly any space in the cremation ground to stand when the body of martyr was brought amidst sobbings of his family members, relatives and members of journalist fraternity.

Minister for Rural Development, Mula Ram, Minister for Roads and Buildings, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Minister for Higher Education, Gulchain Singh Charak, Minister of State for Agriculture, Gharu Ram, Member Parliament Madan Lal Sharma, Legislators Raman Bhalla, Yogesh Sawhney, Ajay Sadhotra, T S Wazir, Devinder Rana, Deputy Chairman of Legislative Council, Arvinder Singh Micky, Mayor Kavinder Gupta, Deputy Mayor, Dharamveer Singh Jamwal, BJP State president, Ashok Khajuria, president Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Ram Sahai and president Associated Chamber of Traders Federation, Yashpal Gupta, were prominent among others who attended the last rites of Ashok Sodhi at Cremation Ground.

Central university, IIM for J&K

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, May 11: Jammu & Kashmir will soon have a Central university and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) even as the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has also agreed to set up a campus of the National University for Scheduled Tribes in the State.

This follows the meeting the Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad had with the Union Minister for HRD, Arjun Singh yesterday at New Delhi on his return from Karnataka where he had gone on an election tour.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister requested the Union Minister for setting up a Central University and an IIM in Jammu & Kashmir on the pattern of IIM Ahmadabad. The two prestigious institutions would be set up one each in Kashmir and Jammu provinces.

The Chief Minister also requested Mr Singh for setting up in J&K a campus of the recently established National University for STs headquartered in Madhya Pradesh. He argued that since the State has a sizeable ST population, a campus of the university in J&K would go a long way in promoting higher education among this section of the population.

Arjun Singh agreed to the proposals of the Chief Minister for setting up of the Central University, IIM and campus of the National University for STs in J&K.

The Chief Minister also took up with the Union Minister the need for opening of women's degree colleges and ITIs in the districts of the State where these facilities are not available at present. The Minister assured him that this would be sympathetically considered.

Call for bandh today

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 11: All political parties gave a bandh call for tomorrow in protest against the infiltration by militants into the State from Samba sector leading to killing of several innocent people and termed it a major security lapse on the part of Border Security Force (BSF) and the Government.

These parties included Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), National Conference (NC), Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Peoples Revolutionary Movement, Kranti Dal, Panthers Party, Sikh organizations, Awami Jan Shakti, J&K Praja Parishad and Jammu & Kashmir Beopar Mandal.

While expressing their serious concern over the fresh infiltration by militants in the State and killing of civilians these parties have appealed the people to observe a peaceful bandh in Jammu region tomorrow.

The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), which held an emergency meeting here, today on the instance of its State chief and Union Minister, Prof Saif-u-Din Soz gave a call for peaceful Jammu bandh tomorrow to send a loud and clear message against the terrorists’ acts. The meeting was chaired by senior vice president PCC, Dharam Paul Sharma.

State BJP president, Ashok Khajuria also gave a call for tomorrow’s bandh in protest against today’s attack by militants in Samba, the failure of security forces to stop infiltration from across the border and against the pro-militant policies of the Government.

He alleged that infiltration was on the rise in the State and security forces have failed to stop the armed militants entering into Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) in meeting here, today held under the chairmanship of provincial president, Ajay Sadhotra appealed the people to hold a peaceful bandh tomorrow in protest against the unfortunate incident at Samba that led to killing of several civilians and injuries to others.

JKNPP chairman, Bhim Singh while calling for tomorrow’s Jammu bandh held the weak-kneed policies of Government responsible for such incidents.

Meanwhile, Jammu Province Passenger Transport Vehicles Association has also given a bandh call for tomorrow. The Association, which met here, today under the chairmanship of its chairman T S Wazir said that all commercial vehicles will be off the routes.

Meanwhile, Bar Association Jammu (BAJ) in its emergency meeting here, today has decided to suspend the work in High Court and all lower courts tomorrow in protest against the Samba incident and security lapses. This was stated by the vice president of the Association, Chander Mohan Sharma here, today.

Militant killed in Samba encounter

JAMMU, One more militant was gunned down today by the army troops in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir as the army intensified search operation to track down some more infiltrators in the area, official sources here said.

"One militant was killed during an encounter this morning by the army troops in Katli area of Samba district," Defence Spokesman Lt Col S D Goswami said.

Two fidayeens among eight people, including a photojournalist and an army jawan, were killed yesterday in an encounter between militants and security forces at Kaili Mandi in Samba district. (UNI)

Telecom signals roving across border may
halt expansion work

NEW DELHI : Telecom companies in Jammu and Kashmir may have to halt their expansion programmes, as the state police and other security agencies have denied them permission to install antennas near the border until equipment to block the flow of signal across the border was installed.

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and other mobile companies operating in the militancy hit state and neighbouring Punjab have been prohibited from erecting towers along the international border and line of control until they have put in place a mechanism to block or weaken signals from travelling to Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, official sources said.

The Vigilance Telecom Monitoring Cell of Jammu and Kashmir, along with the state police, had tested the signals of BSNL and private companies within the range of 10 km of the LoC and the border and it was found that active signals were drifting across.

A senior state Home Department official said the signals would come in handy for militants operating from across the border and the least police can do is to choke the signals from roving across the border.

In the meantime, a policy is being framed by the Centre regarding installing cell sites or radio transmitters for mobile services falling within 500 metres along the international border and LoC, so that mobile services could be provided to people within 10 km of the border between Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir and Pathankot in Punjab.

Department of Telecom (DoT) has been asked to impose strict conditions on the licensees so that they use the requisite technology to ensure that the signals become unusable within 500 metres of the international border round the clock.

DoT would also put in place a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the service providers in these areas strictly follow the conditions of the license.

"Technical experts from the Intelligence Bureau and Ministry of Defence should also be made part of the monitoring group," a note circulated for consideration of Committee of Secretaries (CoS) said.

The security agencies in the state initiated this move after signals of Pakistani telecom companies were seen travelling into Jammu and Kashmir freely.

"Some of the conversations recorded during our interception showed militants talking on the mobile phones, but it was difficult to get the GRIT reference," a senior police official said.

It was only after some Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter, the mystery ended after activated mobile SIM cards of Pakistani telecom companies were recovered from them in Kupwara in North Kashmir, the official said. (PTI)

Samba encounter does not augur well for
peace in J&K: Abdullah

NEW DELHI : Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today said incidents like Samba encounter, which left six people dead, did not augur well for establishing permanent peace in the State.

"These incidents do not augur well for the state and may hamper a peaceful environment from being established in future," Abdullah said here.

Abdullah was reacting to the yesterday’s incident which saw four civilians and two army jawans killed in an encounter which lasted for nearly 12 hours in Samba area of Jammu region.

The patron of National Conference said that while India should try and prevent such incidents from taking place, Pakistan, on its part, should try and rein in such elements which were against establishment of peace in the sub-continent.

"Talks should be allowed to take place between the two countries on working out a permanent peace in the region and for that, the number of such incidents has to come to down to zero," Abdullah, who has been holding series of meetings ahead of elections later this year, said.

He refused to get involved in a blame-game and said the issue at present was that the State Government as well as the opposition parties should work together in preventing loss of innocent lives in the state.

"Lot of innocent blood has flown. We are not here for playing politics over the dead...We want peace to be the order of the day," he said. (PTI)

Azad hopeful of Pak help to curb infiltration

SRINAGAR, May As the State witnesses infiltration bids from across the border, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said he was concerned over the issue and hoped that the new Government in Pakistan would cooperate with India to resolve it.

"The infiltration of militants from across the border, especially during the past two months, is a concern," Azad told British High Commissioner Sir Richard Stagg at a breakfast meeting here.

He also expressed hope that the new Government in Pakistan would cooperate with India in checking infiltration and taking forward the peace process.

Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Islamabad later this month would give further impetus to the peace process, he said.

The Chief Minister informed stagg that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was almost normal with political activities and development work going on in full swing. He said the past two years had been the best in the State in terms of the number of killings and violent incidents.

He also said that Human Rights Violations had been brought down to a negligible figure while no custodial disappearance had been reported during the last year and the current year in the State. (PTI)