By Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 31: Kashmiri separatist Dr Sayyid Ghulam Nabi Fai, who headed Kashmir American Council (KAC) and was sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Virginia court in the United States yesterday, had been instrumental in funding various terrorist organisations and over ground supporters of the militants in the Kashmir Valley.
According to highly placed police sources here, though Fai had migrated to the United States in eighties, he remained active in Jammu and Kashmir through his agents in separatist organisations, militants outfits and some individuals, who, openly or covertly, espoused the cause of militancy in the Valley.
“The list of beneficiaries of funding from Fai’s KAC were a number of people in Kashmir, ranging from so-called intellectuals to separatists and militant outfits. Police and Intelligence agencies in the State were aware of many such persons, who had been funded by the KAC”, sources said.
They added that list of Fai’s contacts in the State was not confined to Kashmir Valley but there were many supporters of militancy in Jammu region also, who benefitted from KAC Director’s funding and other hospitality. Fai had sponsored visits of many persons from Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi to America and offered them hospitality for several days.
Sources said a number of separatist leaders and militant commanders, arrested from time to time in various parts of the State during past two decades, had named Fai as their sponsor. Police and Intelligence agencies had briefed the Union Government about the disclosures of separatists pertaining to involvement of Fai in fanning militancy in the State.
“A number of prominent separatist leaders were on paid list of Fai. They got huge funds, directly or indirectly at the behest of Fai. A part of this fund was diverted to militants”, they added.
Documents available with security agencies revealed that Delhi Police had picked up an Uttar Pradesh resident, Shahabuddin Gouri, who was linked to Fai and associates, from a Jawahar Lal Nehru University hostel earlier.
Gouri was arrested on the basis of information provided by an alleged terror money courier, Ashfaq Hussain Lone. The case was later handed over to the CBI and Enforcement Directorate.
Investigations had then revealed that Gouri received around Rs 16 lakh from alleged hawala dealer Shambu Dayal on instructions from Fai and his associates. Gouri had handed over the money to Lone, who told investigators he had also spoken to Fai and Jeelani. He claimed that the money came from foreign donors, who wanted to help Kashmiris.
Investigators had also come to know that Gouri had links with militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, whom he had met several times in Pakistan.
Security agencies had information that many of the participants, who were invited for conference in the United States by Fai were also provided money to fund terror in Jammu and Kashmir. Some of the funds were routed through the businessmen in Kashmir.
“There had been inputs that hawala money, in addition to separatists, had been given to Hizbul Mujahideen with the motive to give militancy an `indigenous shape’.
The funds amounted to several crores, sources said, adding the mode of funds diversion was mostly the hawala money generated from Fai’s agents in Saudi Arabia and other countries. In some cases, certain banking transactions had also been detected, sources said.
Arrest of Fai, sources said, has brought into focus the issue of hawala and illegal transfer of money.
“These scourges have not been eradicated for the simple reason that politically and socially influential individuals are involved in it. The Government has to put down its foot and clean sweep the deck. Militancy in Kashmir is fed by hawala, which was well known to all security and Intelligence agencies besides the Union and the State Government”, they added.
Fai, who was arrested in July last from his residence in the outskirts of Washington by the FBI and charged with not declaring income from unknown source and evading tax dues of Internal Revenue Service (IRS), was one of the first three Jamaat-i-Islami students, who had joined hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani’s lessons in a seminary. In mid 80s, he escaped to Pakistan and then to the US with silent support from ISI, sources said.
In fact ISI established and lavishly funded (thanks to Riyadh-based Ar-Rabita) three highly motivated anti-India propaganda centers in the West headed by diehard India bashers of Kashmiri origin, Brussels centre run by Advocate Tramboo, US centre run by Fai and London Centre by Nazir Shawl.
Through high profile seminars, symposia, and conference under the evocative banner line of “Indian atrocities in Kashmir”, Fai had, with the passage of time, roped in a cross section of American gentry that included lawmakers, media persons, social activists, jurists, academia, political activists and policy planners with the sole purpose of misleading them and manipulating their opinion.
Defence counsel had yesterday said in the Virginia court that at least 53 individuals, all beneficiaries of his largesse, had in their letters to the District Judge, urged him to give Fai lighter sentence.
Included among them were Mirwaiz Moulavi Farooq of moderate Hurriyat Conference, Ved Bhasin of Kashmir Times, Prof. Hamida Banoo of Kashmir University, Rajmohan Gandhi and Gautam Navlakha. Obviously all of them and scores more have been the beneficiaries of Fai’s largesse and some of them were invited more than once over the years to the United States for attending seminars.
Worthwhile to mention here that the US Attorney had claimed before the court that separatist Kashmir leader and chairperson of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was “supported and controlled by ISI”.
“The plethora of facts that have come to light in the course of prosecution, and confessions of Fai of having received a hefty sum of 3.5 million US dollars from ISI for manipulating anti-India and pro-Pakistan Kashmir propaganda gave a lie to the much orchestrated `azaadi’ slogan of Kashmir separatists and their acohorts. A dispassionate assessment of these facts revealed that the slogan of `azaadi’ has been a mask behind which a massive campaign for Kashmiris annexation to Pakistan was being planned”, sources said.
They added that Pakistan’s oft-repeated claim of giving only moral and diplomatic support to the separatists in Kashmir has been torn to shreds by its own point-man.
“Who are the beneficiaries of this massive conspiracy against Kashmiris and who the victims are? This question has come up in full force and Kashmir political circles are at a loss to explain to the new generation what the ulterior motive of Pakistan’s “Kashmir cause” can be and who are its victims? By sidetracking the fact that Pakistan and its ISI are the real source of decimation of nearly a hundred thousand Kashmiris (killed, wounded, disappeared or vandalized) separatist leadership has put itself in a desperately mortifying situation. They cannot escape the responsibility of being the source of destruction of life, property and peace in Kashmir”, sources observed.
They pointed out that with the judgment coming from American court of law, Pakistan and ISI both stood exposed in the eyes of international community which, obviously, will have full sympathy with the unsuspecting people of Kashmir for being misled, misguided for six decades in the past and made fodder for the cannons of ISI.
“Separatists and their affiliates, whether in Kashmir or in the country or any other place in the world, all have been stakeholders in the industry called Kashmir issue”, sources said.
However, they were of the view that the serious task that remained to be accomplished was to uproot this perfidy.
“It demands drastic action against those Indian nationals, who have been accomplices in Fai’s criminal conspiracy. The charge against them is that their cooperation, overt or covert, is virtual sedition against the country”, sources said.
In addition, sources said, they have been partners in the abetment of death of thousands of innocent Kashmiris under the rubric of “freedom struggle”. “The State Government has an obligation to mete out justice to the affected families by bringing the abettors of criminal acts in Kashmir to book, and hand out to them exemplary punishment”, sources said.
“Hosting a variety of leading lights from intellectual segments in lavishly arranged seminars, paying them to and fro air tickets and throwing luxurious luncheons and dinners in addition to other motivation, Fai managed to fuel Pakistan’s case for Kashmir, sources said, adding that the usual theme of these exercises was to spread disinformation about legal and constitutional status of India in Kashmir, and give credence to the canard of “human rights violations” by the security forces in the Valley.
In past 20 years, the Federal US agencies had intercepted some 350,000 emails and 90,000 telephone calls of Fai, according to Nina Ginsberg, Fai’s Attorney fighting a District Court of Law in Virginia, USA her client’s case of tax evasion, fraud and seditious activities, as per a news report of the international news agency.
He has also been charged with using American soil for carrying on activities inimical to India.
Prosecution Counsel produced record of Fai having received unaccounted amount of over USD 3.5 million from Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. Functioning under the cover of a fraudulent NGO called KAC, Fai was tirelessly carrying on the anti-India agenda on Kashmir set forth for him by his ISI handlers, sources said.
“Now that the Fai episode has uncovered the true face of `azaadi movement’, the Hurriyat Conference stands established as pro-Pakistan powerhouse generating sedition in the valley. The Government must swung into action and arrest all tainted persons and then prosecute them under the law dealing with treason.
This will immensely encourage peace loving forces in the State. Separatists cannot be allowed to contrive enslavement of Kashmiris under the feigned slogan of azaadi”, sources said.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29: Ruling National Conference three-time MLA from Kupwara, Saifullah Mir today not only addressed JKLF co-founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat as `Saheb’ but also described Trehgam as historical town of Kupwara district for being birth place of Bhat in the Legislative Assembly.
“I’m not ashamed of calling Trehgam as historical town of Kupwara district for twin reasons. First, it was headquarters of Plebiscite Front of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and second, it was birth place of Mohammad Maqbool Bhat Saheb’’, Mr Mir said when quizzed by PDP MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat as to why he had referred Trehgam as historical town.
MLA Domana, Bharat Bushan was lone voice of dissent to the remarks of Saifullah.
Saifullah Mir was speaking on the Appropriation Bill in the Assembly when he referred to Trehgam as historical town.
PDP MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat interrupted Saifullah Mir and wanted to know that there was no historical significance attached to Trehgam as per his knowledge excepting the fact that it was birth town of Maqbool Bhat.
“He (Mr Bhat) might by accepting that I would say no’’, Saifullah said citing his twin reasons for historical significance of Trehgam.
Mohammad Maqbool Bhat was hanged in Tihar jail of New Delhi on February 11, 1984 for killing of security personnel including a Crime Branch Inspector Amar Chand on September 14, 1966. He was found guilty of killings and sentenced to death. He had escaped from Srinagar prison but was captured in Pakistan. His clemency petition was turned down by the then President Giani Zail Singh as JKLF members had on February 6, 1984 murdered Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre in Birmingham, England seeking release of Bhat.

By Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 29: The Government is going to take action against the teachers and the heads of the Government schools which have shown less than 10 per cent result in the Matriculation examination and an inquiry in this regard is being initiated by the Commissioner Secretary Education shortly.
Disclosing this on the floor of the Upper House of J&K Legislature here today, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Nwang Rigzin Jora, while responding on behalf of School Education Minister, today said that Government is certainly going to take action against the schools and its staff who have shown less than 10 percent result in the Matriculation examination recently.
Expressing his displeasure and regret in the House of Elders, on the questions raised by PDP Member Murtaza Ahmed Khan and Syed Rafiq Shah from NPP here today, the minister said despite having highly qualified teachers in the Government schools who are getting good salaries, the result has been very poor. Compared to these schools, the private school teachers whose salary is far less, are giving good result. The private school teachers are afraid of losing their job if they will not perform but the Government teachers perhaps are of the notion that they can be placed under suspension and will get their dues after being reinstated. Lack of monitoring by senior officers and heads of the schools is also one of the reasons behind it. He said the directions have gone to the Commissioner /Secretary Education in this regard. An inquiry is being initiated and action will be taken against the teachers/ officers responsible.
Mr Jora disclosed that forty two (42) Winter Zone schools in Kashmir have shown less than 10 percent result during annual Matriculation Examination in 2011. Out of these total 42 schools, 20 of them have given ‘Zero’ per cent result. The things are not very good in Jammu region. A total 108 winter zone schools in Jammu region have given less than 10% result. Out of these 50 schools are in erstwhile Doda (including Ramban & Kishtwar) and 37 schools in Udhampur district. 15 Schools in Doda and 14 schools in Udhampur districts have produced Zero percent result. Over all , 33 winter zone schools in Jammu region have shown Zero percent result. The data provided by the minister indicated that strength of teachers is very high as compared to number of students in many schools in Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag but these institutions have shown dismal picture.
Murataza Khan while reading the figures and names of schools showing zero percent result, opined that names of concerned Directors (SE) be recommended for ‘Bharat Ratna’ award. He strongly demanded that people responsible for such results deserve punishment.
The schools of Jammu region which have shown Zero percent result were Govt High School Maonie, H S Thalala, GHS Pull Doda, H S Thanala, H S Bun Doda, H S Panjsu, H S Manoo, H S Jagota, H S Gurkha, GHS Kilhotran, H S Lohai, H S Banjal, H S Gahan, H S Saranwan, H S Patimahal, H S Keshwan, H S Thumb Ishtiyari,H S Sigdi, GHS Wandmanhasa, H S Gabbar, H S Bagankote,H S Sanglikote, H S Bassan,H S Dhanore, H S Pattian, HSS Balmatkote, H S Charat, H S Joffar, H S Mada, H S Murothi, H S Sewna, HSS Bashat and H S Pattangarh.
The schools of Kashmir region which have shown Zero per cent result included H S Hardpora, H S Balhama, H S Khahmu, H S Najibhat, BHS Draggar, BHS Kachnambal, HSS Kilam, BHS Lamer, BHS Manigah, BHS Haitarah Karnah, BHSS Batpora Magam, H S Bathnoor, GHS Zaindarmohalla Srinagar, GHS Bagwanpora Srinagar, GHS Goswara Srinagar, BHS Harwan Srinagar, BHS Gassi Mohalla Srinagar, BHS Lal Bazar Srinagar and GHS Shalteng Srinagar.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29: Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone today endorsed demand of some of the MLAs in the Assembly that listing and passing of 14 bills on a single day of Government business on April 4 was not justified.
He was responding to NPP MLA Harshdev Singh and PDP legislator Nizam-ud-Din Bhat’s concern that prime task of the legislators was to make legislation and it wouldn’t be fit to debate and pass 14 bills in just one day.
“The House is called the Legislative Assembly. Our prime task is to make legislation. What kind of justification the legislators would do if the Government asked them to debate and pass 14 bills in one day’’? Harshdev Singh asked.
Nizam-ud-Din Bhat was also of the similar views.
Asserting that he too was of the opinion that more time should be kept for making legislations, the Speaker asked Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather to share concern of the MLAs and come out with the Government response on feelings of the MLAs tomorrow.
Mr Rather without giving a categoric assurance for extending the budget session, which was scheduled to conclude on April 4 (the last day of Government business when 14 bills have been listed for passing) said if some bills were left the House can be extended on that days for one or two sittings.
“There was no problem in extending sittings but a decision can be taken on that day only’’, Mr Rather said.
Nizam-ud-Din Bhat said it would create an uncertainty among the legislators as to whether the bills would be passed on one day or the session would be extended unless the Government first announced more days for passing the bills.
The Speaker asked Mr Rather to take up the matter with his colleagues and take a decision. He said there was no harm if the session was extended for one day.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29 : In a significant direction, the Ethics Committee of the Legislative Assembly has suggested some measures to the legislators to improve their image in the society including putting assets of the legislators on website for information of general public.
Headed by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, MLA Jammu City West, the Committee observed: “it is the responsibility of political parties to prevent persons having criminal record from entering into politics and urged upon them to regulate the conduct of their members. It called for taking concrete measures for minimizing the role of money in the elections. The Committee submitted its report today in which it asked the legislators to develop moral values and decency to improve their image.
It laid stress on improving the image of politicians as some of them were implicated/involved in the corruption charges, which tarnish their image in the society as a whole.
The Ethics Committee stated that since Legislature was an important pillar of system “it was duty of every legislator to show transparency in their working”.
Asking the members to develop moral values, the Committee observed that morality or ethnics obviously starts from the school level.
“The morning prayers was one of such norm which boosts ethics in the schools which has been ignored nowadays and the children being the future representatives of the country could guide the society in a better way”, the Committee said.
It suggested election reforms to check criminalization of politics. It called for putting assets of the legislators on website for information of the general public.
The Committee also suggested that members should declare their assets, liabilities and those of their family members and put them in public view on website.
The Ethics Committee of the Assembly comprised 13 members of all political parties. The Ethics Committee is headed by Chaman Lal Gupta, who was expelled from the BJP on the charges of cross voting during the Legislative Council elections held on April 13 last year.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Public Accounts of the Assembly has observed that the Social Welfare Department has failed to implement properly the schemes formulated to provide nutrition to the children belonging to the poor families.
In its report tabled on the floor of the Assembly, the Committee pointed out that despite releasing less then projected allocation, the Department could not utilize/spend even the same which proved its inefficiency and the responsible officers should be taken to task.
The report mentioned that the Committee had asked Directors Social Welfare-both from Jammu and Kashmir regions, to appraise it about the total number of Anganwari Centres, allocation and expenditure on the nutrition but they could not provide the proper figures before the Committee.
Taking cognizance, the Committee observed that though the government was not in a position to provide the projected allocation due to certain reasons yet the released amount could not be spent by the Department resulting thereby in lapse of huge amount in every financial year since 2008-09.
“Such a tendency deprives the deserving poor children from the nutrition”, the Committee observed and added that Director Social Welfare Kashmir, has, however, told the Committee that balance amount has been sent to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) concerned for revalidation. The Committee has also directed the Department to furnish the breakup of the funds sent for revalidation to the DCs in the next meeting.
The Committee observed that it was prime responsibility of the Department to suggest ways and means for utilization of available funds and address the difficulties they are facing on this account.
Regarding 1700 cases of Anganwari workers pending disposal in the court of law, as stated by the department, the Committee directed the officers concerned to apprise the modus operandi adopted by them to settle these cases and to furnish the breakup of the cases along with the amount spent on litigation as of now.
It was also stated in the report that the Department could not satisfy the Committee regarding the item wise questionnaire sent by the Assembly Secretariat.

NEW DELHI, Mar 29:
The war of attrition between the Army Chief and Government showed no signs of abating with Gen V K Singh describing as “high treason” the leak of his letter on defence preparedness and the Government promising that those responsible would be given “maximum punishment”.
As Gen Singh’s March 12 letter to Prime Minister in which he had complained about lack of defence preparedness continued to generate controversy, he issued a strongly worded statement in which he said the source of leak should be dealt with “ruthlessly”.
In a brief statement released by Army Headquarters, Gen Singh, who is currently in Jammu and Kashmir, said his official communication with the Prime Minister and Defence Minister is “privileged” communication.
“The leakage of the letter should be treated as high treason. Cynical approach to tarnish my reputation should stop. Sources of the leakage should be found and dealt with ruthlessly,” said Singh, who is due to retire on May 31.
At a press conference in Delhi, Defence Minister A K Antony vowed to take the “strongest action” under laws against those responsible for the leak of Gen Singh’s letter to the Prime Minister.
He disclosed that the Intelligence Bureau has been asked to go into the leak of the letter and said the Government will get to the root of it and find out the persons behind the “anti-national” act.
Maintaining that no patriotic Indian would indulge in leak of sensitive communication because it would only help the enemies, Antony said the report will be available at the earliest.
“I assure you that we will not leave it there. We will make every possible attempt to find out the real culprits who have done this anti-national activity and they will be given the maximum punishment under the Indian Penal Code,” he said.
Asked whether Government would take action on demands for removal of Gen Singh, the Minister said, “all the three service chiefs still enjoy the confidence of the Government. They are working…Otherwise, how can they continue”.
He was asked whether Gen Singh still enjoyed the Government’s pleasure and confidence and whether the government would continue to “grin and bear” him till retirement in May or ask him to go on leave following a spate of controversies surrounding him.
The Minister’s remarks on the confidence in the service chiefs came moments after a statement issued by Gen Singh from Jammu that the leak of his letter should be treated as “high treason” and its source should be dealt with “ruthlessly”.
Ever since he lost the battle over the age issue, Gen Singh has been at loggerheads with the Government and has given media interviews claiming he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore to swing a substandard defence deal.
On top of acrimony over the issue, the leak of his secret letter to the Prime Minister enraged parliamentarians and political parties, some of whom demanded his removal.
Today, in yet another embarrassment to the Government, a Delhi newspaper carried a story that Gen Singh has referred to the CBI a corruption complaint of a Trinamool Congress MP against Lieutenant General Dalbir Singh Suhag, who commands the Dimpaur-based 3 Corps and is in line to be Army Chief after Singh’s successor.
Initially Antony sought to parry questions on the controversies surrounding the Army chief urging journalists not to bring Army into all controversies and damage institutions.
Asked if he felt a sense of betrayal, Antony said he would not reveal his personal feelings and his judgements would be on the basis on facts. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah tomorrow afternoon, is likely to accord approval to the infusion of Rs 203 crore in two cooperative banks to bail them out of financial crisis, which is imperative to obtain license from the Reserve Bank of India.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that due to mismanagement in terms of manpower planning, indiscriminate branch opening resulting in increased establishment expenses without corresponding increase in business operations, poor recovery, the Jammu Central Cooperative Bank (JCCB) is suffering loss of Rs 120 crore and Anantnag Cooperative Bank Rs 77 crore.
“While the JCCB is suffering 10.88 per cent erosion of deposits, the Anantnag Cooperative Bank is having erosion of 45.93 per cent”, sources said, adding “these banks can never manage their own share as the scenario of further losses continues even now”.
“Keeping in view the prevailing situation in these banks and all other aspects, the Cooperative Department is seeking the approval of the Cabinet for infusion of Rs 203 crore so as to meet the requirement of getting the license for these banks from the Reserve Bank of India, which has been made mandatory”, sources said.
They informed that Cabinet will also accord approval to approach the Reserve Bank of India for granting a time of one year to work upon a road map and for meeting the requirement of Rs 203.09 crore from a combination of plan/ non-plan resources, market borrowing and other avenues including institutional financing in case the prescribed amount is not readily made available.
It will also consider and take decision regarding roping in Advocate General/ Vigilance Commissioner and professionals of RBI/NABARD for protecting these institutions from litigation and focus on future working, probe into periodical mismanagement, misappropriation, involvement and role of the department up to Apex Level, sources said.
Sources informed that Cabinet will also consider the proposal of the Home Department regarding amendment in the Code of Criminal Procedure. “If approved, the Home Department will place an amendment bill in the ongoing session of the State Legislature for its nod”, sources said.
They said that the amendments in the Code of Criminal Procedure are being affected keeping in view the directions of the Supreme Court issued vide Order dated February 11, 2011 in the case titled Laxmi versus Union of India.
The Cabinet will also consider the proposals regarding the transfer of forest land for non-forestry purposes. Sources didn’t rule out the possibility of minor changes in the civil administration.