J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Army help sought to ensure peace on Republic Day
Jammu, January 9
The state government has sought assistance from the Army and paramilitary forces for ensuring incident-free Republic Day celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir. According to senior government functionaries, the security grid was being strengthened in areas, inhabited by foreign mercenaries, by the Army and men of the paramilitary forces.

Centre urged to safeguard status of Aligarh varsity
Jammu, January 9
Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, senior leader of the National Conference and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, has urged the Centre to take steps to safeguard and strengthen the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University so that the feelings of the community were not hurt.

HM commander among 4 killed in J & K
Srinagar, January 9
A commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen was among four persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir overnight, official spokesman said today. He said security forces killed an HM battalion commander in an encounter at Achabal in South Kashmir district of Anantnag today.

Two Army men shot by colleague
Srinagar, January 9
Two Army personnel were shot dead by their senior colleague inside a camp in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said today.

Cop dies as tent catches fire
Jammu, January 9
A police constable was charred to death when the tent he was sleeping in caught fire in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today.

Children return after ‘watan ki sair’
Srinagar, January 9
A group of 30 children, including 13 girls, returned after an 18-day educational tour sponsored by the Army under Operation Sadhbhavana here today, a defence spokesman said.

Army help sought to ensure peace on Republic Day
M.L. Kak

Jammu, January 9
The state government has sought assistance from the Army and paramilitary forces for ensuring incident-free Republic Day celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to senior government functionaries, the security grid was being strengthened in areas, inhabited by foreign mercenaries, by the Army and men of the paramilitary forces.

A senior police officer said while search operations have been launched for sanitising sensitive areas in the Kashmir valley, surveillance has been stepped up in Jammu city, where the main Republic Day function was to be held, following reports that activists of Lashkar-i-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen had carved out hideouts.

While the police and intelligence agencies claim that groups of militants, unarmed, had been spotted in Jammu, they were not arrested because the police preferred to smash the rebel module. “We do not want to make these militants aware of our plan and hence our men kept a constant watch on the movement of militants so that section could be initiated at a proper time,” the police said.

Another senior police officer said “our focus is on sanitising sports stadii, where functions are to be held, against IKDs and mines. And in this connection sniffer dogs besides metal detectors have been pressed into service for keeping the venues for the functions safe against any rebel mischief.

Senior Army and BSF functionaries do not find any problem for the troops while celebrating Republic Day in the border areas in the state. One officer said till two years ago “we would restrict the duration of the celebrations owing to the hostile activities by the Pakistani troops who used to resort to heavy but intermittent firing on our pickets and posts.” He said with the enforcement of the ceasefire on the ICC there has been no problem for “our jawans busy in celebrating national festivals.”

The Republic Day celebrations would be a litmus test for Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad who took over as the state’s Chief Minister on November 2. Incident free celebrations would be another feather in his cap and in case something went wrong he would be held, by his critics, responsible for pursuing wrong policies.

Centre urged to safeguard status of Aligarh varsity
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 9
Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, senior leader of the National Conference (NC) and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, has urged the Centre to take steps to safeguard and strengthen the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) so that the feelings of the community were not hurt.

In a statement here today, Mr Rather expressed concern over the situation developing about the minority status of the AMU.

He appealed to the centre to deal with this sensitive and emotive issue with utmost care and caution and take timely measures to prevent the situation from taking a bad turn.

He said the premier education institution was the first minority university established way back in 1920. Its minority character was determined by its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan himself.

The Constitution of the country recognised the right of the minorities to establish and foster their educational and cultural institutions for satisfying their aspirations and sentiments.

Mr Rather said it went to the eternal credit of this alma mater that it had provided great vision and enlightenment to the Muslims as also a large number of others, irrespective of caste, creed and colour in political, academic and cultural fields.

Jammu and Kashmir had also been a leading beneficiary of this great institution during the past more than 75 years as almost its entire leadership in political and intellectual fields emerged from the AMU, he added.

HM commander among 4 killed in J & K

Srinagar, January 9
A commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) was among four persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir overnight, official spokesman said today.

He said security forces killed an HM battalion commander in an encounter at Achabal in South Kashmir district of Anantnag today.

The encounter ensued after a search party was attacked by militants.

One AK rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant.

A Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HuJI) tehsil commander was killed by security forces in a gunbattle at Bhatpura near Chhatru in Doda district.

Police sources said troops were conducting investigation at Bhatpura yesterday when militants fired at them.

In the exchange of fire lasting over an hour, the troops shot dead one militant while the others managed to escape, the sources added.

The slain militant was identified as Irshad Ahmad Bhat. One AK rifle, one magazine and five rounds were recovered from him.

The spokesman said militants kidnapped and later killed one Muzaffar Ahmad Ganai at Noorpora Tral in Pulwama district today.

One Mohammad Ramzan Magray, who was injured in a grenade blast at Tangmarg on November 15, died in the hospital last night. — UNI

Two Army men shot by colleague

Srinagar, January 9
Two Army personnel were shot dead by their senior colleague inside a camp in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said today.

Lance Naik Abdesh Kumar of 55 Rashtriya Rifles shot dead Sepoys Gurmail Singh and Kukander Singh after a heated argument over some issue inside their camp at Kakapora village yesterday, the sources said.

Quoting the FIR lodged by the unit in the local police station today, the sources said Kumar used his service rifle to kill his colleagues.

He was overpowered soon after and taken in custody.

However, the reason behind the scuffle between the jawans was not known immediately, the sources said. — PTI

Cop dies as tent catches fire

Jammu, January 9
A police constable was charred to death when the tent he was sleeping in caught fire in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today.

Darshan Lal & two others were sleeping in tent at Gram Morh police post in Reasi tehsil last night after completing their duty when it caught fire, they said. While two others escaped, Darshan Lal was caught in the fire and received 90 per cent burn injuries, they said, adding he was admitted to the GMC Hospital where he died this morning. — PTI

Children return after ‘watan ki sair’

Srinagar, January 9
A group of 30 children, including 13 girls, returned after an 18-day educational tour sponsored by the Army under Operation Sadhbhavana here today, a defence spokesman said.

The children from North Kashmir were sent on “watan ki sair” (tour of the nation) by the headquarters of the counter-insurgency Kilo Force on behalf of 15 Corps, the spokesman said.

Accompanied by two teachers, the children interacted with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, enjoyed a joy ride in the metro rail and visited historical places during the trip, the spokesman said.

At Agra, the children visited Taj Mahal and witnessed parachute jumps organised by the Parachute Brigade, the spokesman said.

They also went to Fatehpur Sikri en route to Jaipur where they had a look at the famous Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and Amer Fort. — PTI