15 hurt as police, Mirwaiz men clash
SRINAGAR, April 20 — At least 15 persons were injured when the police fired in the air and resorted to a lathi charge to divert a procession of the supporters of Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq here this afternoon.

Soz may join secular party
From Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 20 — The former Union Minister, Prof Saaifuddin Soz is expected to join a national-level "secular party" following his expulsion from the National Conference.

"I have offers from many parties which have a secular space. I will consult top leaders of these parties before taking any decision", Prof Soz told TNS." The offers have come from the Congress, the CPM, the CPI, the Lok Tantrik Morcha, and the Janata Dal and "I feel stronger today", Prof Soz said a day after he was expelled from the National Conference.

It can either be the Congress or any party with a more secular space", he added.

He held that the former Prime Minister, Mr V.P. Singh, who is undergoing treatment in London, had conveyed that in case of an election he would "personally campaign" in the constituency wherefrom Prof Soz contested. It was conveyed to him by Mr Washim Ahmad, general secretary, Janata Dal, after Mr V.P. Singh failed to get in touch with Prof Soz personally yesterday, he said.

Prof Soz's decision not to support the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre had been conveyed to the National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and other colleagues in its working committee meeting held in Jammu a day before the confidence vote. The meeting was held to decide on the approach f its three Lok Sabha members on the confidence motion by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The National Conference president and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, accompanied by Mr Soz reached here hours after the meeting, to attend a function to mark the first death anniversary of Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki, a poet scholar. While the Chief Minister justified his party's decision to vote for the BJP-led government, Prof Soz did not disclose his difference of opinion with the party leadership. He made it public after voting against the BJP-led government on Saturday.

"I was convinced that it would not be in the interest of the party to vote for the BJP", Prof Soz said. He criticised the Chief Minister's approach towards the BJP-led government for its connections with communal groups. Prof Soz said he had been conveying to the party chief ever since the last elections that people of Kashmir had not given their mandate to the party to support a communal party like the BJP and its allies at the Centre.

Prof Soz had expressed his willingness to abstain from the voting. "But he (Chief Minister was not listening to anything", Prof Soz commented. "Does he feel that all people in Jammu and Kashmir are with him?", he questioned. "I have joined a bigger party i.e. the people of Kashmir", Prof Soz clamoured.

The National Conference members from Jammu and Kashmir include Umar Abdullah, president Youth National Conference and son of the party president, Farooq Abdullah, from Srinagar, Prof Saifuddin Soz from Baramulla and Agha Syed Hussain from the Ladakh constituency.

The NC members abstained from voting in the Lok Sabha in March last year that led to the formation of the BJP-led government headed by Mr Vajpayee. Inspite of the Chief Minister's assertions in support of Vajpayee government, the Centre failed to provide adequate financial assistance to the state. The state budget targeted at mobilising Rs 565 crore invited widespread criticism from the people of the state for being "anti-people" in the already financially constrained state. The Finance Minister in his speech on the budget stated that it had to be heavy on the people for the Centre did not extend financial assistance due to it.

Meanwhile, National Conference leadership is approaching the Lok Sabha Speaker to disqualify Prof Soz from representing the Baramulla constituency as he has violated the party whip. "Nobody is above the party", National Conference spokesman and minister, Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah said. As Mr Farooq Abdullah is going abroad for a month senior most leader and minister, Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah has been entrusted with the leadership of the party.

Prof Soz was elected to the Lok Sabha from his home constituency of Baramulla three times after he relinquished a government job. In between Ghulam Rasool Kar of the Congress was elected in 1996 when the NC did not participate in the elections. Prop Soz was elected to the Rajya Sabha and became Forest and Environment Minister under HD Deve Gowda's leadership.

The decision of Prof Soz to vote against the BJP-led coalition government has been welcomed in the valley in general. However, the decision has cost him expulsion from the National Conference for ever. He is the third person to have been expelled in the past two decades. Lata Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beigh was the first to have been expelled from the party in 1978. He had been a close associate of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah for nearly 46 years. Later in 1979, a former Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Malik Mohiuddin was expelled for joining the Beigh camp.

Radio Kashmir to counter propaganda
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, April 20 — Radio Kashmir Jammu has adopted a new strategy to counter propaganda by Pakistani media from across the border in the state, especially in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.

The Station Director, Dr Ashok Jerath, said with both the countries trying to come closer and maintain peaceful relations the station had started airing programmes related to the rich culture of the subcontinent. In this series, eminent persons from the state have been reminiscing about Jammu as it was before the partition.

He said a new programme entitled "Shubhprabhat", being aired daily at 7.25 a.m., had been an instant hit with people of Jammu region, especially those living in the remote areas of the state. The programme not only brings the latest news to the people of these remote border districts but is also an attempt to counter Pakistan's vicious propaganda.

Dr Jerath said the station lay emphasis on communication-oriented approach so that the innocent people in the hilly areas of Jammu got the true picture and were not swayed by Pak-propaganda.

Other programmes, which counter Pakistan propaganda very effectively, are "Waqt ki Baat" — a 15 minute duration counter-commentary which speaks about the latest happenings and developments in the region and counters Pak-propaganda in an aggressive tone, a Punjabi programme which uses conversational format in a lighter vein and a dial-in programme.

Dr Jerath claims that the Radio Kashmir Jammu has wide audience in west Pakistan due to Punjabi and Dogri speaking population there. He said the station was preparing some more programmes which would effectively counter Pak propaganda in the near future.

15 hurt as police, Mirwaiz men clash
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 20 — At least 15 persons were injured when the police fired in the air and resorted to a lathi charge to divert a procession of the supporters of Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq here this afternoon. Thousands of activists of the awami action committee (AAC) comprised a welcome procession to receive the former chairman of the APHC and leader of the AAC after performing the Haj at the airport.

The supporters were carrying party flags and raising religious slogans to receive the AAC leader at the airport. Large queues of vehicles were seen near the airport as the Mirwaiz arrived.

The trouble started at the Naaz Crossing here when the police tried to prevent the processionists from taking the Lal Chowk route. The processionists did not heed to the instructions of the police to take an alternative route bypassing the Lal Chowk. Activists of the APHC and the police exchanged brickbats.

When the demonstrators became unruly the police resorted to a lathi charge. However, this failed to control people from taking the route passing through the Exhibition Crossing to reach the Lal Chowk. The police then resorted to firing in the air to control the processionists and prevent them from blocking traffic. The procession was later diverted via the Zero Bridge.

The Mirwaiz had left for the Haj early last month.