Sept 4 poll in Ladakh, message to Pak
JAMMU, July 13 — Poll schedule announced by the Election Commission has included Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency, of which Kargil district is a part, for polling in the first phase on September 4 has clearly indicated that the Government of India is of the opinion that by August 18, the last date for the filing of nominations the situation in the troubled mountain Kargil - Dras belt would be normal.

Jammu Srinagar

Drive to check timber smuggling
SRINAGAR, July 13 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has launched a drive to retrieve the forest area from encroachers and to effectively check timber smuggling in the state.

Sept 4 poll in Ladakh, message to Pak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 13 — Poll schedule announced by the Election Commission has included Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency, of which Kargil district is a part, for polling in the first phase on September 4 has clearly indicated that the Government of India is of the opinion that by August 18, the last date for the filing of nominations the situation in the troubled mountain Kargil - Dras belt would be normal.

There was no bar on the Election Commission to fix either September 17 or October 1 as the day of polling in Ladakh but by including the troubled Kargil district of Ladakh constituency in the first phase of polling the Government of India wanted to convey to Pakistan that it had won the battle of the gun and was ready for the battle of the ballot.

Official sources said that holding poll in three phases in six constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir has been decided in view of the shortage of security personnel. Even though expectations are that peace may return to the Kargil - Dras belt by the time political parties start pre-poll campaign the government cannot afford to withdraw its troops from the border. These additional 58 battalions of troops had been sent to various sectors to meet the Pakistani threat. And as such the state government has to bank on the police and paramilitary forces for ensuring an incident-free polling and pre-poll campaign.

The election campaign has again followed the procedure it had adopted in 1996 and 1998 Lok Sabha elections. During these two occasions the polling in six constituencies had been conducted in three phases with two constituencies going to the polls in one phase. However, the commission has changed the grouping of the constituencies in each phase. In 1996 polling in Jammu and Ladakh constituencies took place on May 7 which was followed by Baramula and Anantnag on May 23 and Udhampur and Srinagar on May 30. In 1988 Udhampur, Anantnag and Baramula had gone to the polls on March 7, Srinagar on February 26, Jammu on February 16. In Ladakh polling was held on June 21 because under heavy snow and critic conditions polling could not be held between February and March 1998.

The Election Commission has changed the grouping of the constituencies and has clubbed Srinagar and Ladakh for September 4 polling. The voting is to take place in Udhampur and Jammu on September 11 and that in Baramula and Anantnag on September 17. The security experts have appreciated the poll schedule for six Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir on the plea that the commission has taken care of the contiguity of the constituencies. They explain that since Jammu and Udhampur are two contiguous constituencies it would be easy for the government to move security forces from the Kashmir valley to the Jammu region for ensuring free and fair elections. Similarly it would not be very difficult for the security personnel to move from Jammu to Anantnag and from Srinagar to Baramula four to six days before the polling days.

Official sources said that the Centre has been informed about Pakistan's fresh designs on destabilising peace in Jammu and Kashmir. The sources, basing their assessment on the reports received from across the border, said that the Pakistani agencies have prepared a major plan of kicking up subversive violence within Jammu and Kashmir to avenge the defeat of the Pakistani troops and infiltrators in the Kargil—Dras belt.

Under the plan fresh batches of foreign mercenaries and Pakistan trained militants have already been sent into Jammu and Kashmir. They have been directed to lie low till more groups enter the state and highly sophisticated and deadly weapons were installed at sensitive places. One report said that the entire belt between Kupwara and Bandipora has been targeted for subversive violence. The militants have been asked to attack the police and other security convoys and pickets and destroy vital government and defence installations after snapping supply lines.

The report said that today's surprise attack on the BSF headquarters in Bandipora in which one DIG, one Deputy Commandant and two jawans were killed and several taken as hostages was part of the latest Pakistan plan. Such attacks may be multiplied by the suicide squads Pakistani agencies have pushed into Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistan plan also envisages moves to wreck the ensuing Lok Sabha poll so as to demonstrate to the world that people were not in favour of elections but were for a plebiscite. It is in this context that the state government has sought additional battalions of central forces so that people, rather the voters, were not discouraged in participating in pre-poll campaign and polling.

Martyrs' Day marred by strike,
lathi charge

SRINAGAR, July 13 (PTI) — Martyrs’ Day being observed in memory of those who fell to the bullets of Maharaja’s troops on this day in 1931 outside the Central Jail was marred by a complete shutdown, lathi charge and teargassing by the police on processions here today.

Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) leader Shabir Ahmad Shah with six of his colleagues was taken into ‘’preventive custody’’ by the police when he tried to lead a procession from JKDFP office at Rajbagh in uptown Srinagar. Mr Shah and his colleagues were lodged in Rajbagh police station, official sources said.

The sources said the police fired teargas shells and used lathis to disperse a procession sponsored by the JKDFP heading for Khawja bazaar, the martyrs greveyard, at Bohrikadal in downtown Srinagar, where seven processionists were taken into custody.

While the Hurriyat Conference called for a general strike to rededicate itself to the goals set by the 1931 martyrs whose mission, it says, is being carried on by the people, the ruling National Conference is observing this day to renew its pledge of building a ‘’Naya Kashmir’’.

The Awami Action Committee headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq in a shift from its traditional practice this time has decided not to take out a procession and has instead urged its cadres to assemble at the Mirwaiz Manzil for memorial service.

UNI: Shops and business establishments shut down in the Kashmir valley today following a bandh called by the all-party Kashmir Hurriyat Conference (APKHC) in memory of 22 persons killed in police firing while protesting against the Dogra rule outside the Central Jail this day in 1931, observed as Martyrs Day.

Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and his Cabinet colleagues visited the martyrs grave in down town and offered floral tributes.

In a message, Dr Abdullah said his government would steer the state out of the present morass to peace and normalcy.

He said the people of the state would always remain indebted to the martyrs and their sacrifices would continue to guide the future generations.

Drive to check timber smuggling

SRINAGAR, July 13 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has launched a drive to retrieve the forest area from encroachers and to effectively check timber smuggling in the state.

Forest and Environment Minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan today told reporters that 8,000 hectares of forest land had been reclaimed from encroachers and many timber smugglers had been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

Another 400 cases had been registered with the police against those involved in timber smuggling, he said, adding 1.50 lakh CFT of timber had been confiscated in the past two years.

The minister said as many as 512 mills operating within an 8-km radius of the forest area in the state had been dismantled and a blanket ban had been imposed on the movement of timber from one division to another.

He said these measures had helped check smuggling to a large extent, but the problem could not be tackled fully unless timber and firewood requirements of the people living in the peripheries of forests were met.

In this connection, he said, the Forest Department made available about 11.50 lakh CFT of timber from October 1996 to March 1999 besides providing 65,000 quintals of firewood.

Mr Ramzan said so far 400 personnel had been selected for the Forest Protection Force and they were being trained to handle sophisticated weapons to counter timber smugglers.

The minister said Rs 105 crore was being spent for setting up this force in five years' time.

The minister reiterated the government's commitment for the preservation of biodiversity and providing pollution-free environment to the citizens of the state.

He said the state Pollution Control Board was being given more teeth to deal with the ever-increasing level of pollution in the state.

The population of the world famous hangul, which had shown a declining trend in the early '90s, had increased considerably following concerted efforts by the Wildlife Protection Department, the minister said.

Shabir asks India, Pak to resolve Kashmir issue

SRINAGAR, July 13 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) President Shabir Ahmad Shah yesterday appealed to the leadership and intellectuals of India and Pakistan as well as the "fighting Mujahideen" to assist in efforts being made "at the international level" to resolve the Kashmir issue through negotiation.

"Solution of the Kashmir problem cannot be found in the battle field but through negotiations across the table. Hence I appeal to all concerned to lend a helping hand in the effort going on at the diplomatic level internationally to resolve the Kashmir issue," Mr Shah said in a statement here.

Referring to the intrusion of Pakistan-backed infiltrators in Kargil, he claimed that due to "successful activities of Mujahideen" the Kashmir issue became a focus of international community and meaningful diplomatic efforts had begun to resolve it.

The success of these efforts depends on the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan and the super powers of the world, he said.

"If the issue is resolved through these efforts, there is no doubt why people of the sub-continent in general and Mujahideen-e-Azadi in particular cannot extend their helping hand in the efforts," he said.

Writers protest against policies of Radio Kashmir
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, July 13 — Leading Gojri, Pahari and Punjabi writers, poets and artists of Kashmir valley have strongly protested against the anti-Gojri, Pahari and Punjabi policies of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar.

This group of intellectuals which met at Srinagar yesterday, expressed their deep concern over the low standard of the programmes broadcast from the station. They also alleged that the Station Director had adopted a biased attitude towards these languages and very less attention was being given towards these languages in this station.

Speaking at the occasion, Choudhary A R Inqalab, member, the Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar Bakerwal Welfare Association, Srinagar alleged that the staff appointed for Gojri, Pahari and Punjabi sections were feeding other programmes of the station and matriculate casual announcers were producing the programmes in these languages. This, he said, was clearly being reflected through the quality of the programmes.

Mr Joginder Pal Singh, Azad, a leading Punjabi writer of Kashmir valley criticised the change in time of Punjabi programme from 1.30 p.m. to 2.10 in the afternoon. The station Director of Radio Kashmir Srinagar, Mr Fayyas Sheheryar, has already facing a stiff opposition and criticism from the Sikh community and other Punjabis living in Kasmir valley, who form just two per cent of the total population of valley, for reducing the time of Punjabi programme from 30 minutes to just 20 minutes. The timings of the programme has also been shifted to afternoon when most of them are not able to listen to the programme.