 |
Monday,
November 5, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
|
Army
rescues 37 labourers buried under snow PCC chief
Qureshi on the way out? Kashmiris
hail ban Install
all-party govt in J&K: Bhim Singh |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Army rescues 37 labourers buried under snow Srinagar, November 4 The sources said the operation to rescue the labourers was launched soon after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which maintains the 434-km long highway, informed the Army about the mishap early today. The Army immediately pressed helicopters into service and moved its men to help the BRO to rescue the trapped labourers, the sources added. Despite the closure of the road, the only road linking Ladakh with Kashmir, following seasons first heavy snowfall yesterday, the labourers stranded at Gumri started proceeding towards Sonamarg. However, they were trapped under a huge snow avalanche while crossing the 3472-m high Zojila Pass, which reportedly had about 8 feet of snow, they said. Three labourers who escaped the avalanche informed the Beacon officials about the accident, who promptly rushed the rescue teams and informed the Army to get assistance to save the labourers from the jaws of death, the sources said. The rescued labourers were shifted to hospital, the sources said, adding that the condition of some of them was reported to be “serious’’ and were undergoing treatment at the Army base hospital here. Abdul Rashid
Chaya, who was among the labourers, said he was ahead of others when a huge avalanche struck the group of labourers and trapped them.
PTI |
|
Army provides relief to stranded soldiers Jammu, November 4 According to a communique here, 37 Army and 187 civil trucks have been stuck up there since yesterday due to the snowfall. Besides the choppers, snow vehicles, all terrain vehicles, snow-cutters and the bulldozers of the Border Roads Organisation were relentlessly working to clear the road. Sleeping bags, snow boots, hot food and medical assistance were being air-lifted for them, the communique added. The Army authorities expect to clear the pass soon.
UNI |
|
PCC chief Qureshi on the way
out? Jammu, November 4 A senior party leader, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, had a series of meetings with several AICC leaders in Delhi, where he was summoned two days ago. The dissidents met here yesterday, and discussed Mangat Ram Sharma’s report in which he had stated that the AICC leadership was not ready to change the PCC President, and as such “we should go slow with the programme of submitting resignation to form a new organisation. However, the dissidents are adamant. It has been decided to go ahead with a separate party convention here on November 6. This would be followed by sending a high-level delegation to meet Ms Sonia Gandhi to make a last minute effort to avoid a split in the party. Reports said Mr Mangat Ram Sharma had been summoned to Delhi after a special team of AICC leaders comprising Mr Buta Singh, Mr Naval Kishore Sharma and Mr Avtar Singh Badana had decided that the dissidents should go slow and avoid any split. At one stage Mr Buta Singh had suggested to the dissidents that a working president from the Jammu region could be installed and the majority of the anti-Qureshi leaders could be nominated to the PCC. The dissidents had rejected the proposal on the plea that their’s was a one-point programme of seeing Mr Qureshi removed from the post. Several leaders from the Kashmir valley, including Peer Zada Mohammed Syed, had a meeting with some senior dissident leaders in Jammu yesterday and they decided to go ahead with the programme of forming a separate party in case Mr Qureshi was not replaced. However, the final decision has been left to the party leaders attending the convention here on November 6 and to the meeting senior leaders will have with Ms Gandhi and other AICC leaders. The dissidents are no doubt backed by Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, but this time he seems to have become a helpless spectator following his fears that in case he pressed for Mr Qureshi’s ouster he may be asked to head the PCC in Jammu and Kashmir. Reports said Mr Azad had advised the dissidents not to precipitate the matters and wait for more time to allow the AICC leadership to take suitable action. For the time being the dissidents have even decided to form a new organisation under the nomenclature of Jammu Kashmir Congress in case the party high command refused to concede to the demand of changing Mr Qureshi. These reports said since the party leaders got a hint that Ms Sonia Gandhi was not in a mood to install some other leader in place of Mr Qureshi they have decided to be fence sitters. Some of them have even refused to participate in the party convention here on November 6. |
|
Kashmiris hail ban Srinagar, November 4 Kashmiris have long resented the newly proscribed Lashker-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad for attacks that have escalated the civilian casualties and given a new dimension to terrorist violence in the Himalayan state. The two outfits are known to carry out suicide attacks and take over mosques, provoking retaliation by the Indian troops, stoking silent anger by a public that is hungry for peace after 12 years of militancy. The U.S. move, part of its global war against terrorism, will lead to a freeze on the assets of these groups by U.S. financial institutions. The ban is expected to put pressure on these groups to minimise operations in the state. These groups have been criticised by the separatist leaders like Mr Abdul Ghani Lone for making Kashmir the springboard of their terrorist activities and hijacking the indigenous separatist movement in the state. “Let’s be frank. People in Kashmir are not willing to become sacrificial goats and for them everything comes next only to peace,” a senior separatist leader told the IANS. “Kashmiris know while they can prevail upon indigenous groups, that is not the case with the foreign groups.” It is well known that both Jaish and Lashker are based in Pakistan and most of their members are Afghans and Pakistanis. India accuses Pakistan of aiding and abetting militancy in Kashmir that has claimed 30,000 lives. The two neighbours have in fact fought three wars in the last 54 years over Kashmir. Despite little sympathy for the U.S.-led air strikes against Afghanistan, Kashmiris therefore appreciate the ban on Lashker and Jaish, which was blamed for the October 1 attack in Srinagar that claimed 38 lives. Kashmiris cannot help but remember that such a ban on the terrorist group Harkat-ul-Ansar — now known as Harkat-ul-Mujahideen — in 1997 had virtually made it non-functional in Kashmir. “Let’s see what happens. I am not very sure, but it should have some impact and we should be able to assert ourselves,” the separatist leader said.
IANS |
|
Install
all-party govt in J&K: Bhim Singh Jammu, November 4 The demand was contained in a resolution adopted at a party convention at Batote in Doda district today. The resolution said since the National Conference regime has failed to deliver the goods during the past five years it was necessary for the Governor to “dismiss” the Farooq Abdullah-led government and install an all-party rule in the interest of the security and integrity of the state. Through another resolution the Panthers Party wanted all states to reject POTO, which, it said was a “fascist ordinance and violated the basic spirit and structure of Constitution.” It demanded immediate repeal of the ordinance. While expressing concern over the continued turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, the Panthers Party adopted a resolution urging the All-Party Hurriyat conference to realise the changing global scenario after the September 11 terrorist strike in the USA and the Assembly complex in Srinagar on October 1 and join the national mainstream. The resolution also urged the APHC to participate in the next assembly elections to facilitate the return of a truly representative government in the state, which alone could ensure normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution condemned the US bombing of Afghanistan. Through another resolution the Panthers Party demanded the implementation of the Wazir Commission recommendations by carving out separate districts of Kishtwar and Ramban from Doda district, disarming of civilians in the state and moratorium on recruitment of surrendered militants in the security forces in the interest of the state’s security. The resolution further demanded free ration and other facilities to migrants from border areas of the Jammu region, devolution of financial and political power to the panchayats and filling of all vacant posts of teacher in the state. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
