The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, December 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

J A M M U & K A S H M I R

Tehsildar shot, 15 hurt in Kashmir
Jammu, December 17
Though militants were busy celebrating Id, a group of them killed the Tehsildar of Ganderbal, Ghulam Rasool Qadri, at Wandhama today. Mr Qadri had gone to the graveyard to offer prayers in front of the tombs of his parents when the militants opened fire, killing him on the spot.

Heavy Indo-Pak firing in Jammu, Kathua districts
Jammu, December 17
Indian and Pakistani troops engaged in heavy firing at various border out posts (BOPs) in Jammu and Kathua districts overnight.

Id-ul-Fitr celebrated
Jammu, December 17
Despite the inclement weather, large groups of people offered Id-ul-Fitr prayers in several mosques of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The biggest congregation was witnessed in Idgah, where people laid wreaths on the tombs of those killed in militancy-related violence. Other major congregations were in Jamia Masjid and the Hazratbal shrine.

Devotees offer special prayers on Id-ul-Fitr at the holy shrine of Hazratbal on the outskirts of Srinagar on Monday.

Muslims offer prayers on the occasion of Id-ul-Fitr in Jammu on Monday. — PTI photos

YOUR TOWN

Jammu

EARLIER STORIES

	Hurriyat hope gets setback December 17, 2001
	Pak shelling unabated along LoC December 16, 2001
	Simultaneous attacks on hide-outs ‘must’ December 15, 2001
	APHC, JKLF for inquiry into attack December 14, 2001
	Confusion grips separatists December 13, 2001
	IED defused; four ultras shot in J&K December 12, 2001
	No talks with bureaucrats: APHC December 11, 2001
	Hawala, fake currency fuelling militancy in J&K December 10, 2001
	APHC plots killing of rivals: JKMM December 9, 2001
	2 Army intelligence men shot December 8, 2001

Tehsildar shot, 15 hurt in Kashmir
Tribune News Service and PTI

Jammu, December 17
Though militants were busy celebrating Id, a group of them killed the Tehsildar of Ganderbal, Ghulam Rasool Qadri, at Wandhama today. Mr Qadri had gone to the graveyard to offer prayers in front of the tombs of his parents when the militants opened fire, killing him on the spot.

In Gojwara, in interior of Srinagar, one constable’s gun went off accidentally and there was panic for sometime.

SRINAGAR: Fifteen persons were injured, five of them seriously, in a grenade attack by militants in Anantnag district of South Kashmir today, official sources said.

Militants hurled a grenade towards a security vehicle at Thajiwara but it missed the target and exploded on the road wounding 15 pedestrians, they said.

The injured were rushed to hospital where the condition of five of them, including two women, was stated to be serious, the sources said.

The blast occurred when residents of the area were out on the streets celebrating Id.

Meanwhile, security forces have been put on “full alert” to avert any untoward incident following the seizure of 28 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at various places in Jammu, intelligence sources said here today.

“Besides increasing the patrolling along the border areas, we have also increased the number of ambush parties following the seizure of explosives in Poonch and Rajouri, among other areas,” the sources said, adding, “The securitymen have been put on full alert.”

Heavy Indo-Pak firing in Jammu, Kathua districts

Jammu, December 17
Indian and Pakistani troops engaged in heavy firing at various border out posts (BOPs) in Jammu and Kathua districts overnight.

Official sources said the two sides exchanged heavy firing at Old Kana Chak, New Kana Chak, Gole Pattan, Panjour and Chinor Farm in Jammu district.

Firing between the two sides was also reported from Regal Post, Chachwal, Chalarian, Mangu Chak, Sadhey Chak, Dulma Chak and Khawara in Kathua district, sources added. UNI

Id-ul-Fitr celebrated
Tribune Reporters

Jammu, December 17
Despite the inclement weather, large groups of people offered Id-ul-Fitr prayers in several mosques of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The biggest congregation was witnessed in Idgah, where people laid wreaths on the tombs of those killed in militancy-related violence. Other major congregations were in Jamia Masjid and the Hazratbal shrine.

Since most of the top leaders of mainstream political parties and separatist groups were out of Srinagar, the usual political sermons were missing during the Id congregations.

A majority of the ministers were in Jammu and so they could not make it to the Hazratbal shrine. Since it was freezing cold, people offered Id prayers in small mosques in their localities. Several ministers were present in Idgah in Jammu where the main Id prayers were held.

Gaiety marked the Id festivities but children had to remain indoors playing with toys and fire-crackers because of the weather.

A large number of Hindus visited the houses of their Muslim friends in Jammu to convey Id greetings. The security forces were seen greeting Muslims at several places. According to the police, Id celebrations passed off peacefully in the state.

UDHAMPUR: Id-ul-Fitr was celebrated with gaiety and enthusiasm here on Monday. The main function was organised in Idgah, Adarsh Colony, where thousands of Muslims offered prayers. The Deputy Commissioner of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Mr Chuni Lal Khajuria, and other prominent leaders were present on the occasion.

J&K House built on temple land?

Jammu, December 17
Is the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and the civil secretariat here built on “illegally occupied” land?

This is what has been alleged by a committee of a temple situated inside the complex, which claims the land belongs to it and has asked the government to vacate it.

“The land under khasra number s 229 to 249 is illegally occupied by the Jammu and Kashmir Government. The buildings of the civil secretariat, Assembly, Council, mini-secretariat, MLAs’ Hostel, office of the Directorate of Health and other constructions are illegally constructed,” committee president Sat Pal Saini claimed.

The general council of the ancient Bua-Datti Temple Committee held an emergency meeting here and passed a resolution asking the state government to vacate the land.

He warned that the temple committee would launch a mass movement if the land was not vacated.

The committee of the temple, which has existed within the secretariat complex for more than 60 years, has been provoked recently due to inconvenience to devotees because of tight security measures.

The temple management alleges that the security measures at the complex create problems in day-to-day functioning and devotees, who throng the temple everyday, face “a lot of harassment” at the hands of security personnel.

According to the management, the government was urged to fulfil some demands but “unfortunately, the government is using delaying tactics to avoid us”.

Among the main demands of the committee submitted to the government, were the creation of a separate entrance to the temple and halt to cooking and use of non-vegetarian food inside the secretariat canteen. PTI