Pak-China flags seized, 44 held in Valley’s first cordon-and-search operation after Burhan encounter

LeT issues threat to SHO Baramulla, family

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Oct 18: Police and security forces have finally broken the ice with a massive 12-hour-long cordon-and-search operation in the old town of Baramulla even as no such operation could be conducted anywhere in the Kashmir hinterlands after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s killing in an encounter in Anantnag district on July 8. Forces attempted six of such operations in the last 100 days of turmoil but had to withdraw each time as the residents of a cordoned area made announcements on public address system of the neighbourhood mosques, shouted slogans and pelted stones. Troops chose not to take risks and violate the government’s cardinal direction of “no civilian casualty”.

 Last night’s operation in Baramulla’s “Chhota Pakistan” was also significant in the sense that, after a long pause, a contingent of BSF also joined Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police. Last fortnight, two unidentified militants, both believed to be Jaish-e-Mohammad’s Pakistani cadres, got killed in a failed fidayeen strike on the twin formations of BSF and Army at Janbazpora, on outskirts of Baramulla town.

While Police and security forces claimed to have busted hideouts and arrested 44 “wanted” persons in the nightlong operation, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba held out an open threat to SHO Baramulla Sub Inspector Khalid who is believed to have played key role in getting a number of the organisation’s militants killed and arrested in the last several months. “With the addition of today’s 44 persons, we have arrested around 70 militant supporters, harbourers and over-ground workers (OGWs) in the last seven months in Baramulla town. Many of them have been booked under Public Safety Act (PSA)”, said a senior Police officer.

Baramulla, in fact, tops all ten districts of Kashmir valley in PSA detentions in recent times. Sixty-two of such detentions have been ordered on Police dossiers by District Magistrate of Baramulla over the months. “Even in 2013 and 2014, conducting a cordon-and-search operation in the militant-infested town was next to impossible. Three bridges over Jhelum used to be the battlefronts of stone pelting. Now, we have conquered these spots fully and the clashes happen deep into the old town interiors”, said an official.

Senior Superintendent of Police in Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain Mir, told STATE TIMES that the previous night’s operation was conducted on specific information and disclosures made by some detainees during sustained interrogation. “We could not get any of the four JeM militants who are hiding in the old town, though we got 44 of their OGWs, helpers and harbourers arrested. We are going to release some of them as they have been found innocent and uninvolved but many of them are being booked under PSA and other laws”, SSP Baramulla said. He said that around 500 houses were searched.

SSP claimed that the first joint flag of China and Pakistan, stitched together and waved during a separatist demonstration last Friday, was seized today. He said that a number of Pakistani flags were seized from residential houses including one from the coffin of the local Jamia Masjid. “We have smashed a major network of JeM operatives and militants. It was a network of 12 militants. We have eliminated four of them in our area and four more got killed in different encounters in Handwara area. Still four of them are alive. We are getting after them and their civilian harbourers and helpers”, SSP Imtiyaz asserted.

It was the first operation in the last over three months when not a single stone was thrown on the troops and no announcements were made from local mosques.

A Defence spokesman at headquarters 15 Corps described the operation of Rashtriya Rifles 46^th battalion along with Police and other forces a success. “An extensive search operation was launched by the security forces in Old Town, Baramulla, during the wee hours of Oct 17. Joint teams of Army, JKP, BSF & CRPF conducted deliberate search operations in ten sensitive localities including Qazi Hamam, Ganai Hamam, Taweed Gunj, Jamia and other mohallas reportedly being used as safe havens by the terrorists”, said the spokesman in a press release.

“The security forces sanitised the area searching over 700 houses in a span of 12 hours on 17 Oct 2016. Based on specific inputs, 44 persons involved with terror related activities have been apprehended during the operation. Large quantity of incriminating material such as petrol bombs, Chinese & Pakistan flags, LeT & JeM letter head pads, unauthorized mobile phones and seditious anti-national publicity material were seized during the raids. In addition a large number of suspected hideouts were busted during the prolonged search operations”, he added.

In a terse reaction, LeT spokesman Dr Abdullah Gaznavi said: “LeT chief Mehmood Shah has warned Khalid, SHO Old Town, Baramulla, who had recently cordoned and arrested 200 youth. Mothers, sisters, elders were beaten up and harassed as well. We had warned JK police earlier, but they seem to have ignored our advice. Those who keep soft corner for police should also wake up now. We will teach lessons now”, LeT spokesman said in a statement while claiming that his organisation had already collected the SHO’s residential particulars.

“We are aware of your movement and every one of your family. You have lost the right to complain, and you will reap what you have sown”, the LeT statement addressed the SHO.

Scores of Police officers and their families have been frightened with similar statements in the last 100 days of the near-total breakdown of law and order machinery in the Valley plains. The father of one of such SHOs, who has himself retired as Dy SP, read out his family’s apologies and appeals for mercy at a mosque in Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s hometown of Bijbehara in July. The SHO was shifted from Kulgam to Budgam district where stone pelters broke his knee. He is now convalescing at home after a surgery at Army’s 92 Base Hospital.

END

Side-lined by Mehbooba, Sahai gets prize posting in Modi’s government

Cabinet committee on appointments clears the J&K cadre IPS officer for post of Joint Secretary in National Security Council Secretariat

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Oct 17: The Union Cabinet’s committee on appointments has cleared Shiv Murari Sahai, the 1987 batch IPS officer of J&K cadre, for the coveted position of Joint Secretary National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) where he will be working with Prime Minister's Office, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Deputy NSA and retired Director of Intelligence Bureau Asif Ibrahim, who is functioning as PM's special ambassador on counterterrorism.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was not reportedly comfortable with Sahai while his functioning as Additional Director General of Police (CID) after the Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in an encounter with Police and security forces at Bamdora, Kokernag, in Anantnag district, on July 8 this year. Though there was no official order, Sahai was unofficially acting as DGP on that eventful day as DGP, K. Rajendra Kumar, was on leave in Hyderabad.

According to highly placed government sources, Chief Minister was not happy with the selection of delegations for their meeting with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on July 23 at Nehru Guest House. It was only after the Divisional Commissioner Asgar Samoon expressed his helplessness that ADG CID was assigned with the task of arranging some delegations for meeting Rajnath Singh. Samoon was removed as Divisional Commissioner in five days.

 Some of Rajnath’s visitors are understood to have spoken highly of Sahai’s achievements as IGP twice in crucial circumstances and stressed on his appointment as DGP, though he was junior to six IPS officers on the ladder who included three potential contenders for DGP post — S.K. Mishra (1985), S.P. Vaid (1986) and V.K. Singh (1987).

Even as some reports insist that Chief Minister was not happy with the Bamdora operation which, she believed, had been planned and executed by some J&K Police officials in close coordination with Army and Intelligence Bureau, sources told STATE TIMES that she was not happy with the way Sahai attempted to promote himself for the post of DGP. Rajendra, who subsequently got extension of three months to his service, was scheduled to retire on September 30.

Sources said that when Rajnath Singh wished that “someone competent like Sahai” should be appointed as DGP to deal with the political turbulence, CM told the union Home Minister that she had already decided to send him on Central deputation. Rajnath Singh, on that occasion, asserted that he would then like Sahai to serve in CRPF.

Subsequently, Mehbooba’s government cleared Sahai for Central deputation but the Centre did not process the recommendation of his posting for several weeks. Finally when the impression gathered that the J&K CID had been crippled under uncertainty as the ADG was “disappointed and demoralised”, Ms Mufti’s government shifted him to an insignificant posting in the office of Principal Resident Commissioner of J&K in New Delhi.

Interestingly, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah too had shifted Sahai to the same place but got him back as IGP Kashmir in the most challenging situation of the summer turmoil in 2010. Sahai and his team are credited with failing that turmoil in two months.

Previously, one of Sahai’s politically incorrect statements on television had turned Chief Minister furious as he claimed that Ms Mufti was, in advance, aware of the operation in which Burhan Wani was killed. She quickly claimed that she had no knowledge of the identity of the holed up militants who were killed in the encounter subsequently. She told mediapersons that if she would have been aware of Burhan's presence in Bamdora, her forces would not have killed him for the interest of "peace and a flourishing tourist season" in the Valley. Under pressure from the top, Sahai later changed his statement and claimed that operational details in advance were not shared with anybody including Chief Minister.

With a high profile in intelligence and counterinsurgency, Sahai has had a vast network of contacts and informers in Kashmir's separatist organisations and militant outfits. SIM cards provided by him to some militants in Pakistan were once found in possession of the LeT militants who carried out terror strikes in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

With his new assignment at Sardar Patel Bhawan as Joint Secretary NSCS, Sahai will be directly working with Prime Minister’s Office under Deputy National Security Advisor and retired Director IB Asif Ibrahim and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. He will be one of the most important advisers on the strategic policymaking on Jammu and Kashmir that includes dealing with political turbulences, like the one of 2016, besides the counterterrorism. 

END

[Published in today’s STATE TIMES]

FIR registered on EDI’s complaint over ‘missing’ LCDs during Pampore encounter

Manager Estate says everything was intact at guesthouse till October 12 evening

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Oct 15: Police on Saturday registered a criminal case against anonymous persons on a complaint filed by Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) regarding the LCD TVs and other articles allegedly stolen by Police or security forces from a guesthouse during or after the three-day-long gunfight at the hostel block early this week.

STATE TIMES had exclusively reported in Saturday’s edition that over a dozen LCDs, besides mattresses and blankets, were missing from 13 rooms of the EDI guesthouse and the officials believed that these had been looted or stolen away by the Police or security forces who camped at the premises without break for three days. This newspaper reported that EDI were lodging FIR at Police Station of Pampore.

Director General of Police, K Rajendra Kumar, IGP Kashmir, Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani, and CRPF spokesman, Rajesh Yadav, had said that they would check with the Police and security forces on duty and share the facts with this newspaper. Subsequently, Zonal Police headquarters today issued a press release, confirming that a complaint had been received from EDI.  

“Apropos to the news story regarding missing of some articles from EDI, Pampore published by a Jammu based newspaper today. Awantipora police authorities have informed that they have received a complaint in this regard from EDI. The contents of the complaint are being verified to check whether the articles went missing before the encounter, during the encounter or after the encounter. After this a formal FIR is being lodged to investigate the matter”, said the Police press release.

SHO Pampore, Inspector Manzoor Ahmad Beg, later confirmed to STATE TIMES that after preliminary verification of the EDI complaint, Police Station Pampore registered case FIR No: 183 of 2016 dated October 15, 2016, under sections 379 and 457 RPC against the anonymous persons. He said that the complaint did not identify anybody as a suspect.

“We have registered the FIR and started the investigation. We are ascertaining whether the LCDs and other articles had been really installed at the guesthouse; if confirmed, whether the same had been stolen during the course of the encounter when only Police and security forces were present there, or thereafter when others had access to the premises”, Inspector Manzoor said.

“Unfortunately, all the CCTV cameras had been installed at the hostel building which was severely damaged in the encounter and none of these was at the guesthouse or other parts of the premises”, Mr Manzoor added. He sounded optimistic that the Police would unravel the whole mystery.

Even as the seven-floor hostel block, in which militants were killed, suffered extensive damage in the three-day-long encounter on October 10, 11 and 12, the three-storey guesthouse remained unharmed. Men from SOG Awantipore, CRPF 110 Bn and Army’s Special Force carried out the operation without suffering any collateral damage.

EDI’s Manager Estates, Wajahat Matoo, told STATE TIMES that he himself, as well as incharge watch and ward Mohammad Maqbool, found everything intact inside the guesthouse when the encounter ended in the afternoon on October 12. “Everything was in place there till Wednesday (October 12) evening. Some personnel in uniform asked Mohammad Maqbool to leave and told him there was no need of the EDI officials’ presence there. We believe everything has been stolen away during the night intervening Wednesday and Thursday”, Mr Matoo said.

Manager Estates said that he filed a complaint with SHO Pampore on Thursday (October 13). “He told us that we will go for preliminary verification and thereafter register the FIR”, Mr Matoo added.

According to the Manager Estates, 13 LCD TVs (32 inch Sony), each with a set top box (Airtel), have been removed and stolen away from all the 13 rooms (8 rooms on 1^st floor and 5 special suites on 2^nd floor). Each unit cost Rs 28,000 to Rs 32,000. “They have left behind only the beds and mattresses. Full sets of beddings including Bombay Dyeing blankets, quilts, bed sheets, bed covers and pillows have been stolen away from the 13 rooms. Even the bone China crockery and cutlery, tea sets, bowls, plates and utensils have been completely stolen from the kitchen”, he added.

One gas cylinder and one gas cutter are also missing from the EDI administrative block that is under renovation following the February 20-22 fidayeen attack in which the four-floor building had suffered extensive damage. Two CRPF men, on EDI gardener, four Army personnel, including two captains, and three militants had got killed in the three-day gunbattle in February this year.

END

[Published in today’s STATE TIMES]

Police or security forces have 'looted' 14 LCDs, computers, mattresses, blankets from EDI guesthouse

Officials draft FIR, claim that none else was present around the unharmed guesthouse during 56-hour-long gunfight at nearby hostel block

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Oct 14: Police or security forces have allegedly “looted” costly articles from the guesthouse of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) that remained unharmed during 56-hour-long gunfight at the seven-storey hostel block on the premises near Pampore on October 10 and 11.

EDI officials have made an inventory of the articles missing from the three-storey guesthouse and they are filing a report with Police Station Pampore on Saturday. Informed sources revealed to STATE TIMES that the inventory makes mention of 14 LCDs, one or two computers and a number of mattresses and blankets that, according to them, have been “stolen and looted” either by the Police or by security forces after the gunfight ended with the death of two holed up militants on Tuesday.

According to these sources, incharge of the guesthouse, namely Mohammad Maqbool, had kept all the rooms of the building unlocked before he and two other employees moved out when it became clear that the militants had occupied the seven-storey hostel block, around 40 yards away on a lower level. The militants had opened fire when fire brigade personnel began dousing the flames on the 7th floor of the hostel block.

The hostel block, which had 60 rooms, each with an attached bathroom, was extensively damaged in the gunfight. Officials say over 200 rockets, several IEDs, mortar fire and 2000 litre of petrol was used to bring down the building but it did not collapse. Finally the militants were killed in a face-to-face encounter inside the concrete building.

On February 20-22 this year, EDI's main administrative block had been extensively damaged in a similar fidayeen attack when three militants, two CRPF men, one gardener of EDI and three Special Force personnel, including two young captains, had got killed in the three-day-long operation.

Thereafter, the makeshift offices had been operating from the lofty seven-storey hostel block with an attic on its top. Now, EDI has shifted its administrative offices to the guesthouse — the last building which is intact on the premises.

Special Operations Group (SOG) of District Police Awantipore, a company of CRPF 110 battalion besides different units of Army’s Special Forces carried out the operation for two days. Significantly, the guesthouse did not suffer any damage during the encounter.

Ground floor of the guesthouse has a dining hall, kitchen, stores and other facilities of the housekeeping. Its first floor has 8 fully furnished rooms and the second floor has 5 special guest suites. According to the sources, the LCD TVs with all set top boxes have been removed and taken away from all the 13 rooms besides one in the dining hall. One or two computer systems have also been stolen. It has been observed that even the Dunlop mattresses and blankets have also been taken away from several rooms.

There was no possibility of any civilian’s breaking into the guesthouse as the Police and security forces remained camped on the premises in thick numbers for about four days. Therefore, the EDI officials’ first suspects are none other than the Police and security forces who were present there without break.

While as the Defence spokesman was not reachable, CRPF spokesman Rajesh Yadav said that he would check with the concerned battalion that falls under jurisdiction of another sector and get back with the facts. Director General of Police, K Rajendra Kumar, and IGP Kashmir, Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani, told STATE TIMES that they would seek details from the concerned Police station and share the same with this newspaper. This did not become possible until filing of this story around midnight and will be carried in a follow up.

END

[Published in today’s STATE TIMES]

Dismissal of Govt. employees, transfer of DCs, HoDs, SSPs, posting of IGPs likely in today’s Cabinet meeting

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Oct 13: State Home Department, in coordination with CID, is understood to have made dossiers against more than 150 Government employees, including seven gazetted officers, for termination of service and booking them all under Public Safety Act (PSA) for their alleged involvement in the 97-day-long street turbulence. Even as Chief Minister and some of her party’s Ministers are said to be averse to a very stringent action, Cabinet is likely to consider disciplinary action against them in Friday’s meeting at Civil Secretariat.

As exclusively reported earlier by STATE TIMES, around 180 Government employees, who include some officials of Government of India and J&K Police, have been found actively involved in mobilising protests, demonstrations, arson and clashes with Police and security forces. Some of these suspects have been already either shifted from their places of posting or detained under PSA.

Well-placed sources said that the Cabinet meeting, to be presided over by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, is likely to order reshuffle of a number of Deputy Commissioners, Heads of Departments and District SPs. DCs of Srinagar (Dr Farooq Ahmad lone) Budgam (Mir Altaf Ahmad) and Kupwara (Kumar Rajiv Ranjan), besides Director of School Education Kashmir (Dr Shah Faesal) are said to be among the officers to be shifted to new places of posting.

Cabinet may also clear Central deputation of SP Kathua Neva Jain and SP Traffic Rural Kashmir Abdul Jabbar.

Two IPS officers of 1997 batch, namely Surender Gupta (DIG Udhampur), Johny William (DIG RP Range) and one IPS officer of 1998 batch, namely Syed Ahfadul Mujtaba (Director SSG), who have been already cleared by the DPC and Cabinet for elevation to the post of IGP with effect from April 1, 2016, are likely to get new places of posting.

While as one officer of 1997 batch, namely Alok Kumar (DIG Armed Jammu) has not been cleared for promotion on account of an FIR in Bihar, another IPS officer of 1997 batch, namely Viplav Kumar Choudhary (DIG Traffic Jammu and incharge IG Traffic J&K) has recently proceeded on 11 months study leave abroad. Remaining two IPS officers of 1997 batch, namely Garib Dass and Vijay Kumar, are currently on Central deputation.

END

[Published in today’s STATE TIMES]

In Lucknow Modi threatens ‘harbourers and helpers’, in J&K his Govt. accords them VVIP status

Mismatch between BJP’s theories and practicals in Jammu and Kashmir

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Oct 12: In his first public speech after the September 29 surgical strikes across LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the Dusshera celebration in Aishbagh of Lucknow on Tuesday that his BJP Government would strike at the roots of terrorism. Plush with the euphoria the strategic operation has generated ahead of the Assembly elections in U.P, Modi didn’t stop there. “Those harbouring and helping terrorists will not be pardoned either”, Modi grumbled to cheers and slogans from his animated audience.

Among all the mainstream opposition parties who is ‘harbouring and helping’ terrorists with specific context to Jammu and Kashmir? There’s no denying the fact that at the national political domain, a number of the politicians in Congress party, CPI, CPI(M) and JDU etcetera have been remarkably soft to different hues of insurgencies from Naxalites to the Kashmiri militants. Apart from a host of other factors, this "accommodation to dissent" has prompted many of the mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, with glaring exception of BJP, to take a line close to that of the separatist Hurriyat Conference. While as the "last nationalist" Farooq Abdullah has been quietened, some of the state’s political parties, Peoples Democratic Party in particular, have for years competed with Hurriyat on secessionism. For over a decade, not only these mainstream politicians but also their separatist competitors have been recognised by Delhi as "our own people".

In ambience of the enthusiasm generated by the surgical strikes, Prime Minister Modi views a Hurriyat leader as "helper and promoter of terrorism". When the same separatist's father and a more prominent separatist leader was gunned down in 2002, Prime Minister Vajpayee (who was in Srinagar) didn't visit his residence but he was the first to extend his condolences and hailed the slain politician as a great leader. Time has changed but not as much as Modi is telling his voters in U.P.

It is unambiguously clear that Modi or his NDA cannot take action against any pro-separatist, pro-militant mainstream political party given the fact that most prominent of them all, namely PDP, is BJP’s coalition partner and holding the hot seat in Jammu and Kashmir. It was mainly to protect the prospects of BJP’s government formation with PDP that Modi and his BJP were compelled to make sacrifices and compromise the party’s stated position vis-à-vis separatism. Having the state flag on their vehicles and offices was the constitutional compulsion of the BJP Ministers but they remained mute to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ordering release of nearly 200 stone-pelters on the separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s demand on July 4, 2016.

Modi’s government at the Centre is also known to have prevented Delhi Police from getting after some 20 Kashmiri students who, during an investigation, had been found to have raised anti-India, pro-Azadi, pro-Geelani and pro-Burhan slogans at JNU in February 2016. The BJP leaders feared that the Kashmiri students’ and non-students’ arrest could the make the ground harder for Ms Mufti in forging an alliance with their party. The centre put a tab on Delhi Police.

Massarat Aalam’s release and his holding an exuberant pro-Pakistan show for Geelani’s reception in April 2015 was also one of the umpteen comprises of BJP, though the Centre eventually forced then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to re-arrest the icon of the 2010 turbulence and put him in jail for infinity. In recent times, many of PDP’s own leaders, including MLA of Tral and one MP, have publicly glorified militants and stone-pelters and called J&K a “disputed territory”. Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid has outsmarted all of his competitors in demonising and discrediting India and called for ‘Plebiscite’ under the UN resolutions.

Now that it is clear that many of the mainstream politicians in J&K are holding New Delhi’s “license” to keep the separatists and militants in good humour and to continue the peoples’ emotional exploitation for making themselves secure and winning vote in the elections, would Modi touch any of the separatists proudly owning, representing, harbouring and helping the militants and espousing Pakistan’s Kashmir cause without an iota of hesitation since 1990?

Not a single person in the Valley seems to believe that the firebrand Indian Prime Minister would lay his hands on any of the separatist "VVIPs". They invariably dismiss Modi’s Lucknow warning as rhetorical and hollow. “When, of late, media raised questions over India’s policy of according VVIP status to the separatists and purportedly spending hundreds of crores of Rupees on their luxuries and security, Modi and his BJP chose to remain mute spectators. They neither uttered a word in reaction nor asked any of the protected separatists to tone down their virulent anti-India and pro-Pakistan speeches and statements”, observes a political analyst, wishing anonymity.

In the last 97 days of the street turbulence, triggered by Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s death in an encounter, a couple of the protected and privileged separatists have held a low-key profile but many of them have left no stone unturned to enforce complete the shutdown, to completely paralyse the government and to build up an unprecedented Pakistan euphoria. Within 24 hours of Modi’s Lucknow speech, the separatists on Wednesday issued a fresh calendar, asking the people to continue shutdown and hold demonstrations everywhere on streets. They have not granted any daytime relaxation in the shutdown. 90 civilian protesters have already died and thousands have been left injured. Going by their speeches and statements, all the protected separatists are in tandem with Pakistan in raising the Kashmir issue at UN General Assembly and other international stages.

The protected separatists have particularly played a key role in shutting down educational institutions, banks and government offices. On their persuasion, shutdown vigilantes have roughed up and left injured hundreds of people defying the call and over a thousand of the vehicles have been damaged. At least five persons have died due to stone pelting and hundreds of public properties, including the residential houses of a number of pro-India political activists, have been destroyed in fire. It began with burning of the entrepreneur Khurram Shafi Mir’s high-density apple orchard. A situation of anarchy has ceased to relent for over three months. Kashmir's trade and tourist season has been flattened, horticulture is passing through months of uncertainty and Kashmir's economy is said to have already suffered loss worth Rs 10,000 crore.

While the Pakistan Independence Day was, for the first time in 70 years, observed at more than 100 places with tremendous enthusiasm, Pakistani anthem and student parades on August 14, the separatist leaders have ensured waving of the Pakistani national flags at all the innumerable demonstrations from one end of Kashmir to another in the last three months.

The maximum brunt of current turbulence has been faced by J&K Police that has been completely demoralised, defunct and incapacitated to move beyond its camps and riot spots. Over a hundred of their rifles have been either looted by militants or destroyed in fire by their supporters. This is inspite of the fact that nearly 150 Police personnel have been deployed for security of the separatist leaders, their families, relatives and properties. Some of them have been provided same bullet-proof cars and escort vehicles that only the Cabinet Ministers and other VIPs in that category are entitled to.

Interestingly, most of the separatists have been provided VIP status and Police protection by Atal Behari Vajpayee’s NDA-I government. Until 1996, only one of them had been provided with these privileges. In 1996, Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda’s government provided VIP status and security to three prominent separatist leaders. One of them, namely SAS Geelani, later returned it to the Government.

In Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s UPA Government, VIP status and Police protection of the separatist leaders was remarkably upgraded. Those who got VIP status and security in Dr Singh’s government include former militants who were top commanders in their organisations. One of them was also allotted a Government house. They all, in a competition, have subscribed to current Pakistan euphoria in the Valley.

Almost all of these protected separatists enjoy free access to Srinagar airport and are respectfully treated in VIP lounge. Even their relatives in different government services have been granted special promotions and prize postings. Their residences and offices look like the official bungalows of Ministers and DGPs. Most of the Kashmiris view it as India's recognition to the State's "disputed status" and legitimacy of a political cause. "Which other country on earth takes so much care of the sworn enemy agents? This is all under international pressure", insists a fellow journalist.

If Modi translates his threat into action and touches the separatist politicians, who, by his belief, are “harbourers and helpers of terrorism”, it will be the beginning of a new political era in J&K. As of now nobody here believes Modi or anyone else in his regime has a will or spine to affect such radical changes in the Indian policy framework, particularly so as long as BJP is in coalition with PDP and the latter is indebted to a section of the “harbourers and helpers of terrorism” for winning some seats and getting power.  That explains why the Valley’s protected and privileged separatists are unfazed over Modi’s rhetoric and electoral jingoism.

END

 [Published in today’s STATE TIMES]

Significant militant movement noticed in Chadoura, Ganderbal, Bandipore

Standoff continues at EDI hostel block even as some officials believe one militant is dead

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Oct 11: Police and security forces have apprehensions of a larger fidayeen strike, most likely in or around the turbulent summer capital, as they have received ‘credible reports’ of significant militant movement in Chhanpora-Chadoura belt in southern Srinagar, Ganderbal and Bandipore areas of Kashmir valley in the last few days.

Highly placed authoritative sources told STATE TIMES that a group of five Lashkar-e-Tayyiba militants, which has been in movement in Chhanpora and Kralpora areas, in close vicinity of the Indian Air Force (IAF) base, for the last one week, was planning a major strike on a military target. Police and security forces have been put on alert even as no specific target has been identified.

According to these sources, security forces have also learned about the presence and movement of a group of eight militants, including 3 Pakistani cadres of LeT, in Onagam area of Bandipore district. Forces have been informed that the militants have descended on the village twice this week to secure food and thereafter returned to the dense forest cover.

According to yet another ‘credible report’ available with Police and security forces, a group of four militants, led by a foreigner in combat gear, has been spotted in movement in Batwena, Waskora and Khanpora villages of Ganderbal district.

“We have been usually receiving such reports but there’s a perceptible change and intentions of the freshly pushed in militants to carry out high profile, newsmaking strikes are clear. We are taking all necessary precautions to fail their plans”, said a senior official. According to him, over 100 highly indoctrinated militants of LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen outfits were believed to have infiltrated into the Valley in the last over three months of the street turbulence. Army has foiled more than 20 infiltration attempts and killed around 30 militants on the LoC during the same period.

However, no major cordon-and-search operation has been conducted in the valley hinterland after the July 8 encounter in Bamdora Kokernag, Anantnag, in which three militants, including Hizbul Mujahideen’s poster boy Burhan Wani, had been killed. Police and security forces have been forced to completely freeze their movement beyond their camps and riot spots as the authorities have apprehensions that the people of the area under an operation could gather en mass and create disruption to help the militants escape. Fatalities in such confrontations are a stark possibility.

In absence of the patrolling and operational movement of Police and security forces, most of the rural areas in all the ten districts have assumed trappings of a ‘liberated territory’ and the unruly groups enforcing shutdown have been enjoying a field day.

Over a thousand vehicles are estimated to have been damaged and scores more torched on roads by the shutdown vigilantes in the last three months. Besides, over 500 people are estimated to have been injured in incidents of stone pelting for violating the separatists’ call for continued shutdown since July 8. In the same period around 90 persons have died in Police and security forces’ firing and thousands have been injured in firing, mostly out of the pump action guns.

EDI standoff continues

Meanwhile, the 42-hour-long standoff at EDI Hostel Complex near Pampore showed no signs of an earlier resolution as Army, CRPF and Police maintained a tight cordon on the second consecutive day on Tuesday. Sources said that Army fired dozens of PAVA shells onto all the eight floors of the concrete building to smoke out two or three militants. However, there was no response from inside till 6.00 pm when the holed up militants fired some gunshots after a pause of 35 hours.

Attempts were being made to trace the militants with the help of thermal imagers which could be fitted to unmanned aerial vehicles like on February 21 and 22 when six drones had been damaged in the three-day fidayeen action at EDI’s administrative block. Two CRPF men, one EDI employee, three militants and four Army personnel, including two young captains, had got killed in that operation.

Some officials tonight claimed that at least one militant died in the Army and Police firing but it could not be confirmed in absence of evidence. Troops of 9 Special Force and SOG Awantipore are holding the operation at EDI.

12 injured in Shopian blast

Meanwhile, four CRPF men and 8 civilians, including three women, sustained splinter injuries when suspected militants tossed a hand grenade on CRPF at Bona Bazar in Shopian town in the forenoon on Tuesday. Reports said that none of them was critical as all were treated at a local hospital.

END

[Published in today’s STATE TIMES]