'Militants, Pak. must respond positively'

By Shujaat Bukhari

JAMMU, FEB. 12. The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Mr. G. C. Saxena, today said the militants and Pakistan should respond positively to the peace process initiated by the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, adding the situation on this front must be watched carefully.

Addressing the joint session of the State Legislature on the opening day of its Budget session here today, Mr. Saxena said, ``my government shares the view that the lesson learnt at an enormous cost of tears and blood in the last decade brings home the fact that, in the ultimate analysis, violence and counter- violence have proved futile. It is a time-tested paradigm of conflict-resolution that the beginning of sustainable action to the strife entails first of all a clear understanding by rivals of each other's compulsions and imperatives.''

Recalling the resolution passed by the Assembly in June last, Mr. Saxena said the Government believed restoration of relevant constitutional arrangements would go a long way in reversing the sense of alienation ``that has contributed to the turmoil in our society''.

Foreign militants continued to work to further militancy, he said adding 762 innocent people, including 35 political activists, had been killed in the State last year. About 1,520 hardcore militants were slain while 86 State police personnel and 315 members of Central forces died. He also mentioned the Government's achievements of the Government in the preceding year as also the difficulties being faced on the financial front.

BJP attacks Govt.

Earlier when the Governor arrived to address the joint session, the BJP members raised slogans and lit candles in the hall to highlight the massive power cut in the State.

It was only after the Awami League member, Mr. Kukka Parrey, managed to persuaded the agitating BJP members to return to their seats was Mr. Saxena allowed to speak. The Congress MLAs and the lone CPI(M) member, Mr. M. Y. Tarigami, said the BJP was misleading the people as the ruling National Conference and the BJP were allies at the Centre.

Speaking on an obituary reference to the Gujarat earthquake, the Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, said ``the tragedy has left innumerable lessons for us.'' The State Government had already made a contribution of Rs. 10 crores to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Ministers had donated a month's salary.

Near-total strike

Earlier in the day, dozens of protesters who tried to gherao the Assembly and the Civil Secretariat were arrested during a strike called to demand the cancellation of admission of 67 candidates of a private medical college into government colleges, and separate Statehood for Jammu.

The strike called by the J&K Nationalist Front and supported by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad evoked a near-total response.

All shops, business establishments, banks and educational institutions were closed. Attendance in government offices was thin and public transport remained off the roads. Dozens of ABVP and JKNF activists took out processions from various parts of the city towards the Assembly and the civil secretariat. However, police and paramilitary forces deployed in strength, prevented them from marching ahead. Police also resorted to a lathi-charge at several places to disperse the protesters raising slogans against the Government. Some JKNF members courted arrest to press their demands.

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Section  : National
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