Latest news with #ShriAmarnathYatra
United News of India
a day ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Any political process in J&K is incomplete without participation of KPs: Mehbooba
Srinagar, June 2 (UNI) Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said that any political process in Jammu and Kashmir is incomplete without the participation of Kashmiri Pandit community. The PDP chief on Monday met the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here at the Raj Bhawan. Mufti, as per the Raj Bhawan spokesman, discussed various important matters including smooth conduct of Shri Amarnath Yatra and dignified return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandit Community in the valley. Later, speaking to reporters here, Mufti said that any political process in Jammu and Kashmir is incomplete without the participation of Kashmiri Pandits. She said, 'those who want to return to the Kashmir Valley, must be given a piece of land in their respective districts for constructing one or two rooms, so that whenever they will start returning, interact with Muslim brothers.' She also said that a proposal in the shape of a comprehensive document on rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley has been submitted to the LG Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and also to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 'We have also suggested that the Kashmiri Pandits employed in the Kashmir valley under the Prime Minister Employment Package, should not have a rigid transfer policy, so that they serve comfortably and without any fear,' she added. Mehbooba Mufti also said that instead of nomination, two seats for KP candidates must be reserved from the Kashmir Valley as it will help in political empowerment, adding, 'every political party in Jammu and Kashmir, irrespective of ideology, has consistently supported the idea of return of the community to the Valley.' On Amarnath Yatra, she said, 'people of Kashmir wholeheartedly want to participate in the Yatra and play their role in facilitating the pilgrims.' UNI VBH GNK
United News of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
HM Shah arrives in Jammu, to review security arrangements for Amarnath Yatra, visit Poonch
Jammu, May 29 (UNI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday evening arrived here and reached the Raj Bhawan Jammu where he will be reviewing the security arrangements, particularly focusing on the Shri Amarnath Yatra starting from July 3. Shah was received at the technical airport by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from where they drove to the Raj Bhawan. Shah is on his first visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after 'Operation Sindoor'. He will be visiting Poonch district on Friday that recorded the highest 14 killings in the cross-border firing and drone attacks. He will also meet shelling-affected people and the troops of Border Security Force, who played their role shoulder-to-shoulder with the Indian Army in 'Operation Sindoor' along the Line of Control. Notably, BSF in Jammu-Kathua and Samba district is the frontline defence. 'Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha along with top brass of the army, paramilitary forces, police, intelligence agencies and civil administration will be attending the meeting,' official sources said. Shah is also likely to distribute appointment letters among the next of kin of civilians killed in the shelling at Poonch, they said. UNI VBH RN
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Opinion Military lessons from the Pahalgam tragedy
What happened in Pahalgam on April 22 will remain in the institutional memory of our security forces for a long time to come. The absence of security forces in the Baisaran meadows, over a period of time, emboldened terrorists to select it as the location for their dastardly act. The methodology they adopted, of ascertaining the religious identity of potential victims before shooting them in cold blood, was designed to send a divisive message, the aim being to tear a hole in the secular fabric of our society and of Kashmiriyat. Encouragingly, the horrific act drew condemnation from various sections of society, including school children, throughout Jammu and Kashmir. Outside Kashmir, the narrative generated by the terrorists — of attacking Hindus — have unfortunately been lapped up by the mainstream media and made to reach the drawing rooms of households across the nation. Having said that, this article endeavours to take forward the argument of Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retired) in his article, 'The day after, back to basics' (IE, April 25). The writer highlighted the most crucial and indispensable facet of basic unit-level patrolling tactics that deters terrorist activity: Area Domination Patrols (ADPs), which are used to demonstrate presence in an area. When it comes to the basics, in addition to ADPs, there are several other tactical operations that a counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism (CI/CT) unit undertakes. These measures include day/night surveillance, road opening, picketing for securing an identified passage for the parties undertaking movement, etc. The prime example of picketing that security forces have been undertaking in J&K is the task of securing the Shri Amarnath Yatra route from Jammu to the two base camps at Sonmarg and Pahalgam. In a nutshell, all the above-mentioned tactical operations are the very basics that General Hasnain talks about. It is possible that such basics were overlooked, leading to the horrors of April 22. Of course, this is a conjecture, since one is not aware of the situation that prevailed on the ground when terrorists had their run. The declining insurgency indices in the area over the last few years seemingly led to a sense of complacency at the unit level. Any operation planned by soldiers or well-trained terrorists — which the cadres under reference seem to have been — is always preceded by preliminary reconnaissance and confirmation of the movement patterns of the adversary. The absence or infrequent presence of troopers at Baisaran and the availability of soft targets in the form of tourists must have emboldened the terrorists. Troops deployed in CI/CT, especially when terror indices are receding, face the challenge of complacency as keeping up the vigil 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is a daunting task. It falls upon the leaders, starting at the platoon, company and battalion levels to make a difference, by keeping the troops involved and motivated. The foundation for sustaining the interest levels of troops and thus their motivation can be laid by leading from the front. Irrespective of the prevalent situation and the various narratives that soldiers may be privy to while deployed on a task, their guard is not supposed to be lowered. Although this is an aspect that is obvious to the unit leadership, it is often taken for granted. The leaders need to make the soldiers feel like they are a part of the big picture. This is achieved by repeatedly emphasising the role that they play in ensuring the security of the area and people. More often than not, due to distractions of various kinds — including the pace of operations, the dynamic situation, and the demanding environment — the leaders overlook the situation inside their command. Such oversight can lead to complacency, and in the worst case, can lead to an episode like Baisaran. In the end, as per the classical teaching of CI/CT, all the tactical operations like ADPs, surveillance, road opening, picketing, etc., ought to be based on psychological operations that hinge on eliciting the support of the local population, the centre of gravity in CI/CT. In order to execute effective psychological operations, the orientation of soldiers to the local population and culture is indispensable. This is what facilitates human intelligence or HUMINT, a necessity for successful CI/CT. Employing soldiers as described above keeps them fruitfully occupied and motivated, since they see themselves as important stakeholders in the campaign against terrorists, and as part of the government. The overall efficiency of security providers is ensured by adhering to the basics that are normally overlooked. Ultimately, it is the agency of the unit leadership which can prevent incidents like Baisaran.
NDTV
25-04-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"Amarnath Yatra Will Be Conducted Successfully": Minister In Wake of Pahalgam Terror Attack
New Delhi: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday assured a smooth Amarnath Yatra, which is set to commence on July 3 this year, despite the Pahalgam terror attack. Despite the attack, Mr Goyal expressed confidence that tourism in Kashmir will resume soon, emphasising that no one can derail Kashmir from its developmental path, highlighting the region's progress and potential. "People of India are capable and confident enough that soon tourism will resume there, Amarnath Yatra will be conducted successfully, and no one can derail Kashmir from the developmental path that it has taken," said Mr Goyal. Registrations for this year's Shri Amarnath Yatra began in Jammu and Kashmir on April 15. They took place at 533 branches of Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, J&K Bank, and Yes Bank across the country. The Amarnath Yatra is set to commence on July 3 this year, simultaneously from both routes--the Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district. It will culminate on August 9 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Mr Goyal reiterated that the government has already announced the cancellation of visas for Pakistani nationals, and they must leave India. "We have already announced it (visa cancellation for Pakistani nationals) and they all must go...," he said. Mr Goyal strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack, emphasising that India will not tolerate terrorism. Mr Goyal stated that India has no interest in having trade relations with Pakistan, labelling it a "terrorist nation." "India has no interest in having a trade relation with a terrorist nation like Pakistan... There will be no place in India where we will let terrorism rise...," added the Union Minister. Referring to Pakistan's persistent challenge, Mr Goyal made it clear that India has already taken steps to sever ties. "The loss caused to Pakistan is of no interest to India. What is the use of trading with a terrorist country like Pakistan?" he said. He further assured that India's decisions, particularly regarding the visa cancellations, would be communicated soon, underscoring that these steps are part of a broader strategy to tackle terrorism. "As long as 140 crore Indians consider patriotism and nationalism their highest duty, such incidents will continue to trouble the nation," he added. Meanwhile on Friday, while extending condolences to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said Central government will identify, trace and punish the terrorists along with their backers. Recalling the remarks of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Goyal said, "I remember Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, cross-border and state-sponsored terrorism is a menace to civilised society. This is the moment when the entire country comes together and expresses the anger and collective commitment of the nation to give a fitting response to those responsible for this." Reminding people of the resolve taken by Prime Minister Narendra over the terror attacks, Mr Goyal said, "We will identify, trace and punish the terrorists and their backers. This is the resolve of every Indian... We faced the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and came back stronger. We gave a befitting reply to Pulwama attacks." Union Minister also expressed condolences to all the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. "There is outrage across the country from Kargil to Kaniyakumari against the attack on India's very fabric. We are all united in grief, pray for the departed and wish for quick recovery of those injured. We pray that strength is bestowed upon those families who are deeply impacted by this heinous and criminal act of terrorists," Mr Goyal said. The attack in Pahalgam occurred on Tuesday at Baisaran meadow, where terrorists targeted tourists, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, and leaving several others injured. It was one of the deadliest attacks in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF jawans. Following the attack, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi reached Srinagar on Friday and assessed the situation in the valley. On Thursday, the central government convened an all-party meeting to deliberate on the security situation and formulate a collective response to the attack. After attending the all-party meeting, Rahul Gandhi said, "Everyone condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The opposition has fully supported the government in taking any action." In the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism and has closed the integrated Attari Check Post. India has also declared the officials of the Pakistani High Commission persona non grata and ordered them to leave India within a week. The country further decided to cancel any visas provided under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and ordered Pakistan to leave the country within 48 hours.
