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| UPA has surrendered to diktats of separatists: Naidu | | | Hyderabad | Aug 20
Accusing the UPA Government of "surrendering to the diktats of Kasmhiri separatists" senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu today said his party would intensify agitation demanding restoration of land to Amarnath Shrine Board and recall of Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra.
As part of the agitation, the party activists would embark on "Jail Bharo" programme at all district headquarters across the country tomorrow, Naidu told reporters here.
Holding the Congress solely responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said it had now assumed dangerous proportions with militant elements dictating the agenda to the government.
"The problem in Jammu and Kashmir is not Hindu versus Muslim or even Jammu versus the Kashmir Valley as is being projected by Congress and its ally People's Democratic Party.
It was the Nehruvian policy of autonomy to the border state that is the root cause of the present problem", the BJP leader said.
The agitation sweeping Jammu region was essentially a nationalistic response to the agenda of separatists who were resisting the transfer of land to the temple board and were openly waving Pakistan flags during the street protests.
The UPA government, he alleged, had surrendered to the separatists for short term political interests and was resorting to vote bank politics.
v He demanded that the provisions of the Amarnath Shrine Act 2000 be implemented in letter and spirit.
Opposing the J&K government's proposal that the Tourism Department be entrusted with the task of providing facilities for pilgrims, Naidu said that under Article 26 of the Constitution, religious places should have the freedom to manage their own affairs.
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Muslim scholars urge dialogue to resolve Amarnath row
Srinagar (PTI): Terming the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as "very alarming", a four-member delegation of eminent Muslim scholars from the country on Wednesday urged both sides to sit for a dialogue with authorities to resolve the row over Amarnath land transfer.
"We appeal to people of Jammu as well as Kashmir to enter into dialogue and resolve the issue and work for maintaining and preserving composite culture, communal harmony, peace and tranquillity," leader of the delegation Maulana Syed Akhtar Hussain Dehlavi told reporters here today.
He said the "present situation" in the state had raised a number of new problems.
Dehlavi said the people of the two regions should sit together with government representatives to find a solution to the issue.
The delegation which included Mufti Zafaruddin Ahmed Qaasmi, president of Jamait Ulama Delhi, Maulana Asghar Ali Salfi, secretary general Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind and Al-haj Hakim Ali Khan from Ajmer Shareef arrived here yesterday and met several separatist leaders including chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.
He said the delegation could not meet chairman of hardline faction of Hurriyat Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The delegation is due to visit Jammu on Thursday and interact with the people there. "We will certainly meet Amarnath Sangrash Samiti leaders and persuade them to enter into talks," he said.
Dehlavi said the "present situation of Jammu and Kashmir is very alarming. "It is a matter of great concern that under the pretext of religious and regional issues, there is a conspiracy to harm not only the state but the entire indian society which is highly deplorable and painful".
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IAF short of 400 pilots: Air Chief
NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) faces a shortage of 400 pilots and it will take five years to fill the gap, says its chief, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major.
It takes 6-8 years of operational training before an IAF pilot can be fully utilized in his intended role.
"They have to be trained over a period of time and there are not shortcuts. We are short of about 400 pilots but with the measures we are taking, we will make good the shortage in the next five years," the chief of the air staff said.
Overall, the IAF is short of about 800 officers.
According to Major, the IAF was working on a two-pronged strategy to reduce the shortage. "The IAF has addressed the issue with emphasis on two aspects - 'retain' and 'attract'. We are carrying out a focused publicity campaign to attract the best to our fold.
"Whilst we cannot match the salaries of the private sector, we compensate by offering a challenging and fulfilling profession with an unequalled quality of life," Major said.
The IAF chief said plans are afoot to increase the intake of men and women into the Short Service cadre as it would be an attractive option for youth while meeting the organisation's needs. Short Service cadre officers are appointed for 10 years, which can be extended by another four years depending on one's performance.
"We are seeking to improve promotion avenues by the implementation of the Ajay Vikram Singh Committee (AVSC) recommendations," the IAF chief said.
The Singh committee on defence reforms, in the second part of its recommendations, had suggested that the number of posts be increased for operational reasons.
As per the recommendations the IAF is expected get 70 more posts of Air Marshal (existing 22), 32 more posts of Air Vice Marshal (47), 158 additional posts of Air Commodore (131) and 592 more posts of Group Captain (476).
The number of officers seeking premature retirement also adds to the shortage of officers in the IAF. According to the highly placed sources in the IAF, more than 160 officers are annually permitted to opt for early retirement.
"The number of officers leaving the IAF prematurely has reached the levels it was around six years ago. We are not holding people back just for the sake of it," a senior IAF officer said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
"A large batch of amateurish people cannot compensate a group of trained people as it takes time to train a person to the level required operationally," the officer added. |
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