Six killed in Kashmir ahead of Indias Independence Day
Six people, including three suspected Pakistani rebels, were killed in fresh violence in Kashmir ahead of Indias Independence Day later this week, the army and police said Sunday.
The three Pakistani militants were killed during a gunbattle that erupted when troops laid a cordon around a village on a tip-off late Saturday, said spokesman Colonel Hemant Joneja.
Fighting erupted after Indian troops, backed by counter-insurgency police, raided a hide-out in the village of Ringpait, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir.
The slain militants are Pakistanis and belong to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Joneja said, referring to the Kashmiri militant group which officials believe was behind train bombings in Mumbai on July 11 that killed more than 180 people.
More : khaleejtimes.com
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The significance of Indias independence
In his tryst with destiny speech at midnight on August 14/15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru used the phrase not wholly or in full measure to describe Indias attainment of freedom.
Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, said the first prime minister of India, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge - not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.
At the stroke of the midnight hour, while the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.
More : hindustantimes.com
U.S. issues warning to its citizens in India
The U.S. Embassy here warned its nationals Friday that foreign terrorists, possibly linked to Al Qaeda, were planning a series of bomb attacks in Indias major cities in the days leading up to the nations Independence Day next week.
In a strongly worded e-mail warning, the embassy urged American citizens living and working in India to maintain a low profile, and be especially alert and attentive to their surroundings in the days ahead of the public holiday Tuesday, which celebrates the anniversary of independence from British colonial rule.
Likely targets
Six killed in Maoist attack in India
Five Maoist rebels were killed Sunday in a gunbattle with security forces in eastern India, a day after guerrillas killed 14 people in the same region, a police officer said. “The incident happened ... when Maoist rebels attacked a police party who were looking for them after they killed a policeman,” a police superintendent, who did not wish to be named, said.
Police were looking for the rebels in the jungles of Bijapur district, 50 kilometres from Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh state, when they were attacked, he said. He said that killing the rebels would
Leaders denounce India’s rigidity on Kashmir propos
Political leaders on both sides of Kashmir have expressed dismay at India’s cold-shouldering of President Pervez Musharraf’s proposal to grant self-rule to Kashmir and demilitarise some border towns.
Except for Congress Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who said these proposals had ‘no basis’ and have been made ‘without proper planning’, other pro-India parties such as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC) and moderate pro-freedom groups have been voicing their support for Musharraf’s proposals.
Azad’s deputy, Muzaffar Hussain Beg chose his words carefully. A PDP leader, Beg asked Pakistan to provide the
India using 11/7 to shy away from peace talks
Blaming India for putting talks with Pakistan on hold after the Mumbai blasts, separatist leader Shabir Shah on Sunday said that New Delhi was under pressure from international community to carry forward the dialogue process to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir imbroglio.
Though the Mumbai train blasts are condemnable, making them a reason to put talks with Pakistan on hold shows Indias lack of seriousness to solve the Kashmir issue, Shah, also the Democratic Freedom Party president, said.
He also urged the Indian government to make use of Pakistans offer for
