HVK Archives: Now, ISI trains its guns at Kutch
Now, ISI trains its guns at Kutch - The Indian Express
United News of India
()
December 17, 1998
Title: Now, ISI trains its guns at Kutch
Author: United News of India
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: December 17, 1998
A gradual spurt in the activities of Pakistan's Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) in this far-flung border belt of Gujarat has
alarmed the authorities who suspect that the neighbouring country
may now be trying to turn this district into another hotbed of
terrorism.
Even as the Indian security forces make it increasingly difficult
for Pakistan to attempt any large-scale infiltration of narco-
terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism from across places bordering
Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan, the sparsely-populated
Kutch district might well emerge as the latest target
intelligence sources told a visiting correspondent here.
At least two Islamic fundamentalist outfits, known as Ahl-e-Hadis
and Tablighi Jammat, allegedly financed and supported by
neighbouring Islamic countries, were now active in Kutch
district, especially in its border areas like Banni. Besides
these, the Jammat-e-Islami's student wing was also allegedly
active in the area, sources said and added that Pakistani agents
were also visiting the area in the garb of religious leaders via
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Citing the examples of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir in 1978 and
1988, respectively, the sources said Kutch also appeared to be in
the "process of being ripened" by Pakistan in a similar manner.
Kutch, they believed, could well be on the threshold of becoming
another hot-spot, due to a variety of reasons.
Since 1993, some 200 Pakistanis and nearly 400 Bangladeshi
infiltrators, who wanted to cross over into Pakistan, had been
arrested in Kutch district. In addition to them "other
nationals", numbering nearly 40, had also been arrested during
the period, official sources said.
The arrest and attempted deportation of Bangladeshis has become a
regularity in the district. Since permission for their
deportation often did not come in time from New Delhi, such
infiltrators were reportedly virtually settling down in the
district.
Different types of foreign-made arms and ammunition had also been
seized in the border district. Since 1993, at least 56 cases of
arms seizure had been registered in Kutch district and 64 people
arrested so fat in this connection.
The arms seized included ten rifles of the automatic kalashnikovs
(AK) make. Four of these, unclaimed AK-56 rifles had been seized
only last year, sources said.
Already, Kutch district has emerged on the illegal arms,
ammunition and explosives map of the country. Ten kg of research
and development explosives (RDX) had been seized in this border
district in 1995 from a small hamlet on the outskirts of the
eastern taluka of Rapar in the great Rann of Kutch. No arrests
had been made in this case.
In July this year also, one kg of RDX was seized from Kala Dungar
(black hillock) near Banni, 70 km from Bhuj, from where the
nearest Pakistani village was just about 50 km. The border
district was also reported to be emerging as an important conduit
for smuggling of narcotic drugs in the new "golden triangle"
comprising Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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