World Notes INDIA

It was just the sort of event that India and Pakistan fear could provoke a fourth war. There had been a huge rally in Sialkot, Pakistan, to mark a nationwide strike protesting India's crackdown on Muslims in the state of Jammu and Kashmir who are agitating for independence or merger with Pakistan. Afterward, about 4,000 people marched to the village of Suchetgarh and threatened to cross into India. Pakistani rangers tried to stop them, but 150 protesters pushed through, chanting anti-India slogans and setting fire to bushes and grass. Indian border troops warned the encroachers, then fired, killing three and wounding twelve.

Though New Delhi and Islamabad lodged strong protests with each other, they were careful not to overplay the affair, fearing that would only inflame passions. In Kashmir, meanwhile, seven people were killed last week in clashes between police and demonstrators, raising the toll in the 18-month-old uprising to 292.