Govt to take Army on board for phased lifting of AFSPA - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir

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Govt to take Army on board for phased lifting of AFSPA

3/27/2015 11:25:11 PM

Of late the PDP leadership is gradually understanding that the issue pertaining to gradual withdrawal of the AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir was purely a security related and not a political matter that can be decided either by the state Government or by the central Government without taking the Army on board.This realization has dawned on Chief Minister, Mufti Mohd.Sayeed,who,despite being a strong votary for withdrawal of AFSPA in a phased programme, announced the other day that once he made up his mind on lifting of the AFSPA he would do so after taking the Army on board.This indicates that he would first of all secure nod from the Army authorities and then take a decision on the issue that too in consultation with the Government of India.Well enforcing AFSPA was done with the purpose of putting derailed peace back on rails and that is what was done in Punjab when the state was rocked and rattled by insurgency in mid 80's.The Government had no other alternative but to enforce AFSPA in Punjab in 1983 and when peace returned to the state with end of militancy AFSPA was withdrawn. Even during the time the AFSPA was in force there were hardly any political leader who would clamour for its withdrawal because after some time they also felt the difference in the situation when the security forces were able to tackle insurgency.
However, political leaders,belonging to the National Conference and the PDP,besides those in the separatist camps have been persistently demanding withdrawal of the AFSPA on the plea that this Act has given powers to the security forces,especially to the troops for committing human rights violations.Even at that stage these political leaders were heard demanding withdrawal of the AFSPA when incidents of human rights violations were being committed by militants.Knowing that a bigger section of people in the Kashmir valley favour withdrawal of the AFSPA political leaders belonging to the National Conference and the PDP have been trying to strengthen their vote bank by supporting the demand for AFSPA lifting. Whatever may be the reason behind the demand for withdrawal of the AFSPA nobody should deny the fact that if the security forces were able to contain the activities of militants they could do so when they were free to operate against the insurgents on their own without waiting for orders from the executive including the Magistrates and District Development Commissioners. Though AFSPA had been enforced in 1990,when the Kashmir valley witnessed unprecedented violence triggered by Pakistan sponsored and trained militants,it has had to remain in force for the last 25 years when it was lifted from Punjab hardly after five six years.The reason being that peace returned to Punjab within a span of five to seven years but in Jammu and Kashmir peace continues to be in peril despite marked improvement in the security scenario. It is better for the National Conference and the PDP to show patience on the issue related to the withdrawal of AFSPA.Any hasty decision could prove counter productive when the sword of Damocles in the shape of infiltration of militants from across the LOC and from across the IB hangs on the head of the Army.If the latest inputs from intelligence agencies are to be relied upon the level of infiltration bids could increase in the near future and that too when the border routes will become pass-able with the melting of snow.Even the Army have received inputs on fresh activities on the launching pads across the line of control, In view of this troops have been told to repair the damaged fence on the border because melting of snow may encourage militants to cross into Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Army has initiated measures for upgrading the security grid and border management on the LOC and on the IB. This way the Army authorities believe that the time is yet to reach for partial withdrawal of the AFSPA. If the state Government makes a strong pitch for its partial withdrawal let the experiment be conducted in the two city capitals of the state besides Samba, Kathua, Budgam and Ganderbal. That is all.

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