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| Allowing terrorists opportunity to regroup | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 10: It's almost clear that BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre is all set to extend ceasefire beyond Ramzan. This is what sources close to the corridors of powers in New Delhi clearly suggest.
Sources say that "less than a week before the end of Ramzan, prospects of an extension of the suspension of offensive security operations in J&K have brightened with the assessment that a lull in cordon and search has helped improve local sentiment and provided a break from the cycle of violence".
Reports from New Delhi quoting credible sources also say that "the suspension of operations ensured there were no funerals of slain locals that have become an emotional recruitment ground for terrorists"; that "according to a government functionary, there has not been a single cordon-and-search operation in built-up areas and hence no resulting casualties of civilians or security forces"; and that "there has been a 90 per cent drop in stone-pelting incidents over the past four weeks".
There has been an intense debate within the security establishment as well as in the political leadership over the utility of the Ramzan initiative being extended with the benefits of such a move weighed against the need to act against terrorists pushed in by Pakistan as well as home-grown ones, reports say.
Sources further reveal that "the government has been keen that there is no slack as far as containing terrorist infiltration goes and that the Army and other agencies will act on intelligence about the presence of terrorists in specific locations".
"The Ramzan initiative came about as it was felt that action against heavily armed terrorists leads to actions like shutting power and water - measures intended to reduce casualties by not using disproportionate force - but which cause hardships to locals," sources further say.
While a final decision on the suspension of operations is yet to be taken, sources said: "The peace initiative will, in all likelihood, be extended unless there is an extraordinary or audacious attack by terrorists backed by Pakistan in the next few days. This possibility cannot be ruled out in the light of reports of the ISI being keen to disrupt the relative calm in the Valley".
"However, strategic affairs experts are against the idea of extending ceasefire. They have opined: "Our 'cordon and search' operations (CASOs) are off. We used to have four to five CASOs every 24 hours before the operations were halted. We have given huge respite to militants just before the crucial Amarnath Yatra slated to begin from June 28. (Even if) the Ramzan ceasefire is not extended beyond Eid, we will get only 11 days to ensure that militants do not harm Yatra". |
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