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| Where's Army's deployment in Kashmir? | | | ET CORRESPONDENT
SRINAGAR, July 10: Contrary to the special news and current affairs programmes running on national television news channels and statements of politicians, which invariably suggest that Army had taken over charge of law and order and counter-insurgency operations in Srinagar, fact of the matter is that there is absolutely no military deployment in the capital city or anywhere else in Kashmir valley other than Army's specific areas of operation in rural districts. All that has been witnessed in the last three days is that Omar Abdullah government requisitioned deployment of regular combat troops which would assist civil administration to deal with the current spate of riots. However, no deployment has come forth till late tonight.
On Thursday, a thin convoy of Army staged a flag march from Badami Bagh cantonment to Srinagar Airport through curfew-bound civil lines. It lasted for about 50 minutes. The convoy returned to the barracks, leaving no deployment or posts behind. On Friday, another convoy of nearly a dozen Army vehicles staged a similar flag march from Badami Bagh cantonment to Rawalpora via National Highway Bypass. It vanished back into the century old military formation within 40 minutes.
Defence officials made it clear to Early Times that there was absolutely no change other than one that Army had been kept in "stand by mode" following state government's request to the Centre and subsequently instructions of high alert from the Army Headquarters in New Delhi. These sources said that troops of all four field divisions---Victor Force (Wantipore), Kilo Force (Shariefabad), 19 Division (Baramulla) and 28 Division (Kupwara) were as usual carrying out regular counter-insurgency duty in specific rural areas assigned to them several years ago.
Spokersman at headquarters 15 Corps, Col J S Brar, maintained the other day that there was absolutely no Army deployment in Srinagar or any of its peripheries. He confirmed that Army was in "stand by mode" but emphasized that riot control was none of regular Army's business.
SSP Srinagar, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, corroborated Defence PRO's statement and asserted that there was absolutely no Army deployment in urban or rural areas of Srinagar district. He made it clear that Police was in total control of the situation and men of CRPF, drawn from six battalions, were assisting Police , like every day since 2004, to deal with law and order as well as counter-insurgency assignment. Mediapersons, who fanned out in every nook and corner of Srinagar and other districts during 24-hour-long relxation in curfew today, did not notice even a single Army bunker, post or soldier. There was no unusual activity as Army convoys continued regular transit movement without paying any attention to the law and order situation or getting involved in patrolling or riot control.
However, national television news channels continued to run reports and special programmes on the Army deployment that is nowhere in place with regard to current turmoil in Kashmir. These channels have been repeatedly playing images of the two brief flag marches, conducted on Thursday and Friday, and discussing volumes on the military deployment and "Army's first take over in 15 years" that exists nowhere in the Valley.
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