AFSPA withdrawal: P Chidambaram to review Jammu and Kashmir's security
Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Apr 8, 2012, 06.04AM IST
NEW DELHI: Union home minister P Chidambaram will visit Jammu and Kashmir on April 10 to discuss preparedness of the state police and paramilitary forces ahead of the 'crucial' summer that is being looked upon as a 'test' period for the Omar Abdullah government if it wants withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain peaceful districts.
Issues concerning AFSPA, reducing footprints of paramilitary personnel from urban areas, removal of more CRPF bunkers from Srinagar and clearing more private buildings from occupation of security forces will be discussed among other security-related matters during the review meeting, to be chaired by Chidambaram, in Jammu.
Such meeting to analyze preparedness of security forces ahead of summer assumes significance as the April-September period is always considered quite vulnerable due to increase in cross-border infiltration. Melting of ice opens infiltration routes, making it possible for terror groups to push their cadres into the Valley.
Sources here said that the focus during the meeting would also be on consolidating the gain that the security forces made, through counter-terror operations and prevention of infiltration from across the border, last year. Only continuation of peace would pave the way for de-notification of the Disturbed Areas (DA) Act from certain districts after summer, resulting in automatic withdrawal of AFSPA, they added.
The fate of controversial law will be discussed amid indication that the government would 'de-notify' the DA Act from districts like Jammu, Srinagar, Samba, Kathua and Budgam if these areas pass the summer peacefully. "If all goes well, the controversial law will be withdrawn from these five districts in later part of the year," said an official.
In 2011, J&K had witnessed lowest number of casualties in terror violence ever since the inception of militancy in the state almost two decades ago. Sixty-four persons, including 33 security personnel, were killed in terror incidents last year as compared to 116 (2010), 150 (2009) and 166 (2008). Last year, the Kashmir Valley was also comparatively free of major law and order\civil disturbances of the kind seen in 2010's summer of discontent, when a number of youth were killed by security forces during a series of stone-pelting incidents.
The peaceful summer last year had prompted CM Omar Abdullah to pitch for withdrawal of the AFSPA amid a widespread support in favour of the long-standing demand by J&K's civilian population. Though Omar had found support for his move in the Union home ministry, the defence ministry had opposed it taking view of the Army's stand, who emphasized on certain protection to its personnel under the tough law to fight terrorism.
The Army also argued that only one peaceful summer cannot be taken as a yardstick of normalcy. Under the AFSPA, security personnel engaged in counter-terror operations can even fire upon or use other kinds of force - even if it causes death - against a suspected terrorist in the notified disturbed area. It also empowers the forces to search and arrest suspected terrorist without a warrant..................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDQvMDgjQXIwMTAwMw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Apr 8, 2012, 06.04AM IST
NEW DELHI: Union home minister P Chidambaram will visit Jammu and Kashmir on April 10 to discuss preparedness of the state police and paramilitary forces ahead of the 'crucial' summer that is being looked upon as a 'test' period for the Omar Abdullah government if it wants withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain peaceful districts.
Issues concerning AFSPA, reducing footprints of paramilitary personnel from urban areas, removal of more CRPF bunkers from Srinagar and clearing more private buildings from occupation of security forces will be discussed among other security-related matters during the review meeting, to be chaired by Chidambaram, in Jammu.
Such meeting to analyze preparedness of security forces ahead of summer assumes significance as the April-September period is always considered quite vulnerable due to increase in cross-border infiltration. Melting of ice opens infiltration routes, making it possible for terror groups to push their cadres into the Valley.
Sources here said that the focus during the meeting would also be on consolidating the gain that the security forces made, through counter-terror operations and prevention of infiltration from across the border, last year. Only continuation of peace would pave the way for de-notification of the Disturbed Areas (DA) Act from certain districts after summer, resulting in automatic withdrawal of AFSPA, they added.
The fate of controversial law will be discussed amid indication that the government would 'de-notify' the DA Act from districts like Jammu, Srinagar, Samba, Kathua and Budgam if these areas pass the summer peacefully. "If all goes well, the controversial law will be withdrawn from these five districts in later part of the year," said an official.
In 2011, J&K had witnessed lowest number of casualties in terror violence ever since the inception of militancy in the state almost two decades ago. Sixty-four persons, including 33 security personnel, were killed in terror incidents last year as compared to 116 (2010), 150 (2009) and 166 (2008). Last year, the Kashmir Valley was also comparatively free of major law and order\civil disturbances of the kind seen in 2010's summer of discontent, when a number of youth were killed by security forces during a series of stone-pelting incidents.
The peaceful summer last year had prompted CM Omar Abdullah to pitch for withdrawal of the AFSPA amid a widespread support in favour of the long-standing demand by J&K's civilian population. Though Omar had found support for his move in the Union home ministry, the defence ministry had opposed it taking view of the Army's stand, who emphasized on certain protection to its personnel under the tough law to fight terrorism.
The Army also argued that only one peaceful summer cannot be taken as a yardstick of normalcy. Under the AFSPA, security personnel engaged in counter-terror operations can even fire upon or use other kinds of force - even if it causes death - against a suspected terrorist in the notified disturbed area. It also empowers the forces to search and arrest suspected terrorist without a warrant..................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMDQvMDgjQXIwMTAwMw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
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