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| Modi Sarkar scarps proposed revocation, amendment of AFSPA | | Army gets major boost | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, July 18: In what could be termed as first major policy initiative on Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) led NDA government has scrapped the Congress led UPA government's proposal for both partial revocation as well as amending Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Sources said that the decision to scrap the proposal was taken during a recently held meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS). They added that CCS took the decision on the basis of security assessment reports received from various agencies especially armed forces stationed in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources further disclosed that the committee discussed in detail the reforms suggested by Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) but preferred to go by the advice of the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Dovel and heads of various commands of army and central paramilitary forces.
They maintained that both NSA and army had briefed Prime Minister Narinder Modi, Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh and Minister for Defence Arun Jaitley about the need of continuation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir. They had also apprised them about various difficulties which the armed forces would face during military operations in J&K if amendments proposed by the previous UPA regime are incorporated in the act.
Both Prime Minister and Defence Minister alongwith Union Home Minister had assured the security forces of taking care of their issues and concerns with regard to proposed partial revocation of AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir. Current cabinet committee on security consists of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh, Minister of Finance and Minister of Defense Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs
Army has been repeatedly opposing repealing or dilution of the act in any form and has often stated that it was required for it to operate in the state, sources said. It has, according to sources informed the Prime Minister that mere absence of violence does not mean that the outside interference has stopped completely. Army has reportedly said that allowing free space for terrorist to operate would be detrimental to the security and stability of the state.
They have further said that violence levels have come down but there are still pockets from where presence of terrorist is reported on daily basis. Pakistan has not stopped abetting and aiding terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, army has told the Prime Minister. They have warned that if the act is diluted or revoked from certain areas, there is potential of situation deteriorating in the state.
On the need for AFSPA, Army has said that it was "an enabling" act as it "gives Army additional powers to operate in an environment which is marked by very high degree of uncertainty and complexity and an asymmetric environment where you cannot differentiate between a friend and a foe as the terrorist merges with the backdrop and hides amongst the locals.
Prior to this, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had also visited Jammu and Kashmir to analyse the situation in the state and had visited the forward locations there. He had stated that any decision on revoking AFSPA will depend on the progress in the situation in the state over a period of time.
Before the BJP-led NDA took over, Congress led UPA had speeded up process of consultations at the highest level to create conditions for the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from atleast four districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from the revocation, there was also talk of act of amending the act which would remain in force in other 18 districts. |
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