The Defence Minister Man-ohar Parrikar has rightly ruled out the possibility of lifting AFSPA from J&K and the North-Eastern states. He said AFSPA was must for army to operate in Kashmir and without it, army won't be able to operate in civilian areas. Referring to AFSPA, he said army 'requires protection whenever it is asked to proceed and act in a certain area. He strongly felt that 'immunity to army personnel should be total'. His statement is expected to boost the morale of valiant army men who are fighting terrorism in Kashmir in the most unfriendly atmosphere. It was a loud and clear message from him to the critics of AFSPA when he said 'army will not go in civilian areas without the act being in place'. Army is not a law-enforcing agency like police and he was right when he said army could not be made to face standard laws. In the recently-concluded budget session, Minister of State for Home, Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary too told the Rajya Sabha that there were no plans to revoke AFSPA from J&K. Army does not require AFSPA while guarding the borders in J&K. It requires the protection of this contentious law while operating in civilian areas. He voiced surprise over the growing demand for repeal of AFSPA and said it was not possible as long as militancy related violence existed in the state. AFSPA was implemented in J&K when Pakistan-sponsored insurgency assumed alarming dimensions in 1990. Since terrorists still continue to make strikes in the valley and other 'disturbed' J&K areas, there is no justification for the revocation of AFSPA. "If that act is not there, the army will not take action. For carrying out counter-terror operations, the army requires that power. That power comes from such laws; AFSPA is a major one," he said. "If that is not there, the army will not go to a civilian area for operations. The home ministry should decide on the basis of that, after assessing the situation," Parrikar maintained. There is a "new crop" of activists who keep filing cases against AFSPA, the minister said, adding in a lighter vein that someone may even file a case on the Kargil conflict even though 17 long years have passed since the Indian Army went into action to evict Pakistani intruders from the icy heights of Jammu and Kashmir.Well, Parrikar has cleverly placed the ball in the court of the Union Home Ministry saying that the Union Home Ministry has the powers to revoked the AFSPA but it has to keep in view the requirement of the law for the protection of troops and for enabling them to operate against militants in civilian areas. Terrorists continue to operate in Kashmir, particularly in various areas in south Kashmir, Kupwara and Handwara.They are in possession of sophisticated weapons and explosives which need to be countered by Army. So, the time has not come for revocation of AFSPA. |