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| What does troop withdrawal mean for a common man? | | |
Srinagar:Mar 31
As political leaders engage themselves in engrossing discussion over the reduction in the number of troops and withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Acts, common people in Kashmir are associating greater aspirations with the proposals hoping that the moves could bring them relaxation from living under constant duress and start an economic turn around besides giving them greater freedom to life and cultural activities.
With security forces present almost everywhere on the landscape of Kashmir – forces occupy close to two lakh canals of land across Kashmir and Ladakh regions that includes tourist places, orchards, important state buildings, educational institutions and even the lone cricket stadium in Srinagar – the reduction in their numbers and restricting their powers to a certain extent is expected to work wonders for the psyche of a common man. "The endurance has already reached the critical limit," says psychiatrist, Dr. Arshad Hussain, indicating that this is high time for doing amends.
"All these years, we have only seen interrogations, search operations and frisking. We often gather when the village is cordoned off but never for band pather (Kashmiri folk plays)," says Ishfaq Ahmad to , a youth from Ranger village in Central Budgam district. "If troopers leave, we can visit friends' houses late in the evening. Marriages can again extend deep into the night as it used to be earlier. I think troops should leave for good," he adds.
While some like Ishfaq are tired of the counter insurgency operations that have been a part of the life for the past seventeen years, others base their argument in support of the demand on the "universally accepted fact" that "long term presence of troops in civilian areas causes more social problems than it solves."
"Presence of troops is always an inhibiting factor for the freedom of a common man and raises certain social problems that disturb the mental framework of the people. It constrains freedom of a civilian," says Prof. Noor Mohammed Baba of Political Science department in Kashmir University. Speaking about the likely outcomes of the reduction in numbers and withdrawal of AFSPA, Baba says, "Any meaningful and substantial withdrawal of troops from civilian areas will certainly have a positive impact."
For a common man, who can't afford going out of his house without an identity card, the step can be the opening of a whole new world of freedom. With AFSPA to back the forces deployed in a disturbed area like Kashmir and widened sphere of activity that extends much beyond the primary duty of security, the forces are virtually a part of every matter in a Kashmiri's daily life – personal and public.
"If troops leave civilian areas, interference shall at least end," says Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmad, a teacher from Srinagar. "A soldier asks you a thousand questions about the purpose of visit to a relative's house, not to talk of a foreign visit. Then there are issues like eve teasing for which a protest takes place each day. If the violence levels have come down, troopers have nothing to do in civilian areas except for causing unnecessary trouble," he adds.
As Kashmir's economy is mainly based on tourism and agriculture, the presence of troopers in orchards besides tourist resorts and hotels across Srinagar is detrimental to the growth of these sectors. "An immediate economic advantage would be that orchards and agricultural fields can be used to best of the potential," says Prof. Nisar Ali of Department of Economics at Kashmir University. "Also, the tourist places and hotels when relieved of the presence of forces can make tourists feel freer," he adds.
Experts say that new infrastructure for commercial tourism and transportation can be built at large grounds like Toto Ground and Badami Bagh that are at present used by forces. "Infrastructure building can be the long term effect of this defense realignment," says Prof. Nisar Ali.
Though raised at the political level only this year, the presence of troops at certain key places has in the past too been a bone of contention between army bosses and civil administration of the state. One of the most talked about cases is that of the occupation of campus land of Sker-i-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST) near Manasbal Lake in Ganderbal area of Srinagar district.
In the Kashmir University too, the University Guest House houses none other than the paratroopers of Central Reserve Police much to the irritation of the students. "The university guest house is with them, so is the youth hostel of Srinagar. The university, especially the student community, needs these places," says Shafat Mir, a student at Kashmir University. "Why do we need CRPF in the campus when we already have the University Watch and Ward Staff to prevent any trouble," asks Mudasir Bhat
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