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| Worried Centre mulls options, asks Army to be ready | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 7: Even after claiming that 'all is well' in Kashmir , the Centre is seriously mulling to ask Army for its 'help' in curbing civilian protests and bringing some 'law and order' in the region, top sources in New Delhi told.
As per sources, top brass of the civil, intelligence and military administration have been discussing Kashmir situation in New Delhi over the past few days. With region showing no signs of improvement, the general view emerging is that valley be handed over to the Army so that "a feeling of the state's presence could be established", sources said.
"Calling out the Army is a very tough decision but going by things as they stand, I think we will have to dial Army sooner than later. Army presence may escalate the situation for the first 24-48 hours but we are sure they will bring the situation under control and enforce the writ of the state," said a top officer from New Delhi.
Defense sources say that the state government has already been sounded out what the Centre has in mind but the final decision will be taken mutually after consulting the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Even in Police circles, the possibility of Army coming out is not being perceived as totally unwelcome. This time around, police officers are privately admitting that they have reached the tipping point and any "relief is welcome". " We have not slept for more than 4 hours since July 9. How long can we go on. No matter how much we resist Army presence. We will not mind it this time", said an officer of rank of DySP.
The region is on boil since July 08 evening when Hizb Commander Burhan Wani was killed along with his two associates in Kokernag area. Since then hundreds of clashes between government forces and protestors have erupted with former indiscriminately using firearms to kill at least 55 civilians and injuring more than 5000.
Amidst curfews, restrictions and shutdown calls given by separatist groups, local administration has, by and large, been missing from the ground with only police and paramilitary CRPF manning the valley streets mostly unsuccessfully.
Since persistent curfews are being resisted by more protests and clashes with local government apparently having unsuccessfully played all its cards, New Delhi is looking to deal with the situation the way it did in 2010: handing the region over to Army.
"In the current situation, Army may be asked to intervene sooner than later, they will be giving all the help local administration would need to bring back law and order and normalcy in the region," official sources in New Delhi said.
If the decision to let Army take over is given a go ahead, Army vehicles may soon be seen flag marching on Kashmir streets while enforcing the strictest curfew possible, visuals that are still afresh from 2010 uprising.
On Friday when the Centre told Supreme Court that the "law and order situation" in Kashmir Valley had "improved considerably" since the killing of Burhan Wani, the same day witnessed killing of three more civilians with at least 300 injured in clashes erupting in several areas of the region.
The Centre, in a status report filed before a bench of Chief JusticeT S Thakur and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said that in view of the "improving situation", curfew had been lifted from most parts of the Valley on July 30.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, referring to the report, said the curfew was in force only in certain areas of three districts in the Valley.
"However, due to persistent efforts of the security forces/Jammu and Kashmir Police, the situation has shown remarkable improvement, with the number of incidents declining progressively since the outbreak of violent protests and clashes. Compared to 201 incidents on July 9, 2016, only 11 incidents were witnessed as on August 3, 2016," Kumar has said. |
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