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| Antony 's peanuts offer is almonds for PDP | | As Cong refuses to yield, Mufti says things improving | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Oct 28: Pushed to the wall due to cold response from New Delhi and internal bickering within the organization, the sulking ruling ally Peoples Democratic Party now appears to be learning the art of satisfaction with whatever is available.
In the recent few weeks the PDP had upped its ante against the Congress with threats of pull out if troop strength was not downsized and special laws were not rolled back. However, in view of no yielding from New Delhi, the party is now reconciling with whatever is available as the pull out option has apparent threats of internal breakdown within the organization.
A politically mature stuff, Defence Minister AK Antony who was in Srinagar Saturday remained non-committal on troop reduction. Though Antony said that troops from schools and hospitals buildings shall be relocated but interestingly this process is already on since early this year. Therefore, the PDP leadership has apparently found some solace in this minor offer from the Defence Minister who had said yesterday that recommendations of the committees on troop relocation are still under examination.
In sign of budging down, the PDP patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today claimed victory of his stand in the 'peanut statement' of Antony. Mufti said that Antony's statement reflects an approach of objectivity and cooperation on the PDP's demand for reduction of troops and scrapping of the Special Laws.
According to a party communiqué, speaking to PDP activists Mufti welcomes Defence Minister's announcement and hoped that this would be a prelude to measures of wider implication on rationalizing the troop concentration for internal security duties in the State. He said the vacation of civilian properties would only mark the beginning of a larger public and institutional empowerment process which the PDP has been projecting for quite some time.
Sayeed said the popular sentiment on the continued presence of heavy troop-deployment in civilian areas will have to be respected fully. "The mechanism put in place by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh after March 2007 discussions, is an acknowledgment of the seriousness of this problem," he said and expressed the hope that the sentiments of the people would be configured in any decision on the issue. He said people are the ultimate defenders of their land and interest and their views and voices can't be subservient to any other consideration.
The PDP Patron said shortest and the most workable route to eliminating human rights abuse is reconciling the presence of troops to actual security requirements and any such move should not be hampered by fossilized mindsets and imaginary apprehensions. He said the latest announcement by the Defense Minister should provide the lead to those quarters, both within and outside the State, who have been speaking out of turn on this very sensitive issue. |
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