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| PDP hits back at Governor for his situation assessment | | 'Your words out of place, His Excellency' | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Jan 27
As already expected, the Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti has hit back at the Governor SK Sinha for his assessment of the security situation and troop strength in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued from New Delhi, Mehbooba said that the Governor's statement and comparison of situation is not only surprising but also out of place. The Governor, in his Republic Day message issued on January 25 and then in his speech yesterday had said that the troop to population ratio in Jammu and Kashmir was lower than Tibet and Waziristan.
Hitting back at the Governor, Mehbooba said that our actions can not be guided by the situation in Tibet and Waziristan. "The decision on troop cut, whenever taken, will be on the basis of the ground situation in the State and could not be influenced by what is happening in Waziristan or Tibet. "It is for the governments of those countries to assess their requirements in Waziristan and Tibet and respond as they think fit," she said and added what is good for a goose was not the same in the case for the gander.
Mehbooba maintained that at one point of time heavy deployment of forces was necessary to curb violence in the State, but that situation exists no more. "Levels of violence have gone down sharply and peoples' participation in political and democratic exercises has increased to unprecedented levels," she said and added that in election after election people are participating in great numbers and economic activity is back. "The one negative feedback on the reviving tourism industry is the rather intruding and overwhelming presence of security forces, bunkers and barbed wire fencings on Kashmir landscape," she said and added this unfortunate trend is now finding more and more mention in travel write-ups from Kashmir.
"While one would desist from offering public advice to the constitutional head of the State, it is expected that the Governor as a fatherly figure for the whole State takes note of the public sentiment and channels it appropriately rather than bringing totally extraneous elements into the discourse on State's internal security," Mehbooba said.
The PDP President pointed out that it has always been maintained as part of the country's national policy that decisions on the troop deployment in Jammu & Kashmir will be taken strictly on the merits of the situation. "But Gen Sinha's point of view could create wrong and exploitable apprehensions on this count, both within and outside the State," she said and added that drawing parallels with other countries internal matters would only complicate the situation and tend to increase the difficulties for the people and the country.
"Should it then be concluded that the levels of deployment in Kashmir should be dictated by the actions of Pakistan in Waziristan and China in Tibet," Ms Mufti wondered and said this has to be a decision of the nation of India, its Government and its elected representatives in the larger interest of the State and the country. She said one of the Working Groups had clearly recommended scrapping of the laws giving special powers to the security forces and implementation of these recommendations along-with other proposals should be put on a fast track in the interest of peace and stability in the State. |
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