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| Campaigners against economic blockade fail to laud Army's role | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | Aug 10
After the 400-km long Lakhanpur-Srinagar highway was handedover to the Army the movement of trucks,carrying consumer items to Jammu and Srinagar,improved to the extent that more than 1200 trucks reached the state's summer capital within four days.More than 400 trucks,loaded with fresh fruit,left Srinagar during the same period.Both the central and the state Government gave top priority to the transhipment of goods to Srinagar where people had indulged in worst type of campaign against what they called economic blockade on Kashmir.Their roar gave an impression as if the agitators,protesting against the revocation of the land order,had singled out Srinagar bound trucks for attack.This was not the case.Vehicular traffic in Jammu and on the highway was hit by the shutdown,for which the call had been given by the Sangarsh Samiti,and the curfew restrictions.Even after truckload of mutton,chicken,cooking gas,diesel and petrol,besides series of consumer items reached Sringar those behind the turmoil in Kashmir continued to clamour over economic blockade.
The Herculean task of clearing the highway for smooth movement of trucks was performed by the Army that had deployed several columns of troops for ensuring safe passage for trucks carrying goods.Even air surveillance was undertaken for monitoring the movement of vehicular traffic on the highway.In private people in Srinagar appreciated the role of the Army in enabling them an opportunity for enjoying mutton and chicken delicacies.But not a single valley based political leader expressed appreciation in public for the Army.Instead they continued to talk about economic blockade for which neither the Sangarsh Samiti nor any other political group in Jammu had given a call.What was surprising was that even senior functionaries of the provincial administration in Srinagar talked of 250 trucks,loaded with consumer items,were expected to reach Srinagar shortly.They did not announce that over 800 trucks had already reached the summer capital.
Those in Srinagar,who had,in private,appreciated the role of the Army in facilitating movement of trucks on the highway may not hesitate to give a call for demilitarisation and withdrawal of troops from the Government and private land whenever the occasion demanded.The PDP has been in the forefront of those demanding demilitarisation and withdrawal of troops from school buildings and orchards.And despite phenomenal increase in the rent ordered by the Ministry of Defence the demand for sending troops back to the barracks has not been given up.Those who raise such demand possibly do not know,or they may be feigning ignorance,that the Army has catered to the requirements and needs of people in the border belts of the state better than the state agencies.The Army has set up over 1,000 micro hydel projects in several remote and farflung areas.It has adopted number of villages,constructed and renovated several hundred school buildings,held series of medical camps where villagers received free medicines.In terms of road connectivity activity the Army has done a wonderful job.
But this has not diluted the level of campaign against the Army for reasons known to everybody.The Army cannot leave the border unguarded.Once it was done it could allow safe passage for militants waiting across the LOC for infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir.Possibly the strict vigil on the border is an irritant for the separatists and their supporters.This attitude and outlook calls for a change. |
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