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| Vested interests marring peace chances | | |
NIRBHAY JAMMUAL
Jammu, June 14: Gradually the ruling coalition leaders too have started favouring troop reduction and the repeal of Armed Forces(special powers)Act.(AFSPA). If anyone has a doubt one needs to go through Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah's, forceful plea before the union Home Minister, P Chidambaram during his two-day visit to Kashmir.
Chidambaram had gone to Kashmir to have an on the spot assessment of the security situation. He interacted with top political leaders and Government functionaries in the civil and police administration besides the senior officers of the Army and the paramilitary forces. During his stay Chidambaram did not succumb to the demand voiced by the Chief Minister and other political leaders, including those heading the PDP and the separatists.
While referring to the demand for demilitarisation and the repeal of Armed Forces (special powers) Act the Union Home Minister stated that "we will watch the situation during the next few months and then decide the issues pertaining to demilitarisation and the scrapping of the AFSPA. Well it was not in the hands of the Union Home Minister to accept the two demands. Being a polished politician Chidambaram stated that he would, at the sametime, discuss the matter with the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister. If at all the Government favours withdrawal of troops from the civilian areas and the repeal of AFSPA it has to be first approved by the cabinet committee on security. Well there is one sign of hope as far as the repeal of the AFSPA and withdrawal of troops are concerned. The Union Home Minister did not say emphatic "NO:" when the Chief Minister and others demanded the repeal of the AFSPA.Instead he favoured baby type steps and not gallop like a running horse.
If the opposition PDP wants withdrawal of troops and the repeal of the AFSPA its leadership has to create a situation which can be created as highly conducive for demilitarisation and the repeal of the AFSPA. The separatists also have the same demand. They too need to cooperate with the Government to create conditions that can favour demilitarisation. If the separatists keep the cauldron of violence boiling and if they pose some threat to peace the Government may not opt for demilitarisation and the repeal of AFSPA. Well there has been a marked improvement in the security scenario in the state during the last 12 years. The situation has started bordering on peace since 2002 Assembly election. The Government could withdraw troops from some civilian areas on experimental basis. It can repeal the AFSPA because during the last five years or so the Act has not been used by the troops as repeatedly as they used to do it a decade ago.
Unfortunately peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir has been delayed because of the machinations of the vested interest groups. You see the vested interest groups not only the separatist camps but in the mainstream political groups. These vested interests exist in the security forces, in the state services. It is so because these vested interest groups have minted money on the bodies of civilians. There is one major vested interest group in Kashmir that believes that once the violence ended and peace was restored the centre may not earmark huge funds for the state. Another vested interest group believes that unsettled Kashmir issue would provide Kashmiris a chance to receive several economic and political concession
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