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| Phasing out: CM to seek funds for additional police battalions | | | NIrbhay Jammual
Jammu, Aug 9: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, may not hesitate in using the opportunity that is going to come to him during the Chief Minister's Conference, for seeking central assistance in the modernisation of police weaponry and in sanctioning at least five additional police battalions for Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister is scheduled to chair a day-long conference of Chief Ministers in Delhi where the threat from terrorists and Naxal menace will dominate the debate. During the last over one year voices keep on demanding replacement of paramilitary forces by the state police and withdrawal of troops from within the civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference led coalition Government is also keen to give full role to the police in handling not only law and order but terrorist activities also.
In fact the demand for demilitarisation, repeal of the Armed Forces(special powers)Act, replacement of the paramilitary forces by the state police is being vigorously projected by the opposition PDP. And when Omar Abdullah realised that the slogan of the PDP had many buyers in the Kashmir valley he had no other alternative but to make a plea with the central Government for the repeal of AFSPA.It was under his orders that the paramilitary forces were replaced by the state police in Baramullah. Omar Abdullah would seen his order implemented in the entire valley had not the top police brass explained to him that the police had the moral strength to take on the militants but its numerical strength and weaponry were much too small for meeting any challenge. It is in this connection Omar Abdullah may seek central assistance for modernization of the police weaponry and financial and technical assistance in improving the communication network and transport system for the police.
Since the last conference of Chief Minister, held in Delhi on January 6, there has been no material improvement in the security scenario in the North-East and in Jammu and Kashmir. However, comparatively the security environment in Jammu and Kashmir has registered improvement in the sense that terrorist strikes have declined considerably. No doubt militants, while taking advantage of the recent public protests, established their bases in areas that had been sanitised, they have been forced to lie low. Similarly agencies across the border have, of late, started making attempts at pushing militants in small groups into Jammu and Kashmir. However, the troops, guarding the border, have killed more than 15 infiltrators in recent days which indicates that the rate of ingress bids have gone up.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Moaist activities in the North East have caused great concern to the central Government, Delhi seems to be more interested in taming terrorists who are aided by agencies across the border.It is so because the centre believes that the Naxal violence does not have foreign support while the terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas have the backing of agencies across the LOC. Informed sources said that Omar Abdullah may attempt to renew his demand for repeal of the AFSPA and withdrawal of troops from some civilian areas but the centre may not oblige him right now as reports indicate that Pakistani agencies and some leaders of rebel groups may incite bigger trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. But the Prime Minister and his two cabinet colleagues, the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Defence, could review Omar's demand for repeal of AFSPA and withdrawal of troops from those civilian areas where militancy related violence has touched zero level. Such an experiment could be carried out and in case of some fresh trouble the Government could revert to the original position. Whether the centre accepted the plea for repeal of AFSPA and withdrawal of troops or not the it cannot ignore the demand for additional police battalions and modernisation of police weapons and communication system
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