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| PDP sore over Govt's no to troops withdrawal | | | After all the National Conference led coalition Government has confirmed that troops and the paramilitary forces were not to be pulled out of Kashmir for the time being.The Government has admitted that despite improvement in the security environment it was too early to withdraw troops from within the civilian areas in the state.Whatever may have been the compulsions for the state Government to opt against withdrawal of troops the main opposition PDP leadership is agitated over the Government stand.The PDP general secretary,Dilawar Mir,says that "our main agenda is withdraal of troops from those civilian areas where the level of violence has touched zero."He is right when he accuses the National Conference leadership of wavering on the issue.He refers to some statements of Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah,and National Conference President,Farooq Abdullah,and says that the two have,in the recent past,favoured withdrawal of troops and the repeal of the
AFASPA.Mir and others want to remind the Government of the announcement made by Omar Abdullah regarding withdrawal of paramilitary forces from within the Kashmir valley.It was under his instructions that the CRPF had been withdrawan from Baramullah town where two additional companies of the state police were deployed. Reports indicate that the PDP may intensify campaign in favour of withdrawal of troops and the repeal of the AFSPA because it believes that once demilitarisation was ordered it would end human rights violations in the state which was required for the restoration of peace.However,it is no longer a secret that the National Conference leadership had,at one time or the other, demanded withdrawal of troops and partial withdrawal of the AFSPA.But finding that the Defence Ministry was totally opposed to withdrawal of troops the state Government had no other option but to fall in line.In fact the state Government has been told about the
inherent dangers in demilitarisation for the time being.The centre has explained to the state Government that since groups of battle hardened militants were trying to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir for escalating the level of violence it was not time to lower the guard by withdrawing troops and the paramilitary forces from Jammu and Kashmir.As far as withdrawal of troops and the paramilitary forces from Jammu and Kashmir is concerned three factors can hasten demilitarisation.First the state should have adequate number of police battalions and that too well equipped so that they can replace the Army and the paramilitary forces.Secondly,militants and separatists operating in the state need to alter their strategy and avoid indulging in violence and inciting people to resort to violent rallies and demonstrations.Thirdly,once agencies across the LOC stop aiding militants and assisting groups of gun toting youths in infiltrating into Jammu and kashmir the
Government will feel encouraged to order withdrawal of troops and paramilitary forces.In the absence of these developments it is not possible for the Government to withdraw troops from within the state where militants continue to be active.Once militants surrender their weapons and promise to return to the national mainstream there would then be no need for deploying troops and the paramilitary forces.Well as far as Pakistan is concrned it may not stop aiding militants because it wants to demonstrate to the world that it is indigenous Jehad in Kashmir.(eom)
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