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| | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 6: Despite provocations from the vested interests, New Delhi seems to be going ahead full throttle in giving impetus to the peace process as a Division of Army deployed at a very strategic locations is reported to have pulled out.
Downsizing of Army or reconfiguration of their locations has been one major demand of the separatists and Kashmir based mainstream political parties for making the peace process a practical exercise.
The 39th Mountain Division has been withdrawn from Rajouri and Poonch to its base in Palampur in Himachal Pradesh. "This division has been withdrawn and it has reached its base in HP," the officer said. The shifting of the division comes close on the demand by separatists and opposition PDP to withdraw troops from the state in view of the improved security situation there. The process of shifting started in August end and complete withdrawal of the Division was done by November.
Indication are that the Government of India is unlikely to succumb to the mischief of the vested interests that kick up violence simply to prevent the centre from carrying out withdrawal of troops from within the valley. Latest reports from Delhi said that though the centre has been dismayed by the attack on senior Hurriyat Conference leader, Fazal Haq Qureshi, it is not unnerved by the incident and seems to be determined to reduce the size of the troops and the paramilitary forces within the Kashmir valley.
A senior police officer, posted in Srinagar, today said that some vested interests were kicking up violence whenever the centre talked of withdrawal or reducing of troops and paramilitary forces within the valley. He said that the purpose behind this plan was to prevent the centre from reopening the channels of dialogue with various shades of political opinion for the settlement of the Kashmir issue. He said that these elements had developed interest in keeping Kashmir in the grip of fluid security and political scenario which would allow them to keep their shops open.
Official sources said that this time the centre was firm in reducing the size of the troops and the paramilitary forces from within the valley so that the separatists have a face saving that could motivate them to come forward for talks. At the most withdrawal of troops may get delayed. They said that during a brief first interaction between the Union Home Minister, PC Chidambaram, and the Chief of the APHC, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in Delhi the latter had told him that before the quiet diplomacy took off the centre should order withdrawal of troops from within the valley and reduction in the size of the paramilitary forces. This demand has been accepted by Chidambaram
To begin with more than three battalions of the CRPF have been withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir and deployed in the Naxal hit areas in MP and Chhatisgarh. Chidambaram has announced that if withdrawal of troops helped the dialogue process to proceed he was ready to given green signal to it. He has even gone to the extent of announcing that "we shall not shy away from talking to those who demand right of self-determination or self-rule."This indicates that the centre was willing to talk to Syed Ali Shah Geelani, heading the hardliners, who has been harping on the grant of right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Union Home Minister has also said that once the strength and size of the CRPF was reduced the law and order could be transferred to the state police. But it all depends on the events that shape in Kashmir in the near future. The police officer said that the plan was to withdraw troops and the CRPF from the urban belts of Srinagar, Budgam and pockets of Anantnag and Baramullah in the beginning. And if there were no incidents of violence withdrawal of troops or their reallocation from the rural areas could be the next step.
He said that no doubt there was need for raising at least another 15 police battalions for accepting the challenging task of maintaining law and order it could fuflfill its assigned task in the urban areas and by the time the security forces were withdrawn from the rural areas new battalions would have been added to the police force.
Reports said that if the centre failed to fulfill its commitment on withdrawing troops and CRPF from within the civilian areas the moderates in the separatist camps may not get encouraged to participate in the dialogue despite the fact that Umar Farooq has said that the attack on Fazal Haq Qureshi will not affect the dialogue process.This means that Umar has received full assurance from the centre regarding pullout of troops.
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