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| Minor amendments in AFSPA on the anvil | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 20 : Reports reaching the state's summer capital from New Delhi indicate that Prime Minister,Manmohan Singh,has revised his opinion on the demand for the repeal or amendment to the AFSPA which has been in force in Jammu and Kashmir during the last over 20 years.According to these reports,Prime Minister had not made any commitment when Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah,had raised the demand for the repeal or amendment to the AFSPA during Manmohan Singh's recent visit to Srinagar.He had evaded any comment on the issue when it was raised by the PDP patron,Mufti Mohd.Sayeed when the latter met the Prime Minister in New Delhi last month.
Both Omar Abdullah and Mufti Sayeed are votaries of demilitarisation and the revocation of the AFSPA. Reports said that of late the Prime Minister has come to the conclusion that amendment to the AFSPA to the extent that the law was made more humane than it was at present could build an atmosphere which was conducive for India-Pakistan talks and for Delhi-separatists dialogue.These reports said that the Union Home Minister,P.C.Chidambaram,is also in favour of amending the AFSPA.
Reports said that a draft note,listing the nature of the amendments,has been sent to the Ministry of Defence and the Law Ministry for their opinion and comments and in case favourable comments were received from these two wings the note was to be submitted to the Cabinet Committee on security which is the final authority to give clearance to it.
But one issue that is keeping the central leadership in a fix pertains to its indecision whether the amended AFSPA would come in force in North-east also.Soon after the rise of Maoist and Naxal triggered violence the AFSPA was enforced in north-east too.When compared to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir the security scenario in the north-east continues to be highly alarming.But legal experts say that once the AFSPA was amended it cannot be kept in force in the original spirit in the North-east.
Government sources said that minor amendments were proposed to satiate the aspirations of people and political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir.They said no major amendment was on the anvil because the Army authorities were opposed to the revocation of or amendment to the AFSPA.Two amendments are proposed.One may make it mandatory for the Army authorities to handover any soldier or officer,accused of human rights violations,to the state administration.Secondly,the Army authorities or the field commanders may have to keep informed the state or the district authorities whenever they plan to carry out either the search operations for flushing out militants or for carrying out anti-insurgency operations.
However,sources in the Army say openly that if the AFSPA was either repealed ot amended the troops could be inconvenienced and even be faced with major problems during their antiinsurgency operations.It may lead to the demoralisation of troops.This view is not being ignored by the centre.It is in this connection that the matter may be discussed threadbare at the highest level before any decision was clinched. |
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