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| Omar displays obsession with AFSPA at CMS' Conference | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 16: Demonstrating his obsession with the withdrawal of the AFSPA, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, dwelt at length on the issue during the Chief Ministers' Conference on internal security in New Delhi today. He said that the Act had played its useful role and this time he desisted from describing the legal cover to the security forces as a mere piece of draconian law.
No doubt Omar Abdullah referred to the need for promoting trade between the two sides, including between the Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan administered Kashmir, he laid emphasis on setting up telephone facilities between the two Kashmir's in the interest of trade.
It would have been appreciated had Omar Abdullah dished out the plan that was needed for reviving the banking facilities between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan held Kashmir which could facilitate trade transactions between the two sides thereby creating a situation in which traders had not to bank on the barter system.
Though he requested Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to take up the matter with the concerned Ministries so that cross-LoC trade can flourish in real terms he should have dilated on the steps that needed to be taken up for developing facilities that were required for doubling the trade transactions between the two sides
Speaking on the contentious issue of AFSPA, he said he was of the firm belief that the Act had played a useful role in providing much-needed legal protection to the Army and para military forces while dealing with insurgency.
"However, now that there is a distinct change in the security environment in the State, there is a good case for reviewing the continuation of AFSPA. I am not advocating the withdrawal of AFSPA from districts and areas which are still infested with militancy, but a beginning can be made by withdrawing AFSPA from areas and districts which are not affected by the insurgent and terrorist activities."
Notwithstanding the fact that Omar Abdullah supported the process of dialogue for resolving all contentious issues between India and Pakistan he did not take into account the grim picture on the threat of radicalists, fundamentalists and extremists besides the militant groups of Indian origin the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, and Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, painted in their speeches.
Had he taken a note of Chidambaram's report on new infiltration routes being adopted by the militants from across the International Border and the LOC he would have not laid emphasis on partial withdrawal of the AFSPA.
Omar Abdullah talked about peaceful summer of 2011, a departure from earlier summers, but that should not be enough for the Chief Minister to seek partial withdrawal of AFSPA. Though the issue pertaining to NCTC is to come up during the Chief Ministers' meeting in New Delhi on May 5. Omar Abdullah need not imitate Mamata Banerjee and other Chief Ministers of non-Congress Governments in opposing the NCTC.
Since the State of Jammu and Kashmir continues to be faced with the menace of Pakistan sponsored insurgency Omar Abdullah should be in the forefront of those supporting the setting up NCTC. |
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