After selling Indian nuclear independence PM Manmohan Singh wants to sell Indian interest in Kashmir too - Playing With Fire In Kashmir
Partha Ghosh
Jul. 18, 2007

The Prime Minsiter's Office and many Congress Leaders are regularly visiting Kashmir to make sure demilitarization is performed and Indian Army is asked to retreat to please the Western nations and Pakistan.

The mistake will be irreversible. Eventually Indian Army will have to fight a much larger ''Kargi'' at the expense of thousands of Indian soldiers as PM Maniohan Singh's western eulogy remains unquestioned.

The Prime Minsiter and his party has forgotten the fundamental interest of India - the Indian Independence from foreign powers.

According to media reports from Kashmir, the politics of ''demiliatrisation/redeployment'' is getting murkier by the day. Everybody who is anybody out there in New Delhi would like to come all the way here to ''assess'' the situation but not reveal its immediate purpose.

This ostrich-like approach towards a sensitive issue is generating cynicism at the popular level. Recent incidents at Bandipore and Kangan, coming on the heels of potentially fiery controversy over the army's sadbhavna campaign in Kashmir, forcing the people to resort to vigilante sort of justice against erring security personnel, are dangerous portents.

On the one hand it points to the undesirable effects of political insensitivity over an issue of great public significance and, on the other, its impact on the morale of the forces is quite debilitating. The upward trend of stress-related killings within the rank and file is causing concern in higher echelons. But, unfortunately, there is precious little evidence of tackling its root cause.

The defence minister is coming here, again. Defence secretary was here on a detailed visit. Union home minister was here too. So was the union home secretary. We are told that they all came, or are coming, here to ''assess'' the situation. Nobody would, however, tell us its immediate purpose. The Prime Minister has set up three official groups to deal with the underlying issue.

Still, there is an inexplicable conspiracy of silence over the outcome of this elaborate exercise. Even the mere mention of the word ''demilitarisation/ redeployment/ reduction'' of troops, in proportion to officially acknowledged ''improvement'' in the ground situation, is becoming anathema to those whose business it is to respond and act. The net result is that the scanty benefits of the people-oriented confidence building measures are beginning to disappear.

The unabated harshness of a rigorous security regime makes mockery of any relaxation/normalization on the ground. The oppressive impact of disproportionately over-deployment aggravates the degradation of life. This trend is more visible in the rural areas of Kashmir. In the few urban areas from where the army has been pulled back and police forces inducted the continued enforcement of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) looms menacingly.

Constitutional and legal experts say that this draconian act should automatically cease to remain in force in areas where armed forces are not deployed. The Supreme Court has ordered 6-monthly review of its application wherever it may be in force. Besides, one of the five working groups set up by the Prime Minister has recommended withdrawal of this act from Kashmir. Yet nobody from the power elite would open his mouth. The politics of deception over these sensitive issues is given a free play all along from New Delhi to Srinagar . We are told that the process of ''redeployment'' is underway with shifting out of troops lodged in private and public premises.

It belies common sense. ''Redeployment'' would mean providing alternative accommodation to the troops vacating private and public property. But where is the alternative accommodation to come from? Security forces are already in occupation of about 12 lakh kanals of public land in the state. Much of whatever little land was left for such use has recently been gifted away under the ''roshni'' scheme. The obvious conclusion is that ''reduction'' of troops, and not mere redeployment is the only honest answer to the burning problem. The ground situation is conducive too. Only the political will is lacking. Those pretending to be approaching this issue with ''open mind'' only betray their empty minds. They either do not understand the difference between an open mind and empty mind or they lack moral courage to call a spade a spade. Petty individual ambitions are playing havoc with the larger interests of the state and its people, as also with the morale and reputation of security forces. Many more ''Bandipores'' and ''Kangans'' are waiting to happen if the political insensitivity is allowed to prevail over sound, objective judgment in the decision making quarters.

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