Debate: Pull out Army from J&K?

TROOP TRAP: Experts debate if demilitarisation of Kashmir is in national interest.

    

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Keywords: Troop Withdrawal, Indian Army

A brewing political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir has now become a question of national security with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) - which has been asking for withdrawal of troops from the Valley - threatening to withdraw support from the coalition government in the state.

But since PDP’s coalition partner in the state, Congress, has so far refused to give in, PDP has convened a meeting of the political affairs committee (PAC) on March 25 in Srinagar to take a final decision on the coalition crises.

Meanwhile, sources have told also CNN-IBN that Army Chief General J J Singh has conveyed to the Government in no uncertain terms that troop reduction at this stage could revive militant violence.

Also, doubts have been expressed about the capability of the state government to handle even routine governance without Army help.

So is an Army pullout from J&K in the national interest? That was the question that Vidya Shankar Aiyar asked on CNN-IBN’s show Face the Nation.

On the panel of experts were PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti and former chief of the army staff, General V P Malik.

Many believe that with spring approaching and the snow melting, infiltration from Pakistan – a traditional Indian fear - is going to be on the rise.

When Mehbooba was asked if the PDP is going against the commonsensical logic, she denied the charge.

“We the people of J&K are asking that out public and private places which belong to us before 1990 should be returned to us because there is much more peace and tranquillity in the state. No doubt that the security people have done a job very well. But the people of the state who have played greater role in restoring normalcy. They need to be complimented for that,” she said.

“Once you connect this to national security, it talks about the mindset that politicians have vis-à-vis Kashmir and we want to change. This is not about coalition or alliance,” Mehbooba added.

But is she not worried that a withdrawal of troops at this point in time, no matter how secure Kashmir seems as of now, would encourage infiltration across the border?

“I don’t think that is going to happen. They have said mobile phones should not be used, but ask the security forces how helpful they have been. Also for that matter are the opening of tunnels that have proved helpful,” she said.

But despite unprecedented success in containing militancy, the truth is that Jammu and Kashmir is militarily unresolved. Mehbooba however doesn’t seem to be buying the security argument.

“As long of deployment along the Line of Control is concerned, there is no question of pulling out troops on account of infiltration that is likely to increase in the coming months. If the governance is not capable in looking after the security of the people and militants activities continue to flourish, you require security forces,” General Malik said.

Meeting with the Prime Minister

Mehbooba Mufti had met an array of Central leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi recently articulating the party’s demands.

She said that by raising the bogey of national security, the Government and Army are taking away from the people what they rightly deserve.

On Wednesday, PDP chief Mufti Muhammad Sayed will be meeting the PM on Wednesday.

When General Malik was asked what would he advise the PM to say on Wednesday to Mufti Muhammad Sayed, he said, “The PM must listen to Sayed and PDP party.”

But would he be okay if the PM was willing to withdraw troops from within Kashmir as you are suggesting?

“No. That has to be done on the basis of professional assessment. Neither Mufti Muhammad Sayed nor the PM are capable of taking a decision without professional advice,” Malik said.

Meanwhile, the real attack on the PDP’s argument is that they are politicising what is essentially a national security issue that must be decided by professionals.

“I don’t know if General Malik remembers that it was in November 2004 that the Manmohan Singh himself acknowledged that there was a sea change in the Kashmir situation so the reduction of troops is going to start and since then there has been an improvement on the ground situation. The number of militants has also come down and people’s participation in elections has gone up from two per cent to 80 per cent,” Mehbooba said.

But what is the harm if the government wants to wait for another six months?

“Let there be a committee which decides some kind of mechanism,” she said.

She clarified that there be a deadline for March 25 for taking a decision because they want an assurance and a timeline laid out for a troops withdrawal situation in the near future.

Earlier the PM wrote a letter to Mufti Muhammad Sayed promising to look into all their demands.

But a final decision on continuing with the Congress will be taken on March 25, when top PDP leaders meet. The Opposition though, is waiting and watching the situation.