Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 18: The Central Government is all set to take some initiatives in the next few days to contain unrest in the Kashmir valley and tackle ever increasing protests, which have taken several lives in the recent past.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) headed by BJP veteran Rajnath Singh has decided to involve senior security experts including former officers of Army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Intelligence agencies and others, who have worked in Jammu and Kashmir during militancy and were well versed with situation in the Kashmir valley.
“Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has been asked to involve veteran of all security and Intelligence agencies and elicit their opinion on the steps required to control deterioration of law and order situation in the Kashmir valley, which has been taking heavy toll on the lives of civilians,” official sources told the Excelsior.
They said the exercise was set into the motion today and will be completed in the next few days after which the Home Ministry would share details with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, elicit her opinion and put it in the place.
Mehbooba is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on April 23 during which the strategy to tackle unrest in the Kashmir Valley could be discussed and given the final touch before being implemented on the ground.
Sources said the Chief Minister is scheduled to discuss various aspects of Kashmir situation with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister and give her opinion including the measures required to be taken to engage the stakeholders for restoration of normalcy in the Valley, which has been simmering since July 8 last year after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commander Burhan Wani.
Sources said the Home Ministry has initiated the exercise of involving security experts of various agencies in working out its “Kashmir strategy” as the officers had served there for long time and know the situation.
“Experience of the officers is being utilized,” sources said but added that the strategy wouldn’t be based entirely on the experiences of security experts but the Centre would fully take political leadership on board before taking any decision related to Kashmir.
Asserting that the Central Government was deeply concerned over developing situation in the Kashmir valley including increase in militancy, infiltration attempts, incidents of stone pelting and new trends of targeting security forces during encounters with the militants leading to escape of the ultras, sources said all aspects of the Kashmir situation were being discussed and debated by the Union Home Secretary and a blue print would be devised very shortly.
According to sources, involvement of security experts has been necessitated as the Government wants to avoid civilian casualties during the protests but, at the same time, ensuring that the militants, who are trapped after very hard efforts and exercises undertaken by security and Intelligence agencies, don’t manage to escape.
“The civilians don’t know how much damage they were causing by gathering at the sites of gunbattle, which could lead to escape of the militants as security forces have been asked to exercise maximum restraint to avert civilian casualties,” sources noted.
Only yesterday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had chaired high-level meeting in the Union capital to review security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was among others attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
The Home Minister had already announced that the Central Government was ready for talks with anyone within the framework of the Constitution, an offer the separatists are not ready to accept.
Sources said the Home Ministry was also seized of the reports which suggested “deep planning” in Pakistan to vitiate the atmosphere in the Kashmir valley and incite insurgents to target local police personnel and their families this summer.
“There has been increased involvement of Pakistan in the unrest in the Kashmir valley,” sources said, adding the Centre was taking all steps to block the channels of terror funding, which could also normalize the situation to some extent.
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