Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visits Siachen area; holds discussions with Army commanders
Srinagar: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday conducted an aerial survey of northern glacier Siachen, the World’s highest battleground, and interacted with Indian troops at the base camp.
Accompanied by Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command Lt Gen D S Hooda, Mr. Parrikar was also briefed by senior Army officials about the situation in the region, defence spokesperson S.D.Goswami said.
Mr. Parrikar later went to Leh, the cultural capital of Ladakh, where General Officer Commanding of Army's 14 Corps, Lt Gen V S Negi, briefed him about the situation along the Line of Actual Control on the Chinese side and the Line of Control along the Pakistani side.
The Defence Minister is scheduled to hold meetings with Governor Narendra Nath Vohra and Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in summer capital Srinagar this evening for reviewing the security situation along the borders and in the hinterland in the restive Himalayan state. Mr. Parrikar will fly to Jammu from Srinagar on Saturday and visit forward posts along the LoC in Poonch sector. He will also be briefed by senior Army officials about the security situation in Jammu region, defence sources said.
Local political circles are terming the Defence Minister’s meeting with the Chief Minister as crucial for the latter is likely to raise the issue of revoking controversial Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (APSFA) at it. The AFSPA provides broad powers to military officers to use force, including lethal force. Human rights activists say that Section 4(a) of the law effectively provides security forces operating under the AFSPA with a “license to kill”.
The Army is deadly against revoking the AFSPA till the last militant is alive in Jammu and Kashmir. Yet the Chief Minister is sustaining the call on Army to facilitate revocation of the Act, at least, from Srinagar and Jammu districts in the first place as these areas are considered comparatively peaceful. He is also reportedly in favour of Army’s minimizing footprints of its soldiers in the hinterland.
Explaining his party’s view on the AFSPA, ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chief spokesman, Dr. Mehboob Beg told this newspaper, “AFSPA was enforced in an extraordinary and abnormal situation way back in 1990. Now the ground situation has improved to a great extend and normalcy is returning to Jammu and Kashmir.” He added that it were the people of the State who contributed hugely towards return of peace and normalcy in the State and “must get its dividends which is possible through revoking or amending the AFSPA”.
Defence sources said, in Srinagar, Mr. Parrikar will also visit the headquarters of 15 (Chinar) Corps where its GoC Lt Gen Subrata Saha will brief him on the security situation in the Valley and along the Line of Control in his area of responsibility. Sources added that the Defence Minister, after overnight stay in Srinagar, will fly to Jammu where GoC 16 Corps Lt Gen K H Singh will brief him on the situation in Jammu region and the LoC. Mr. Parrikar will also visit some of the forwards posts along the de facto border in Poonc sector to meet the jawans, the cources confirmed to Deccan Chronicle.
Ahead of his J&K visit, Mr. Parrikar had on Friday gave a glimpse of new strategy on the Centre’s platter. He said in a newspaper interview, “Our proactive attitude is to identify terrorists and then effectively neutralise them.” He also said that every case is handled firmly with clear-cut “intelligence for targeted kills” and while doing so “We ensure minimal collateral damage. You have to neutralise terrorist through terrorist only. Why my soldier has to do it all the time?”
Reacting to the Defence Minister’s statement, former Chief Minister and working president of Opposition National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter, "Looks like (Chief Minister) Mufti Syeed is reviving & empowering the Ikhwanis. That's the only way to carry out 'terrorists killing terrorists' policy of MOD."
Looks like Mufti Syed is reviving & empowering the Ikhwanis. That's the only way to carry out "terrorists killing terrorists" policy of MOD.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) May 22, 2015Several groups of counter-insurgents, known as Ikhwanis in Kashmir, actively helped the security forces especially Army in targeting militants in second half of 1990s and early 2000s which helped them turning the situation around. However, the groups involved also in worst acts of human rights violations including murders, rape and extortion were subsequently disbanded and many of the cadres were absorbed in regular forces like Army and police when PDP-Congress coalition government came to power in 2002. A section of its activists joined active politics and also fought State Assembly elections. Many others including chief of their party Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon Muhammad Yusuf Parray alias Kukka Parray were murdered by the militants.
