The reports in the medica are suggesting a phased withdrawal of troops in Jammu and Kashmir by the central government.
The most daring decision that any government is taking ever since the inception of militancy in the erstwhile state. Although there is no official confirmation of the report by a national media outlet, the main political party BJP says there is nothing wrong in removing the army from the hinterland.
The party’s UT president Ravinder Raina responded to a question by a journalist and said that they don’t see anything wrong if centre decides to demilitarize hinterland and strengthen the security grid alongside the Line of Control.
The proposal is somehow the same and according to reports, the Modi government has almost decided to evacuate all low-lying areas from the military and hand over primary responsibility of law and order and counter insurgency operations to local police which has a strength of over 83000 personnels.
It shall be backed by the paramilitary forces and the army will completely be focusing on LoC to counter infiltration bids from the Pakistan side. The proposal according to reports is in the last leg with all political, security and intelligence agencies given a nod to it.
All they want is a political call by the Centre and the phased withdrawal apparently from Anantnag and Kulgam districts shall begin.
While the powerful exercise is reassigning work to security agencies in a new strategic method, however, people seem quite happy with it. There has been a long pending political and public demand to strengthen the counter infiltration grid on LoC so that minimum efforts by security agencies are required to fight the insurgency in mainland.
The army has a greater role to play and are majorly required to fight external enemies. But in Kashmir, they are deployed for the job normally to be done by local police and paramilitary forces.
Since the centre government claims an 80 per cent decline in terrorism related incidents, it is high time the army shall be sent back to its original positions. China is emerging as a major threat though Pakistan’s internal situation may not allow it for any misadventure at this point of time against India.
It will also minimize the massive expenditures the centre is coughing out for the army in Kashmir. At the same time, the Modi government has to substantiate its claim of normalcy post article 370 abrogation in Jammu and Kashmir and phased withdrawal of army ahead of 2024 elections seems the best option for it.
