JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir government Knshna Rao, has reiterated his administration’s decision to intensify operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir and restore normalcy in Kashmir valley.

Addressing senior officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) and paramilitary forces at BSF headquarters here recently, the governor said steps have been initiated to ensure better coordination between different forces, improve intelligence and organize targeted operations with finesse, minimizing inconvenience to the public in general.

“We consider militants as our children who have been misled by Pakistan to tread a path which leads to destruction only,” Gen Rao said adding he wanted these misguided youth to see through the mischief of Pakistan and “return to the path of sanity, shedding violence,”

Tall Promises: He said Pakistan will never come openly in aid to militants notwithstanding tall promises made to them before engineering insurrection in this part of the country. He said Paki Stan knew well the consequences of embarking upon any such misadventure.

“Our armed forces are well and adequately prepared to give befit ling reply, so militants should not pin hopes on Pakistan which has: misled them badly,” he said.

In Srinagar, the BSF director general Anantachari, said there is considerable improvement in the ground situation in Kashmir and there are very positive signs of overall improvement. Talking to reporters recently before leaving for Delhi after a day’s visit to the valley, Anantachari said people were fed up with militancy and wanted peace.

Anantachari said the drive against militants would continue but at the same time no innocent would be harmed.

He denied that there was any displeasure among some senior BSF officials over the handing overall operational charges against militants in the valley to the army.

He said our relations with the army are very good as all the security forces are working for only one cause to eliminate militancy.

The BSF practically completed the inquiry into the January 6 Sopore incident, Anantachari said director general of border security force. Anantachari, who was here on a farewell visit to Kashmir, however, declined to reveal any details in view of the judicial inquiry ordered by the government in the incident.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 4, 1993