LUCKNOW: The UP government may declare the Terai as a “disturbed zone” to give more leverage to security forces in the area.
Modalities are being worked out a give a final change in the strategy of the state administration.
Highly-placed sources said that any official declaration of the Terai and other area as “disturbed zones” would give the security forces emergency powers which could enable them to launch a “non-conventional” war.
The state government has declared 12-districts of the Terai and Meerut zone as “terrorist-infested” after Punjab militants struck in UP recently.
The sources said the recent spurt in violence had made it clear that the state govt would be unable to come with the menace without Central help, Senior police officers have sought an additional 50 companies of the elite Central forces to combat the Sikhs, who are better equipped than the UP police.
The chief minister, Kalyan Singh, had asked the Prime Minister P.V. Narisimha Rao, for help and the Center had agreed, provided the BJP govt declared the area “disturbed”.
UP HESITANT: The UP govt is hesitant, as once the Terai is declared a disturbed area, the Center will have direct control over the law and order problem in the area.
That all is not well between the Center and the UP govt became clear when the director general of police, Prakash Singh blamed the Center for launching Operation Rakshak-II in Punjab which resulted in a spurt in violence neighboring UP and Haryana.
A group of senior police officers, however, apprehend that the latest move in UP might encourage state repression, which has proved to be counter-productive in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 13, 1991
