NEW DELHI: A little over two months after he took over as govern of Jammu and Kashmir, General K.V.Krishna Rao its floundering. “No hope of a political breakthrough, a practically crippled state administration and heightened support for the militants” is how a Senior IAS officer from the state described the current situation in the valley.
While none of the militant groups expressed any enthusiasm at Rao’s appointment on March 13 (the Hizbul Mujahideen had described it gimmick), even the govemor’s erstwhile supporters stem to be timing against him.
A section of the leadership of he National Conference, including the former state minister, Ali Mohd Sagar, the former state assembly speaker, Wali Mohd Yatoo and a member of the state legislative council, Sadiq Ali, recently submttled a memorandum to Gen Rao, expressing deep dissatisfaction with his policies from those followed by G, C.Saxena’ and Jagmohan, it does not help the government that his principal ally and golf partner, Faroog Abdullah, is in England. Abdullah was instrumental in Gen Rao’s appointment.
Gen Rao’s position has been considerably weakened by the mutiny in the state police last month and the recent rocket attack in the civil secretariat. While bureaucrats from the valley believe the revolt by the police was related to its marginalization from its security regime operating in the alley, they feel that matter’s excreted by the government’s non reaction for 48 hours. It was the death of a police constable while alleged in the custody of the army which was directly responsible for the revolt.
According to a senior police officer from the state, “the government decision to make the army in charge of ant militant operations is going to further erode the morale of the state police.” He believes that militancy can never be curbed without the involvement of the local police.
The attack on the civil secretariat in Srinagar in which one employee died and four others were injured, only a day after the office of the state administration had shifted from Jammu, led to a two day strike. The employees, especially those from Jammu, assured that the government was unable to ensure their security in the valley. Curiously, the security forces had enforced a crackdown on the Batmaloocolony of Srinagar from where the rocket was launched only a few days before the attack. While the employees have been persuaded to return to work, another such incident would most certainly lead to a longer agitation.
There still is little hope of revival of political process in the valley, as the slate Congress I chief, G.R.Kar admits, they have not been able to resume any political activity. Even the recent statement by Abdul Ghani of the Muslim Conference and Maulvi Abbas Ansari of the Muslim Liberation Council, where they expressed their willingness to participate in talks with the central government, is being viewed with skepticism.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 28, 1993
