JAMMU: George Fernandes, who is in charge of Kashmir Affairs, Tuesday said he was coordinating between Jagmohan, the governor and the home ministry in tackling the situation in the state.
Denying reports of a serious rift between him, Jagmohan, and Mufti in handling the situation, Fernandes told newsmen at the airport here there was no difference between them.
“I do not think our approaches are different. It could only be a difference in emphasizes,” he said.
The minister said the state administration appeared to have come to grips with the situation to a great extent as militants in the valley were being suppressed by the security forces.
But he admitted that the militants still killed people in the valley and the fear psychosis prevailed.
Fernandes said the situation in the valley could take a tum when the snow on the passes melted. Armed infiltrators could attempt to sneak in then to cause further disturbances, he said.
Pakistan continued to help in several ways to disturb the peace in the valley, Fernandes said.
In reply to a question, the minister said that he had not received any complaints of excesses committed by security forces, barring some stray incidents which were being looked into.
He said during his visit to Padam and Kargil in the frontier region of Ladakh Tuesday, a lot of people voiced grievances and he had issued instructions for their redressal.
The minister said that he was moved by the response he got from the people of the areas he visited. He regretted that several developmental schemes in these far flung areas were still incomplete and many had not taken off resulting in alienation of the people there.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 11, 1990
