JAMMU(PTI): Ninety days in office of Gen (Retd) K.V.Krishna Rao, governor of India’s northern Jammu and Kashmir state was marked by killing of over 500 militants and 600 arrested, due to active participation of Army in crackdowns in rural areas of Kashmir.

Rao’s government has succeeded the first time to establish an effective coordination between the army, paramilitary forces and the State police resulting in killing of several militants, their arrests and seizure of huge assortment of arms and ammunition, according to official sources. There has been a marked reduction in the influence of the state police which experienced a serious revolt and resulted in dismissal from service of many senior officers. The Anny has been given complete control of the law and order enforcement in the state and all other security forces have been subordinated to it.

Over 531 militants were killed and nearly 600 arrested till June 11 since Gen Rao took up his assignment as governor of Jammu and Kashmir for the second time.

Observers feel he has not been able to fulfill his commitment of providing a responsive administration which is beset with a multitude of problems stemming from the ongoing insurgency in the state.

He is also accused by observers of being insensitive towards the displaced Kashmiris now living in different camps in Jammu region.

Radio Kashmir was shifted to Indian capital New Delhi and the TY news rooms to Jammu following the killing of Lassa Kaul, the director of Srinagar Kendra of Doordarshan, the government controlled television, in February 1990.

The shifting of the radio Kashmir newsroom back from Delhi to Srinagar was expected to provide a propaganda boost but it has so failed to counteract the radio Pakistan and radio Azad Kashmir. The personnel meaning the news rooms are reluctant to live in Snnagar. The decision to shift the two newsrooms back to Srinagar should have been deferred till complete normalcy was restored in the Kashmir valley, according 1osome Congress (I) leaders who spoke to PTI on condition of anonymity.

Exodus of professionals

According to a local Urdu Press report there was hardly anyone in Kashmir who did not want to move to Saudi Arabia and stay there till conditions normalized in the valley.

One of the leading newspapers of the valley, Alsafa, has recently written that Kashmir appears to have been in the grip of new craze, especially among the professionals and the catchword was “Saudi Chaloo.”

Whether doctor or an engineer, casual worker or a skilled one, technician or a businessman, everyone has been fascinated to move out of the valley for peace.

At various places in the valley, some makeshift arrangements have been made to “guide the intending migrants” as to how to get passports and visas easily to avoid usual official hassles.

Induction of gun culture in the valley was primarily responsible for such migrations out of the valley for peace. The people were scared of getting trapped in the frequent grenade attacks of militants and subsequent cross firing in crowded places.

Army moves to seal off state.

The Indian army has launched a strategy to seal the border in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir to prevent infiltration and cut off link of arms and ammunition from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) to the valley.

Top defence sources stated that a coordinated three tier defence system has been organized, starting right from the Line of Control (LoC). As the LoC is donated by extensive patrolling observation posts and look out pickets, the ridge line as a part of the 2ndtier has been. Strengthened by additional troops, ‘This would make it a formidable obstacle line for any illegal trans-border movement, during the last few months nearly three Indian Army Division have been inducted into the state. Over 300,000 army personnel now occupy the state to keep it in check.

Special attention has been paid to cover tactical passes and rear areas to seek, intercept and destroy armed militants, the sources said. The deployment of sophisticated electronic devices including night vision devices has added a new qualitative dimension to the military strategy, said an official spokesman.

Security forces were successfully able to intercept several infiltration attempts by Pakistan trained and aided elements due to these measures since mid-April this year, he said. The army has adopted a similar strategy in the Poonch and Rajouri sectors of the hapless state reeling under the repressive policies of the Indian government.

The army has been brought in to root out the militant movement and force people to realize the futility of seeking independence.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 25, 1993