NEWDELHI: A decision to hold free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir Would’ be taken in consultation with the Election Commission when the situation in the troubled northern stale Becomes conducive, the Lok Sabha was told last week. 24 written statement in the Lower House, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Bhuynesh Chaturvedi, said the government, which was keeping a close watch on the situation, has already initiated a number of steps to encourage political process there and to create conditions for free and fair conduct of polls.
Chaturvedi told UN Verma and Hannan Mollah that these included sustained and targeted operations to contain activities of militants to reduce fear of the gun, reactivation of the civil administration, facilities for movement of politicians for interaction with the people.
The procedural aspects pertaining to the elections like delimitation of constituencies and revision of electoral tolls had already been completed, Chaturvedi said. The minister said a contingent of security forces had been deployed to trace the five kidnapped foreigners taking all necessary precautions to ensure that their safety was not jeopardized as a result of the search operations Replying to another starred question by PV, Peruman and R. Surdner Reddy, Chaturvedi said the AlFaran, a militant outfit which has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, was demanding release of22 arrested militants, including some foreign mercenaries, Of these 22, one was already on bail, he added.
He said patrolling in sensitive areas as well as tourist resorts in the Valley had been intensified and pickets manned by security forces established check recurrence of such incidents.
He said 174 persons had been abducted by militants between March 2 and June 30 this year, while 540 militants were killed and 1142 apprehended during the same period.
Replying to a question by Devi Bux Singh, Chaturvedi said an amount of Rs 15 crore had been sanctioned from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for relief and rehabilitation of families affected by the fire incident in Chrare Sharief, besides the relief provided under rules of the state government.
During April, May and June this year, 457 militants were killed and 752 arrested in the state and a large quantity of foreign weapons and smuggled goods, including 528 AK rifles and 11 rocket launchers/boosters, seized from them: The seizures also included 250 pistols and revolvers and 812 grenades of various makes, besides RDX and other explosive materials.
Chaturvedi said a high level team led by him, visited the state in early July and had submitted its broad assessment of the prevailing situation, to the government for follow-up action.
Describing the overall law and order situation as “under control” although militants may carry out clandestine sporadic militant activities in different parts of the state, the team felt that the possibility of foreign mercenaries upgrading violence to thwart the political process could not be ruled out.
He said the mainstream political parties had increased their political activities considerably, including. in the Valley, although their mass contact activities were still limited due to the fear of the gun.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 11, 1995
