Army Presence In J & K May Not Be Reduced

Given the current level of violence and the desperate attempts from across the border to push in as many militants as possible before the passes get closed with the first snow fall, it is not possible to reduce the role of the Army in anti-insurgency operations in the Valley for atleast another year.

This has emerged as a consensus at the level of formation commanders of the Army who were recently asked to comment on whether or not the role of the various units of the army deployed on counter-insurgency operations here can be `marginalised.

There are reports here that the State government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah is coming under severe pressure from within and outside to reduce the role of the Army in controlling militancy. Insiders here suggest that some of the senior cabinet colleagues of Dr Abdullah have been voicing their `apprehensions that our government is functioning under the canopy of the Army and as to how long can things be allowed to continue like that.

`We do not want to suffer casualties and remain detailed on anti-insurgency duties for even a day more than it is absolutely necessary, says a senior Army officer who also accepts that infiltration from across the border `has been going on during this year. What worries the senior officers of the army is that `more and more foreign element is being introduced into insurgency by Pakistan.

To prove this point, a general office commanding (GOC) says, We killed just two foreigners in 1991 while during last eight months alone this year we have killed over one hundred of them indifferent encounters. The Army does not deny the fact that in addition to Gurez, Telial, Jawdoor and Kupwara in the valley, there has been infiltration in Poonch, Rajouri sectors of the Jammu division as well this year.

The recent `letter controversy between the Union Home Minister and Dr Farooq Abdullah on the role of the central forces in J&K and allegations of rights violations against them, seems to have `triggered off quite a bit of debate at the command headquarters about `the thankless job in which the Army is involved here.

Dr Abdullah, while replying queries from the Union Home Minister had said in his communication `that since the Army, the Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force do not come under the administrative control of the state government, a separate mechanism should be devised to probe allegations of human rights violations against them.

While there is appreciable improvement in the overall situation here, the thinking that the Army could be sent back to the barracks `shall have to await for atleast one more year according to experts here.