Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday expressed confidence that the day is not far when the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be withdrawn from the state very much during the tenure of his government.
“I can say with confidence that AFSPA withdrawal will take place during the tenure of this government and that day is also not very far,” he said in his Independence Day address at the Bakshi stadium.
Mr. Omar said discussions were still on with the Defence Ministry and Army. “I am confident that the assurance made on the floor of the state assembly that the process of revocation of AFSPA will begin during my tenure will be a reality.”
The Chief Minister said that while talks were on with various stake holders on its revocation, the point of reaching an amicable solution was yet to be arrived at.
“We wanted to reach a position where we could revoke the AFSPA from some areas of the state but, unfortunately, we have not reached that point yet and I will not like to go into details,” he said.
“Recently, Defence Minister (A K Antony) and top brass of the Army were in the state. Discussions on the issue continued,” Mr. Omar said.
The state government had constituted two committees for identifying areas from where the AFSPA could be withdrawn. The Committee comprised state’s Chief Secretary, state police chief and Corps Commanders of Srinagar and Jammu-based Army establishments.
Not many meetings have taken place due to reluctance from the Army to partially withdraw AFSPA.
Referring to his tenure so far, Mr. Omar said during the last three-and-half years, the state has seen “some good days and some bad days“.
“However, due to the total cooperation of the people we are now witnessing one of the most peaceful times that the state has witnessed during the 22 years,” he said.
Keywords: AFSPA Act, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, 66th Independence Day celebration
As a former soldier, I understand the Army's view that its soldiers must retain the protection of Indian law wherever they go in Kashmir. No soldier would trust local justice. You may recall the US pulled its last troops out of Iraq because Iraq would no longer agree to legal immunity for its troops from Iraqi law.
But there is no reason the Army could not formally turn over primary responsibility for security to Kashmir police in those districts where peace has substantially returned. This would require the Army to coordinate and work with Kashmir state security, rather like the US/NATO troops are doing with the Afghan National Army.
In the end, however, the Army cannot remove its heavy presence until India and Pakistan agree upon a means of resolving the Kashmir dispute. They will look to the Kashmiris to suggest a workable solution within the redlines previously set out, but it seems too many Kashmiris are still busy defining their past rather than defining their future.
The whole problem lies in the kashmir valley but the people of jammu and
laddakh also have to sufffer. Why not make jammu and laddkah a seperate
state or two seperate states like any other state in India and revoke
this AFSPA and art. 371 from those areas but AFSPA is needed in Kashmir
for peace to be intact in the rest of India otherwise pak infiltrators
with whom kashmiris sympathize will create havoc in kashmir and India
with terror.
This is all political gimmickry. Everybody here knows that CMs of J&K have no powers. They are all subservient to their political masters in New Delhi. In Kashmir Army rules the roost and will continue to unless the issue is resolved according to the wishes of Kashmiris.
A very intelligent step taken by Dynamic CM.
sure why not make J & K a further administrative night mare for the
armed forces. Whatever are the provisions in AFSPA, But if it helps army mobilize and deploy troops to effectively nab terrorists I am all for
it. Omar will not care of the repercussions and the soldiers blood such
a move would cost. What he is trying to do is apease the crowds. How
many states we have where ASPA is not present and police brutality
continues unabated.
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