Steady troops reduction in JK: former Army Commander
NL Correspondent
SRINAGAR: Retired Lt General and former Northern Army Command Chief, D S Hooda has said there has been steady reduction of troops in Jammu and Kashmir over the years.
“We have de-inducted two divisions from the Jammu region. In the past, we have pulled out troops from Kashmir and moved them into the Ladakh region. Actually, if you see, there has been a fairly steady reduction (of security forces). You don't see it in the Kashmir Valley because everyone wears the same uniform. The CRPF and the Army are sort of wearing the same uniform and standing on the streets. Road protection is largely the responsibility of the CRPF, and you see so many of their men on the road that it appears like a huge militarised society. We have thinned out a lot but some minimum presence is required.” Hooda told a national daily in an interview.
He said, “Though there is a feeling that the Army is not pulling out forces… Look at the Jammu region. Over a period of time, the region cooled down and forces were pulled out. Today the security cover is very thin. But what do you do when you have a situation like last year (in the Valley)? The state can't abdicate its responsibility to establish law and order. So, we were forced to push in some additional troops to keep the situation under control. There are no immediate answers. There are no easy solutions. We need to sit down, put our heads together and find a solution.”
However, he said the political issue of Kashmir issue has to be addressed. “As far as the question of the presence of the military forces on the ground is concerned, well, it is like the chicken and egg story. See, when things are peaceful, the guys (security forces) will move out.”
Hooda believes there is an element of anger of certain level among the youth. “There is need for engagement, particularly with the youth. I think 70% of the population there is below 30 years of age. They don't have opportunities. They are also reluctant to come out of the state. There is enough scope for generating employment. There is scope for talking to these guys, understanding what they need. We need to talk to the traders, taxi owners, people in the tourism industry, students etc.”
He said there are enough opportunities of employment generation in the state. He said there is a huge tourism industry, there is horticulture, local handicrafts. “But how do we utilise it? Ultimately, everyone wants a peaceful life. I don't think anyone wants this turmoil.”
He said if the Army has to be in the state, then there is no option but to have AFSPS. “Otherwise, legally, the Army is not supposed to intervene in internal situations. Has the situation improved, and can we say that the military can be pulled out and things can be left entirely to the police and para-military forces? I don't think we have reached that situation, although the Army has always held the view that internal security situations are best handled by the police,” he added.
Further he said the Army has cleaned up its human rights record over the years.
