04-25-2007, 03:26 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Forces fear takeover by militants if Valley properties vacated </b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The ongoing exercise for relocation of troops trenched in orchards and private properties in Kashmir has sent alarm bells ringing in the security establishments.Â
<b>Officials feel that security situation in Jammu & Kashmir did not allow relocation of troops as militants will try to occupy the properties, which mainly belonged to the Kashmiri Pandits. They were forced to flee the State when terrorism was at its peak in the early 1990s and many properties were forcibly taken over by the militants</b>.
Sceptical about the Centre's recent directive to the State Government to find alternative locations to house security forces, operational commanders feel such a move will prove disadvantageous for them and give a psychological edge to the terrorists.
<b>About 12,000 acres of orchards and agriculture land, at present, is housing the security forces. Sustained anti-militancy operations over the decade saw the security forces driving out the terrorists from these properties' thereby providing a semblance of peace in the rural hinterland.</b>
<b>Faced with shortage of space, the security forces set up bases in orchards and agricultural land, including those abandoned by the Kashmiri Pandits, officials said here on Monday. However, the properties were identified in consonance with the State administration and compensation was paid to the owners as per rules and regulations, they pointed out</b>.
New Delhi issued the directive to the State Government last week through the Defence Ministry to identify alternative accommodation for the security forces.
The instructions came in the wake of a demand by the People's Democratic Party chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's demand that the security forces be moved out of the orchards, private properties and Government buildings. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also took up the matter with the Centre.
Mufti had threatened last month to pull out of the coalition Government in the State if his demands for demilitarisation and relocation of troops from the orchards and private properties were not addressed. Azad opposed the demand for demilitarisation as the security situation did not warrant and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had to intervene to pacify both the leaders.
The Government then announced the setting up of a committee headed by Defence Minister AK Antony to look into the entire gamut of pulling out or reduction of troops. Two sub-committees were also set up, including one headed by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt to study the issue of reduction of troops and the other one to review welfare measures and human rights.
Following the Centre's request, the State Government asked the district superintendents of police to identify suitable locations. However, the exercise was not so simple as it seemed to be as there was paucity of space.
Stressing the point that "dominating an area," where militants once ruled the roost, was the primary concern of the security forces, senior officials said "do you want us to sit on the road and then expect us to carry out sensitive counter-insurgency operations in the rugged hinterland."
<b>Having gained an upper hand over the Pakistan-backed militants through relentless operations over the last decade, they said many orchards, where the security forces were now based, were owned by the minority community.
They were forced to abandon their orchards and agricultural fields in the early 90s when terrorism was at its peak.</b>
The Central security forces were called in to help the local Government to tackle insurgency and many battalions and smaller formations had no option but to move into the abandoned properties due to shortage of space.
Though officially maintaining that they had no problem in shifting to new locations, sources, however, admitted that it was not so easy to do so. Many locations, where the security forces were now stationed, were selected keeping in view their operational and tactical advantages.
"The presence of such camps had definitely helped us in tackling the menace of terrorism as we were able to go after the terrorists at a very short notice after basing ourselves near or amid the rural populace," officials said.
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Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The ongoing exercise for relocation of troops trenched in orchards and private properties in Kashmir has sent alarm bells ringing in the security establishments.Â
<b>Officials feel that security situation in Jammu & Kashmir did not allow relocation of troops as militants will try to occupy the properties, which mainly belonged to the Kashmiri Pandits. They were forced to flee the State when terrorism was at its peak in the early 1990s and many properties were forcibly taken over by the militants</b>.
Sceptical about the Centre's recent directive to the State Government to find alternative locations to house security forces, operational commanders feel such a move will prove disadvantageous for them and give a psychological edge to the terrorists.
<b>About 12,000 acres of orchards and agriculture land, at present, is housing the security forces. Sustained anti-militancy operations over the decade saw the security forces driving out the terrorists from these properties' thereby providing a semblance of peace in the rural hinterland.</b>
<b>Faced with shortage of space, the security forces set up bases in orchards and agricultural land, including those abandoned by the Kashmiri Pandits, officials said here on Monday. However, the properties were identified in consonance with the State administration and compensation was paid to the owners as per rules and regulations, they pointed out</b>.
New Delhi issued the directive to the State Government last week through the Defence Ministry to identify alternative accommodation for the security forces.
The instructions came in the wake of a demand by the People's Democratic Party chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's demand that the security forces be moved out of the orchards, private properties and Government buildings. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also took up the matter with the Centre.
Mufti had threatened last month to pull out of the coalition Government in the State if his demands for demilitarisation and relocation of troops from the orchards and private properties were not addressed. Azad opposed the demand for demilitarisation as the security situation did not warrant and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had to intervene to pacify both the leaders.
The Government then announced the setting up of a committee headed by Defence Minister AK Antony to look into the entire gamut of pulling out or reduction of troops. Two sub-committees were also set up, including one headed by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt to study the issue of reduction of troops and the other one to review welfare measures and human rights.
Following the Centre's request, the State Government asked the district superintendents of police to identify suitable locations. However, the exercise was not so simple as it seemed to be as there was paucity of space.
Stressing the point that "dominating an area," where militants once ruled the roost, was the primary concern of the security forces, senior officials said "do you want us to sit on the road and then expect us to carry out sensitive counter-insurgency operations in the rugged hinterland."
<b>Having gained an upper hand over the Pakistan-backed militants through relentless operations over the last decade, they said many orchards, where the security forces were now based, were owned by the minority community.
They were forced to abandon their orchards and agricultural fields in the early 90s when terrorism was at its peak.</b>
The Central security forces were called in to help the local Government to tackle insurgency and many battalions and smaller formations had no option but to move into the abandoned properties due to shortage of space.
Though officially maintaining that they had no problem in shifting to new locations, sources, however, admitted that it was not so easy to do so. Many locations, where the security forces were now stationed, were selected keeping in view their operational and tactical advantages.
"The presence of such camps had definitely helped us in tackling the menace of terrorism as we were able to go after the terrorists at a very short notice after basing ourselves near or amid the rural populace," officials said.
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