Keep infiltration to zero level
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 23: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is reported to have directed the para-military forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police to step-up operations against the militants and their Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and ensure that there was no fresh infiltration of the militants from Pakistan.
The Home Minister is understood to have issued these directions at a very high-level security review of Jammu and Kashmir situation with top brass of Ministry of Home Affairs, heads of para-military forces, Intelligence Bureau and senior officers from J&K at his North Block office.
Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, his successor Rajiv Gauba and other MHA officials, dealing with Jammu and Kashmir, Director Generals of para-military forces and Intelligence agencies like Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and top officers from J&K were present at the meeting and gave their view point on the situation.
Sources told the Excelsior that entire gamut of the situation including internal security, threat perception on borders, activities of separatists after the raids by National Investigating Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), sharp decline in street protests and various other aspects of situation figured at the two-hour long meeting held at the North Block.
“The anti-militant operations undertaken by security forces and police, infiltration attempts foiled and successful along the borders and related issues for the last two months of summer were taken up at the meeting in which the top brass of MHA, para-military forces, Intelligence agencies and State police officers briefed the Union Home Minister,’’ sources said, adding Rajnath Singh was satisfied the way security forces have tackle militancy and eliminated a number of militants including the top commanders especially those belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfits.
This was the first high-level review of security situation of Jammu and Kashmir by the Union Home Minister after successful completion of 40-day long annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji on August 7 for which Singh lauded all security agencies for putting-in their best efforts.
Sources said Rajnath Singh was of the view that there was no scope of leniency after series of successful operations against the militants and that the operations not only should continue but expedited further to ensure that maximum number of militants, operating in the Kashmir valley and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir are either eliminated or captured.
As far as the situation along borders with Pakistan and China is concerned, the Union Home Minister is reported to have stressed for strict vigil to tackle activities of the two hostile neighbours and take all efforts to protect boundaries of the country and ensure that there was no infiltration by the militants.
“Infiltration by the militants from Pakistan side has been contained to maximum extent this summer and this process must go on to keep it at zero level,’’ Rajnath is reported to have said at the meeting.
The top brass of security officers reportedly briefed the Home Minister that majority of infiltration attempts by the militants have been foiled this summer and very little of them were successful, sources said, adding that Rajnath Singh was also briefed on situation prevailing along Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Eastern Ladakh, where People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had tried to intrude along banks of Pangong lake on August 15 but was forced to retreat after brief clashes between the two sides. Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat was in Leh for three days for review of situation along China border.
Sources said the Home Minister was briefed that incidents of street protests have gone down considerably and that there were no major protests in the Valley even after the arrests of separatists by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Almost all officers present at the meeting gave detailed assessment of situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, both in the internal areas as well as the borders, to the Union Home Minister during the meeting, sources said, adding the Home Minister wanted more efforts to be put-in to ensure that the spell of normalcy sustains for a longer period and elimination of the militants goes on.
Later, Rajnath Singh also held review of security situation in Naxalite infested States.
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