In the first leg of his one-day visit to the State, the Home Minister, accompanied by the Chief Minister, inaugurated the Jashn-e Kashmir Workshop in mountain-locked Kargil. The workshop proposes to train the local youth in the folk culture and art and prepare them for competition in mega art festival likely to be held at various places in the country this autumn. The youth of Kargil have remained somewhat isolated from the main cultural stream of the State in the past essentially owing to the absence of good connectivity prospect. Naturally road and air connectivity issue came up in the course of HM’s interaction in Kargil. The proposals of a tunnel under Zoji La, an air strip in Kargil besides upgrading the Srinagar -Leh portion of National Highway to four lane tracks are already under the consideration of the Central Government. When completed, these projects are bound o make a sea change in the economic and social life of Kargil. The opening of Kargil-Skardu link is not totally rejected but has to be talked about and decided on a different plane because the matter has to be taken up with Pakistan Government. Nevertheless bringing Kargil on the cultural map of the country is a good attempt of breaking the isolation of the district and providing opportunity for the youth of Kargil to interact with wider sections of Indian society. Ladakh has had an enviable share of contributing to contemporary cultural manifestations of the country.
But the second leg of HM’s visit was very significant because it was entirely devoted to almost all aspects of security arrangement in the State not only vis-à-vis militancy and militancy related issues but also on a host of other issues that are under immediate consideration of authorities. It appears that the Home Ministry is trying to approach the issue of withdrawal of AFSPA from a different angle. The HM has directed that areas be identified in all districts of the valley especially Srinagar where visibility of security forces and armed personnel can be reduced. In a way he has gone a step further than what the State Chief Minister has been demanding. Once an area is identified for reduction in the visibility of security forces, the AFSPA gets eroded without the need of declaring its formal withdrawal. This is a sound proposal and hopefully not only the five districts named by the CM will come under review but more areas could also come within the purview. The meeting noted that though infiltration has come down but security forces and the army will not lower the guard because infiltration bids continue to be made by the ultras from the other side of LoC. HM and high ranking offices from security, intelligence and police ranks were appreciative of the army for its deft handling of infiltration bids on the borders.
A major concern of the HM was to be fully briefed on security arrangement for the pilgrims to Baba Amarnath cave that begins from June 25 till August 2. He has pledged additional 100 companies of Para-military forces to tidy up security arrangements from both routs viz. Nunwan and Pahalgam, which the pilgrims take to reach the cave. The Government is committed to ensuring a peaceful summer this year as it is also expecting all time high number of visitors to Kashmir, pilgrims as well as non-pilgrims. The issue of Kashmiri militants returning to Kashmir along with their Pakistani wives and children also came up and the Home Minister was categorical in saying that those of the militants who had illegally entered Indian territory shall have to be dealt with in accordance with the law of the land. The State Government had placed the matter before the Home Ministry because recently some Kashmiri militants had adopted Nepal route to enter into Indian Territory and then travel to Kashmir. Actually while the Rehabilitation proposal for returning Kashmiri militants was taken up by the HM it had specified four entry points as legal. Now in accordance with the instructions of the HM those who entered illegally through Nepal or any other point will be prosecuted under the law of the land. More than 800 Kashmiris who had left for PoK had applied for return under Rehabilitation plan of the Home Ministry but only 150 applications were found eligible for consideration.
The Home Minister has assured the State Government of full support from the centre for developmental plans. A number of plans are in the pipeline and many more are on the anvil and would be forwarded to the Union Government in due course of time. It has to be remembered that the visit of the Home Minister and full-scale review of security scenario have come on the heels of the Congress Convention held in Srinagar recently. In the meanwhile, the Home Secretary also paid a one day visit to the State before leaving for Pakistan for holding talks with his counterpart. All this indicates that the UPA Government gives much importance to Kashmir. May be it is in the wake of Congress’ debacle in recent assembly and corporation elections. Kashmir with Muslim predominance is the only region where Congress hopes to consolidate its political influence.
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