Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 27: Rehabilitation Policy for local militants, addressing the issues of West Pakistan, Chhamb, other refugees, Kashmiri Pandit migrants and comprehensive development plan for Ladakh region, were set to become part of second phase of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), which the Centre was planning in consultations with the State Government and could announce after one or two more visits of the Special Representative, Dineshwar Sharma to Jammu and Kashmir.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the State Government has been formulating Rehabilitation Policy for the militants, which would overrule previous such Policy which had been announced during National Conference-Congress Government headed by Omar Abdullah.
Under Omar Government’s Rehabilitation Policy, a number of Kashmiri militants had returned from Pakistan and PoK along with their Pakistani wives and children through Nepal-Uttar Pradesh and Nepal-Bihar border illegally as it was not the authorized route (under the Policy). However, after Narendra Modi-led Government took over in 2014, it didn’t allow the militants to return from Nepal route.
Sources said the new Rehabilitation Policy, which is being formulated by the experts, might be confined to local Kashmiri militants who surrender and give up the path of violence. During past one week, two militants have returned homes following appeal made by their parents. After this, more parents have made similar appeals to their militant sons.
However, according to sources, the State Government was likely to get the new Rehabilitation Policy approved by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and it (the Policy) could become part of second phase of CBMs, which the Centre might announce before third visit of Dineshwar Sharma to the State.
“The new Rehabilitation Policy could focus on permanent settlement of the surrendered militants instead of providing them with cash relief or other monetary benefits. It might focus on the measures that would help the surrendered militants in earning their livelihood,” they said.
During Omar Abdullah Government, the Rehabilitation Policy was announced for Jammu and Kashmir militants, who returned from Pakistan and PoK through four designated points including Poonch-Rawlakote route in Jammu, Uri-Muzaffarabad route in Kashmir, Wagah border in Amritsar district of Punjab and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi.
However, none came from the designated routes. Only Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was used by the militants and their families to return after reaching Kathmandu in Nepal from Islamabad and Karachi by air.
Asserting that though Dineshwar Sharma hasn’t visited any part of Ladakh region so far as his first two visits (the second tour is still on) were confined to Jammu and Kashmir regions, sources said he could start the third visit by visiting Leh and Kargil districts in Ladakh region and the Centre was contemplating comprehensive development plan for the region.
“The development plan could be executed through the two Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil,” sources said, adding the Councils could be further strengthened by vesting with more financial and other powers.
Sources said the West Pakistani, Chhamb and other refugees and migrants and Kashmiri Pandits were among those whose issues were very actively being considered by the Centre Government and a strategy could shortly be evolved to address their issues. However, the Centre would like to take recommendations of its Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir into account before progressing further.
During Sharma’s two visits to Jammu, a number of delegations of West Pakistani, Chhamb, PoK and other refugees, Kashmiri Pandit migrants, border dwellers and others had called on Dineshwar Sharma and briefed him on their major issues which they expect the Centre and State Governments to address.
Sharma had himself visited Talwara migrants, who were never visited by any of the previous Central Interlocutors or even State Government representatives to listen to their grievances.
As reported, after being briefed by couple of organizations on continuing First Information Reports (FIRs) against 2008 Shri Amarnath Ji land row agitation, the Centre Government’s Special Representative had immediately sought all details of the FIRs from civil and police administration.
The Jammu-based organization had demanded withdrawal of the FIRs like amnesty given to first-time stone pelters of Kashmir.
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