The United Head Quarter has met for the first time under the chairmanship of Mehbooba Mufti, the Chief Minister of J&K. The convention is that the Chief Minister is the chairman of its meetings in which very senior officers from army, security, police and civilian administration take place. The necessity of constituting the UHQ was forged by the idea of facing militancy through a joint effort of all organizations that are in one way or the other supposed to contribute to the security and safety of the State. Kashmir militancy is actually a proxy war but not fought openly in a battlefield like conventional wars. The crucial point in discussing and debating militancy related matters and the prospect of restoring normalcy in the State.
Representatives from Army, BSF, CRP, Police, Intelligence and civil administration gave their assessment of the ground situation in Kashmir. The common view expressed in the meeting was that there is spurt in militancy in Kashmir for some time and more bids of infiltrating into our side are made by the terrorists. However, the CM had a word of appreciation for the Army, Security forces, the Police and the administration that they were making best input in whatever ways they could to meet the challenge of militancy. The Chief Minister strongly affirmed that militancy had to be faced with determination and through tested methodology.
We share the concerns of the Chief Minister about Kashmiri youth who are exposed to the counteraction of the security forces. This is the reason that she emphasized the need for the security forces to strictly observe the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure that they were not misled. It is a worthwhile idea that the youth are engaged in different job-related courses and employment activities. She emphasizes that misled youth are treated with politeness and kindness and are not hurt beyond no-return point.
Three impending events would call for enhanced security in the State. These are the forthcoming Amaranth ji yatra beginning on 18th July, election to the vacant legislative seat of Pulwama and the budget session of the Legislative Assembly. Obviously, these occasions are critical and any attempt by any source to disrupt peace would have very bad impact on the State. It was, therefore, very important that the Army, Security Forces and the Police maintained strict vigil on what was happening in the State. The CM is rightly emphasizing on peace as the pre-requisite of any development in the State. She has reiterated her suggestion of opening border tourism in Jammu at Suchetgarh and Chamblyal as a big step toward restoring goodwill between the two countries and reduces tension on the border that has bedeviled relations for a long time so far.
We know that a number of schemes have been floated by the Centre for creating employment opportunities for the youth of the State. The Chief Minister is of the opinion that in the State tourism industry has vast scope of providing employment to the youth and that is why she is repeatedly projecting tourism as the one area in which the State needs to do a lot more.
Since now the CM is fully briefed by most responsible sources about the ground situation in the State, it will be easier and safer for her to formulate a correct picture of security scenario of the State and adjust state policies in consonance with the views expressed by different security cum administrative agencies in the meeting of the UHQ.
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