Even though it is now certain that the Centre is not keen on lifting, even partially, the highly-contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir, highly-placed government sources have revealed to this newspaper that the Centre is working on an alternative “confidence building measure for people in the Valley”. And this, sources added, will be in the form of a major withdrawal of security forces from the region.
The government is working on an ambitious plan of reducing deployment of security forces, both Army and paramilitary forces, including BSF and CRPF, in the Kashmir Valley.
The government is extremely keen that the visibility of security forces should be reduced, particularly in urban areas, in the Valley.
This will be both in form of bunkers and uniformed security personnel.
“Though the possibility of dilution of AFSPA in the Valley is remote, but we are keen to send out a strong signal to people there that normalcy is returning to the region. For this, there will be gradual withdrawal of the Army, BSF and CRPF from certain pockets in the Valley this winter,” a senior government functionary said. The Centre has been buoyed by a sharp drop in violence in the Valley.
Government officials are also quick to clarify that this would be a proper withdrawal of forces and not a mere re-deployment. The withdrawal may start as early as beginning of January next year as both the union ministries of home affairs and defence are working out the modalities of the withdrawal.
Sources also claimed that both the home and defence ministers, Sushilkumar Shinde and A.K. Antony, are on the same page on this issue.
State chief minister Omar Abdullah too had been keen that the Centre should at least partially withdraw the AFSPA from the Valley. But officials claim that withdrawal of the forces, which too had been a long standing demand of leaders from the Valley, will send a positive signal that Centre was “sensitive to their demand”.
“Armed forces in the Valley are often associated with oppression and human rights violation so reducing their visibility will have an impact on the common people,” an official added.
While the BSF has already been withdrawn from the city limits of Srinagar, being replaced by the CRPF, sources said now the BSF is expected to be replaced from other parts as well and will be deployed only along the international border.