The Army has expressed the view that counter-terror operations in J&K could be severely hit if the J&K government insists on going ahead with a move to de-notify and remove districts like Srinagar from the purview of the Disturbed Areas Act (DAA). The Army is understood to have conveyed its view to the Union and state governments on the matter.
Army sources told this newspaper that if the J&K government goes ahead with the move, it will have an “adverse and cascading impact on counter-insurgency operations” in J&K which could prove dangerous to the unity and integrity of the country.
Army sources said that the Army’s assessment was that militants “will make the non-DAA areas as their stronghold and operate with impunity from there”.
As a source put it, “Once outside the purview of the DAA, such areas will turn into a safe haven for militants who will enter neighbouring districts and take refuge in areas not covered under the DAA to regroup”.
The Army is worried that if the DAA is removed from one district, it will lead to a clamour by pro-militant sympathisers to get it removed from other districts as well which, in turn, could put severe political pressure on the J&K government.
The Army’s strong stand against any denotification from the DAA comes in the wake of its opposition to any dilution or withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The Army has pointed out that such provisions give them legal protection in the fight against terror. The Army is also only too aware that Pakistan is not dismantling terror camps in territory controlled by it and is also unable or unwilling to stop infiltration of terrorists into India.
In J&K, the Army is in charge of guarding the LoC and is also conducting counter-insurgency operations in the state.
The Army has been conducting counter-insurgency operations for the past two decades. Troops are conducting counter-insurgency operations in J&K and the Northeast.
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Raju: Govt for check on defence land
Age Correspondent
New Delhi
Nov. 25: Minister of state for defence M.M. Pallam Raju on Thursday said that in the wake of the Adarsh housing society irregularities, the government was looking to strengthen the directorate general of defence estates.
He said the DGDE is in charge of lakhs of acres of defence land and the government was already embarking on computerisation of records. Mr Raju also said there would be no tolerance for any wrongdoing. He said that there was no recommendation made to the MoD to disband the DGDE. Top MoD sources had recently emphasised the “clean-up” of the DGDE to ensure its functioning is transparent and devoid of any irregularities.