Saturday, January 9, 2010

Troops must stay

If the recent militant attacks at Lal Chowk in Srinagar and Pulwama in Kashmir respectively are anything to indicate, Jammu and Kashmir remains vulnerable to militant attacks. And militants' talk with their handlers outside make the Union government to think twice before taking any decision to cut the number of troops in Jammu and Kashmir.Though the security personnel have done commendable job by killing the militants in both the encounters at Lal Chowk and Pulwama, it is a reflection on the coming days about the increasing militant attacks in Kashmir. The militant violence has no doubt lessened considerably in 2009 but it may be militants’ strategy to lie low for the time being and again start their blood-letting activities in Kashmir. The LeT militants who holed up at a Lal Chowk hotel and started firing indiscrinately from there in encounter with the security forces lengthened up to 22 hours because the security forces had to keep colateral damage to the minimum and flush out civilians from the hotel safely. It is only because of the hard work of our security forces that at last militants were gunned down and the siege of the hotel ended. The most dangerous thing is that the militants holed up at Lal Chowk hotels were in constant touch with their handlers sitting across the border. It clearly reflects that Pakistan has completely failed in dismantling the terror outfits on its soil and they are freely operating from its soil against India. It is still sending the merchant of death into Jammu and Kashmir without any break, though steadily. The band of militants are reported to be lying in wait to cross over the border into Jammu and Kashmir immediately after freezing of ice with the onset of summer season. Lal Chowk and Pulwama militant attacks recently amply clarifies that the time is not ripe for cutting the number of troops in Jammu and Kashmir. The troops are not there only against external aggression but also against internal aggression, which is being carried out by the militants hiding there. So troops have also the responsibility to provide protection to the civilian population of Jammu and Kashmir. Though troop pull-out is politically desirable to move forward with the peace process, the best judge on the matter should be military commanders who know the best about the ground situation. It can not be decided by sitting in air-conditioned room in New Delhi.TheGovernment has also rightly said the country, especially Jammu and Kashmir, remains vulnerable to militant attacks sponsored by forces from across the border. CRPF has done commendable job by successfully eliminating militants who were in communication with their handlers outside the country.This shows the gravity of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

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