India To Pull Thousands of Troops From Kashmir

is troop withdrawl correct

  • yes

    Votes: 24 36.9%
  • no

    Votes: 28 43.1%
  • time will tell

    Votes: 13 20.0%

  • Total voters
    65

A.V.

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30,000 troops withdrawn from Kashmir: India

NEW DELHI: Defence minister A K Antony on Friday announced that the Centre has withdrawn around 30,000 troops from Jammu and Kashmir.

A K Antony said two indian army divisions comprising around 30,000 troops have been moved out of Kashmir in the wake of improvement in the security situation there.

Addressing reporters Antony said, "Two Army divisions comprising around 30,000 troops have been moved out of Kashmir due to improvement in the situation there."

"Whenever we feel the situation has improved or is improving we will further reduce the visibility and presence of the Army in the state... it is because of the presence of the army that we have been able to counter terrorism in the state," Antony added.

The Army has begun withdrawing troops from the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir in a move seen as a confidence building measure to get Kashmiri separatists, especially the hardliners, on board for talks.

The twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch were brought under the Disturbed Area Act along with the Kashmir Valley in July 1990 and the security forces were given special powers under Armed Forces Special Powers Act around the same time.

The two districts have a 200 km Line of Control with Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Antony made the announcement just days after home minister P Chidambaram informed the Parliament, that troop reduction in Jammu and Kashmir was on the cards considering improvement in the overall security situation in the northern state.

Reacting to the Chidambaram's statement, former state chief minister and union minister for new and renewable sources of energy Farooq Abdullah had said that the home minister had finally given good news to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Reduction in the number of troops deployed in the state would definitely ease the tensions here and herald the beginning of peace and development in the state," Abdullah had said.




30,000 troops withdrawn from Kashmir: Antony - India - The Times of India
 

Pintu

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India cuts troops by 30K, calls Pak bluff- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

India cuts troops by 30K, calls Pak bluff
19 Dec 2009, 0340 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: In a deft move, the government on Friday announced a reduction

of 30,000 troops in Jammu and Kashmir and dented Pakistan’s
spurious “India has aggressive designs against it” charge. Islamabad, which deploys most of its troops along the border with India, had launched a campaign saying it cannot concentrate on its troublesome western border due to the ‘India threat’.

India’s announcement about withdrawal of two Army divisions from Kashmir with a promise of more cutbacks comes at a time when Islamabad is under pressure from the US to take intensive military action against terror groups with safe haven in Pakistan.

On Friday defence minister A K Antony announced that with the situation’improving’ in Jammu and Kashmir, the government wanted to reduce the “visibility and presence” of the armed forces in the state. “Indian Army, by their own initiatives, has withdrawn two divisions (30,000) from J&K. Last year, they withdrew one, and this year the second division was withdrawn. They have been withdrawn because the situation has improved,” Mr Antony said.

He further said that the state government felt it could manage without the Army. The defence minister also called the deployment of armed forces the last resort for internal security purposes. “Because of the presence of armed forces and their dedication, we have been able to prevent terrorists' attempts (to strike). That is why in J&K, for the first time, situation is improving and the number of infiltration and violent instances are also declining,’’ he said.

He has, however, made it clear that the operation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) could not be revoked at this juncture. Mr Antony said that as long as the Army was in the state, Afspa could not be withdrawn but said there could be a discussion for some modifications in the Act. “Without special powers, they will not be able to act effectively,” he said.

In a reference to Pakistan, the minister said the country faced many internal security challenges, which were “complicated” due to external support extended to perpetrators of terrorism. “India has been the worst victim of terrorism. The international community has of late, woken up to the need for global unity in the fight against terror," he said.

The troop reduction announcement is expected to yield diplomatic dividends for India, which has been at the receiving end of the Pakistani campaign. With an eye on the Af-Pak policy, the US had also been asking India to take steps to help Pakistan focus on the border with Afghanistan.

“In diplomatic terms, it’s a smart move,’’ said former Indian envoy to Pakistan G Parthasarathy. He said that the move was a message to people in the state that the police could manage and a message to the world that India has reduced its troops leaving Pakistan with little reason to feel threatened on its eastern border.

“That is the intent... we have diluted troops what else can we do? It will put more pressure on Pakistan to concentrate on terror,’’ concurred Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute of Conflict Management. He further pointed out that troop reduction also showed that the government was comfortable with the ground situation in the state. “The objective not to keep a large number of troops but a requisite force for counter terrorism,’’ he said.
 

jakojako777

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Violence in Indian Kashmir During Separatist Shutdown

Violence erupted in Indian Kashmir during a shutdown today. The shutdown was called by separatist groups to protest against occupation of private lands by the .
army
Streets were deserted and all shops and other establishments, including schools and colleges were closed in Srinagar.

The shutdown caused a lot of inconvenience to the locals.

Early in the morning when I got up, my friends told me that today paper will be postponed but radio television etc. did not announce the same and I had to suffer a lot. I come from a far flung area.

Locals clashed with police, when police tried to stop them from a protest march.

The clashes turned violent when locals threw stones at police officers. Police the used teargas to disperse the mob.

The separatist groups have been repeatedly urging New Delhi to pull out troops, release prisoners and end human rights violations before resuming peace talks.

Dialogue between the government and the separatists broke down in 2006. Indian prime minister offered to resume talks during a visit to Kashmir in October.

With violence down in recent years, India began withdrawing troops from Kashmir signaling they were ready for peace talks.

Any sign of peace talks may help reduce tension in the Himalayan region, which has been the focus of conflict between India and Pakistan for decades

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qjU7T8lh6g&feature=rec-LGOUT-real_rn-1r-1-HM
 

sandeepdg

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Hope the separatists finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and start talking with a peaceful mandate on a positive future for Kashmir and its people !!:india:
 

Tamil

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Our Indian Govt is inefficient to deal the Kashmir issue for past 62 years... now and never the problem going to be solved.

India never Give KASHMIR to GOP
Pakistan will never thing to go LOC/ALOC as IB.
Separatists will loose money and popularity if they are silent...

so it just to cool down the people only i think..!
 

A chauhan

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If it is temporary & to solace the people of J&K, it's good. But the situation in J&K insist to keep requisite force to counter terrorism.Indian Army is often charged for the wrongful acts done by Terrorists.False charges of harassment are often made on IA there.So removing troops is possibly only available move for IA.
 

bengalraider

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The situation in kashmir is more complex than any simple story of sepratists and non-separatists,. on one side there are the pro-india jammu residents and ladakh residents on the other the pro-pakistan/independence valley muslims but there is a third wing of Neutral muslims who keep quiet on every issue. one more misconcption is that there is no human-rights abuse by IA or paramilitary personnel, there are abuses of power in every military ; in more than one million men there will be a few bad eggs '. The IA and indian security establishment however does not condone such acts and perpetrators when found are always dealt with appropriately.Kashmir is also more of an economic issue than any religious issue(no matter how many green flags they fly).

all in all this (reduction in troops)is a welcome development and more than anything shows the effect modern border surveillance equipment & better equipped border patrols have had in curbing infiltration.
 

ejazr

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Its about time we move from a manpower-intensive to a technology intensive deployment in our border areas. Satellige feeds, UAVs, thermal imaging and night vision equipment can act as force multipliers.

Also we tend to underplay the major role of J&K police in curbing insurgency. They are the forefront of many operations and have a dedicated intelligence wing as well. Eventually its the J&K police that has to take over internal policing duties and relive the army to do what its suppose to, i.e. fight external threats.
 

Solid Beast

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By vivek raghuvanshi
Published: 15 Jan 2010 09:47

NEW DELHI - India has decided to remove several thousand troops from the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, which for two decades has been the scene of low-intensity battle between the Army and terrorists crossing the border from Pakistan.

Refusing to give a specific number, a senior Indian Defence Ministry official said a "large number" of troops will be withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir in phases.


An estimated 350,000 Indian troops are stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, along with 200,000 paramilitary forces.

The troop reduction will begin this month, the Defence Ministry official said, adding that the paramilitary forces there will take over from the troops.

Sources in the Indian Army said troops stationed along the Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir are as vigilant as ever despite the planned withdrawal.

The Indian troop pullout from Jammu and Kashmir coincides with media reports here that China has taken over some Indian territory along the disputed Line of Actual Control that serves as a border between the two countries.

Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said in Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, that there has been no change in the India-China border.
 

ppgj

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bengalraider - 01:24 PM 16-01-2010
is this withdrawl in addition to the 30,000 already withdrawn?

Solid Beast - 02:41 AM 17-01-2010
I think so. They will be replaced by para.
yes they are in additon to 30000 withdrawn.

JAMMU: Defence Minister A.K. Antony Tuesday hinted at a further reduction of troops in Jammu and Kashmir in the light of the 'improved situation' in the state, which is battling terrorist violence for the past 20 years.

This would be in addition to the 30,000 troops that have been moved out of Jammu and Kashmir in the past two years.
More troops to be reduced in Kashmir
 

Shredder

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This may be a stupid question but why can't India declare Status Quo and just place thousands of landmines along the borders to prevent terrorist infiltration?
 

pmaitra

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The situation in kashmir is more complex than any simple story of sepratists and non-separatists,. on one side there are the pro-india jammu residents and ladakh residents on the other the pro-pakistan/independence valley muslims but there is a third wing of Neutral muslims who keep quiet on every issue. one more misconcption is that there is no human-rights abuse by IA or paramilitary personnel, there are abuses of power in every military ; in more than one million men there will be a few bad eggs '. The IA and indian security establishment however does not condone such acts and perpetrators when found are always dealt with appropriately.Kashmir is also more of an economic issue than any religious issue(no matter how many green flags they fly).

all in all this (reduction in troops)is a welcome development and more than anything shows the effect modern border surveillance equipment & better equipped border patrols have had in curbing infiltration.
Well said. Kashmir is more economic problem than religious.

I recently met two Kashmiri Muslims and had a long discussion with one of them about the recent unrest in Kashmir. In summary, this is what he said:
  • "We are loyal to India but still the GoI doesn't trust us enough to let us live without heavy presence of Army (he meant IA as well as CRPF, RR, BSF et al.) and AFSPA."
  • "There are too many fake encounters."
  • "Gilani is a trouble maker and he should be hanged for instigating violence. He is more responsible for the recent deaths than anybody else."
  • "There was an agreement between Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah that Delhi will control Defense, Communication and Currency and Srinagar will control everything else about Kashmir but we don't know what happened to that agreement now."

I looked into his eyes and I can say that he was speaking in all honesty and with a clear conscience. I am not competent enough to offer a solution, but I do believe that peace can be returned to Kashmir with Kashmir remaining a part of the Indian Union.
 

Flint

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I have to disagree. Kashmir is not an economic problem, it is an ideological problem and the ideology stems from across our border. Economic sops are not going to solve this problem. You may meet individuals with a range of different opinions, but what drives this movement is based on an idea, not lack of money.
 

Oracle

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30,000 troops withdrawn. How does it benefit us?
Is it the Indian Army that kills innocents in Kashmir? - No
Is it the Indian Army which is creating unrest in Kashmir? - No
Is it the Indian Army which maintains peace and harmony in Kashmir? - Yes

We the citizens of India sleep in peace under the very blanket the Indian Army provides us. And withdrawing troops is a foolish decision. People who have lived in the North East would agree.
 

gogbot

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Army is not a police force , And Army does not want to police.
They should only be used in such a capacity in case of an emergency , or extreme situation.
That's what we did.

Its been 20 years since then and i no longer think the current situation call's for the same level military presence.
Security and Anti-terrorism is a law enforcement matter and should be handled as such.

We still need a military presence in Kashmir to ensure the security of the border.
As well as Combat the now much smaller militant force in the state.
 
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bharadwaj

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Time for our heroes to get some well deserved rest!!!!
@gogbot-Military presence is required in J&K but i would want to see them with better gears,till that happens,they are much better off here!
 

Oracle

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Bad, bad decision. Next in line is AFSPA! Where is this country heading? We do not need to appease bigoted human rights activists, nor do we have to take a call based on moral standards. National security is of paramount importance and we must not forget that.
 

Tshering22

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^^ Ditto dude. What are these fvcks doing, goodness knows. Really what morality are they talking about against barbarians in Kashmir? I can't understand. And I wonder why is Army not aggressively countering this? I mean they have lost so many of their boys in Kashmir and Army folks are generally very obsessed with the "our boys" tag. I think it would be imperative that the tri-services put their foot down on some matters using press conferences to tell people about this shit government's terrorist-appeasing tactics.
 

ejazr

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I agree with gogbot here. Militant violence is at 20 year lows, there is no sense to have the same force levels in place during the time of the insurgency peak like in the 1990s. The troops should be redeployed smartly with a focus on the border regions to prevent infiltrations.

Using troops to tackle rioters is over kill. The local police should have a dedicated riot sqaud to tackle such situations and be prepared with the best available equipment rather than just bamboo shields and TATA Sumos.

If there is any need to spend money on security that this is it. Around 10-15 riot squal that can be moved or even air lifted whereever needed.
 

ejazr

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Government may reduce troops by 25 percent in Kashmir

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) The government may reduce by 25 percent the presence of security forces in the populated areas of Jammu and Kashmir in the next 12 months, Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said Friday, announcing a slew of confidence building measures to bring peace in the troubled state.

'We are considering the reduction in the presence of security forces in Kashmir,' Pillai said at a seminar, 'What is the way forward in Jammu and Kashmir'.

He said the government wished 'to do more' in terms of troop reduction - a popular demand of various mainstream and separatist political parties.

'But there is a fear of backlash (from militants). But there will be a 25 percent reduction of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, especially from populated areas, in the next 12 months,' he said.

The home secretary said more security pickets would be removed from Srinagar city in the next few months.

The proposal to further reduce the presence of security forces in the state comes after a prevailing calm in the Kashmir Valley following the months of unrest in summer that left 112 people killed in firing by security forces on stone-pelting protesters.

The government had put a brake on the withdrawal of troops last year when nearly 35,000 security forces' personnel were removed from the state that has been battling a separatist war backed by Pakistan since 1989.

He said the removal of security forces from populated areas was part of the eight-point agenda the government had approved last year as part of building confidence of Kashmiris.

'We want the presence of security forces in the state as minimum as possible,' Pillai told IANS later on the sidelines of the symposium organised by the Jamia Millia Islamia University here.

He said the government was retraining 10 battalions of state police who can take charge of the law and order situation. 'This has already started. They would not be carrying guns in case of any local law and order situation. They will have sticks and shields to manage protesting crowds,' he said.

The retraining of local police personnel apparently comes in the wake of widespread criticism against paramilitary troopers who last year opened fire at stone throwers,killing 112 civilians during deadly protests in the summer agitation that lasted for over 100 days.

He said the government would announce a slew of measures in the next few months. It would include 'making the governance more transparent by appointing information commissioners and state accountability commission'.

'There are key issues that are being picked up. Negotiations are on on the political solution of Kashmir and we are clear that any solution for the state should be acceptable to all the regions (Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh). Democracy and rule of law should prevail and the solution should respect the diversity, ethnicity and all faiths.'
 

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