Seems Army is no more needed in J&K hinterland
Union Government considers a phase manner withdrawal of Army from Kashmir hinterland. At present, around 1.3 lakh army personnel are deployed in the entire Jammu and Kashmir region. Out of them, around eighty thousand are on the border.
As per the Army officials, around forty to fifty thousand armed personnel from the Rashtriya Rifles are considered to have the mantle of conducting counter-terror operations around the hinterlands of Kashmir.
After revoking the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir three and a half years later amid deployment of massive additional troops now the Government has another plan to consider. A proposal to withdraw the Indian Army is being discussed now and if it gets approval army personnel completely vacate the Valley hinterland. The Army then will have a presence only on the LoC (Line of Control).
The officials reveal that it’s been two years since the discussion over the proposal to withdraw the Army from Kashmir hinterland is going on. Now it is at an “advanced stage” where the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Union Ministry of Defence, Indian armed forces along with the J&K police are involved looking at the pross and cons of the decision.
In the proposal, it is also being discussed that the Central Reserve Police Force would fill in after the removal of the army personnel from here. The CRPF will be responsible to meet the challenges of counter-terror operations as well as law and order in the Valley.
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A senior security establishment officer says, “This is being considered with all seriousness and a significant discussion at the inter-ministerial level is also understood to be feasible. As such, the decision has already been taken but it just a matter of time when it will be done. In fact, it is a political call,”
