India News Online » News Analysis » Indian Politics » 

The Army has withdrawn two battalions or about two thousand men of the Rashtriya Rifles from counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir. The move comes ahead of the proposed resumption of talks between the Centre and the separatists.

Troop withdrawal has been one of the main demands of the separatists as well as mainstream political parties in Kashmir. Observers see the move as a step to prepare the ground for the talks.

Shabir Shah released

Extending an olive branch to the separatists, the state government has revoked the detention of senior Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah under the Public Safety Act. He was released in Srinagar on October 21. The previous week, the state government had lifted restrictions on the movement of hard-line Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who had been under house arrest for more than a month.

The conciliatory moves come days before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Kashmir on October 28. There are reports that the government may launch a serious initiative to resume talks with separatist leaders.

In a related move, Pradesh Congress president Saifuddin Soz had meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi ahead of their proposed visit to the state this week. The Prime Minister and UPA chairperson, accompanied by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee, would be inaugurating the 19 km. long Anantnag-Qazigund rail link.

During his two-day visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold a darbar with the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Central Reserve Police Force. Observers see this as a clear indication that the police is set to replace the Army in counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir.

Sources in Srinagar said that the Centre is in touch with the Hurriyat to formulate the contours of the dialogue process. Saifuddin Soz said that the Prime Minister during his visit is expected to make a comprehensive statement on the dialogue process with the separatists. Another senior J & K Congress leader said: “There is every possibility that the Prime Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi would send a concrete message for dialogue and peace from Kashmir itself.”

Migrants observe black day

Migrants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir observed black day in Jammu on October 22 to commemorate the invasion and subsequent control of Pakistani forces on Muzaffarabad on October 22, 1947. Because of the invasion, a large number of Hindus and Sikhs got displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Kashmiri groups in UK condemn invasion

For the first time in 62 years, 13 Kashmiri political groups in Britain, under the umbrella of the Kashmiri National Party, have passed a resolution against Pakistan’s tribal invasion of Kashmir in October 1947. Observers say that this is significant as the Kashmiri groups, during the past six decades, used to commemorate October 22 as a black day against Indian forces marching into Srinagar. Most members of the Kashmiri Diaspora settled down in Britain after leaving Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Homage paid to police martyrs

On October 21, tributes were paid to the martyrs of the police force, who died fighting the Chinese attack at Hot Springs in Ladakh. Speaking at police commemoration day at Zewan near Srinagar, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that guns and bloodshed can never solve the Kashmir issue. He called for result-oriented talks between the Centre and different groups in the state.

The commemoration day has its origins in an incident on October 21, 1959, when ten CRPF personnel laid down their lives while repulsing the Chinese attack at Hot Springs in Ladakh.

Director General of Police Kuldip Khoda said that 821 police and paramilitary forces lost their lives defending the sovereignty of India during the period Sept. 2008 to August 2009. They included 36 personnel of the J & K police.

Anger over Kashmiri players’ detention in Bangalore

The people of Kashmir are enraged at the treatment meted out to two Ranji cricketers who were arrested in Bangalore on Oct.17 on suspicion of possessing explosives. They were later released for lack of evidence. The J & K Cricket Association headed by Farooq Abdullah has sought an apology from the Karnataka police for the fiasco.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that two cricketers from the state were wrongly held by the police in Bangalore. He said that the state government is in constant touch with Karnataka over the detention of Pervez Rasool and Mehrajuddin.

Rasool was detained after traces of explosives were allegedly found in his kit bag. But after questioning, the police released him for lack of evidence.

There are reports that dropped J & K cricketers may have framed Rasool.

Habibullah to head RTI

Wajahat Habibullah is all set to take over as the head of the Right to Information watchdog in Jammu and Kashmir. The 1968 batch IAS officer would be joining as the state Chief Information Commissioner today, Oct. 26.

To take up his new assignment, Habibullah resigned as the country’s Chief Information Commissioner last week.