Reducing Army presence in J&K hinterland: A thaw in the Valley

Source: The post is based on the article “Reducing Army presence in J&K hinterland: A thaw in the Valley” published in Business Standard on 21st February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Security challenges and their management in border areas.

Relevance: About withdrawing soldiers from J&K.

News: Discussion has begun on reducing the presence of Army troops in civilian areas in the hinterland of Jammu and Kashmir. 

What are the reasons for withdrawing soldiers from J&K?

Excluding paramilitaries, the number of Army soldiers in J&K is said to be in the region of 1.7 lahks. This includes the soldiers posted along the 740-km Line of Control with Pakistan.

The reason for withdrawing soldiers are a) a big reduction in the number of terrorist incidents, b) stationing soldiers indefinitely to keep a check on civilians is not good for the Army or for the people and c) the February 2021 recommitment by the Indian and Pakistan armies to the LoC ceasefire.

It has been proposed that the CRPF can fill in for the Army.

What are the benefits of withdrawing soldiers from J&K?

In the year of India’s G20 presidency, a) The move could help India to counter international description of Kashmir as the “world’s most militarised region”, b) India can focus on the Line of Actual Control. Earlier, Rashtriya Rifles, a force raised by the Army specially for counter-insurgency duties in Kashmir was deployed in LAC.

What should be done along with withdrawing soldiers from J&K?

The security situation in J&K is far from resolved. A good start for troop thinning would be in areas with low violence levels.

The J&K police must put in place a regular crime control mechanism with an emphasis on investigations, which may have a salutary effect against terrorist activity.

The ultimate goal in J&K is political empowerment, and for this, the government must make plans to hold assembly elections at the earliest.