M A I N   N E W S

Govt to hold talks with ultras
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, May 10 — The Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, today said the government would soon initiate a dialogue with militants as part of a three-pronged strategy to bring back normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha to a calling attention motion moved by Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad (Cong), Mr Advani said, “The government remains committed to initiating a dialogue with the alienated sections of society, specially misguided youths, within the constitutional framework”.

The Home Minister said the other aspects of the strategy would be tackling cross-border terrorism unleashed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorist outfits, and also accelerating the economic development in the state.

He expressed the government’s commitment to redress the grievances of the people and pointed out that the proactive approach adopted by the security forces against terrorists had brought about near normalcy in the state.

In consultation with the state government, the Centre was implementing a policy of rehabilitation of surrendered militants, the Home Minister said.

In the post-Kargil phase, the government has strengthened counter terrorist grid, modernised Jammu and Kashmir police and launched a pin-pointed counter-terrorist operation, resulting in the killing of about 950 terrorists since August last year till April this year.

To further sharpen these anti-terrorist activities, an inter-ministerial group has been set up to “review, revise and supplement” the 1998 action plan for tackling militancy.

Mr Advani said as part of the government’s efforts to redress grievances of the people and to accelerate the economic development, the Centre was providing special financial support to the state in addition to the normal central plan assistance.

Not only has the plan size been enlarged but it has also been largely funded by the Centre to cover up the resource gap, he said.

The Home Minister said to ensure speedy implementation of projects, for which the Centre was releasing funds through various ministries, a standing committee under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary had been set up.

He said to further ameliorate the sufferings of those affected by terrorism, the Centre reimbursed expenditure incurred by the state government in making ex gratia payments to the next of kin of those killed in terrorist violence and giving compensation for immovable property destroyed in terrorism-related incidents.

Reimbursement was also being made to the state for relief provided to Kashmiri migrants as well as to persons displaced by cross-border firing and shelling, he said, adding that the Centre had contributed to the corpus of the Rehabilitation Council, set up by the state government, for widows and orphans.

Mr Advani said special funds had also been allocated by the Planning Commission to the state for the reconstruction of roads, bridges and school buildings damaged in the decade-old terrorism.

Rajya Sabha members asked the government to take effective steps to block infiltration of mercenaries from across the Line of Control and make efforts to restore the confidence of the people in the state.

Cutting across party lines, the members drew the attention of the government to the threats of another hot summer in the valley held out by Pakistan-backed mercenary groups. They also asked the government to tackle the menace of foreign mercenaries, who now formed almost 80 per cent of the militants operating in the state.

The members, while backing the government’s new initiative to open a dialogue with Kashmiri groups, said no quarter should be given to the mercenaries.

Raising the issue, Mr Azad blamed the Vajpayee government for the present strife in Jammu and Kashmir and said the situation had deteriorated despite the BJP’s talk of a pro-active policy.

“The government failed to become active. Instead the militants got pro-active,” he said and cited 11 incidents of daring attacks on CRPF and Army camps since last year.

Mr Azad said nearly 50,000 civilians and security personnel had been killed in the valley so far.

The Congress member said the intelligence network in Jammu and Kashmir was almost non-existent and stressed the need for better transport facilities for securitymen.