M A I N   N E W S

On all-party meet eve, no consensus on AFSPA
J&K CRISIS: BJP, Army oppose Act’s withdrawal
n IAF chief also voices opposition
n JDU, Left parties favour withdrawal
Ashok Tuteja & Faraz Ahmad
Tribune News service

Security forces patrol the highway to Jammu, in Srinagar on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

New Delhi, September 14
On the eve of an all-party meeting to evolve a political consensus on the situation in trouble-torn Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has been weighing various options to tackle the situation in the valley.

Both the BJP and security establishment remained firmly opposed to withdrawal or dilution of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state.

Though the Left parties supported the withdrawal of AFSPA, they refrained from pushing the Centre to take an immediate decision, sensing the violent mood in the valley.

Beyond AFSPA Government sources said that revocation or dilution of AFSPA was not the only issue on the Centre’s agenda for dealing with the crisis in the valley. The all-party meeting would discuss other problems that have alienated the people of the valley, including trust deficit and governance deficit, sources said. The meeting would also aim to evolve a political consensus and if need be, the Centre could send a delegation to meet all sections of society in the Valley.

Amid open differences within the CCS over the question of applicability of the Armed Forces Act, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik also voiced his opposition to the withdrawal of AFSPA since the forces were dealing with a very difficult situation.

“Soldiers while involved in performing their duty need legal protection if you want them to be efficient,” he said. The government cannot take the IAF chief’s views lightly since he is also the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Chief of Army Staff Gen VK Singh has already aired his opposition to the withdrawal of AFSPA.

The AFSPA gives Army officers legal immunity for their actions. There can be no prosecution, suit or any other legal proceeding against any officer acting under the Act. Nor is the government’s judgment on why an area is found to be "disturbed" subject to judicial review.

Indications are that the Cabinet Committee on Kashmir (CCS) would again meet tomorrow after the all-party meeting to finalise the government’s response to developments in the valley, which have given a major setback to all efforts to restore peace there.

The Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has invited all parties represented in Parliament for the crucial meeting and various leaders and chiefs are expected to attend. A special invitation has been extended to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which had boycotted last month’s meeting of political parties in the state convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Defence Minister AK Antony sought to dispel the impression that the Centre was delaying steps to deal with the situation in the state. He said the Centre had convened tomorrow’s session to seek views of all parties and it would not delay its response after the meeting.

Meanwhile, the CPI Central Secretariat today issued a statement demanding “a meaningful political dialogue” to restore normalcy in the state and “withdrawal of AFSPA”. Earlier, the CPM had demanded the removal of AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir, calling the situation there “very grim”.

JDU president Sharad Yadav, while refusing to divulge his party’s stand, recalled how his party had all along opposed AFSPA and the Disturbed Areas Act both in Jammu and Kashmir and in Manipur.