Governor talks of proactive role

Lieutenant General S.K. Sinha today called his taking over as J-K Governor ‘‘a homecoming’’ and said he would like to be...

Lieutenant General S.K. Sinha today called his taking over as J-K Governor ‘‘a homecoming’’ and said he would like to be ‘‘proactive’’ in the bid to crush militancy and restore peace while advocating a unified command of forces to tackle insurgency.

After taking the oath, Sinha said: ‘‘I have had the experience of serving in a militancy-affected state with two different CMs and two different governments. And my being proactive assisted them both.’’ Sinha recalled his stints in the Valley during and after Partition. ‘‘Today I recall October 27, 1947. I was made in-charge of the massive airlift of troops from Delhi to Srinagar. We flew 800 sorties and used civilian Dakotas,’’ he said. He claimed to knowing the place well as he had ‘‘served in every sector of J-K’’.

‘‘I was the secretary of the Indian delegation to UN to delineate the ceasefire line,’’ he said. ‘‘When I landed here in 1947, the enemy (Pakistan) had secured territory upto Pattan and were just three miles from the Budgam airport,’’ he recalled. ‘‘Now, under the leadership of Mufti Sayeed, I am sure we will save Kashmir fully.’’

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Keeping his promise to be ‘‘proactive’’, Sinha aired his views on the need for a unified command to tackle militancy effectively in Kashmir . Arguing for the need of a unified command, Sinha said: ‘‘There is a tendency in different forces functioning like competing forces rather than complementing forces’’. Unified command, he said, ensures that all elements of the security forces and civil administration are working together.

Though he enjoys a close association with Sayeed, who favoured his candidature for J-K Governor, Sinha’s proactive talk, especially meddling in the affairs of counter-insurgency operations here, is all set to generate controversy. ‘‘I am not sure our party will afford to take his advice of a counter-insurgency strategy especially when it is aired in public,’’ a senior PDP leader said.