J&K vulnerable with fewer troops

SRINAGAR, JULY 7: Though Pakistani intruders have been pushed back from their positions from where they had the advantage of visible targ...

SRINAGAR, JULY 7: Though Pakistani intruders have been pushed back from their positions from where they had the advantage of visible targets on the Srinagar-Leh national highway, their long-term aim of breaking the security grid in the state to step up infiltration has met with success.

With the entire concentration on the Kargil sector, the Army has taken off about 58 battalions from the counter-insurgency operations while the state, in turn, has received barely 20 additional battalions of paramilitary forces to make up for the loss. In view of the ensuing general elections and the law and order problems in certain other parts of the country, there is little hope for any further replenishments of the security forces in the state.

The three massacres in a row, and stepped-up militancy in the area, strengthen the reports by intelligence agencies that 500 to 600 militants have already sneaked into the state during the last couple of weeks. Fresh intrusion attempts are being made and only a few of these havebeen successfully foiled.

Security experts here feel that the Kargil intrusion was merely a cover to break the security grid in the Valley. “After all what were they trying to gain by intruding into the icy mountainous region with only a sprinkling of population. Also, it was certain from the very beginning that they would be driven back given the strength of the Indian security forces,” said a senior Army officer.

Those dealing with security in the state here are cynical of the final fall-out of the Pakistan Prime Minister’s declaration that they shall respect the sanctity of the Line of Control (LoC). “We are not lowering our guards. We cannot afford to do so given the past record of the Pakistani leadership,” said an officer who was firmly of the view that the Pakistan Prime Minister was unlikely to withstand pressures from hawks in that country.

Army sources here confirm that clearing away of the intruders from their visually advantageous positions does not guarantee that the highway or theKargil town shall be totally safe from Pak shelling. They point out that these areas were within the range of Pakistani artillery from beyond the LoC.

The state police is already under tremendous strain despite the fact that it has recruited over 11,000 personnel during the last couple of years. Apart from the depletion in the strength of security forces in the state, the security agencies have to contend with two important events in the weeks to come — the Amarnath Yatra and the Lok Sabha elections which are proposed to be held alongwith other states in the country.

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“We have been repeatedly asking the Centre to urgently provide us with more forces. However, the response so far is not very encouraging” says state Director General of Police Gurbachan Jagat. He says the state government was in constant touch with the Centre on this issue but was told that it was difficult to spare forces in view of the requirements elsewhere in the country.

With reports of stepped up infiltration and militantactivities, the security forces are in for a period of strenuous vigilance, says a senior officer of the paramilitary forces posted here.

Security advisor waits for appointment letter

Lt Gen Avtar Singh, Director General, Rashtriya Rifles, who was to take over as security advisor to the state government, is yet to be given a formal appointment letter. The DG shifted his headquarter here about a fortnight ago following the announcement that he would replace the GOC, 15 Corps Lt Gen Krishna Pal, as the security advisor to the state government. However, the state government is evidently cheesed off by the announcement made by the Centre as it feels that it is the prerogative of the state government to make such an appointment.