This week, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directly and indirectly took on the Indian Army over the partial revocation of controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state. The latest attacks on the army, observers say, could be a reaction to the sharp refusal by Home Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde to revoke the law that provides immunity to forces operating in the militancy-affected state.
Abdullah, while speaking to a gathering in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Wednesday, some 80 km from Srinagar, accused the army of stonewalling the revocation of AFSPA. He said: “Unfortunately, there has not been as much progress as I would have liked and there is no secret in this. While there has been considerable support from various quarters in Government of India, there is again no secret that the army is extremely reluctant to contemplate or consider partial revocation of AFSPA.”
A day later, Omar launched an unrestrained attack on the army in Gulmarg in North Kashmir. The issue this time round was not AFSPA, but an army training school. In an apparent bid to please the vote banks, Omar surprised the media saying: “The way the army is spreading the boundaries in the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) day is not far when Gulmarg would have either the army or the state government.”
Calling for policy intervention by his government as number of tourist increases, he said: “The way the army is creeping in Gulmarg is a problem and if this continues it can lead to confrontation between us and them (army).” The army has come under sharp criticism from civil society and environmentalists over the functioning and the construction undertaken for the school.
Abdullah didn’t stop here; he further raised apprehension that the bad condition of the road leading to Gulmarg—bowl of Kashmir tourism—may be due to army vehicles passing on it. He said, “I don’t know whether the road deteriorates due to heavy movement of army vehicles using chains over wheels or the material used by the R&B department.”
On Friday, he again took on the AFSPA at a function in New Delhi. In an indirect reaction to Shinde, he said: “On the one hand you say that you have faith in state police and CRPF, and in the same breath you say that AFSPA should remain.” Shinde’s recent remarks saying that AFSPA would be revoked only after peace returned to the state have come as a victory for army. Observers see it as a failure of Abdullah to persuade Shinde particularly after the home minister’s recent visit to valley when he showed satisfaction over the situation and shopped at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
They say the CM’s warning to the army will further strain the relations but is also likely to fetch him some points for standing up to what he promised since the beginning of his tenure.
Soon after he took over as the chief minister, he made several promises; to revoke the AFSPA was one of such promises. However, he received a blow and even embarrassment on more than one occasion. He announced that the act would be partially revoked within days last year, but opposition from the army, sources say, halted the process. The incident raised questions over his credibility as CM with both opposition and separatists attacking him.
The state’s principal opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman said: “He (Omar) has lost all the credibility. He devalued the position of CM and has personally gone deeper in the lap of Congress.”
Sources said, while the CM has raised the revocation pitch and attacked army, in reality, he has failed to convince his coalition partner, Congress, to reach a consensus on the revocation.
Though Shinde’s refusal has come under severe criticism from all regional mainstream parties like National Conference (NC) and PDP, the Congress has remained tight-lipped over the issue. State Congress chief Saif-ud-din Soz refused to comment on the issue saying that he isn’t part of the government. “I can’t say anything as it is a matter of government to government,” he said.
Political observers say that the revocation of Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) which lies in Abdullah’s purview, continues to remain in force, paving the way for the continuation of the AFSPA. “The CM has not taken any step for withdrawal of the DAA, even from the districts which he claims are now militancy-free. How can the Union government take any action on AFSPA front?” sources said.
During his interaction at the Press Club of India, in Delhi on Saturday, the CM didn’t touch upon the topic of DAA revocation. On the other hand, the army continues to maintain its position that it was against the revocation. Observers say with the army not relenting and even the home ministry also opposing, Abdullah’s recent attacks seem to be aimed at mere vote bank politics.