Govt planning 25% troop reduction in J&K

The government is considering reducing the strength of security forces deployed in Jammu & Kashmir by 25% as a confidence building measure.

Home secretary Gopal K Pillai also said that India was planning to unilaterally issue six-month multiple entry permits for people of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) wanting to visit Jammu & Kashmir through the Line of Control (LoC).

"As a confidence building measure in Jammu and Kashmir, the strength of the security forces would come down by 25 per cent. We would like to reduce it as soon as possible depending on the ground situation," he said addressing a seminar at Jamia Milia Islamia University in Delhi.

Pillai said in Nagaland a few years ago there were two divisions of the army but now hardly there was any presence of security forces in the state. In the same way there were 60 companies (6,000 personnel) of the paramilitary forces in Nagaland and now there are just two companies there.

"These are things which, if peace comes, if violence is not there, if people are comfortable, we can gradually reduce (the force strength) and make sure that all forces are only at the border and for preventing infiltration," he said.

The home secretary said as part of the confidence building measures, India and Pakistan allow people from Jammu & Kashmir and PoK to visit either side with a permit valid for 15 days.

"We suggested that the people visit their relatives more often. So, we have suggested that if you give 15 days permit they have to go through the verification process. So why don't we give a six-month multiple entry permit. Once verification is done, one can be able to visit relatives whenever he or she wants. Now we are planning to unilaterally give six month multiple entry permits for people of PoK," he said.

The home secretary said despite hiccups in the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan, New Delhi wants to reach out to people of the neighbouring country through various ways, including cultural exchange programmes.

"Official level composite dialogue has not taken off the way we would have wanted it to take off. But people-to-people talks are on. We are encouraging musical, cultural programmes, and drama festivals between the two countries. We are encouraging Pakistanis to come here on these grounds," he said.

Replying to a question of a Kashmiri student as to why did it took the Centre four months to react to the deaths of students in Jammu & Kashmir in last summer, Pillai said, "I agree it should not have taken so long but governance is a huge issue for the central government.

"Why can't the state government solve some issues on its own. At every stage the Centre is expected to fill in. You have to empower the people. The government has to be decentralised, has to reach out to people," he said.

The home secretary said transparency was important and it was extremely important for people to know what was happening, where was the money, what was the money available for various schemes and how it was being spent.

"That is why the setting up of an information commission in Jammu & Kashmir as well as strengthening of the Human Rights Commission, setting up of a Child Rights Council are issues which are part of confidence building measures. We hope that the state government would take up such things in the coming days," he said.

Pillai said the central government was taking up the issue of discrimination against the Kashmiris with some of the state governments.

He also said the Centre was also asking corporate India to give jobs to youths of Jammu & Kashmir in different parts of the country.

"We think they can absorb 1,00,000 youths in jobs all over India in the next 12 months," he said.