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AFSPA to stay, no plans to thin troops despite decline in militancy
Lt General Ata Hasnain, outgoing GOC 15 Corps, says 300 militants still active in Valley
The architect of heart as a weapon strategy in Kashmir, Lt General Ata Hasnain the outgoing General Officer Commanding of 15 Corps on Friday 8 June, said that Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will stay in the Valley and that the Army had no plans to thin out troops in areas where militancy has come down.
General Hasnain said that the infiltration has come down in Kashmir due to improved surveillance and border fencing. He, however, said it was impossible to completely plug the border. The situation in Kashmir is unpredictable and dynamic. It changes colours fast, said Gen Hasnain who will takeover as the Military Secretary. He will be succeeded by Lt General Om Prakash. Gen Prakash has served at important positions in J&K. He has commanded the Army Division in Jammu region and the Siachen Brigade in Ladakh.
Gen Hasnain said there were still 300 militants active in Valley and that it was not advisable for the Army to reduce troops despite the decline in militancy. It is not possible to reduce troops till militancy is completely reigned in, said the outgoing GOC. He said there was an urgency on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) to repair the damaged fence, however, on the other side militants were trying harder to sneak in. It cant therefore be zero infiltration, he added.
The outgoing GoC, however, hailed the process of bunkers removal from Srinagar. Though Army does not control the Srinagar, the removal of bunkers is a good step, he said. General Hasnains term has coincided with a decline in militancy in Valley. Hasnain carved a distinctive identity for himself with his outreach initiatives. He visited distant corners of the state to meet people and he did succeed to a large extent in bridging the gap between Army and Kashmiri civilians.
In 2011 he launched the Kashmir Premier League, a cricket league inspired by the IPL, in a bid to wean Kashmiri youth away from stone throwing. The KPL is now an annual feature, promoted this year by Team India captain Mahindra Singh Dhoni.
General Hasnain, however, has always strongly opposed the lifting of AFSPA in Valley. According to him, the fast evolving geo-strategic environment in the region has the potential to reignite militancy in Kashmir post-2014 US exit from Afghanistan.
At his last press conference as GoC on Friday, Gen Hasnain termed his 19-month tenure as challenging. The efforts were organizational and not personal. I am hopeful my successor too will make the same efforts, Gen Hasnain said. I cannot underestimate the role media, government, people and other agencies played in the process.
Tehelka - India's Independent Weekly News Magazine
Lt General Ata Hasnain, outgoing GOC 15 Corps, says 300 militants still active in Valley
The architect of heart as a weapon strategy in Kashmir, Lt General Ata Hasnain the outgoing General Officer Commanding of 15 Corps on Friday 8 June, said that Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will stay in the Valley and that the Army had no plans to thin out troops in areas where militancy has come down.
General Hasnain said that the infiltration has come down in Kashmir due to improved surveillance and border fencing. He, however, said it was impossible to completely plug the border. The situation in Kashmir is unpredictable and dynamic. It changes colours fast, said Gen Hasnain who will takeover as the Military Secretary. He will be succeeded by Lt General Om Prakash. Gen Prakash has served at important positions in J&K. He has commanded the Army Division in Jammu region and the Siachen Brigade in Ladakh.
Gen Hasnain said there were still 300 militants active in Valley and that it was not advisable for the Army to reduce troops despite the decline in militancy. It is not possible to reduce troops till militancy is completely reigned in, said the outgoing GOC. He said there was an urgency on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) to repair the damaged fence, however, on the other side militants were trying harder to sneak in. It cant therefore be zero infiltration, he added.
The outgoing GoC, however, hailed the process of bunkers removal from Srinagar. Though Army does not control the Srinagar, the removal of bunkers is a good step, he said. General Hasnains term has coincided with a decline in militancy in Valley. Hasnain carved a distinctive identity for himself with his outreach initiatives. He visited distant corners of the state to meet people and he did succeed to a large extent in bridging the gap between Army and Kashmiri civilians.
In 2011 he launched the Kashmir Premier League, a cricket league inspired by the IPL, in a bid to wean Kashmiri youth away from stone throwing. The KPL is now an annual feature, promoted this year by Team India captain Mahindra Singh Dhoni.
General Hasnain, however, has always strongly opposed the lifting of AFSPA in Valley. According to him, the fast evolving geo-strategic environment in the region has the potential to reignite militancy in Kashmir post-2014 US exit from Afghanistan.
At his last press conference as GoC on Friday, Gen Hasnain termed his 19-month tenure as challenging. The efforts were organizational and not personal. I am hopeful my successor too will make the same efforts, Gen Hasnain said. I cannot underestimate the role media, government, people and other agencies played in the process.
Tehelka - India's Independent Weekly News Magazine
