Prime Minister Narendra Modi has summarily dismissed any talk of repealing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Kashmir, likening the removal of the Act from the Valley to “sending our soldiers to the gallows”.
The Prime Minister said this in an interview to Network18,hours after releasing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto which putnationalism and national security at the front and centre of its next term, ifre-elected.
Repealing of AFSPA in Kashmir, a long-standing demand of humanrights groups, was brought back into national discourse on 3 April when theCongress party promised to kill the Act if it is voted to power. Apart fromgiving powers to the Army to enforce law and order in disturbed areas, AFSPAprotects the Army from litigation in human rights violation cases. The Congresswants to remove this legal cover with respect to “enforced disappearance,sexual violence or torture”.
But Modi, in the middle of a high-voltage election campaignon the theme of nationalism and patriotism—in full bloom after the Balakot airstrike across the LOC—will have none of it.
“We are on the verge of eliminating terrorism. Terroristsare demoralised, we are winning a psychological war against them. Instead (ofbacking such efforts), the Congress manifesto is soft on terror. Their views onthe Army are similar to those of Pakistan. No patriot will tolerate thislanguage. Their manifesto talks about removing AFSPA. This amounts to removingweapons from a soldier’s hands. Is this right?” he asked.
Suggesting that charges of excesses and human rightsviolations by the Army in Kashmir are exaggerated, Modi said Indian Army was anarmy of peace.
“Indian soldiers have been part of the United Nations’peacekeeping force right from its inception. And we send the maximum number ofsoldiers on UN peacekeeping missions. The discipline of Indian soldiers andtheir devotion to duty have always been praised. It isn’t seemly for a partythat has been in government for 50-60 years to speak this kind of language.”
Asked if his government would then work towards a time-boundwithdrawal of AFSPA in Kashmir, Modi it was best that conditions did not existfor imposition of AFSPA in the first place.
“First, we must create an environment where AFSPA is unnecessary, like we did in Arunachal Pradesh. We removed it from a few districts. We then removed it from some states. We were the first to take such a step since 1980. But we have maintained law and order.
The government must have the power to protect its armed forces. Only then will they have the morale to fight. Removing AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir is the same as sending our soldiers to the gallows. I will never let this happen to our soldiers,” he said.
With regard to Articles 35A and 370 also, the prime ministerwas equally vehement, but this time, for their abrogation.
Within minutes of the release of the BJP manifesto, FarooqAbdullah and Mehbooba Mufti issued dire warning of bloodshed in the Valley.
Asked to comment on their reaction, Modi said: “The problem in Kashmir is largely due to the 50-odd political families there. They have been milking the issue. They don’t want any benefit to be given to the ordinary Kashmiri. They use public sentiment for political gains.
These days the income tax department has cracked down on such elements. While stone-pelters are funded by Pakistan to protect militants, but when there is crackdown by the NIA on terror operators, people stand outside their homes and clap. The people of Kashmir want freedom from such political families who have been preying on their emotions for 50 years. The situation in Kashmir is such that people want change, whether it is about Article 35A or Article 370.”
(Courtesy Network18)