JK may be militancy free in 8-10 yrs Ex-Army chief Vij
New Delhi Dec 22 PTI Militancy will start crumbling gradually in Kashmir after two-three years of resistance and in a period of 8-10 years it is likely to be brought to an ineffectual state says former Army chief Gen retd N C VijHe has come out with a book The Kashmir Conundrum The Quest for Peace in a Troubled Land in which he tries to give a complete picture – starting with a history of Jammu Kashmir and its people to the abrogation of special statusMilitancy in the region is not likely to disappear in a hurry It may take eight to ten years but the intensity is likely to decrease over time as Pakistans ability to create mischief will also reduce says Vij who is from Jammu and KashmirHe says he is convinced that the momentous developments of August 5 and 6 2019 dealt a death blow to the militancy in KashmirFrom an aggressive position Pakistan and the separatists have been reduced to scurrying and fending for themselves Also as a result of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A new dilemmas have arisen for the Kashmiris They have lost their special status This had always made them think of themselves as different from the rest of India Now they fear that they will be reduced to a minority in their own home state Vij writes in the book published by HarperCollins IndiaHe also says that Pakistan has been reduced to a hopeless situation by India and it has become quite clear that the country is no match for India in any field whether diplomatically economically or militarilyThe Kashmiris dependence on Pakistan was perhaps a big mistake for which they have paid the price Indeed their desire to join Pakistan or become independent has become a lost hope he arguesAccording to Vij all these factors put together will surely make the Kashmiris have a serious rethink about their approach and aims for the futureWhat should they do Should they still dream about independence or should they try and recover what they have lost Can they really take on India with the assistance of a hopeless Pakistan The answer is an emphatic No he saysIt looks likely that after the first 2-3 years of resistance the militancy will start crumbling gradually in the Valley Because of the extreme radicalisation in the region they may manage to hold out for another 4-5 years at the most Thus in a period of 8-10 years the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to be brought to an ineffectual state he writesBy then he says Pakistan would possibly be in such a financial mess that they would be forced to look towards India which will be on the way to becoming an economic giant possibly the third largest in the worldHe says the Kashmir imbroglio was primarily the outcome of the Pakistan-sponsored proxy war and their greatest success has been in deeply radicalising the somewhat confused and disillusioned people of the ValleyRadicalisation in the Valley is a critical perhaps the most critical factor now These Kashmiris are however the same people who welcomed the Indian forces in 1947 with open arms and friendly slogans such as Hamlawar hoshiar hum Kashmiri Hindu Muslim Sikh taiyar Attackers beware we Kashmiri Hindus Muslims Sikhs are ready Also they are the same people who gave early warning about the intrusions by Pakistani forces in 1965 and 1971 and even during the Kargil war in 1999 the book saysOnce they see the economic progress and prosperity in the state the better quality of education better job opportunities and the constant dialogues going on with them including with religious teachers maulvis and they lose faith in Pakistans ability to help them they are likely to be more rational and amenable to a balanced solution and turn positively towards India it saysAccording to the author the biggest priority and challenge before the central government will be to re-establish law and order get the routine of daily life restarted and provide a first-rate administrationTerrorism itself should be dealt with an iron fist he saysThe government should also work towards holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as the security situation improves and the proposed delimitation has been carried out Restoring the democratic process at the earliest must remain a priority he suggestsBringing the Kashmiri Pandits back to their homeland in Jammu and Kashmir will be a litmus test of the success of Indias Jammu and Kashmir policy Finally full statehood must be restored to Jammu and Kashmir less Kargil and Ladakh in a reasonable time frame he addsThe book has a foreword by veteran Congress leader Karan Singh who says all those concerned with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir particularly those in positions of authority would do well to take Vijs valuable suggestions with regard to the security strategic diplomatic and political challenges seriously PTI ZMN RDS RDS
New Delhi Dec 22 PTI Militancy will start crumbling gradually in Kashmir after two-three years of resistance and in a period of 8-10 years it is likely to be brought to an ineffectual state says former Army chief Gen retd N C VijHe has come out with a book The Kashmir Conundrum The Quest for Peace in a Troubled Land in which he tries to give a complete picture – starting with a history of Jammu Kashmir and its people to the abrogation of special statusMilitancy in the region is not likely to disappear in a hurry It may take eight to ten years but the intensity is likely to decrease over time as Pakistans ability to create mischief will also reduce says Vij who is from Jammu and KashmirHe says he is convinced that the momentous developments of August 5 and 6 2019 dealt a death blow to the militancy in KashmirFrom an aggressive position Pakistan and the separatists have been reduced to scurrying and fending for themselves Also as a result of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A new dilemmas have arisen for the Kashmiris They have lost their special status This had always made them think of themselves as different from the rest of India Now they fear that they will be reduced to a minority in their own home state Vij writes in the book published by HarperCollins IndiaHe also says that Pakistan has been reduced to a hopeless situation by India and it has become quite clear that the country is no match for India in any field whether diplomatically economically or militarilyThe Kashmiris dependence on Pakistan was perhaps a big mistake for which they have paid the price Indeed their desire to join Pakistan or become independent has become a lost hope he arguesAccording to Vij all these factors put together will surely make the Kashmiris have a serious rethink about their approach and aims for the futureWhat should they do Should they still dream about independence or should they try and recover what they have lost Can they really take on India with the assistance of a hopeless Pakistan The answer is an emphatic No he saysIt looks likely that after the first 2-3 years of resistance the militancy will start crumbling gradually in the Valley Because of the extreme radicalisation in the region they may manage to hold out for another 4-5 years at the most Thus in a period of 8-10 years the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to be brought to an ineffectual state he writesBy then he says Pakistan would possibly be in such a financial mess that they would be forced to look towards India which will be on the way to becoming an economic giant possibly the third largest in the worldHe says the Kashmir imbroglio was primarily the outcome of the Pakistan-sponsored proxy war and their greatest success has been in deeply radicalising the somewhat confused and disillusioned people of the ValleyRadicalisation in the Valley is a critical perhaps the most critical factor now These Kashmiris are however the same people who welcomed the Indian forces in 1947 with open arms and friendly slogans such as Hamlawar hoshiar hum Kashmiri Hindu Muslim Sikh taiyar Attackers beware we Kashmiri Hindus Muslims Sikhs are ready Also they are the same people who gave early warning about the intrusions by Pakistani forces in 1965 and 1971 and even during the Kargil war in 1999 the book saysOnce they see the economic progress and prosperity in the state the better quality of education better job opportunities and the constant dialogues going on with them including with religious teachers maulvis and they lose faith in Pakistans ability to help them they are likely to be more rational and amenable to a balanced solution and turn positively towards India it saysAccording to the author the biggest priority and challenge before the central government will be to re-establish law and order get the routine of daily life restarted and provide a first-rate administrationTerrorism itself should be dealt with an iron fist he saysThe government should also work towards holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as the security situation improves and the proposed delimitation has been carried out Restoring the democratic process at the earliest must remain a priority he suggestsBringing the Kashmiri Pandits back to their homeland in Jammu and Kashmir will be a litmus test of the success of Indias Jammu and Kashmir policy Finally full statehood must be restored to Jammu and Kashmir less Kargil and Ladakh in a reasonable time frame he addsThe book has a foreword by veteran Congress leader Karan Singh who says all those concerned with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir particularly those in positions of authority would do well to take Vijs valuable suggestions with regard to the security strategic diplomatic and political challenges seriously PTI ZMN RDS RDS
