The Hindu : 'No decline in cross-border infiltration'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 07, 2002

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'No decline in cross-border infiltration'

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI MAY 6. India today said that there was no decline in cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir and stressed that it would continue to exercise vigil in the border State.

Without formally commenting on the interview of the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, to The Hindu on Monday in which the question of cross-border infiltration was raised, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Nirupama Rao, said "the figures (of infiltration) closely match with the figures of previous years. As far as infiltration is concerned, there is no cause for complacency'' and "there is a need for exercising vigilance.''

According to official sources, India is yet to see a "strategic shift'' in Pakistan's disposition towards it. Pakistan continued to seek its political legitimacy by demonstrating its "compulsive hostility towards India.''

The sources said there was a "visible escalation" in infiltration in March compared to last year. In comparison to 113 incidents in March last year, infiltration bids had risen to 132 this March. The level of infiltration in March had been particularly discernible because of the sharp decline in incidents of cross-border infiltration in January and February. For instance, compared to 104 incidents last year, infiltration attempts in February stood at 58 this year.

March was also a benchmark as it saw a sharp increase in the attacks on the security personnel. Security forces were targeted 137 times in March this year compared to 123 for the same month last year.

The beginning of the war against terrorism had seen the winding up of many training camps, but an estimated 60 new terrorist training establishments had sprung up in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir recently. An estimated 3,000 inmates — Arabs, Afghans and Pakistanis, belonging to the militant outfits, Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Lashkar -e-Taiba and the Al-Badr — were being housed there, prior to their infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.

"The point is that there is increasingly less pressure by Pakistan against terrorists bound for Jammu and Kashmir,'' the sources said.

The main purpose of large-scale infiltration this summer was to disrupt the autumn elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

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