Tuesday, May 21, 2002
Tuesday, May 21, 2002 |
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By Neena Vyas
Although the intention may not be to upset the feeble peace initiatives taken by the Prime Minister's Office — the talks held by Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, K.C. Pant, with Hurriyat leaders and other Kashmiri leaders over the last six months and more were part of this process — the effect would certainly spell further alienation and push the initiative back. It was at a local function here related to a charity centre that the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, today announced a "change in the Government's strategy'' in dealing with the proxy war foisted on India by Pakistan while asserting that India would "win the battle.'' Today, a plan was finalised for Mr. Advani's visit to Srinagar on May 23 when the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, will also be there to address a meeting of the Unified Headquarters. Mr. Advani did not spell out the changes in strategy but said they would be worked out in consultation with the armed forces keeping in mind the debate in Parliament on the issue on the last day of the budget session. After a high-level review meeting held by Mr. Advani in his North Block office on May 16, two days after the Kaluchak terrorist attack, the Ministry had talked of "refining the strategy and tactics'' with special reference to "checking infiltration'' and "action against overground support base of terrorists''. Those who are familiar with the near impossible task of stopping infiltration point out that the change in strategy would have to depend on better intelligence gathering and "harsher steps'' against "suspected supporters of militants'' on this side of Kashmir. In short, the Government is planning to do some homework and deal in a different way with those Kashmiri outfits and their leaders who are openly sympathetic towards Pakistan, and "others'' who may not be unwilling to play ball with the Centre. This could disrupt the earlier plan to coax some of the Kashmiri outfits to participate in the State Assembly elections later this year, but at this juncture, it is the almost daily terrorist attacks that are uppermost in the mind of the Home Ministry.
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