'To encourage more militants to return to state and manage their transition to civilian life, a new surrender and rehabilitation policy of militants is under active consideration of my government,' said Omar Abdullah.
Jammu and Kashmir government today sought the Centre's help in formulating a new surrender policy for youths in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) willing to return to the mainstream.
State chief minister Omar Abdullah, who was among the first speakers at the Conference on internal security chaired by prime minister Manmohan Singh, said "to encourage more militants to return to state and manage their transition to civilian life, a new surrender and rehabilitation policy of militants is under active consideration of my government."
He sought Centre's help in framing a policy for return of these youths who went for training in militant camps in PoK but do not want to come back with weapons.
Omar appealed for review of the continuation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state in the light of significant improvement in the security environment.
"There is a very good case for removing the applicability of AFSPA from those districts of the state where terrorist or insurgent activities are minimal or insignificant," he said.
Omar cautioned that while the conference was focussing on equipping the state police forces, efforts should be made for
finding a political solution to problems before they assume the dimension of a law and order issue.
"While the attention being paid to the creation of basic infrastructure, skill upgrading is essential, this focus on the nuts and bolts of policing should not obscure importance of tackling and solving the fundamental political issues which underpin internal security," he said.
"Most, if not all, internal security problems are rooted in politics. As a matter of fact, even armed insurgencies are essentially struggles for political space.
"This being the case, the most obvious approach would be to seek appropriate political solutions for political problems. A timely political solution to a problem would ensure that it does not balloon into a full-fledged law and order or internal security situation," Omar said.
Referring to the Centre's talks with Hurriyat Conference, he said "as I had mentioned earlier, political discussions are inescapable if a lasting and enduring solution to the problem of militancy in the state is to be achieved.
"While this particular initiative seems to have been overtaken by events, I would again emphasise that political solutions for the problems besetting Jammu and Kashmir have to be worked out on a pragmatic basis."
While there has been a significant improvement in the overall internal security situation in the state over the last three years with the number of terrorist incidents going down steadily, he said, "We cannot at this point of time afford to become complacent and to let down our guard."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}