No question of plebiscite, says Advani

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani on Tuesday declared
that the government's determination to quell militancy in Jammu
and Kashmir and efforts to bring some normalcy in Indo-Pak
relations would continue "side-by-side."

The Government's statement of the Constitutional fact that the
law and order is a state subject did not mean it was abdicting
its responsibility as it was fully involved "in the battle
against the militancy" in Jammu and Kashmir, Advani said.

"The Government of India would continue to provide support to
the State Government and the Security Forces in their efforts to
tackle the militancy," Advani declared while listing various
measures the State Government had undertaken to consolidate
security in the state.

Responding to a call-attention by Andhra Congress member T
Subbirami Reddy in the Lok Sabha on the recent killing of 22
persons, Advani said the militancy "in Jammu and Kashmir or for
that matter in any part of the country involves not only the
public order but also national security."

He said the militants' objective is "not only to create a sense
of teror but to provoke communal disturbances in other parts of
the country." He said: "It is this design that has to be
frustrated." 

Reddy pointed out that only six months ago the militants had
struck in the same area and hence the security forces should
have been doubly alert. He also ridiculed the Home Ministry
rushing a two-member team headed by a Joint Secretary to the
state after the incident. The Home Minister or some other
central minister should have gone there to give a moral boost to
the sagging confidence of the residents, he said.

Referring to Reddy's concern as to why the authorities did not
take precautionary measures to prevent the killings on the day
the Prime Minister was in Lahore, Advani said he had no doubts
that the incident was planned that night to counter the
credibility that the Prime Minister's trip to Pakistan for
bringing normalcy in relations. The security forces were already
on alert and immediately after the unfortunate incident a major
operation was carried out in which 21 militants wre killed. 

Advani also assured the House that there was no question of
India ever agree for plebiscite since Jammu and Kashmir is an
integral part of India.

Notwithstanding incidents of the militants now mainly hitting
out in Jammu region, Avani pointed out that it should be a
matter of satisfaction that the Republic Day was observed
throughout the state in district and tehsil towns without a
single untoward incident as used to happen in the past.

The number of militants killed in 1998 was 999, the highest in
many years and yet another "welcome sign" was that the number of
J&K youths recruited for militancy had fast declined and as such
most of the militants killed or nabbed were mercenaries, Advani
said. He also pointed out that the State Government was working
"inter-alia on strengthening the village defence committee
system by providing them training and improved weaponry and
communication equipment in select cases."

CHAMANLAL GUPTA: Earlier during the zero hour, BJP member
Chamanlal Gupta raised the same issue of the militants killing
26 persons in his constituency and pleaded that the village
defence committees, who can battle more effectively with the
militants, should be provided at least one sophisticated weapon
and a wireless set.  He also suggested a minimum honorarim of Rs
1000 to the volunteer running such committee.

Expressing his misgivings that exodus of people from Jammu may
rise alike the exodus that had occured in the valley, Gupta said
the security forces should be increased in the region without
loss of time.

He also pleaded for creation of a fund to take care of children
of those killed by the militants. In case of one victim family,
only four children were left, the youngest being one and a half
year old and the eldest eight year old. The trust can take care
of studies and upbringing of such victims, he said. END.
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