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Kashmir,naxals to dominate internal security concerns in govt's 4th year

Last Updated 23 May 2017, 10:52 IST
Kashmir and naxals will dominate the internal security concerns of the Narendra Modi government in its fourth year during which it is likely to showcase a muscular policy to reverse the recent setbacks.

The Opposition has already raised its pitch over Kashmir and naxal fronts, accusing the government of following ill-advised strategies that they claim are further alienating public and putting security personnel in danger.

The first five months of 2017 had been tough for the security establishment on these two fronts following continuing protests in the valley and frequent strikes by Maoists on security personnel.

Officials said one of the biggest worries for them is handling the stone-pelting youth, including girls, and Islamist forces trying to usurp the separatist movement in the Valley.

The government’s toughness was latest visible when it went ahead with rewarding Major Leetul Gogoi, who invited controversy after using a Kashmiri youth as a human shield. It also went after Hurriyat leadership on its funding while ruling out talks with separatists.

While opposition is finding fault with the government, it has not gone full throttle against the government fearing that their tough stand on Kashmir may put them on the back foot.

Another concern would be to arrest the rise in number of security personnel and Pathankot-type attacks which are continuing in the Valley.

The government will also be looking at reviewing its anti-naxal strategy after Maoists managed to strike heavily on security forces, including the April 24 strike in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma where 25 CRPF personnel were killed. Security forces have lost 59 personnel in the first four months of 2017 as against 31 during same period last year.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) itself had admitted the Maoists have fine-tune their counter offensive strategy “quite well” though it suffered huge setbacks last year.

An MHA document prepared last month said the Maoists are trying to extend their “movement” to newer areas and deflect the security forces’ attention on Dandakaranya region. For this, they have stepped up activities at the Chhattisgarh-MP-Maharashtra tri-junction and are planning to develop the area into a new zone.

After a Parliamentary Standing Committee suggested revival of the controversial National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) mooted by previous UPA regime, the government is also looking at such a possibility. Officials told DH that this year could see the government trying to find a consensus, as several states had earlier opposed the move to have an over-arching intelligence for being against federal structure.

Though the government is happy that the IS has not attracted much traction among Muslim youths, the security establishment would also have to keep a close vigil on the matter.

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(Published 23 May 2017, 10:51 IST)

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