India has announced it will withdraw about 15,000 troops from Jammu and Kashmir, in the country’s far north, in a bid to defuse tensions with Pakistan. The Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, has just concluded a two-day visit to the region, where the Indian army has been battling a separatist insurgency since 1989. Singh told a regional summit in New Delhi Friday 30 October that the countries of the region had “to overcome the burden of history” to achieve peace.
Indian authorities said the region’s security situation had improved to the extent that responsibility could increasingly be left to the police. The Indian army played down the move, saying it had more to do with sending a message to the main separatist group in Jammu and Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, than relations with Pakistan. They pointed out that the redeployment was from the Jammu region, rather than the more conflictive Kashmir area.
Pakistan and India have fought three wars over the region since independence and division in 1947. Pakistan has been criticized for keeping most of its army on the border with India, and ignoring the threat posed to Pakistan itself by Taliban insurgents within its own frontiers. India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of arming and training militants to fight in Kashmir. Singh said 29 October that India was not satisfied with the investigation Pakistan had conducted into last November’s deadly attack on Mumbai, India which was launched from Pakistani territory. Daily Times, New York Times, Times of India
This work by genevalunch.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.
News story, GenevaLunch, 30 October 2009.
Filed under: World news
Tags: All Parties Hurriyat Conference, India, Jammu and Kashmir, Manmohan Singh, Mumbai attacks, New Delhi India, Pakistan
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October 30th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Jammu and Kashmir, is located in the country’s north and not in the northeast.
November 1st, 2009 at 2:17 pm
The decision to withdraw the army troops from Kashmir may be a full of loss for the india,because the histroy is saing that millitants will definately use this chance to get enter in the Indian borders.
There are many parties and few people who will happy because they are supporters of Pakistani siyasat, and one thing is defintely sure that HURRIYAT party members are neither benificial to the Indian Govt. nor they are working nutrally, they always favour for PAK.
INDIA NEEDS A LEADER LIKE ADOLF HITLER OR LIKE INDIRA GANDHI TO RE-MANAGE THE NATION..
November 1st, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Pradeep, you are of course absolutely right. I got my easts and wests mixed up. Thanks for the comment! Cheers.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:22 pm
India should not take this step. Pakistan is the country who express themselves as a friend in front of you but stabs you from back. We should not forget the Kargil war and what we have lost in order to get this free. India needs to stands at its position. Now it is not time to show the world that we are peace loving, all of know this. now its the time to strike back and we should go for that.
Don’t give birth to another parliament attack, local train blast and even the latest Mumbai attack. At that time each and everyone were angry but now what happend to that anger. Where it is now. shall we consider it as a political stunt. If it is then they were responsible for these attack.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
The decision is absolutely necessary and a kep step to forward peace in kashmir.
India is spending lot of money in kashmir not for the development but for deploying forces where it is not required.Kashmiris need to feel respected and connected to india and this can only be acheived when force is used for constructive purposes and not for harrasment.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:17 am
Smart Move! Keep it up and let’s get down to the only issue that concerns every person on earth. Our Co2 Pollution that will flood the shorelines and see diminshed snow packs to feed the rivers.
No time for old grivances and bickering.
Now or Never! Please muzzle your Honored Guest and tell him to mind his manners. He is interferring with the Business of Nations.