The Hindu : Front Page : No room for complacency in Jammu and Kashmir: Antony

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 17, 2006
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No room for complacency in Jammu and Kashmir: Antony

Special Correspondent

Says States have to be more sympathetic and fair to the jawans' families

PHOTO: ANU PUSHKARNA

HOMAGE TO MARTYRS: Defence Minister A.K. Antony with the three Services Chiefs paying tribute to the martyrs at the Amar Jawan Jyoti on Vijay Diwas in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Saturday said that despite a reduction in incidents of violence and infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir there was "no room for complacency."

"Even now Pakistan is giving arms support to terrorists. Unless Pakistan takes the decision to stop supporting terrorists, we have to remain on alert. However, the situation today is slightly better,'' Mr. Antony told newspersons after leading the nation in paying homage to fallen soldiers on Vijay Diwas, the day Indian armed forces won the war against the Pakistani forces in 1971 and forced the largest-ever surrender after World War II.

Mr. Antony said that of late the number of insurgency-related incidents and the rate of infiltration had gone down.

Always on alert

But it was difficult to say whether this would be a permanent feature. "One reason is that the armed forces are always on alert. I highly appreciate their sacrifices in that State and I am convinced they need better facilities and better treatment and they will have it."

Dwelling on the need for greater sensitivity towards soldiers posted in areas far away from their homes, Mr. Antony wanted the States to be more proactive towards difficulties being faced by their families. "I am concerned about suicides and fratricides. Even one suicide is important. According to me, one of the major factors is psychological. The Indian society is changing and families are now nuclear as against joint families. Unless the State administration comes to the rescue of the jawan's family, the tension will immediately pass on to the jawan," he said.

"The States have to be more sympathetic and fair to the jawan's families. Whenever they receive complaints, they should react and solve their problems at the earliest. We are also going to give them some more facilities."

He planned to write to the Chief Ministers along these lines. About 500 defence personnel either committed suicide or were killed by their colleagues over the last four years.

Hence, a committee had been set up and asked to submit a report within two months.

Assuring full support to the armed forces in their modernisation programme, Mr. Antony said "We are very clear on giving the most modern equipment to the armed forces as quickly as possible. There will be no delay. We will do it with speed and transparency."

Controversy

He shrugged off attempts to generate a controversy over the celebration of Vijay Diwas, saying that the function was to mainly remember the heroes of the 1971 war as also martyrs of all other wars.

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