The Hindu : Front Page : Restoring peace top priority: Centre

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Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
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Restoring peace top priority: Centre

Vinay Kumar

Regular movement of trucks on Jammu-Srinagar highway

NEW DELHI: Debunking the reports of “economic blockade” in the Kashmir Valley in the wake of the Amarnath land agitation, the Union Home Ministry on Monday said the Jammu-Srinagar national highway had been kept open and there was regular movement of trucks.Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta told journalists here that from Sunday night to Monday morning 480 trucks loaded with LPG, food items, vegetables and other essentials went from Jammu to Srinagar, while 550 trucks moved from Srinagar of which 415 were loaded with fruits.

“There is absolutely no question of Jammu-Srinagar national highway not continuing to remain open for traffic. Though there was a disruption in traffic initially there is no obstruction now. Even the call of fruit growers to go to Muzaffarabad was due to problems during the initial phase, but this had linkage with the alleged blockade and the call for going to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.”

The government was all for trade being allowed through the Line of Control, the Home Secretary said, and added that India was still awaiting a response from Pakistan. Indian officials had already inspected the infrastructure at Poonch-Rawalakot and Srinagar-Muzaffarabad points but further discussions with Islamabad had to be held for the LoC trade.

On the continuing agitation by the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti, Mr. Gupta said the yatra had to go on and it must go on with full and proper arrangements. (This year’s yatra has concluded recently.) “We have to see if there is scope for improving facilities, giving more security and looking after issues of disaster management.”

For dialogue

Mr. Gupta expressed the hope that through dialogue an amicable solution would be found to the crisis. The top priority was to ensure that peace and normality was restored fully in Jammu and Kashmir.

Reiterating India’s stand that Kashmir was an internal issue, Mr. Gupta said Pakistan had been making efforts to “internationalise” it from time to time. There had been tremendous improvement in terms of peace, stopping of infiltration and launching intelligence-specific counter insurgency operations in the State.

“We have to build incrementally upon it and ensure that a feeling of peace, security and wellbeing was instilled among people in the State.”

To a query, Mr. Gupta said the Ministry would provide elaborate security for the coming Assembly elections.

Asked to comment on developments in Pakistan, Mr. Gupta said counter-insurgency measures would continue and infiltration would be dealt with.

“With Assembly polls round the corner, there will be increased attempts to step up infiltration from across the border and boycott calls, these are all a combination of factors.”

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