Jammu and Kashmir Governor S K Sinha said on Thursday that steps like troop reduction and making LoC irrelevant cannot be taken up at present as cross border terror infrastructure has not been dismantled. He favoured discussions on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's four-point formula.
He, however, ruled out demilitarisation of Jammu and Kashmir, saying that being a border state, it was not practical even if complete peace was restored and asked the Army not to lower its guard 'as the threat of violence continues'.
"Demilitarisation means an area without presence of military. Being a border state it is not practicable even if complete peace is restored," Sinha said in his keynote address at a seminar on consolidating peace and sustaining the improved security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir.
"There can be no demilitarisation in J&K as it cannot be in Punjab or Rajasthan because these are border states," he said at the event organised by J&K police and Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi.
However, he said troops deployed for counter-insurgency operations can be sent to barracks when situation warrants.
"It (violence) is on decline but there is no guarantee that areas vacated by troops cannot be used by terrorists. There is no need to lower the guard as threat of violence continues," he said.
"Infiltration is going on and the terror infrastructure has not been dismantaled... across the border. Once snow melts on the border areas the infiltration goes up," he said.
"There is no need to reject four-point formula of President Musharraf. We can discuss them," he said.
Musharraf's formula on resolving Kashmir issue revolves around identifying J&K as a geographical and political entity, demilitarisation, self governance and open borders and joint control.
About making the Line of Control irrelevant, he said, "We welcome it. We will have to see how to convert it into 'line of peace and prosperity', allowing people to go and come across."
However, that is possible when cross-border terrorism is stopped, he noted - "It is not possible to make LOC irrelevant when terrorism continues."
India and Pakistan have opened road links like Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot, he said several other routes would be opened for people-to-people contact.
On the issue of self-rule, the Governor said India is recognised as most vibrant democracy in the world and the degree of self rule in Jammu and Kashmir is more than in any other state of the country.
However, he said there was room for improvement in devolution of power at grassroots level.
Sinha said democracy had 'been trampled upon' in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir while it was non existent in Northern Areas.
On 'joint control or management', the Governor said it concerns the security of the country. "There can be no joint management here," he said adding this does not mean that there cannot be a joint mechanism for tourism and similar other aspects, which can be discussed.
In the age of globalisation, economics will take precedence over other things as is evident in the European Union. "It took a long time for EU to come into being. Let us all move in that direction," he said.
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