SRINAGAR: Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha has said that his administration is working on “demolishing the whole terror ecosystem.” He was speaking at Agenda Aaj Tak.
Responding to the question in this regard from the host journalist, he said, “There are many people, some of whom are your fellow colleagues, intellectuals, who are people of great standing and reputation in foreign countries, are involved in terror funding, in business. We are trying to work on this simultaneously. And I feel, we will be successful in destroying this ecosystem.”
He said that earlier the Government of India did not have that vision. “We talked only to those who were the biggest threat to peace.”
“Those people who were a threat to peace used to be flown to Delhi for treatment,” he said.
Sinha also stated that period of talking to people with “soft separatist tendencies” is over, insisting talks will only be held with those who believe in the idea of India and its tricolour. He termed the people of Jammu and Kashmir as the only stakeholders. However, he added that political parties also come in “people”.
Regarding the surge in security presence across Kashmir, LG Sinha said, “If one killing happens, everyone says that we are not able to tackle militancy. “If we say that we will secure the places which did not have the dominance of forces and which supplied oxygen and fertilisers to terrorism, are we committing a crime by demanding five companies of forces? What is wrong in that?” He said there has not been an increase in the deployment of the army.
“I give assurance that neither the forces nor the CAPF or the Jammu and Kashmir Police would be used against an innocent person. And, if something happens, law will be used against those people [in the forces] as well. I am saying it in public.”
On Hyderpora encounter, Sinha said that inquiry would be completed in 2-3 days. “If an innocent has been killed, and anybody is found guilty, he would be definitely punished.”
“I am assuring the nation that you come here. You are welcome here. Your security is our responsibility,” the LG said. “If one compares the tourist influx of eight years it has increase. In July, 10.50 lakh tourists came to Jammu and Kashmir. The number increase to 11.28 lakh in August. It crossed 12 lakh in September and in November 13.46 lakh tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir. Number of flights arriving in Srinagar has increased. Hotel bookings have increased.”
With regard to return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, Sinha said that jobs and houses announced the PM’s Package was just the start. “I think that 6000 jobs and houses in PM s Package was just the start. But, for those 6000 jobs it has taken I don’t know how many years. When I came here, there were 3200 vacancies. Now there are 123 posts vacant.”
“I am assured that whatever steps we are taking, situation would be such that Kashmiri Pandits can live here. There are certain things regarding which I don’t want to talk but when snow and winter season gets over, whole country would understand that measures are now being taken in that direction,” Sinha said.
