NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Kashmir Govt. Rules Out Immediate Troops Cut

By Fayaz Wani

There are reports that 0.8 million Indian soldiers are deployed in Kashmir. Most of the soldiers were deployed in the region after the eruption of militancy in 1989.

From a long time now, there have been demands that the Government of India should withdraw some of its troops from Kashmir as the situation has improved considerably and violence has fallen manifold.

The law minister said, "Both Kashmir and the Indian governments are constantly reviewing the position with regard to the deployment of armed and security forces across Kashmir. The Army and the paramilitary forces have been deployed to assist the Kashmir administration in dealing with insurgency and terrorism," he said.

"Any such withdrawal would be considered only after the defeat of insurgency. The deployment of the security forces is under continuous review and adjustments will be considered as and when warranted by changes in the ground situation," he added.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.