AFSPA may be humanised

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Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday and sought amendments to the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and a political package for the troubled border state.
The Cabinet Committee on Security, scheduled to meet in a day or two, is expected to take up these issues.
Sources said keeping in mind the difficulties in demanding total withdrawal of AFSPA from J&K, the state government has asked the Centre to implement the home ministry proposal of a phased withdrawal of the act starting with a select few districts in Jammu and Kashmir each.
The amendments, they said, would make the law more humane. Despite the home ministry’s efforts in the past, the move to tone down the draconian provisions of the act by including more humane clauses has been stuck following resistance from the Army, which feels it needs adequate protection for its personnel.
Ahead of the CCS meet, the sources said a move is being considered to denotify certain areas declared as “disturbed” areas in the Valley, such as Srinagar and other towns, to break the deadlock over the removal of the AFSPA. Earlier, the defence ministry had argued that the phased withdrawal of the AFSPA would create “pockets of peace” in the Valley which may allow militant groups to step up activities in such areas.
Mr Omar Abdullah had a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister before he joined the iftar party hosted by Dr Singh.
The J&K chief minister also met Union home minister P. Chidambaram and briefed him on the ground situation in his state.
The J&K chief minister asked the Prime Minister to announce a political package for the border state, which has been witness to violent protests over civilian deaths in the recent past. Mr Abdullah also requested the PM to initiate a dialogue process with all political groups in the state, including separatist elements, to stop them from taking advantage of the social unrest sweeping the Valley.
The government has already held back-channel discussions with such groups and the CM wants it be taken further. This may involve a surrender policy for militants who give up arms, said sources.
Aware of the large-scale participation of youth in the protests, the chief minister has also asked the Centre to announce measures to boost employment opportunities for them.
At a rough count there are around six lakh jobless people in the state.