The Army is understood to have pressed for tighter security cordons by the Jammu and Kashmir Police around Army camps in the Kashmir valley to prevent agitators from reaching the camps. Hectic confabulations were conducted recently between the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Government following the threat of separatists to organise marches to camps of security forces in the Kashmir Valley.
The Army is apprehensive of a situation where rampaging mobs — encouraged actively by separatists and Pro-Pakistan elements — try to besiege or storm Army camps. The Army is anxious to avoid a situation where its troops in camps are left with no option but to retaliate if attacked by violent mobs since civilian casualties could be extremely heavy in such a situation. Sources said the Army suspects the design of separatists to create confrontation between violent stone-pelting mobs and troops.
Sources said the Army has made it clear to the J&K Government that the local police should not allow any mob to get close to Army camps in order to prevent any worsening of the situation in J&K. Defence sources point out that Army convoys travelling in the Kashmir Valley have not yet been attacked by mobs. The Army is engaged in counter-insurgency operations in J&K and also guards the Line of Control (LoC). As happened during the Kargil conflict, Pakistan could also try to push in more terrorists from across the LoC into J&K to take advantage of the unrest in the Kashmir Valley.
The Army has, for the last several years, embarked on its “Operation Sadbhavna” to earn the goodwill of civilians in J&K by providing basic amenities including construction of schools. The Army is therefore concerned that all the goodwill earned by Operation Sadbhavna should not be washed away by creation of a situation of conflict between it and civilians in the Kashmir valley. Though uncertainty remains on whether the separatists will actually carry out the plan of organising marches to Army camps, the Army is not taking any chances.