Ex-IPS officers hail PM for efforts to resolve Kashmir issue

New Delhi : Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir involving several political leaders from the Union Territory, at least 15 former Indian Police Service (IPS) officers on Saturday wrote an open letter praising the Prime Minister for his government's 'painstaking and 'courageous efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue.

The open letter under the banner of 'Track the Truth' has been signed by former IPS officers A.K. Singh, Badri Prasad Singh, Geeta Johri, K. Aravinda Rao, K. Rajendra Kumar, K.B. Singh, M. Nageswara Rao, P.P. Pandey, Prakash Mishra, R.K.S. Rathore, Shivanand Jha, S.K. Rout, S.P. Vaid, Vikram Singh and Vivek Dube.

"In the past seven years, we have noticed your government's painstaking, courageous and decisive efforts at attempting to resolve the complex Kashmir issue. It is a matter of national pride that over these years, the Central government has tried all means possible to achieve this goal," the ex-IPS officers said in the letter.

Highlighting the revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A, they said, "The momentous decision to annul Article 35A and read-down Article 370 was efficiently implemented with all necessary precautions to prevent the loss of life and property."

They said that the complete integration of Kashmir with the Union of India was a long-pending unfinished task, ever since India adopted the Constitution in 1950.

"Now, a citizen of Kashmir can proudly call himself or herself Indian and receive all the benefits that the Indian state bestows on its citizens. It is a matter of great satisfaction that the government's ability to foresee future events and to plan for all kinds of possibilities, led to tight control over crime, terrorism and public order since August 5, 2019," the letter said.

The former officers also said that the implementation of the plan was "impeccable", given that Pakistan, the permanent interloper in matters regarding Kashmir, was boxed into a difficult position, given its earlier stand of non-recognition of Article 370.

"Of more interest is the fact that Pakistan is now calling for the reinstatement of statehood for J&K, which amounts to accepting J&K as part of the Union of India and reiterates the Union Home Minister's announcement in the Parliament to this effect," they said.

The former officers also lauded the government for handling external pressures such as those from western nations and multilateral bodies like the UN, which have been interfering in India's internal affairs regarding Kashmir for several decades.

"None of these external elements were able to create any significant impact, except the appearance of articles in media of choice. Almost two years have elapsed and the seal of integration with the Union is absolute," they said.

Referring to the recent all-party meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, the former officers said, "The Central government's most recent initiative at reaching out to political stakeholders and countering the twin elements of 'Dil ki doori' and 'Dilli ki doori', in order to enhance trust, is exemplary, reflecting a dynamic approach to policy-making."

The former officers also said that they are hopeful that the Prime Minister will fulfil his promise of bringing economic development to J&K, with all the robust investment plans that have been finalised.

They also highlighted the work of the Modi government in Jammu and Kashmir in the last seven years. They mentioned the surgical strikes in 2016, air strike in 2019 in the backdrop of the Pulwama terror attack, peaceful panchayat and local body elections in 2018, arrest of several separatist leaders by the NIA and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and several others.