Sun, 13 Feb 2011
New Delhi - India plans to pull out 10 battalions of paramilitary forces from the disputed Kashmir region in 2011, a top government official said Sunday.
India's Muslim-majority Kashmir region has had a heavy presence of troops since the outbreak of a militant secessionist movement in the 1980s.
At least 110 people - mostly teenagers and young men - were killed in anti-India protests between June and September 2010, the majority shot by troops trying to disperse stone-throwing mobs.
Much of the anger was directed at the troops who were accused by activists of human rights abuses.
"I think this year, we can easily take out 10 battalions if not more. Irrespective of the situation, I can take out 10 battalions and it would not have any impact," PTI news agency quoted Indian Home Secretary Gopal Pillai as saying.
"There is scope of reduction of troops is the Home Ministry's view. There are more than adequate forces in Kashmir and it can do with less central forces," Pillai said.
He said there were an estimated 70 battalions of paramilitary troops in Jammu and Kashmir state.
At a battalion level of 1,000 soldiers, the reduction would be around 10,000 troops.
Troop reductions in the area was one of the promises made by the government during efforts to quell the June-September unrest.
The disputed Kashmir region is divided into two parts, one administered by India and the other by Pakistan.
Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/367124,withdraw-10-battalions-kashmir.html.
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