After the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s move to release arrested militants and extend reprieve to the street violence creators which kept the Valley in summers totally closed, now comes a new route to facilitate the ‘home coming’ of the militants. The Union Government is planning to bring these ‘innocent youth who took up arms training’ from Pakistan occupied Kashmir to India via Dubai. These militants had crossed over to Pakistan for arms training and have been staying there for years together. The whole exercise looks as if both the State and Central Governments are truly following the Vajpayee line of trying to win over the disgruntled elements. Earlier Nepal used to be the entry point for such youth as had gone ‘wayward’ under the J and K Government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy in force since 2010. Now it looks with political changes in the Himalayan Kingdom the Union Home Ministry is not in favour of adding it as the designated entry point. While around 450 militants have clandestinely returned from PoK to India via Nepal, this does not qualify as a valid arrangement under the surrender policy and does not entitle them to its benefits. In contrast, not a single militant has re-entered India via the three designated routes: Salamabad, Chakan-da-Bagh and Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi — ever since the “confidence-building measure” was announced by the erstwhile Omar Abdullah government. The ‘humanitarian effort’ by New Delhi and Srinagar it appears is to bring these militants safe and secure from the clutches of Pakistan. The only logic one can reach in taking Dubai route is entry is at New Delhi which is already in the list of designated entry point under the surrender and rehabilitation policy, thus making home coming a legitimate affair. Even though the policy has met little success as not a single militant has come in from the designated routes, the central security establishment is in favour of continuing with the same as it gives confidence to the people of J and K that those who have crossed over to PoK have a chance of returning home. What an effort?
