The government is most concerned about the unrest in Kashmir's rural areas. (File Photo)
New Delhi:
With options running out for a solution to the Kashmir crisis, the Centre has drawn a blueprint to first regain control of disturbed areas and then move to launching its outreach programmes in the Valley, sources said.
It had so far been working on a plan to initiate another outreach before moving to area domination against protesters in the Valley, most parts of which have been under curfew for 60 days amid violent protests and clashes in which over 70 people have died and more than 10,000 have been injured.
The government is most concerned about the unrest in Kashmir's rural areas. "The primacy of the state has to be established before any initiatives can be pushed on the ground. The security forces are more or less in control in cities and towns but in rural areas the congregations are a matter of concern," a minister said.
The protesters have repeatedly attacked security personnel. "The state is sensitive to the 6000 civilians injured in clashes. But the fact that 5000 policemen have been injured indicates that they are being targeted," a senior official said.
The Army will in the next two days deploy thousands more soldiers in these areas of Kashmir, to "send a signal" to protesters through "area domination" and "enhanced patrolling", sources said.
The aim is also for the Army to step up action against insurgents; many of the violent protests, say security agencies, are being fuelled by terrorists who have infiltrated from Pakistan.
The government has intelligence inputs that subversive elements are using mosques in the rural areas to fan trouble. It also assesses that those who demand autonomy for Kashmir within the boundaries of the Indian Constitution have lost ground and there is an attempt to create a movement for a "Wahabi theocratic state".
Within a period of a month, sources said, several delegations, including one of Imans or Islamic teachers, that had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on an earlier visit, decided not to do so this weekend when he travelled to the state with lawmakers from different parties.
"They stayed away last week, they were afraid," a union minister said.
The government's options have been drastically reduced by the fact that Kashmiri separatists, who rebuffed an attempt by some parliamentarians to reach out, are also trying to keep alive the protests, which began on July 8 after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed.
It had so far been working on a plan to initiate another outreach before moving to area domination against protesters in the Valley, most parts of which have been under curfew for 60 days amid violent protests and clashes in which over 70 people have died and more than 10,000 have been injured.
The government is most concerned about the unrest in Kashmir's rural areas. "The primacy of the state has to be established before any initiatives can be pushed on the ground. The security forces are more or less in control in cities and towns but in rural areas the congregations are a matter of concern," a minister said.
The protesters have repeatedly attacked security personnel. "The state is sensitive to the 6000 civilians injured in clashes. But the fact that 5000 policemen have been injured indicates that they are being targeted," a senior official said.
The Army will in the next two days deploy thousands more soldiers in these areas of Kashmir, to "send a signal" to protesters through "area domination" and "enhanced patrolling", sources said.
The aim is also for the Army to step up action against insurgents; many of the violent protests, say security agencies, are being fuelled by terrorists who have infiltrated from Pakistan.
The government has intelligence inputs that subversive elements are using mosques in the rural areas to fan trouble. It also assesses that those who demand autonomy for Kashmir within the boundaries of the Indian Constitution have lost ground and there is an attempt to create a movement for a "Wahabi theocratic state".
Within a period of a month, sources said, several delegations, including one of Imans or Islamic teachers, that had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on an earlier visit, decided not to do so this weekend when he travelled to the state with lawmakers from different parties.
"They stayed away last week, they were afraid," a union minister said.
The government's options have been drastically reduced by the fact that Kashmiri separatists, who rebuffed an attempt by some parliamentarians to reach out, are also trying to keep alive the protests, which began on July 8 after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed.
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