Cabinet Committee on Security meets as Kashmir burns

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has called an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to discuss the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the valley. The meeting would be attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A K Anthony and Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Chief of Army General VK Singh and heads of the Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing will also attend the meeting where Chidambaram would give his ministry's assessment of the situation in the valley. The CCS would also discuss the request for army assistance sought by and Kashmir Chief Ministe Omar Abdullah to help control the vloatile situation in the state.

The CCS will also discuss the precise role the army will play in the Kashmir valley. It is learnt that the army has told the administration that they would only assist the paramilitary forces, who would act as a buffer between the security forces and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

General V K Singh has gone on record that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is essentially political in nature and the army can do little about it.

Speaking to rediff.com from his residence in Srinagar, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chief of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, criticised the induction of the army as a crude attempt to showcase India's 'might'. "The situation is beyond Omar Abdullah, (PDP leader) Mehbooba Mufti and others. It is time the Centre intervenes and restores peace and wins the confidence of the people. But they have to take the initiative to resolve the problem which is essentially political in nature," he said.