Conditional ceasefire

18/05/2018

Responding to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's call for unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir during holy month of Ramzan, like the one Atal Behari Vajpayee had ordered in 2000, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today announced conditional ceasefire directing security forces not to launch operations in J&K during Ramzan. However, security forces reserved the right to retaliate, if attacked by the militants or if it was necessary to protect lives of the people. During nearly three decades of militancy, this is only for the second time that the Centre has announced ceasefire, or conditional ceasefire, in Jammu and Kashmir and both the times it was BJP-led NDA Government in power. The first ceasefire was announced by Vajpayee on November 21, 2000, which had come into effect from November 28, 2000 and was extended thrice from December 28 to January 26, January 27 to February 26, and February 27 to March 20. The last extension lasted till May 30, 2001. A total of 838 persons were killed during about six-month long ceasefire. The announcement of conditional ceasefire assumed significance as it comes just three days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's one-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir on May 19 during which he will inaugurate some projects and lay foundation of others. The Union Home Ministry took to twitter to announce the important decision this afternoon, a demand for which had been made by Mehbooba after May 9 All Party Meeting in Srinagar. However, BJP, a coalition partner of Mehbooba's PDP in the State, had immediately distanced itself from the ceasefire call. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also ruled out ceasefire.
The MHA tweet, however, made it clear that security forces reserved the right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to protect the lives of innocent people. It is important to isolate the forces that bring a bad name to Islam by resorting to mindless violence and terror. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti immediately reacted to the announcement of the Home Ministry. Saying "I wholeheartedly welcome the Ramadan ceasefire & would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for their personal intervention. My gratitude also to the leaders and parties who participated in the All Party Meeting and help build consensus towards this announcement," Mehbooba tweeted minutes after the MHA's announcement on conditional ceasefire. Though the BJP had distanced itself from Mehbooba's ceasefire demand after All Party Meeting on May 9, BJP general secretary and party's pointman on Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav today welcomed the decision and hoped it will be reciprocated by one and all. National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who was the Chief Minister in 2000 when the ceasefire was announced by Atal Behari Vajpayee, described the Centre's decision as a "great step". National Conference working president Omar Abdullah said if the militants now don't respond in kind, they will stand exposed as true enemies of the people. The first NDA Government, headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had taken a similar initiative in 2000 by announcing a unilateral suspension of operations for Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramzan that year which continued for five months. Almost all terrorist groups operating in the Valley in 2000 had rejected the Government offer. The valley has witnessed the killing of over 55 militants including at least 27 locals this year.

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