New Delhi:Fifteen retired IPS officers Saturday wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lauding him for his government's 'courageous and decisive' efforts to resolve the complex Kashmir issue, and termed 'exemplary' the recent initiative by the Centre to reach out to political stakeholders there. The signatories, 10 of whom have served as state DGPs, said the complete integration of Kashmir with the Union of India was an unfinished task since the Constitution was adopted in 1950.
The Modi government's 'painstaking, courageous and decisive efforts' at attempting to resolve the complex Kashmir issue have been noticed ever since the Modi dispensation came to power seven years ago, they added. 'It is a matter of national pride that over these years, the central government tried all means possible to achieve this goal. 'The momentous decision to annul Article 35A and read-down Article 370, was efficiently implemented, with all necessary precautions to prevent the loss of life and property,' the letter said.
Now, a citizen of Kashmir can proudly call himself or herself Indian and receive all benefits that the Indian State bestows on its citizens, it said. The retired police officers also said it is a matter of great satisfaction that the government's ability to foresee future events and to plan for all kinds of possibilities led to tight control over crime, terrorism and public order since August 5, 2019, when the Article 370, giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated and the erstwhile state was divided into two Union Territories.
They said the implementation of the plan was impeccable, given that Pakistan, the 'permanent interloper' in matters regarding Kashmir, was boxed into a difficult position, given its earlier stand of non-recognition of Article 370. 'Of more interest is the fact that Pakistan is now calling for the reinstatement of Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, which amounts to accepting Jammu and Kashmir as part of the Union of India..,' they said. The retired police officers also appreciated the manner in which the government organised an impeccable system of managing external pressures such as those from western nations and multilateral bodies like the United Nation, which, they said, had been interfering in India's internal affairs regarding Kashmir for several decades.