Ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir

Why in news?

Anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir were halted recently after the request by the J&K Chief Minister.

Why was the ceasefire announced in J&K?

• Ceasefire was announced by the Union government after the request of J& K Chief Minister.
• This request was made to maintain peace in the valley during the holy month of Ramadan and peaceful conduct of Amarnath yatra.
• Usually, ceasefire is the period when the separatist forces have dialogue with the government or security forces.

What are the previous instances of ceasefire in J&K?

• There are many instances of ceasefire or temporary truce between the security forces and the militants.
• 1994 – Yasin Malik, the chief of J&K Liberation Front announced unilateral ceasefire and due to no response from government turned his militant outfit into a separatist political party.
• 2000 – Hizbul Mujahideen announced a halt in its operations and the government promptly reciprocated by halting anti-militancy operations, after which they entered into a dialogue.
• 2000 - Unilateral ceasefire was announced by the union government on the eve of Ramadan, but the militant outfits rejected it and kept attacking the security forces.

What was the reason for temporary nature of these ceasefires?

• These ceasefires are not aimed at bringing a permanent solution to the complex issues around J&K, but seen as a temporary truce in the region.
• Most of the instances where ceasefires are announced were due to political aspirations by the parties.
• The government used ceasefires as a tool to reduce the outburst of militancy outfits, by bringing them to the table for dialogues.
• When the militant or separatist organisations call for ceasefire, it is mostly due fulfil some demand from the government.
• Therefore, all stakeholders in this issue has to discuss for a permanent solution instead of temporary truces.

Source: The Indian Express