Re: “The line of control could fall like the Berlin Wall”
India is making the right concessions.
India withdraws some troops from Kashmir
Nearly 40,000 of India’s half a million troops in the disputed Kashmir region will be withdrawn to boost peace talks with Pakistan, a news report said. The report came four days after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ordered a reduction of troops in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, though he did not disclose how many forces would be cut. India’s army is likely to withdraw two mountain divisions each with 10,000 soldiers, plus nearly 20,000 of the 50,000 soldiers of counterinsurgency force the Rashtriya Rifles, The Pioneer newspaper reported.
Kashmir is a flashpoint for hostilities between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. They have fought two wars over the region, which is divided between them, but claimed by both in its entirety. A reduction in troop numbers would be a significant step toward reducing tension. The proposed troop cutback appeared to be a response to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s call last month for flexibility over the Kashmir dispute, and his proposal to demilitarise the territory. Singh’s announcement on Thursday came ahead of his visit to the Indian portion of Kashmir this week. The prime minister said a decline in separatist violence had prompted the proposed withdrawal. But he warned he would redeploy soldiers if rebel attacks increased.