By IANS,
Aligarh : Former Jammu and Kashmir governor S.K. Sinha Friday accused the Indian government of scoring “self goals” in the state but not learning any lessons.
Addressing a lecture on “Kashmir: Genesis and Solutions” at Mangalayatan University here, he said he did not favour lifting the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from some parts of Kashmir.
He justified his decision to allot 100 acres of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board, an issue that had sparked off widespread streets protests in the Kashmir Valley and counter protests in Jammu region.
‘Kashmir has a composite culture called Kashmiriyat and it should be reflected in every government decision,” he said.
In response to a question from a student, Sinha said the Armed Forces Act — which gives sweeping powers to the military — was the need of the hour in Jammu and Kashmir.
The state police, he said, had “50 percent militant sympathisers and we should take note of this ground reality”.
He admitted that Indian soldiers committed “some violation of human rights” but said the army had taken strict actions against the guilty.
Sinha said the Indian Army had a more clean record in Kashmir than the Pakistani Army in Balochistan or the American Army in Afghanistan or Iraq.