Srinagar:
The sounds of boots in a military drill will soon be replaced with the cackles of children at play. A military base in Srinagar is making way for a public park in Srinagar.
After more than a decade-long tussle between the Indian Army and the state government over who owns the Tattoo ground in Srinagar, the two sides have agreed to jointly develop a park there. The park is being developed on 17 acres of prime land vacated by the army in the middle of a 200 acre military garrison.
The ruling People's Democratic Party calls it the army's contribution to its healing touch policy. "With changing times, the roles of people also change. The army's role in the past was to normalise the situation in the valley. It is now time for the healing touch, and the army needs to play its role in that," said Mehbooba Mufti, PDP President.
The Tattoo ground army camp, just seven kilometres from city centre Lal chowk, is a contested piece of land with civil authorities saying that over a decade ago they gave land to the army, in lieu of the Tattoo ground, at Sharief Abad in Budgam district. Since 2003, successive chief ministers have asked the army to vacate the ground.
The army says modalities are being worked out with the state government for getting land at another location. "We are working out the modalities of identifying a mutually acceptable alternate site. The park is the first step," said Lt General Satish Dua General Officer Commanding 15 Corps.
Thousands of acres of land are under the army's occupation in Jammu and Kashmir and a huge chunk of that has been occupied illegally. The People's Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party coalition has promised to return the land to its rightful owners.