OSCAR welcomes Defence Minister's speech on road issues

OSCAR welcomes the stated intent of the Hon'ble Defence Minister in his speech last week, to solve the problem created for civilians by the closure of roads in Secunderabad Cantonment. His pointing out his track record of solving such problems when he was Chief Minister of Goa before its becoming an agitation is a welcome sign of his intent to solve the problem before it is more ticklish.

At this juncture, the OSCAR community wishes to make it clear that it has the highest regard and respect for the valor and professionalism of our armed forces, albeit at front line.

However OSCAR must point out the following when responding to the Hon'ble Minister's speech last week:

1. It is wrong to compare purely military stations such as Pathankot Air Force Base and front line areas such as Gurdaspur on the hostile borders of the country and a cantonment such as Secunderabad, a designated peace station, which too in the centre of the country, where there is no hostile incident has ever happened in SCB history.

2. The contrast is even more obvious when it is understood that Secunderabad Cantonment only has training and administrative offices, and recreational areas like Golf course, unlike forward bases such as Pathankot.

3. Importantly, no public roads crisscross pure military stations such as Pathankot. On the other hand tens to fifteen of public roads pass through Secunderabad Cantonment, which lakhs of people have been using for traversing from one civilian area to another for over a century.

4. A military base is self contained, with a clear dividing line between civil and military areas. There is limited interaction between civilians and military personnel. In a Cantonment like Secunderabad on the other hand, civilian and military presence is inextricably intertwined for decades which was well maintained relationship, which is now hostile due to such roads closings.

5. Added to all this is the geography of the cantonment in Secunderabad. The cantonment here is a narrow strip almost 10 km wide running north-south from Hakimpet to Marredpally, totally surrounded by civilian areas on either side. The roads passing through cantonment are the arteries connecting the East and West corridors abutting the cantonment. Closing these roads rips apart these organic connections, which exists for over 100 plus years.

6. For instance, in her preliminary remarks today, the Master of Ceremonies several times highlighted the history of Cantonment Hospital. She mentioned that the old hospital (which has been replaced by the new one inaugurated today) was used by civilians and military persons of the surrounding areas since its establishment in 1933. The areas mentioned by her as being in the served by the Cantonment Hospital included Bolarum, Macha Bolarum and Alwal, Balaji Nagar, Kowkoor and Yapral. Today, because of the closed roads through the golf course area, the Eastern parts such as Balaji Nagar, Kowkoor and Yapral are cut off from the Cantonment Hospital on the West side.

7. There are countless other similar examples. Students are cut off from their schools and colleges, patients from their hospitals, farmers from their bazars, citizens from the government offices serving them, and working people from their work places. Seen in this perspective, it is clear that it is totally unjustifiable to close these roads

8. Civilians in this country have time and again several times demonstrated that they are willing to sacrifice for the security of our fighting forces. Secunderabad is no exception to this admiration and respect for our fighting personnel. However respect is a 2-way street. As the Honourable MP Mr Malla Reddy stated in his speech, lack of mutuality in respect can have dangerous consequences for civil-military relations.

When civilians know that all that exists in the golf course area are recreational establishments and residential and training facilities, how can they be expected to accept closure of roads as a solution to purported security threats? More so, when the golf course itself have civilians members? Especially when they can see that all that has been done in the name of threats is that some roads have been closed while the entire flank of the cantonment is open, unguarded, without patrolling, CCTV and lighting? And when they are time and again confronted by gun toting jawans merely for having the temerity to ask to be allowed to commute on public roads.

Interestingly, even honorable minister Mr.KTR concurred with MP saab and also said that the issue of roads turned in to sour grapes in platter between the LMA and civilians. Before it becomes flash points, he suggested solving this amicably. He assured to extend full cooperation in this regards, we must thank him that he mentioned all roads, not just only roads related to Malkajgiri.

But, today, the LMA closed one more road between Shivalayam to Gough road, albeit again without following u/sec 258 of the Cantt Act 2006. This closure will put further pressure to those who were travelling form this roads to Thirumulgherry as short cut to avoid the swimming road to be used now due to this closure.

OSCAR fervently requests the Honourable Defence Minister to accede to the citizen's requests to immediately reopen all the closed roads, which are public roads that have been in use by general citizens ever since they were made over a century ago.