Army-cop meet to cut Cantonment row run-up to road closure?

HYDERABAD: A day after defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman made no bones about her displeasure over 14 public roads still being kept in ‘no-go’ zone in Secunderabad Cantonment, top Army officials on Wednesday stuck to the stated position that roads should be closed citing ‘security concerns’. Residents and commuters, however, are worried that Wednesday’s convergence meeting of Local Military Authority (LMA) and police brass was preparing the ground for imminent closure of roads.




At the meeting, Army officials stressed that Secunderabad Cantonment and areas like Golconda, Mehdipatnam and Bowenpally are porous and roads close to them raise security concerns. The military officials also raised ‘terror threat’ and threat from anti-social elements. A top cop said: “There is immense pressure on opening the roads in SCB in the last two months. The Army is seeking our cooperation owing to the ongoing tussle between LMA and the agitating residents.” The ministry of defence had issued orders that roads in Cantonments shall be closed only for ‘security reasons’ by following due procedures.

Reacting sharply, policy analyst and academician Mohan Guruswamy, a resident of Yapral, pointed out that Army officers and paramilitary forces in areas like Kashmir and Assam work and live among civilians with roads passing through their areas. “When there are genuine concerns, we certainly understand. But, in Secunderabad, it is a Cantonment area where people have been using the roads. Civilians have taken out peaceful protests like candlelight marches. Several Army families live outside the Cantonment areas like Sainikpuri, Vayupuri and other colonies without any threat or security concern. The Army is taking it as a prestige. Some of the roads opened because of civilian struggle. The Army should come out of British-era thinking,” Guruswamy told TOI.

The meeting also sparked fears among activists pitching for opening of roads that they may be implicated in criminal cases. S Anoop Kumar of Open all Secunderabad Cantonment Area Roads sent letters to Sitharaman, KT Rama Rao and senior officials, expressing concern over ‘false cases’ being foisted on the agitators.

TIMES VIEW: It's time an amicable solution on public roads in Secunderabad Cantt is worked out for the good of locals and commuters. While security concerns of military cannot be wished away, LMA and SCB should redress residents' problems by assuring them that they are also important stakeholders and a lasting solution for an easy commute is workable