Ashok Bhan
Panic has engulfed the Jammu province citizenry and South Kashmir after the recent spurt of terrorists violence in Reasi, Kathua, Doda and South Kashmir. Many innocent civilians, army personnel and security soldiers have lost their lives. Pakistan has a terrorist factory which churns out attackers in J&K to cause disturbances. The spurt in terror attacks in Jammu is a planned move by terrorists “to draw attention” to their self-belief that “terrorism is not dead”. Sources in the security establishment say terrorism is contained in the major parts of the Valley but it is not out, therefore the tactics of terrorists and their handlers have changed to shift the terror acts to Jammu region. Thus keeping in mind the shifting focus of terrorism in Jammu, the Government has authorised confiscation of properties of the OGWs and supporters/sympathisers of the terrorists.
According to Government sources, in their tactical shift the terrorists have reduced taking logistics support from the locals and are using caves for hiding. The thick foliage and tree canopies add to the camouflage both from aerial surveillance and human tracking. Since terrorism is out from major areas of the Valley, the spurt of terrorists encounters in Jammu with security forces is the strategy to revive the tail end and claim terrorism is not out. Currently the Chief of Army staff, the DGs of BSF and CRPF and other top security experts are in Jammu & Kashmir to reinforce a renewed strategy and tactical operations to eliminate the terrorists and their support structures.
Several security personnel and innocent civilians have lost their lives to terror in Jammu and Kashmir recently and are on their toes after five back-to-back terror attacks in June and July. Pakistan’s involvement has been galore. These tragic incidents are a reminder that after over four decades of suffering Pakistan-sponsored terror, and despite numerous peace initiatives and 10 years of avowed muscularity from Delhi, the goal to put an end to it remains unaccomplished.
The attacks have brutally shattered the complacency of a section of our strategic community and in the minds of the public over Pakistan’s relative restraint on its terror apparatus in recent years. The sporadic Pakistan-sponsored terror in Jammu and Kashmir have been continuing and has never ceased. The intractable internal challenges faced by the Pakistani state, especially since 2021, and the changed geopolitical dynamics, have been seen as signs of its impending systemic collapse. The sense of complacency has also been buttressed by a tendency among some to overestimate the impact of our muscular approach, including revocation of the special status of J&K, and bifurcation of the State into two Union territories in largely containing, if not putting an end to, Pakistan problem. Delhi forgot that the Pakistan exists on the twin pillars of radical Islam and deep rooted Anti India bias -an unfounded “Paranoia”
A spurt in militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir has cast a shadow over the upcoming impending Assembly election in the region. Many military experts have opined the ground situation is not conducive for the holding the assembly election.
The Supreme Court has advised the Union Government to hold the Assembly election in the region before September this year. The Amarnath Yatra, an annual pilgrimage to a cave shrine in Kashmir, is likely to conclude on August 19. Both events are large and call for heavy security. Terror attacks at this time could divert security resources away from elections and the yatra. The Centre has reportedly deployed an additional 500 companies (approximately 50,000 personnel) of the Central Armed Police Forces in the region.
The BJP-led NDA Union Government came under fierce attack from parties in Jammu and Kashmir over the recent terrorist attacks in the Union Territory, with leaders calling for resumption of dialogue with Pakistan “to stop the violence”. Terrorism is not going to end unless there is an understanding between two nations [India and Pakistan]. The tragedy is that we face it and bear its brunt, lose lives of innocent civilians, army and security forces. Many experts say and hope India resumes dialogue with Pakistan the way it engages China. Time has come to end the violence. Neither the war nor the proxy war are the means to resolve bilateral issues including the issue of cross border terrorism. It is the dialogue and diplomatic engagement that is the only acceptable means recognised by international jurisprudence of disputes resolution, says the Kashmiri intelligentsia.
Diplomatic success at international level is discernible by the support from the west and Islamic world for Delhi and Bharat is conscious of the fact that many Islamic countries have given up the notion that there is Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. A restive Jammu and Kashmir will continue to reinforce the old perceptions. For Delhi, building peace, prosperity and democratic institutions in Jammu and Kashmir is key to permanently transforming the international attitudes.
Inwardly the hot pursuit by the military along with the other security forces against terrorists is the only means to eradicate the old and new terror modules and harsh actions against their local supporters/sympathisers, the skeleton sleeper cells and OGWs is the need of the hour. In the last few years, the Union Government has broken down the terrorist ecosystem in the Valley.
Many among the security grid and civil society as a whole are in favour of timely assembly election as they say, the people have in large numbers already participated in the democratic process in recent parliament election, the assembly elections will further reinforce the democratic temper in the people and bring a positive change in the political discourse.
(The author is Senior Advocate Supreme Court of India)
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