Prior to Prime Minister’s official visit to the Valley, the Home Minister briefed him extensively on current situation in Kashmir. Two areas are particularly under focus; overall security situation and arrangements for smooth pilgrimage of thousands of pilgrims to the holy cave of Amarnath Swami situated about 12500 feet above sea level.
The Home Minister is in Srinagar along with the entire top echelons of security, intelligence and police force besides the Army Commanders. The Home Ministry is engrossed in very serious consultations and exchange of notes with all agencies entrusted with the security affairs of the State. Prior to his visit, a team of Home Ministry high officials was on a four-day visit to the valley where it interacted with the State authorities, Army Generals, BSF, CRPF and State police top echelons. The follow up action is reflected in the visit of the Home Minister along with the entire security machinery.
Much can be read between the lines. In recent past, Home Ministry high ranking officers, Army, BSF and CRPF high ups have been visiting and re-visiting Srinagar. Obviously, they are smelling rat somewhere and somehow.
Infiltration has increased considerably from across the border both through the LoC and IB, notwithstanding the fact that several major or minor bids of infiltration have been foiled by the forces securing the border. We have witnessed several attacks by the armed jihadis in South and North Kashmir in recent days. In fact fighting in some parts of Kupwara district and in parts of South Kashmir has seen a spate. This has to be interpreted as the reason for the Home Ministry to have galvanized itself into action.
State Governor has given his assessment of ground situation, so has the Chief Minister and her top bureaucrats including the police chief. From what is trickling down to the media, we may infer that in all probability the Security agencies have impressed upon plugging many gaps in the LoC that enable infiltrators to sneak in. The attacks that have happened on CRPF in recent days are attributed to the infiltrators who sneaked in from Kupwara border and then moved to South Kashmir.
In all probability, the Home Minister has come to the conclusion that unrelenting infiltrators need to be treated in terms of the saying eye for eye and tooth for tooth. An indication of this policy was given by the Prime Minister recently in his interview to mediamen in which he was asked a question whether dialogue with Pakistan would continue in view of the attack in Pampore in which eight CRPF jawans were killed and twenty wounded. The Prime Minister had said that as in diplomacy there is no end to continued dialogue, the security forces have been authorized to take befitting action with whatever situation they are confronted in combating militancy in Kashmir. However, the bottom line in countering insurgency and strengthening security grid is to ensure no collateral loss while action is taken against the adversaries.
The situation of Kashmiri youth joining militancy and lending support to jihadi outfits was also taken up in the meeting. State Police chief said he had information that there was a spate in Kashmiri youth opting to join militancy and cooperating with the jihadi groups active in various parts of the State. It is true that a number of schemes have been floated by the State Government to curb youth joining the ranks of jihadis of LeT and other militant outfits in Kashmir, some of its efforts had succeeded in detaching a good number of Kashmiris from their militant masters. However, it was important to keep vigil on the youth in schools and educational institutions and ensure they were not misled by false propaganda.
Among other matter considered in the meeting was recruitment of more Kashmiri youth in police force, opening of more LoC crossing points as desired by the Chief Minister, disbursement of relief to the next of kin of martyred security personnel and vacation of land under army occupation.
In regard to security and other arrangements of Swami Amarnath ji yatra, besides the Governor, who is also the Chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, the State Minister for Tourism gave full details of what facilities had been provided to the pilgrims including 12,500 Central Para military personnel and 8000 JK Policemen deployed along the two yatra tracks in South Kashmir Pahalgam and Northeast Sonamarg- Baltal track. The Home Minister is reported to have expressed satisfaction on these arrangements. However, he will be supervising the arrangements including security arrangement personally and has also visited the holy cave for darshan.
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