Col Shiv Choudhary (Retd)
On July 8, three young men huddled inside a wooden hut near Bundoora village in the Kashmir valley of Jammu and Kashmir, bracing for an attack by a team of Indian security forces. The ensuing gun fights resulted into elimination of three terrorists. One of the dead happened to be Burhan Muzaffar Wani, the leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen, operating in South Kashmir. Burhan had become a poster boy in the selective segment of the Valley for many young, disenfranchised Kashmiri boys. He was so popular on social media, very often seen attired in combat dress and wielding AK-47 gun that he became a household name when alive; and his death amplified only that. The pro Pak elements in Kashmir continue to make their fortunes over the dead body of Wani with the help of misguided youth. In fact his death was certain, once he picked up a gun against the state carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head. Once media reported Wani’s death on July 9, the Kashmir Valley erupted, leading to the worst violence since 2010, when towns in Kashmir were kept under curfew and communication services were snapped. Since then, demonstrations in Srinagar and other towns in the Muslim-majority South Kashmir valley have become a non-stop phenomenon. Crowds of young men in their late teens or early twenties are coaxed by certain self-styled leaders on behest of masters sitting in Pak or by cryptic phone messages as if invited for a treat.
Government of the day is responsible to assess the situation and decide on the type of forces required to serve the cause. The disturbed history of Jammu and Kashmir does not provide luxury of time to prepare and deal with abrupt reactions. Protests in Kashmir have at least initially overwhelmed Indian police forces for decades. Often, they lead to intervention of the CPOs like CRPF, a well-trained police force trained in countering such anti-national forces. It was in this context, that CRPF was deployed for controlling the situation and restoring law and order post elimination of Burhan Wani. The CRPF due to its frequent deployment in all such scenarios and training, has a long history of using force and methods for crowd-control. Citizens and journalists have flooded social media with videos and images of injured protesters and security forces lying in the local hospitals-most of them wounded by batons, smoke shells, and splinters and stone pelting. Regretfully media miserably failed to show the pitiable beating of the security personnel and shocking attempts of snatching their rifles by well-motivated and geared up protestors
Sadly some of these young men and boys including innocent ones, died coming in the way of security forces discharging their allocated duties. Video footage showed plenty of state police and CRPF checkmated by cunningly planned road blocks and facing non-stop volley of stones from motivated stone-pelters. Almost 50 lives have been lost so far, and around 1500 or more including substantial number of security personnel has been sustained varying degree of injuries. It clearly reflects the need and responsibility of the Government of the day to train and equip police in line with international standards to deal with such situation. Throughout India, police forces remain abysmally paid and poorly trained lacking required resources to discharge their duties. In Kashmir, these systemic flaws are glaring, and an over stretched police force is struggling to contain unrelenting protestors and stone pelters with little training and an overreliance on limited options of equipment. Matters get even worse for otherwise valiant and synergised Jammu and Kashmir police, because they are also charged with combatting terrorism. This exacerbates tensions between the police and the local population. What does a uniformed, disciplined, trained and responsible force, called upon to discharge certain responsibility by a lawful command on one side and fear of being injured, lynched, overrun and deprived of the weapons by the Indiscriminate crowd on the other side, do to protect its right of self-defence and discharge of duties? Do the powers, that may be, Human Rights Propagators and certain sections of so called Socialists, grant no human rights to these people in uniform operating in the most hostile and challenging environment? This is the moot question for all to ponder over.
I think the very essence of entire write up lies in this very statement. In the entire chain of events post elimination of Burhan, flaring law and order issue, increasing stone pelters, Pro Pak slogans, open Pak support, dead slogan of Azadi, CM showing sympathy to the suffering Kashmiris, oft repeated statements, band/strike/ hartal, Pellet Gun (Not discussed here), Injuries etc were echoed loudly. However few glaring issues echoed repeatedly and loudly by responsible people have caught everyone’s imagination. These are (A) issue of Restraint-Restraint-Restraint advisory for security forces, (B)Accidental or planned elimination of proclaimed terrorist BurhanWani,(C)human rights of people in uniform, and (D) Holding the nation to ransom. What do these four eye catching issues mean and what are their implications? These must be clearly seen with impartiality, constitutional obligations and operating environment, in all its all manifestations.
It is understandable that an elected Government has a large responsibility to see even the larger interest of its subject ie people and governance. Governance also includes equal and impartial treatment for all especially the one supporting Government will. What happens when the right efforts made to serve the legitimate interest of an elected Government is hindered by a certain class of people? Would the Government, bring a sense of obedience of state law or surrender to the illegitimate pressure created by anti-national elements under the alibi of Azadi, Azadi and Azadi and lofty anti national announcements followed by physical threat to the law enforcement agencies. Secondly, some of the statements issued by the responsible people holding responsible positions with regards to the mode of elimination of pronounced terrorist carrying a bounty on his head are both weak and confusing. I wonder if a political clearance is required in a democratic country to eliminate a terrorist. Oh my God, this should not be the last thought but not cross mind of any patriotic Indian. Such matter must be left to the professionals who are legitimately entrusted with the task without any interference whatsoever. Now the Restraint, Restraint and Restraint advisory for security forces. Super idea and indeed reflects absolute government concern and compassion for people. I personally compliment Government for this advisory. However, do we ever ask our conscious as to what are the actions being taken and propagated by class of people against whom, our forces need to exercise restraint. We must appreciate that no force anywhere in the world and especially in democratic India is out to disrupt, hinder, intervene, injure or kill anyone unless the same task gets mandated in pursuance of its duties. Who are these people? Everyone knows, these people young or old, supported by outside forces, are obstructing the security forces in discharge of their entrusted duties and threatening the national integrity. India is not a run over state which can be held to ransom on call. Let us not forget, that security force personnel too have their human rights to live and self-defence. This should put all chaff and chalk argument to rest once for all.
We must bear in mind that when we give an inch, the enemy would claim a yard and for a yard, a mile. We got to be crystal clear what we want, the maximum tolerance limits and acceptable threshold. The objective assessment of these facets would send an unambiguous signal not to the stone pelters but will indeed compel their masters about the enormous risk involved in their notorious acts. A state which has anti national elements is no great state. It’s not a matter of looking for temporary peace or selective truce; rather it is a question of national strength and its legitimate writ running across. When dissident is illegal, unconstitutional and threatens national integration, and needs to be crushed, so be it at the quickest. Crush it earliest with all the might at the disposal of the state. Cannot afford to sit on the fence and watch a bad neighbour and disloyal insiders tearing into your belly. The undisputed loyalty of people in Gurez, Tangadhar, upper reaches of Uri, Dras, Kargil, Batalik, Leh, Doda, Udhampur, Kathua, Jammu, Akhnoor, Rajouri, Poonch and many other areas to Indian constitution should give ample strength and assurance to the Government. The 125 cr population, the history full of valour and bravery, the largest IT talent, biggest democracy and most loyal and battles hardy defence forces, only further the political will of the establishment. We must also never ignore the fair and free elections held periodically in the state of Jammu and Kashmir with an unparalleled participation outnumbering voting percentage in Delhi or Mumbai.
We all need to take a leaf from Israel or Russia. An Israeli Civil Aircraft with about 45 persons on board was shot down by Israeli forces themselves because it over flew a Nuclear Installation which had been declared as a No Fly Zone. In case of Israel, no questions were asked. In India, death of a terrorist sets off both a non-stop alarm and pulverising storm. The force heads expresses his anguish over an authorized action of his force. Remember, no force has got a licence to shoot anyone. It may sound absurd and condemned with all absurdity, but no nation can afford its last resort, the armed forces inside bunkers, being peeped into and threatened by anyone not entitled to.
While we may accept that people in valley, may have certain issues, but accepting their methodology of holding the nation to ransom on behest of their masters and scrupulously belittling the security forces in full public glare, will be doing at the peril of national integrity. A kids gloves handling approach which has been the practice, is no more effective as the kids have gained maturity in tactics to obstruct security forces and tactfully block operationally crucial reinforcements, with the hope of yet getting away under the banner of general amnesty. Such amnesty reflects human face, large heart and not surrender. In fact, they look to be testing the patience and maturity of the Chief Minister. Calling for Azadi, Azadi and Azadi, is long dead slogan reminding India of how Bangladesh succeeded in getting same in a matter of 14 days. POK, given its inherent affinity, operational advantage and suppression of our people there, will get Azadi much faster. What is next on the Indian agenda will depend upon how a bad neighbour conducts in future given all the bonhomie by a good neighbour.
(feedback shivchoudhary2@gmail.com)
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