In his first interaction with media persons, the Corps Commander of 15th Corps, Lt. Gen. Om Prakash has been forthright in stating that despite considerable improvement in security scenario of the valley, sporadic events of militants striking at isolated targets have taken place at three or four places in recent past. In particular, he said that the broad-day attack in Pampore that took the toll of an army jawan is of serious nature.
According to knowledgeable sources, the ground situation is that infiltration from LoC has come down considerably not because of Pakistan containing it but owing to the Army stepping up surveillance and taking rapid and firm action whenever and wherever infiltration bid is made. The strategy of pinning down a posse of nearly 800 well-trained and well armed Pakistani terrorists to their side of the LoC and denying them any chance of infiltration is causing deep frustration to their handlers in Islamabad. The result is that external terrorists hitherto enjoying a free day in Kashmir are suddenly finding their ranks shrinking and new recruitment becoming elusive. Recently security forces intercepted mobile telephone messages from the terrorist commanders in Poonch-Rajouri sector making fervent plea to the underground commanders of militant organization in the valley to send them reinforcement as their messages to handlers in PoK and Islamabad did not yield them any positive results. Pakistani handlers of militants in Kashmir pressurize them to undertake some bizarre activity that would convey the message across Kashmir that militancy is on its way back in the valley and the establishment would not be allowed to maintain the security grid. For quiet some time, reports are coming in that recruitment to the rank and file of militant cadres within Kashmir is also drying up. Kashmiri youth are evincing lesser and lesser interest in the fighting and making Kashmir a hostage to the oppressive covetousness of Pakistan.
While we may try to wish that these sporadic incidents of violence in the valley are mere expression of desperation on the part of beleaguered militants, the Corps Commander has rightly said that there could be some nefarious designs with the militants to conduct fidayeen type attacks on army formations. The fidayeen literally mean voluntary suicides, some of whom we have seen in the course of armed insurgency in Kashmir. It is one of the tactics in which a bomber ready to take his own his life blows up a targeted object causing large scale deaths and destruction. Undoubtedly, behind the recent acts of violence in different places in Kashmir valley is the desperation of the militants of having been pinned down by security forces to their hideouts. At the same time, what makes this handful of underground terrorists more desperate and, therefore, more violent, is that they are no more receiving support from the local population especially the youth. It is also true that their external handlers want them to be activated and indulge in large scale violence in the valley so that an impression is created that Kashmir insurgency is of indigenous nature and Pakistani gun wielders have nothing to do with it. This would vindicate Pakistan’s long standing policy of denial.
There could be one more reason for sporadic strikes by the militants. They are aware that the Army and the State Government do not see eye to eye on the issue of withdrawal of AFSPA. By causing attacks intermittently, the handlers of militants expect the army to re-assert its stand that militancy has only come down but not finished and thereby exacerbate divergence between the Army and the State Government. The Corps Commander dealt with this question with superb statesmanship. He said the subject was not within his jurisdiction but in the jurisdiction of the Defence Ministry. More importantly, political consensus is also essential to come to grips with the issue of withdrawal of special powers.
Corps Commander’s views show that the army is keeping itself fully abreast of the ground situation and anticipates what could be the future course of action of the enemy and what precautionary measures are necessary to be in place to meet any exigency. It is a matter of relief that the army is not going to lower the guard in any case and is fully prepared to meet the situation as it unfolds. The level of normalcy that has been reached has to be maintained and improved. Since most of the allegations against the army of violating human rights have been formally disproved and rubbished, and in some cases the authorities have taken the severest action against defaulters when they were brought to book, the cumulative effect is that hatred and animus against the army whipped up by inimical elements have considerably come down. This is a very healthy sign and the army deserves to be given three chairs for maintaining the highest standard of discipline and sense of duty. What the people of the State need to understand far all times is that the Indian Army is their own army, a force closely integrated into the social fabric of the nation.
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