Raman Suri
The world has witnessed India abrogating Article 370 in the most peaceful manner and then holding general elections in a similar way wherein the country witnessed no violence or any untoward incident, which if occurred could have been described as a blot on our system of functioning like in the past it used to be. In the days to come, we have Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, assembly elections and a big tourist season lined up for Jammu and Kashmir besides other pilgrimages to the most sought-after destinations including revered temples located in the mighty Himalayas.
The credit for holding peaceful elections and abrogation of Article 370 definitely goes to our government and the security agencies, who stayed on tenterhooks to ensure that the country stays peaceful. However, last Sunday didn’t go well especially when a bus full of pilgrims came under attack while returning from the Shiv Khori Shrine to Katra town, some 72 km away from Jammu, that left about nine pilgrims dead and scores injured. This was followed by a terrorist’s attack in Kathua in which a CRPF jawan was martyred and another attack on an army base in Chattergala area of district Doda in which five troopers of Rashtriya Rifles and a SPO were injured.
Though the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has joined the probe in Reasi incident and might club these series of attacks and it is very likely that the perpetrators won’t be spared and hunted down in no time, yet the situation is alarming. In another terror related incident in Saida village of Kathua, some militants on Tuesday made an unsuccessful attempt to take a family as hostage but the alert security forces killed one militant. Primarily, these incidents happened because we might have lowered our guard down presuming that the general elections are over and since the Union Territory has not witnessed any major violence in the recent past, we can afford to relax. However, this was not done! The situation in fact calls for us to be offensive rather than defensive now.
We have had enough of this muck and have shown the world enough tolerance towards the nuisance being done by our hostile neighbour, on whose soil terrorists survive or get launched from. Way back in last October, when a West Asian country came under attack in which dozens of civilians were killed and many were taken hostage, the suffering country described it as “an act of war” and is till date continuing to defend its borders.
Similarly, when on 11th September 2001, four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks were carried out against the United States which brought down the twin towers in Manhattan, damaged major portion of the Pentagon, left 2977 dead, and several injured, the US didn’t stop until an Asian nation witnessed carpet bombings and the main terrorist Osama Bin Laden was hunt down and buried beneath the sea bed.
Further, when in 2016, terrorists from Pakistan attacked an Indian Army brigade headquarters near the town of Uri, leaving our 19 soldiers martyred, India didn’t rest until on September 28, 2016, eleven days after the attack, the Indian Army conducted retaliatory surgical strikes on the launchpads used by terrorists in Pakistan Occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and killed over 150 Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. This was a swift action needed at that time, after which Pakistan did not even dare to venture into the Indian territory or push in its trained terrorists.
It is in very recent past that these terrorists have once again started raising their heads and targeting Sarpanchs, tourists, or pilgrims. Keeping in view the situation, now the time has come to be offensive and with full throttle. This residual terrorism, that is showing its presence by selective killings, injuring tourists, or targeting security agencies or pilgrims, need to be hunt down to the extent that it ceases to exist. The terrorists, in this recent incident, stopped the bus right in the middle of the road and shot bullets on pilgrims until the vehicle fell into a deep gorge, leaving about 40 passengers injured and 9 others including the driver and conductor dead. This was cowardice and uncalled for.
This is an unpardonable act and now that the NIA has landed up in Jammu, it is much required that a major offensive be launched against the terrorists and those involved, in this incident or the one that took place in Kathua; their perpetrators must all be hunt down. We have assembly elections coming up soon and likewise, many national events of importance are also lined up. Keeping up with the fact, we need not lower our guard and must simultaneously adopt a proactive approach to the extent that whatever residual terrorism is existing, it is completely wiped out.
Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken over the reins of the country, there has been a perceptible change in the security situation, and now this residual terrorism too needs to be checked at the earliest. Several organisations operating in Jammu and Kashmir have been banned by the Union Home Ministry, terrorists who were on bail or facing trials and were creating nuisance have now been made to face the law in a systematic manner, and separatists operating from Kashmir have all been made to shut their shops which now have been replaced by youngsters’ start-ups and are creating waves in Kashmir besides generating employment.
Coming back to the Reasi incident, it is known that the Chandi Morh area of Pony tehsil of district Reasi had remained in limelight due to terrorist activity from the year 2005 to 2007. The terrorists were using this route to target soft areas in Rajouri and Poonch. However, our valiant security forces had killed five terrorists in this area when it was infested. The terrorists earlier used to take this route and cross Nowshera area of district Rajouri to reach the Pir Panjal range and then cross over to district Shopian in Kashmir.
Despite such gory incidents, when it comes to condemning these, all former chief ministers hailing from the Valley maintain a criminal silence in condemning Pakistan, the terrorists, or their perpetrators. They seek inquiries, help for the injured, compensation for the deceased or condemn the incident, but never dare to utter a word against Pakistan or the terrorists operating from that soil. This criminal silence must be used to read between the lines, thereby establishing who are the sympathizers of terrorists and are trying to give a space to such activities that are gruesome, inhuman, and against the very spirit of national security.
Shockingly, taking advantage of these two attacks, many mainstream politicians are once again dragging the already-settled issue of the abrogation of Article 370 and trying to keep their pot boiling. They know that in the recent elections, people have given their verdict against the separatists and against those chief ministers who had failed to contain violence during their tenures; people have given their verdict in favour of development and in favour of those individuals who they believe have a clean image and could be potential voices of concern in the Parliament and not just addressing to the gallery or Pakistan.
There is no doubt that terrorism has been contained, violence is down, local youth is not getting lured by hollow slogans or false promises of politicians who always exploited them, separatism is finished, development is taking place, many mainstream politicians have lost their ground, democratic institutions are getting strengthened with each passing day, youngsters are getting engaged in productive and progressive works and most importantly, common people by participating in the three-tiers of democracy are getting empowered and becoming party to the decision-making institutions.
Unable to digest this change in the mindset of common people and finding their decades-old hardwork of misguiding youth, creating a fear psychosis among the people, or creating hatred in the hearts and minds of people against their own nation, those sitting across the borders are now acting in utter frustration. Their attempts of violence are aimed at scaring people away but they have forgotten that India is a mighty nation that cannot get deterred by any means. Such incidents might momentarily halt us, yet our resolve and morale are so high that nothing can cow us down!
(The writer is Bharatiya Janata Party J&K Executive Member)
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