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| Talk of normalcy in J&K misleading, confusing | | | ET Special Correspondent
Jammu | Oct 5
How the claims of normalcy returning fast in J&K state and terrorism as well as infiltration on considerable decline are misleading and confusing the common man, having potential to lead to complacency, is amply evident from some recent happenings on the terrorism front. On the heel of outgoing Army Chief General J J Singh claiming, in the farewell function held in his honour that militancy has considerably declined and with all infiltration routes sealed, the level of infiltration has come to a minimum level, besides the counter claim by the new Army Chief, General Kapoor that the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir on the militancy front is far from normal and any talk of demilitarization and reduction of troops at this stage is wrought with dangerous consequences, the bloody encounter in Tangmarg in which two Army Majors got martyred, while nine militants were killed, is a grim reminder of the situation in the trouble state being far from normal and decline in the level of militancy being a far cry. Besides the Tangmarg encounter taking the toll of two valiant Army Majors, the killing of two ultras including Chief Operations Commander and Divisional Commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba and an Army JCO on October 4 at Bandipora encounter falsify the claim of militancy having come to near end in the state.
Only few days before these encounters four terrorists holed up in a mosque in Badgam were eliminated by the security forces in a prolonged encounter that last for three days. Some similar encounters and ambushing of the security forces by the ultras in Rajouri and Poonch during last fortnight have also been reported. The arrest of a female law student belonging to Surankot at Tanda near Akhnor after she was apprehended at a police nakka and seizer of explosives from the car in which she was traveling and later the arrest of his accomplices, as a result of her revelations in interrogation, who were hand in glove with her and who had a plan on their sleeve, to strike in a big way in Jammu city and round about it as well as target some vital installations is indication towards militancy still being at a quite a high level in the state. Prior to this the killing of a commander of militant outfit, who was responsible for militant strike at Varanasi and Ayodhya, in an encounter at Janipura colony of Jammu city and the arrest of his accomplice are also pointers towards the same direction.
The disclosure made to the media at Hindwara on October 4 by the General Officer Commanding of Kilo Force, Major Gen Rajinder Singh that intelligence inputs have revealed that a large number of militants trained in handling sophisticated weapons have been waiting for the opportunities to infiltrate into this side through LoC, to create bloodshed, further goes to falsify the claims of normalcy in the state near at hand.
Still another disturbing factor to be taken notice of is the changing face of militants, who are recruiting in their ranks youth from Manipur, refugees from Myanmare, Nepalese and Bangladeshis for accomplishing subversive activities in the states other than Jammu and Kashmir, where the recruits belonging to these races can easily mingle with the local inhabitants, without being identified and spotted. The arrest of Shabir Umar of Manipur's Thoubl district, with an AK 47 riffle, in the mountains of Kashmir after he had lost his way, highlights the changing tactics of Kashmiri militants, who are now shifting their attention to different looking people and who do not resemble Kashmiris at all. In the face of dearth of fresh Kashmiri youth as well as those from PoK and Pakistan joining the Jehad and with the killings of a large number of terrorists in the recent past by the security forces, the perpetrators and sponsors of militancy in J&K as well as other parts of India are now turning attention towards other racial groups, to serve as fodders in their cannons.
While this has been the state of militancy, which is far from being under control and has spread its tentacles far and wide and assumed different directions and contours, the general attitude of the people at large in Kashmir still continues to be hostile towards the security forces and sympathetic towards the militants. The triggering of strong protest in Tangmarg and adjoining villages over the killing of nine hardcore militants in an encounter, against India and the security forces can be lost sight of only at the cost of peril. While there was hardly any remorse among the locals about the loss of two young Majors of Indian army, one of whom was to get married this month end and the other was going to be blessed with a first child, the people in the area held anti India and pro Azadi demonstrations, observing the last rites of the killed militants with all the honour and religious sanctity, where some secessionist leaders made fiery speeches, inciting the people to revolt against Indian occupation. Ignoring that it were primarily the militants who were responsible for the encounter, which caused some loss to the houses and property of the villagers, they held the security forces and the police exclusively responsible for the same. This should be an eye opener and lead us to actual evaluation of the situation and the psyche of the Kashmiris, instead of indulging in rhetorics and misleading claims. |
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