Though the central Government has
decided not to extend unilateral ceasefire it is the decision of the top Army functionaries and the Defence Minister. After the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh briefed Prime Minister, Modi, about the ground realities Modi too was motivated to give a nod to the Home Ministers decision to scrap unilateral ceasefire. In fact Modi wanted to appease Mehbooba Mufti and that is why he vetoed the Army functionaries and the defence Minister but Rajnath Singh has briefed him about the fluid in the security scenario which motivated Modi to give a nod to the decision to resume counter insurgency operations.
And the incidents of violence in various parts of Kashmir following the Friday prayers connected with Eid-u-Fitr, in which two persons were killed and 26 others were injured may ultimately decide the plan to end unilateral ceasefire. A series of developments in the shape of killings of security forces and civilians may force the Prime Minister to go against the wishes of the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti and declare that unilateral ceasefire may not be extended. But there is one compulsion for the centre to extend unilateral ceasefire is the ensuing Amarnath yatra which is to commence from June 28 and will be over by August 7. It will be a wrong signal for the Hindu pilgrims. They could say unilateral ceasefire was declared for the month of Ramzan and it was withdrawn when the Amarnath yatra was to commence.
The state Government, terms as 'positives', will be literally weighed against the number of terrorist incidents in the past one month in Kashmir when a final call is taken to continue with the ongoing Ramzan ceasefire or not. The month-long cessation of operations by the Army and the security forces was announced on May 16 and is set to end as Ramzan culminates with Eid on June 16. It will be a political decision on whether the ceasefire is to be extended or not The Modi government will have to decide on the basis of various inputs, from the Army, security agencies, the police and the intelligence agencies.. The killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari in Kashmir can impact the decision.
The Army, CRPF, J&K Police and Intelligence agencies have given their inputs with figures of terror attacks since May 16.
Five security men, including two Army personnel, were killed during this period. There have been 22 grenade attacks, 11 incidents of weapon-snatching, three bank robberies and two incidents of improvised explosive devices blasts. Eight terrorists too have been killed since May 16.These are only the figures of the Valley.
The number of terrorists killed along the Line of Control is great. When the Government of India, to be precise Prime Minister, Modi, announced unilateral ceasefire it was done to please Mehbooba and besides the top Army functionaries even the Defence Minister was against cessation of cooperations. At that time Modi had his writ on the decision to be implemented in letter and spirit. But after the receipt of reports of militants' calling shots despite cessation of combat operations, Modi may find himself alone on one side defending extension of ceasefire when top Army functionaries and Defence Minister even the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh may oppose Modi's plan. |
