Terrorism is against integration of Kashmir and not only against minority communities
The deep state in Pakistan has now changed tac and directing its terrorists operating in India to carry out selective killings in Kashmir Valley and even other parts of Jammu and Kashmir wherever possible. Such selective killings in Kashmir definitely grab headlines.
However to think that terrorists are targeting only minorities is misleading. TV artiste Amreen Bhat killed in Budgam on May 25, was a local Muslim, so were the slain policemen and their families. Of course, there is a clear plan of terrorists and their supporters to force minorities out of the Valley, but the larger picture is much more complex: It involves not only minorities but also the majority community (Muslims) of the Valley. Aim is to terrorize the local population into silence. That is why the local police is also being targeted.
Therefore, an integrated cool headed approach is required to deal with the problem. Any one track or knee jerk approach will have serious repercussions.
Nowadays whenever a killing takes place in the Valley, the anger of locals is directed against Pakistan, and rightly so. The neighbouring country has been stoking and promoting terrorism for over three decades. Though we must make absolute efforts to look at the complete picture; it would reveal that terrorism has gained roots within Kashmir due to support from some local politicians and of course there are foreign factors like terror financing and plan of destabilization of India. Unless addressed in a holistic manner, the treatment will continue have shortcomings, leading to continuation of the problem as ever.
Much of the outrage triggered by the gunning down of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat last month is continuing, thanks to the community members serving under the Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation Package. Though some Pandits want the government to relocate them outside the Valley. Some have already shifted to Jammu, putting extra pressure on the government. However, the government has rejected this demand and decided to post them in safe zones, giving a sense that some places are safer than others in the Valley. The Pandits should be clear, Kashmir is their home and therefore they must learn to fight for their land like the Israelis, otherwise no one can help them.
Kashmir has seen various phases of violence, starting with the height of foreign funded militancy in 1990s turning into terrorism leading to system collapse in the face of terrorist carrying out suicidal attacks. Then the terrorist raised the antenna through the IED explosions,. There was a slight slump followed in the wake of the 9/11, when the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and other separatist groups, aware of the consequences of getting tagged as part of the global terrorist movement, distanced themselves from the killing campaign.
However soon the deep state in Pakistan recovered from the shock and next phase was entry of various pan-Islamic terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Harkat-ul-Ansar (later Harkat-ul-Mujahadeen).
Frequent shutdowns, at times for weeks, which separatist leadership and organizations used to describe as the expression of the suppressed people to the systemic oppression by the Government also became tools of promoting anti India sentiments, especially abroad. They would not only cripple the normal life, but also create a psyche of fear. There was also audacity on the part of the supporters of the terrorists, some became willing participants while others participated for fun’s sake in interrupting and disrupting the anti-terrorism operations.
Those who were dealing with terrorists on ground, the Army, the Central Security Forces, the Central Intelligence Agencies, the State police and their Security set up began to have better coordination. Terrorists began to be hunted down on regular basis and focus was also made on the terrorist leadership. At the same time efforts began to strengthen the Police set up because ultimately when they start succeeding the n only can terrorism be eliminated. The Intelligence Agencies also penetrated the terror ecosystem. However the most important thing which happened was that the National Investigation Agency went hammer and tong against terror funding. Also terrorists killers like Yasin Malik was finally made to pay for his heinous crimes.
No wonder the Pakistan deep state has once again changed their tactics.The recent round of targeted killings are not an aberration but a highly planned action. No doubt the tracing and killing of terrorists is continuing on by us but these have not stopped the attacks. The terrorists are aware of the dire consequences, yet they are compelled to continue the killing. This shows that they are putting all their effort to keep up the pressure so that the locals get fully subdued, the defenders somewhere make an over reaction in anger leading to huge collateral damage. This will help in gaining international Sympathy in Western Europe and may be even in the Muslim World.
Therefore a thorough planning is needed to stop such killings. The government must not to go back to the old ways of pursuing things in an ambivalent manner — terrorists were killed but at the same time their backers invited to talk — but try to understand as to what is driving the current phase of terrorism.
An addition to the current strategy is needed, in which the political inputs should be taken as critical to improving the situation, while simultaneously bridging the gaps between the people and the system. J& K Police must be strengthened to play the lead role right from the grass root level. All out effort must be made to nab all the terror financers and their finances. All Over Ground Supporters of the terrorists and the Separatists must be exposed and made to pay for their crimes.
Any terrorist camp be it in POK or anywhere else, once identified with any terrorist killing in J& K must be destroyed with a Direct strike. In case Pakistan reacts then let it be so after all 32 years is a long time to live with terrorism. It has to be tackled now head on.
The clear formula is to do a deep dive into the psyche of terrorists. To do so, involve the locals to keep a tab on foreign and local terrorists. This system has worked before. Like the minority community, the local population is also very much against the terror acts.
