Internationally, Kashmir is contested territory between India and Pakistan. That explains the now off, now on dialogue between Delhi and Islamabad. Currently, the unrest following the killing of Burhan Wani is a new phenomenon the valley is witnessing – shut down, violent street protests, retaliatory action. Children using slingshots to target the security forces are an audacious turn of events for which the security establishment was not prepared.
On Friday September 15, the Lok Sabha MP of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Srinagar-Budgam, Tariq Hameed Karra announced his resignation from party and Parliament. Karra was the founding member of the PDP and he had boycotted the oath taking ceremony of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti earlier this year. Karra quit complaining about government’s handling of the ongoing unrest and PDP alliance with BJP.
Interestingly, Karra resigned from PDP and Lok Sabha days after separatist Hurriyat issued an appeal to mainstream politicians to quit the parties and posts and join the ongoing agitation against the killing of wani. Significantly, like the Hurriyat, he also appealed to the “ Conscience” of other leader to follow his footsteps.
Uri fidayeen attack inflicted high casualties among soldier, which has brought Kashmir in focus and once again highlighted the need to adopt and active strategy to eliminate terrorist from J&K. No government can ignore the death of 18 soldiers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has responded by saying that the perpetrators of the attack will not go unpunished.
These incidents come at a time when the security apparatus has had its hands full. For over two months now, the forces have been trying to control the stone throwing youth in valley. A deadly attack in the midst of the turmoil that had engulfed Kashmir suggests that this is time for some serious strategic and tactical thought. India will not only have to calibrate its response vis-à-vis Pakistan.
Despite additional troops being moved into South Kashmir –the epicenter of the protests- the youth are not showing signs of exhaustion. Senior officials believe that this Pakistan’s way of boosting the civil unrest keeping the troops tied down and making New Delhi pay for its Balochistan belligerence.
The Valley’s senior-most army officer has warned that the combination of terrorist and agitators is proving to be a challenge. The killing of the Jawans compounds the Problem and while the temptation will be to crack down the government must distinguish between increasing the cost for Pakistan and offering relief to the Kashmiris who were kept indoors even on Eid. The attack makes it imperative for New Delhi to be cautious and calibrate its response.
The state government has adopted a soft and permissive attitude towards people collaborating with terrorism. The government must adopt a professional and strict approach in dealing with collaborators. Militancy has survived and, in fact, prospered because of the help it has received from its back ground supporters. Action must be initiated against such supporters.
This will help in breaking ‘ideological motivation and drying up resources which the terrorist enjoy among the local people. India’s strategy should focus on aggressive action to end terrorism and to isolate the local population from their influence. It should also emphasize on active domination of our borders to deny any possibility of infiltration. A more aggressive and active posture against Pakistan should be adopted considering its role in keeping the pot boiling in the valley at all times.
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