Abnormal methods to deal with abnormal neighbour

Pakistan’s Kashmir-related terrorist operations are radically reoriented by its planners. The focus of the terrorists has shifted from Kashmir valley to the Eastern Pir Panjal range. Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi and the hilly areas of Kathua, all falling in Jammu Division, have seen numerous terrorist attacks in recent months.

It does not mean that the valley is not on their radar. Encounters are taking place in the districts of Pulwama, Anantnag, and Shopian. Action has also been seen in the Baramulla and Bandipore districts. Many of our brave hearts have been martyred.

Terrorists find that clandestine crossing of the International border is safer and easier than the route over the perilous peaks clad with snow for most of the year. Therefore, we have to adopt fresh tactics for pushing the terrorists across the international border. 

Kashmir Valley Muslims have belatedly understood that direct or indirect support to the ISI means inviting destruction. They have reservations about extending covert or overt support to militancy. The Pakistani ISI feels that India has turned the tide and as a consequence, Pakistan no longer enjoys the support of the local civilian population, especially in the hilly regions.  

Jammu has nearly 12,000 sq. km of forest cover while Kashmir has hardly 8200 sq. km. Therefore, the Jammu region provides the infiltrators with more hiding places than Kashmir. The ISI knows that strategically the international border area is more vulnerable as tunnels can be dug and arms and ammunition clandestinely transported. The Jammu region is more convenient for the above-ground and underground workers whose number runs in thousands and who are assuming a crucial role in spreading terrorism and bringing updated intelligence to the infiltrators. The Muslim population on the southern side of the Pir Panjal is more or less dispersed whereas in the valley it is densely concentrated. All these factors are conducive to the widening of the terrorist canvas.

On the ground, there is no let-off in trans-border terrorism in J&K. The Lt Governor and the central leadership must realise that they have been over optimistic in their assessments that militancy and terrorism have been uprooted in Kashmir. Targets like economic development, full-scale employment, raising the GDP of the people, streamlining connectivity, opening degree colleges, medical colleges, IITs and AIIMS etc. in Tehsils and districts are expected to give hope and deradicalize the youth in Kashmir. Did any one among the political leaders of the valley ever recognize the largesse of the NDA government? The Gupkaris were never tired of hurling abuses at the central power. Prime Minister Modi addressed a mammoth gathering of nearly 2 lakh people during his previous visit to Srinagar.  In his hour-long speech, he touched on each and every aspect of Kashmir’s situation.

Fifteen centuries ago, the great warrior king of Kashmir, Lalitaditya had issued an order to his revenue official to ensure that no land-owner retained more than a year’s paddy stock in his granary. All extra quantities of grains had to be confiscated. He averred that once the landholder finds he has stocks to last more than a year, he wastes no time in raising the banner of insurgency. In a sense, even Sheikh Abdullah thought the same way and hence he got the sobriquet of olav Bub meaning the potato-providing grandpa.

What is the way out? War? No, remember what Modi told Putin: “This is not the era of war”. India should never go to war on this issue. We are losing the count of deaths of armed and security personnel martyred in the years following Balakot.

A country is run by diplomacy (hikmat), not war. India has to take recourse to pro-active diplomacy. In modern times, in the era of highly advanced information technology, diplomacy and subterfuge have to play a crucial role. Pakistan employed this tactic and found weapons to inflict a thousand cuts on the body of India.

In response to India’s allegations that Pakistan was resorting to cross-border terrorism in J&K, did any world power or organization take action? PM Modi has been raising the lone voice cautioning the world against the proliferation of the terrorist philosophy. Did any country give him anything beyond lip service? Even today, when we know who was involved in the 9/11 tragedy, the covert accomplices of the perpetrators are provided with highly sophisticated weaponry and financial aid to stoke the embers of terrorism. In response to India’s protests, Pakistan made its patent response that under the UN Charter, she had the right to provide diplomatic, moral and logistical support to the externally sponsored insurgents in Kashmir. The world community accepted the dubious argument and let India bleed.

India must pay back in the same coin. India should not hope to secure peace along the border because that will never be the scenario. India must break the jinx with stratagems within the territory of the adversary. The Baluch, the Pashtun (TTP), the Sindhis, the Gilgatis, Baltis, the Shia, Ahmadiyas, the Hindu and the Christian minorities all are appealing to the world community to liberate them from the clutches of the oppressive Punjabi masters of Pakistan. India must play her role not as an aggressor or invader but as a secular, democratic, and humanitarian state fulfilling its obligations as a member of the international fraternity. The UN Charter does not exclude the right to military intervention to safeguard the rights of the oppressed. Iran has created proxies to fight Israel at various strategic fronts; Pakistan has created lashkars, Jaishes, Junds Hizbs etc. to fight non-Sunnis at home and India in Kashmir. 

The solution to Kashmir cancer lies in two suggestions. One is that  anti-fundamentalist-terrorist outfits within Pakistan hold the potential of wrecking the monster, and the second is that India should divert  developmental funds earmarked for J&K over the next five years towards strengthening the anti-Pak elements within and outside that country. Abnormal methods have to be employed to deal with an abnormal neighbour.