Indian Army’s target list

By JK Verma
New Delhi. 31 May 2017.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh while addressing a public gathering at Sikkim on May 21 emphatically stated that the present government has chalked out a plan for the permanent solution of Kashmir problem. Although he refused to narrate the details of the strategy due to security reasons but his statement is significant as at present law and order situation has deteriorated in the valley. He also mentioned that Pakistan is creating trouble in the valley by assisting separatists as it wants to destabilize India.

Amit Shah the powerful President of ruling Bhartiya Janta Party also mentioned recently that Kashmir unrest is limited only in three and half districts of Jammu and Kashmir and the problem would be solved permanently in near future.

Hizbul Mujahedeen’s latest terrorist batch – South Block Sources

The law and order situation is considerably worsened after security forces eliminated Burhan Muzaffar Wani commander of Hizbul Mujahideen in an encounter on July 8, 2016. Only 7.14 percent votes were cast in the election of Srinagar Lok Sabha seat held on April 9, 2017 and bypoll of Anantnag Lok Sabha seat scheduled to be held on April 12 was postponed by election commission in view of poor law and order situation. According to media reports more than 3000 security personnel were injured in over 200 violent occurrences in the state after the killing of Wani.

The incidents of infiltration, stone-pelting, demonstrations and strikes have considerably enhanced. In fact now school going boys and girls are also participating in stone-pelting. The separatist has very methodically turned Kashmir movement from an independence movement to the religious agitation for the creation of an Islamic state. The Sufi culture of Kashmir is changed and separatists have evicted Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and other non-Muslims from the valley. The Kashmiri Sufi Imams of the mosques were replaced by hardcore fundamentalist Imams who preach against secularism and democracy and talk about the promulgation of Nizam-e-Mustafa and establishment of Islamic rule in the state. The public address systems of mosques are used by separatists in gathering over ground workers and stone-pelters against security forces and to defend the terrorists. Recently Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander Abu Dujana who carries a reward of Rs.15 Lakh on his head escaped from the clutches of security forces because of stone-pelting mob.

Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed Chief Minister of J&K, who is in favour of negotiations with Hurriyat leaders, recently faced a mob of women who shouted anti-government and pro-independence slogans in an official function organised by J&K State Rural Development Ministry.

There are reports that Rohingya Muslims who were shunted out from Myanmar are settled in J&K by separatists so that number of Muslims enhances in the state. Analysts claim that Inter Service Intelligence (ISI), separatists as well as Islamic State are recruiting these poor, helpless Rohingya Muslims for terrorist activities in state as well as in other parts of India.

In view of the declining law and order situation, government has adopted stringent measures which will give fruitful results in future. Present government has rejected the idea of negotiations with separatists. Political leadership of previous governments have already talked with Hurriyat leaders as well as with secessionist elements umpteen number of times but Kashmir problem was not solved. The present Modi government has realised that Hurriyat leaders are financed by Pakistan hence they will never solve Kashmir problem as they are part of the problem. Hence no concession or facility including security cover should be provided to Hurriyat leaders. It is unfortunate that the grandson of Gilani was given employment in J&K government after bending the rules.

It is a welcome move that National Investigation Agency (NIA) has initiated an investigation about the financial assistance received by Kashmiri separatist leaders including Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Farooq Ahmad & Hurriyat Conference leaders from terrorist outfits including L-e-T. It is a well known fact that sinister ISI has created several terrorist outfits including L-e-T to foment trouble in India especially in J&K. In this way Pakistan was financing Hurriyat leaders through terrorist outfits constituted by ISI. It is the reason that the protests are not spontaneous but are well planned and systematic.

Money plays a vital role in any secessionist movement and if Indian security forces minimize the flow of funds it will break the backbone of the movement and the separatists would not be able to continue fight for a longer time without financial assistance from Pakistan and forces against India.

The stone-pelters and their organizers are paid and they are working for monetary gains. The demonstrations and stone-pelting was minimized as an after effect of demonetisation. Analysts claim that as security agencies successfully restricted the flow of funds the terrorists were compelled to loot the banks. After the probe stringent action should be taken against separatist leaders who were receiving financial assistance from Pakistan or from the powers inimical to India.

Indian army, Central Police Organisations (CPOs) and J&K police have launched joint search and cordon operations in the troubled areas of the state including villages of Kulgam and Shopian Districts in this month although the stone-pelters tried to obstruct the operation but more than 3000 security personnel were involved in search operations hence it continued. These search operations are very significant and have far reaching effects. Firstly it will expose over ground workers who are assisting directly or indirectly to the terrorists, few terrorists might be caught or they can be eliminated during the search operations. It is also possible that these terrorists take shelter in forests instead of villages and it will be easy to exterminate them in forests as there will be no over ground workers to assist them. In search operations illegal arms used by terrorists can also be unearthed.
Besides search operations there are several encounters in which security forces killed quite a few terrorists including Sabzar Ahmad Bhat commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and successor of Burhan Wani. The killings of terrorists boost the morale of security forces and dishearten the terrorists.

Every year in summer months Pakistan infiltrate large number of terrorists in J&K. Now Indian security forces are guarding the borders more meticulously and there are several encounters in which either the infiltrators were killed or they had to return back to Pakistan. As security forces are exterminating terrorists speedily ISI wanted to infiltrate more and more terrorists so that there is no peace in the valley. According to reports more than 200 Pakistani terrorists are waiting at the borders to infiltrate in J&K.

Just few days back valiant Indian army has also foiled an attempt of cowardice Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan to kidnap, kill and mutilate the bodies of Indian soldiers in Uri sector. Indian security forces not only thwarted the infiltration attempt of BAT but also killed two BAT terrorists.

The surgical strike made by Indian army on September 29 soon after terrorist attack on Army Camp in Uri also gave a stern message to Pakistan as well as to terrorists. In the surgical strike Indian forces attacked seven launching pads inside Pak Occupied Kashmir (POK) and killed more than 50 terrorists, Pakistani security personnel as well as guides. Although Pakistani defence forces denied surgical strike but afterwards they have shifted the launch pads deep inside POK. The surgical strike was a courageous move but India has to obliterate not only the launching pads but even terrorist training camps have to be destroyed so that stern message go to Pakistan that the present government has will and strength to take punitive action against the infiltration efforts. Indian forces are legally authorized to enter POK as it is part of India.

On May 13 about 3000 Kashmiri youths took part in the recruitment drive of J&K police and 800 Kashmiri youths appeared in the Army’s common entrance Examination held in Srinagar on May 28, 2017, in this way Kashmiri youths have defied the bandh call given by the separatists. It indicates that Kashmiris want peace but the common people are afraid of the terrorists, if the security forces annihilate terrorists and law and order is established the common masses would abandon separatists and would start leading the peaceful life.

General Bipin Rawat has boosted the moral of security forces by awarding Chief’s Commendation Medal to Major Leetul Gogoi who tied a stone-pelter in the army jeep to safeguard lives of personnel who were on election duty.
Security forces as well as political leadership should work together so that evicted Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and all other persons who left the valley because of worsened law and order situation return back. Land should also be given to Ex. Servicemen in Kashmir especially near the international borders so that they can also check the infiltration attempts.

Last but not the least political leadership at central as well as state level should try to convince Kashmiris, human right activists as well as to the nation about the futility of article 370 and the need to abolish it. Article 370 has neither benefitted Kashmir nor to the nation, in fact it is a big hurdle in assimilation of Kashmir in India.

The firm policies of the present government would yield positive results and Kashmir will become normal and peaceful soon. Once law and order is restored then efforts should be made for rapid development of the state and employment generation policies should be adopted.
(Jai Kumar Verma is a Delhi-based strategic analyst and a retired R&AW officer. The views in the article are solely the author’s. He can be contacted at editor.adu@gmail.com