JAMMU: A very disturbing situation is emerging in Kashmir; and the most alarming is resurfacing of terrorists in Srinagar city which had not seen terror attacks and encounters for many years. There were three encounters in a single day on Saturday – one each in central, south and north Kashmir. The most critical one was in Khanyar area of Srinagar where the people had forgotten such a thing decades ago. It is very difficult to recall such encounters in at least past two decades.
This should take the authorities and the public alike to the basic question-why it is happening at this point in time as also who all are involved. The second logical question is what is that these terrorists want to achieve.
According to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, these acts of terror were an ugly manifestation of the terrorists and their backers of the frustration which gripped them after successful Assembly polls, universally hailed as the most free and fair one in perfectly peaceful atmosphere that Kashmir had not seen for the past over 40 years . This is perfect assessment of the situation in which terrorists and their mentors sitting across the border were orchestrating from across the border. They all want to keep the pot boiling in Kashmir, suggesting that all is not well in the Valley with a broader focus that elections were not an all-time package for peace and prosperity. Terrorists are wrong. The vote was for consolidation of peace and progressive outlook, that’s why they are desperate to launch package of terror attacks. There should be no confusion on this count; Pakistan’s involvement is clear in each and every terror attack. The game plan seems to give a feeling to Kashmir and its residents that they were safe only as long as they wanted them to be. They want to establish their writ yet again. This should be understood that Pakistan is no friend of Kashmiris, irrespective of the matter whatever it might say. The repeated clamour that “Pakistan is offering political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris fighting for their right to self-determination,” is a big deception. Pakistan is trying to sell multiple messages in its package that Kashmiris can breathe easy till the time Pakistan doesn’t open its gunfire through its hired terrorists. Second, it is putting spokes in their peace and an outlook at bright future. Nothing more, nothing less. Third, it is back to its game in drawing attention of the foreign governments toward the violence in the Valley, attributing it to home-made insurgency.
Kashmir of today is capable enough to see through this Pakistani game. As long as there were no terrorist-initiated actions, there were no encounters, peace was there, and they were contributors and partners in that peace-building effort along with the LG administration and security agencies . The government was very clear that there is no place for terrorism in civilized society that prompted it to take several measures to redraw map of peace in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 . All-out anti-terror operations broke edifice of the terror- structure in the Valley. That pressure made the ant-peace elements to retreat. Peace and normalcy started advancing and made its presence felt for the people – they could experience physical peace in which they were out of the fear of the past, and they also started realizing the effect on their lives. For the first time it dawned on them that the peace did not exist in rhetoric, it had come down to the ground and that too solidly. This was nothing short of a miracle for them. They loved the miracle and its spell on their lives.
Pakistan is seeking to wreck that by its traditional and obsolete methods- killing and injuring innocent civilians, this time additional focus is on non-local workers and to engage security forces in encounters . This time something different is happening. In late 1980s, the militancy or terrorism started from urban areas and spread out to the countryside. Now the militancy from the countryside is descending to the urban areas. All this needs special attention, especially the modus-operandi of Pakistan. It’s time that all put their heads together to find out how this menace is eliminated in time before it is too late.