- By all indications as enunciated by the Union Government, the law and order situation in Jammu & Kashmir is well under control. The statistics bandied out by the Union Home Ministry mention that the incidents of terrorist attacks and the overall acts of terrorism are reduced considerably as compared to previous years. Undoubtedly, cross-border terrorism and infiltration efforts have seen a drastic reduction in the last couple of years. With the Union Territories under the administrative control of the Home Ministry, the law and order situation generally appears to be on the mend. Of course, the local people and the political parties are demanding in unison to undertake state assembly elections without any further delay. Justifiably so.
PC: Freepik
- As you are aware, the delimitation exercise of the region that was started by the administration has already concluded. Even though the local political parties raised questions about the exercise, there is not much they can change vis-à-vis the same but to accept what has been already concluded. Despite claims to the contrary and in a worrying sign, targeted killings have resumed in J&K resulting in the death of yet another Kashmiri Pandit recently. Note how last year’s murderous spree by terrorists had claimed the lives of Kashmiri Pandits, non-Kashmiri migrant labourers, and locals who were seen as supporters of the administration. Often, Kashmiri Pandits forcefully demonstrate how they were not happy with the law and order situation in the valley.
- Although the J&K police had called 2022 a very successful year in terms of anti-terror operations – 172 terrorists were neutralized – it’s also true that targeted killings are a chilling reminder of what still haunts Kashmir. The tragic sub-story is that Kashmiri Pandits are now prime terror targets again given the Union Government’s focus on the resettlement and jobs programme for the community, and also thanks to terrorists’ and their Pakistani backers’ frustration at the success of the joint security mechanism. This has, post nullification of Article 370 in 2019, kept the security situation in J&K relatively stable. Terrorists switched to targeted killings using existing over-ground networks – many affiliated with these are juveniles and not on police watchlists. Unflatteringly, experts are calling this hybrid militancy.
PC: Freepik
- Indeed, assassinating Kashmiri Pandits serves terrorists’ dual purpose of communalizing tragedy and undermining any sense of normalcy among locals. The only way to snuff out this threat is by cutting off oxygen to the entire terror-radicalism ecosystem. And that cannot be achieved through security measures alone, in part because extensive combing operations, even when they catch the real bad guys, have their own negative impact. Kashmir needs political representation – not just to give locals a chance to elect a new government but to check the spread of radicalism. Election Commission has a window as summer approaches and mountain passes melt. The call must be taken to carry out the election within this window.
