On December 13, militants sneaked into the headquarters of the SpecialOperations Group, killing a dozen policemen including a deputysuperintendent of police. A twenty-four hour Army operation and twoFidayeens8217; killed. Though not the first Fidayeen attack, it was for thefirst time that a local militant, Reyaz Ahmad who died in the attack,was part of a suicidal mission.
After years of silence, the local youth seem to have started joiningmilitancy again. This is evident with the increasing number of assaultsfiguring local involvement. Around 20 IEDs were detonated by militantsduring the past month alone. Especially in downtown Srinagar, the erstwhilemilitant hub, militants have started re-appearing, hurling grenades,detonating landmines, before disappearing. Security agencies believesuch attacks are not being carried out by foreign militants but bytheir local accomplices.
Sources reveal around 750-800 Kashmiri youngsters crossed over for armstraining in 1999. As against this, police records show, only 70 local boyswent out to join militant ranks in 1998. Majority of them are beingrecruited by pan-Islamic outfits like Lashkar, Harkat and Al-Badr, with aclear aim to localise their otherwise foreign militant-dominated outfits.
Interestingly, most of these local youth, generally in their teens, were earlier declared 8220;missing8221; by police after their parents had lodged missing reports. Police records put the number of 8220;missing8221; youth at 400 from Valley alone.
The growing local factor is worrying the security forces here, though theyfeel that this new-brand of militancy, entirely inspired by religion, willnot attract local youth beyond a particular point. However, these pan-Islamic groups are focussing to involve as many locals as possible and provide them with rigorous arms and religious training. 8220;Unlike local Kashmiri militant outfits who randomly recruited thousands in their ranks in early 1990s, these groups are not only selective but also emphasise on motivation through religious teachings,8221; sources said.
If the revival of militancy has been foreign-dominated, why should local youth take up arms again and join them? The reason is well understood on the streets of Kashmir. Though a large number of non-Kashmiri militants sneaked into the Valley last year, for the troops the involvement of locals is deemed a bigger threat. Reason: locals cannot be fought militarily alone. As nothing was ever done to address the alienation of common Kashmiris, it is like ignoring the disease and curing the symptom.
Lack of a policy to deal with the political aspect of Kashmir problem makesit easier for the revived militancy to fill the void. 8220;The Centre has justone policy to offer. Pump security forces into Kashmir to kill militants.This one-track policy has and will never help to resolve the issue. Theyneed to address the problem politically, economically besides militarily,8221;said a Kashmir University professor. 8220;As long as alienation from Indiacontinues and Pakistan keeps supporting insurgency, militancy will returnagain and again.8221;
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A peaceful resolution to the imbroglio is a distant cry as the Kashmir policy of both Pakistan and India is based entirely on war. Pakistan, otherwise a fragmented society, unites only on one issue 8212; Kashmir. And this has also been proven true with India; the most vivid example being the euphoria created during the Kargil war. Domestic compulsions in both the countries to be rigid somehow keep the pot boiling in the Valley.
Another reason for resurgence of militancy, according to some observers, isthe failure of National Conference Government to deliver the goods aftertaking over in 1996. It was a time when security forces were in controland the local population was craving for peace to return. 8220;People8217;s highexpectations from this Government were not met even in over three yearsof its rule,8221; said Tahir Mohideen, columnist and editor of a local weekly.8220;The National Conference had come to power with a clear-cut agenda ofrestoration of pre-1953 status to the State. But after getting a two-thirdmajority, they ignored it,8221; he said.
The pro-Centre stance taken by NC Government is also being cited as areason for return of militancy. 8220;NC leaders completely diluted regionalcharacter of the party. It has turned even more pro-Centre than Congress inmany ways,8221; Mohideen said.
A former militant leader-turned NC legislator Firdous Sayeed alias BabarBadar too agrees that the hopes and expectations common Kashmiris hadpinned on their political Government were shattered. 8220;The 1996 mandate tous was clear. It was for security, responsive administration and restorationof autonomy. And we failed to deliver,8221; he said. 8220;The common man votedfor the NC with a hope to end fear and feel secure on the street. This did not happen and death and destruction continued,8221; he said.
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Mohammad Yousuf Parrey alias Kuka Parrey, a top counter-insurgent turnedmember of the Legislative Assembly, also puts blame on 8220;mis-governance8221;by the ruling NC. Parrey, who along with an army of counter-insurgents hadhelped the security forces to control militancy between 1994-96, said, 8220;Mymen fought without salaries, uniforms and stars. When they were killedfighting militants, they did not even get ex-gratia.8221;
Unlike Parrey, Badar believes this fresh wave of militancy will not be ableto sustain for long. 8220;Once these pan-Islamic groups take control ofmilitancy, a confrontation with the All Parties8217; Hurriyat Conference iscertain,8221; he said. 8220;These outfits will not accept any political authorityas Jehad goes much beyond the Hurriyat struggle for right of self-determination.8221;
Acting Hurriyat Chairman Umar Farooq also believes that once the militaryaspect of the movement goes up, the political movement will surely beaffected. 8220;We are trying to make sure that our agendas don8217;t clash,8221; hesaid. Responding to the growth of pan-Islamic militant outfits in Kashmir,where the Hurriyat leadership enjoys no influence, he claimed, 8220;We aretrying to establish contact with these groups as we had in the past withmilitant conglomerate Shorai-Jehad8217;.8221;
The ruling NC disowns responsibility for the return of militancy.8220;Pakistan is the main factor, though many world powers are playing theirgame of chess on our land,8221; said Sheikh Nazir Ahamd, NC general secretary.8220;They managed to push in a large number of die-hard militants during theKargil war and you are witnessing its ramifications. They Pakistan arehitting us below the belt. The State Government has no role in it.8221;
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Sheikh blamed Centre8217;s 8220;wrong policies8221; towards the State as one of themajor internal reasons for the turmoil. He claimed that if the Centre hadbeen sincere enough to address to the root of this problem, it would havehelped Kashmir to build its shattered economy. 8220;We have 2,500 mw powerpotential in the State which would change the economic scenario overnight.We ask for investment; the Centre says they have no money. We tell them wewill seek investment from abroad; they are not ready for counter-guarantee.They allowed it in Maharashtra but not to us,8221; he said.
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