Security forces sullen over fall of Vajpayee Government

SRINAGAR, APRIL 18: The fall of the Vajpayee Government has come as a shock to the security forces in the Valley, who feel they enjoyed c...

SRINAGAR, APRIL 18: The fall of the Vajpayee Government has come as a shock to the security forces in the Valley, who feel they enjoyed considerable backing from the coalition in their fight against militancy.

The feeling is shared from an Army officer to a Border Security Force BSF jawan in a bunker here, though the logic behind the disappointment vary. 8220;It is this government that could muster courage to go against the West and conduct nuclear tests,8221; a Major of a Rashtriya Rifles RR unit said. 8220;National security had been at the top of their agenda and it is evident from the support the troops received here while tackling insurgency,8221; he affirmed.

A BSF officer, commanding a battalion in Srinagar downtown, said, 8220;We are laying our lives here defending the country8217;s sovereignty. At least the BJP had that spirit of national pride to keep us going,8221; he said. For Prem Singh, a BSF jawan from Rajasthan, there is more emotion than logic behind the disappointment. Sympathy seems to lie more withVajpayee than his party. 8220;Vajpayeeji is great. We like him, he should have not been forced to step down,8221; he said. Nearly all the jawans in his bunker were staunch supporters of the BJP, because of its nationalistic8217; character. A BSF officer said, 8220;The general feeling is that the old man should have been allowed to carry on and stabilise the nation,8221; he said. 8220;The security force officers on counter-insurgency duty here had a soft corner for the Vajpayee Government for its rejuvenation of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan slogan,8221; the officer said.

8220;The middle-rung officers and the jawans, however, identify more with this Government and the senior Cabinet ministers visiting forward posts like Siachen and interacting with them. This always has an emotional appeal,8221; he said.

But the officer admitted in the same breath that nothing has changed on the ground-level during these 13 months. But the Lahore trip seems to have made an impact.

An officer said, 8220;To put an end to this violence, there is aneed to improve relations with Pakistan so that they stop abetting militancy here,8221; he said. 8220; Vajpayee had managed to normalise relations with Pakistan to a great extent.8221;

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More