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Journalism of Courage
At Udhampur, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam stayed true to his increasingly popular moniker, 8220;the people8217;s president8221;. On a whirlwind visit to Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday he urged the security forces to address the fear psychosis that has had the people of the state in its grip for well over a decade. In a season of renewed peace moves, this appeal dovetails neatly, and critically, with current efforts to foster normalcy. It humanises current security drills to defeat cross-border terrorism and rid enclaves like Hill Kaka of entrenched militants and makeshift training camps. It also lends focus to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed8217;s election promise to provide a healing touch.
It is not so much that it is ever forgotten that fighting terrorism must be a two-track process: Vanquishing the militants as well as reassuring the wider populace. Sadly, however, the second objective is often accorded a low priority, given the exigencies and expediencies involved in pursuing terrorists and defeating their designs. The fallout can be disastrous, as examples from recent years illustrate. Action against innocent folks in cases of mistaken identity, hamhandedly organised cordon-and-search operations, manoeuvres against militants that leave ordinary men, women and children stranded 8212; all of these foster rage and fear. And alienation. Admittedly, such distortions are rare and mostly inadvertent. But no matter, even one such lapse doesn8217;t stack up very fetchingly against the series of successful operations. There is no denying the provocation offered by terrorists, or the reprehensible instruments of fear and coercion they deploy. But then, who ever said fighting terror is an equal contest?
