Turning on the terror

The fierce fighting at the Kargil, Drass and Batalik sectors sometimes finds an echo in places quite a distance away. When intruders at t...

The fierce fighting at the Kargil, Drass and Batalik sectors sometimes finds an echo in places quite a distance away. When intruders at the border are forced to flee under the assault of the Indian armed forces, their compatriots operating within Jammu and Kashmir find it expedient to try and settle scores by striking terror in vulnerable pockets elsewhere in the state.

Their target is the familiar one of cowardly terrorists everywhere 8212; innocent people who have little to do with the great hatreds spawned for strategic ends. The objects of their righteous ire and murderous fire are innocent women and children, awoken rudely from sleep only to be slain, or poor migrant communities who often get caught in the crossfire in their desperate search for a livelihood.

Three massacres have occurred over four days in Jamp;K recently 8212; the latest having occurred on Thursday, when nine members of two families were massacred in Mendhar tehsil in Poonch, which had incidentally witnessed a similar incident just fourdays earlier. There have also been a string of political assassinations, with the National Conference in particular losing several of its local activists.

What is distressing is that these may not be the only tragedies that this season of late summer will witness. Last year too, in this very season, weddings in Doda had turned to funerals and, on one occasion, 35 sleeping migrants in Chamba, in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, were found butchered one August night. At that time, the Central and state governments had hurriedly convened meetings, disbursed additional funds and sworn to fight the terrorist threat.

There was some respite of course but, as it turned out, it was a temporary and perhaps even false one. Some defence analysts have even argued that the attempt to contain the resurgence of terrorism in the Valley had led to a lowering of guard in areas like Kargil as forces meant to protect the nation8217;s borders in northern Kashmir were rushed to manage the security situation in places like Doda andAnantnag.

The recent massacres also remind the nation of the numerous implications of the Kargil face-off. Pushing Pakistani army regulars out of Indian territory is, ultimately, only half the battle. To effectively counter the Pakistani threat at the border, it is crucial to monitor and counter it in other regions of the state. Last year, after the Doda massacres, one of the important observations made by politicians and social activists was that unless the local people were actively won over and given a stake in maintaining peace in the region, there will be no end to such tragedies.

The recent series of massacres indicate that this was not adequately translated into policy. Last year, Home Minister L.K. Advani had referred to the fight against militancy in Jamp;K as a 8220;challenge and opportunity8221;. Well, it seems that the challenge and opportunity still exist and needs to be addressed effectively and immediately.