The terror attack in Pulwama (J & K) which killed more than 30 CRPF personnel is a grim reminder of the fact that these things are not possible if the ‘friendly’ regime in Pakistan deal with them seriously. The Pakistan based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed the responsibility of this suicide attack. We know that on both the sides of border, there are people who do not wish peace and love between the two nation even when it is a known fact that a majority of the people both in India and Pakistan wish peace and good relationship with each other. No organisation can carry such blasts unless they have got powerful support of the establishment.
Narendra Modi’s government has completely failed in bringing peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. It tried to play with Kashmir and use the situation for its political purposes in rest of India. There is no political initiative in the state. Today, it is run directly under the Central government and yet situation is tense and uncontrolled. The government and its establishment is completely concluded that the issue is totally administrative and to dealt with iron hand and militarily which is self destructive.
As India go for polls in the coming days, we might face more efforts from those who want India to be in perpetual crisis. We know a failed government will communalise it at all level as they want the elections to be fought on the binaries of hindus and Muslims. Their PR agencies are already working over time to create riots in the college campuses and this dastardly attack too will be used as a tool.
The security forces are doing a tough job in Kashmir. The government has created a situation where the work of our Jawans , who live far away from their families, have become not only physically challenging but mentally disturbing for them. Those who shouts slogans in their paid headquarters must know that fighting a battle all the time create lots of distress. It become more difficult if you have alienated the majority of the people of the area.
The answer to terrorist organisation like the Jaish lies in our combine strength and determination to stay together and resolve all our issues democratically. Jargon and chest thumping do not work at the battle field. The fact of the matter is Kashmir for Pakistan is their unfinished task of justification of two nation theory. India’s respective governments failed in respecting the sentiments of the Kashmir people and continued to play with its sentiments and fixing it up in their nationalistic agenda. The ground situation worsened as economy crashed, political system was just for the name sake and presence of armed forces all the time.
In the last five years, the attempt to isolate Kashmiris and term each one of them as anti national, deliberately provoking and challenging them even when they might have been raising their genuine demands have finally backfired. Today, the Kashmiri youths are isolated and the Islamic Jehadis in Pakistan want to play with it and convert the entire battle between the Muslims and non Muslims. The Sangh Parivar and its various offshoots have only helped aggravate the situation and given much ammunition to these radicals on the other side of the border to create narrative that Muslims cant get any justice in India. You can not build bridges with people by one side lynching people, challenging their loyalty to nation and deny them justice.
Pakistan’s ruling apparatus has definitely been still instrumental in such ghastly crime and the Imran Khan led government will have to show some spine to take these terror organisations head on. There can not be a compromise on such issues which threaten the local people and sandwich them between the terrorists and security forces.
This is a sad day. These jawans who serve our nation through forces are actually sons of our Kisans, the farmers. Most of them come from difficult backgrounds and look for a better life. It is time when the government strengthen the political process in the valley, bringing normalcy there and speak tough to Pakistan. If a terror organisation is openly taking up responsibility then it need to be dealt with all seriousness. Irresponsible talks and show of masculinity for making the political devotees happy will only boomrang. We know the street rabble-rousers will find it useful to build their anti Muslim narrative which might suit their political interest but will be detrimental for the nation.
The answer lies in winning Kashmir with big heart, more decentralisation, more democratisation, allowing political parties and civil society to flourish and rule through people and not via the agents of the Delhi sarkar. Government need to investigate the issue seriously and take appropriate measures but I reiterate again, dont treat Kashmir issue a purely administrative one. Speak to diverse sections of people, bring them to negotiation table and only then the terrorists and their promoters can be isolated and made destroyed.
Again, we condemn these killings of Jawans of our forces and express our deep condolences with the families of these martyrs who dedicated their lives for our safety and security. It is also time to think of better and democratic strategies to bring normalcy in the valley so that army and para military forces can crush any cross border attempt to create unrest in the valley. Using paramilitary and army for domestic purposes as administrative bodies like local police actually make the work of these organisations difficult and tense. The jawans hail from different regions and find it tougher to deal these situations which need local help which is only possible if you understand local sentiments and respect the cultural values. Therefore, it is essential that government leave its obsession of handling J & K from Delhi and central forces but encourage local leadership in handling this. Let government create an environment now so that political process take the center stage and our forces focus on ensuring our borders safe so that such gruesome and dastardly attacks are not repeated and innocent lives are not lost.
– Vidya Bhushan Rawat
