DNA Edit: Deaths in the Valley

Contrary to the government’s claim that militancy and terrorism have ebbed drastically in Kashmir, the killing of Indian soldiers and jawans stationed in the Valley is taking place at a steady clip. Last weekend, terrorists mercilessly gunned down Sepoy Irfan Ahmad Dar of the 175 Territorial Army while he was off-duty. Dastardly killings like these, that can find no semblance of honour in any code of war, are increasingly taking place in the Valley. In May this year, Lt Umar Fayaz was kidnapped from a family function and shot dead in cold blood by militants in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. His unfortunate killing was followed in late September by the deplorable murder of Constable Mohammad Ramzan Parray in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district. With each and every one of these brutal killings, it is the credibility of the government and reputation of the security establishment in the Valley that becomes the casualty.

The overwhelming message that reaches out to the people is that working with the Indian government in any capacity will eventually be met with grave consequences. This is gravely unjust to the youth given that many of them join the police and paramilitary forces for gainful employment. Such incidents are immensely damaging to their morale. The need of the hour is to respond to such murders in the same coin. A strong message should be sent across to the terrorists that the Indian Armed Forces will not be mute spectators to such craven killings. In a manner, the Armed Forces have succeeded in doing just that by neutralising an incredible 195 terrorists this year compared to 165 in 2016 and 113 before that. However, the death of Dar shows that the Indian security establishment and the intelligence network has been lagging behind when it comes to delivering the coup de grace to terrorism in the Valley.