Turbulence in Kashmir halts counter-insurgency operations, giving safe haven to terrorists.
Even as the terror attack on a military base in Jammu and Kashmir has given political ammunition to the Opposition to target the government, a pattern since the 1999 Kargil war shows that there hasn’t been any let up in suicide or fidayeen attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. While the last two and half years of NDA-rule led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have already witnessed 10 such attacks, the decade-long UPA rule under Manmohan Singh experienced 43 similar strikes. Interestingly, the only exception has been a two-year period between 2011 and 2012, when no such incident was reported.
On Sunday when the Prime Minister strongly condemned the attack, promising that "those behind the despicable attack will not go unpunished", the Opposition reminded him his September 2013 speech in Rewari, Haryana, saying “till we have a capable government in Delhi, which is nationalistic and committed to protect every citizen, we can’t guarantee security.” This rally was held in the backdrop of twin suicide strikes killing 13 including four policemen and four army personnel, including Lieutenant Colonel Bikramjeet Singh (39) in Samba District. “India has lost more jawans to bullets of terrorists than enemies from across the border.”
Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav, in his Facebook post, recommended a "complete jaw for one tooth". He wrote: "The PM has promised that those behind the Uri terror attack will not go unpunished. That should be the way forward. For one tooth, the complete jaw. Days of so-called strategic restraint are over."
But the Congress leaders, including former defence minister AK Antony, deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh and former minister Jitendra Singh, mocked him. Questioning the policy of appeasement resorted to by the Modi government, both towards Pakistan and the handling terrorism in Kashmir, Amarinder Singh, who is also spearheading party’s electoral campaign in Punjab said, “we as a nation need to tell it to Pakistan in simple and straight terms that enough is enough and we are not going to take it any more”.
Antony described the attack as "a serious security lapse". He said the incident, coming close on the heels of what happened in Pathankot, is a huge security lapse."The Kashmir issue is drifting and reaching dangerous propositions. All this is happening with the knowledge of Pakistan," he added. Jitendra Singh, who started the political blame game, said that the Modi government should stop diplomacy of sarees, biryanis, sweets, shawls and should instead send a hard-hitting message to Pakistan.
Over the years more hardened and determined lot of militants have sneaked in to carry out sensational and deadly attacks. One such daring such attack, similar fashion to the one in Uri, which went largely unreported, took place on November 25, 2015, when three JeM militants attacked the army camp near the LoC at Tanghdar in North Kashmir's Kupwara district, setting ablaze barracks, vehicles and kerosene depot.
Sources in the security establishment here stated that since the unprecedented turbulence following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, counter-insurgency grid has come to a grinding halt. The army has intercepted the infiltrating militants and neutralised some of them in Nowgam and Machhil sectors on the LoC, there has not been a single raid or operation in the hinterland since July. They deny that the intelligence has started drying up, saying that all the security agencies including the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir are getting information unhindered. However, all the field units have been directed to only maintain vigil over the activities and movement of the militants and avoid conducting any raid or counter-insurgency operation in the populated areas “during the period of turbulence”.
While the frequency of the encounters along the LoC indicates alertness of the security forces, it also shows the high levels of attempts of infiltration. Officials revealed that in recent times most of the hideouts had been established in the localities and districts believed to be completely free of militancy. They pointed out that Wani and two of his associates had been traced to a militant-free area in Kokernag and killed there in an operation of surgical precision.
Fidayeen attacks
Since Kargil - 106
NDA under Narendra Modi - 10
UPA under Manmohan Singh - 43
NDA under Atal Bihar Vajpayee - 53
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