By hailing Burhan Wani as a hero, Pakistan wants to keep Kashmir on boil
It started with the killing of a 22-year-old terrorist Burhan Wani.
He might have been a school teacher's son. He might have been a social media warrior but the bottom line is Burhan Wani was a terrorist with a Rs 10lakh bounty on his head.
He was a wanted man.
He had escaped through the security forces net several times in the past. Each time he slipped through the net, his popularity grew. In this mobile phone era, his video messages were shared across the Kashmir valley and it did inspire youngsters to wear the camouflage fatigues, pose with AK series assault rifles, pose for cameras and become a hero.
But it wasn't just fun and games. There was a sinister message - take on the State.
And increasingly security forces came under attack. When they were carrying out anti-terrorist operations - youngsters would pelt stones, rant from the microphones of mosques and create obstacles in the path of security forces. This, unfortunately, was very poorly handled by the PDP-BJP government in the J&K state.
There are many instances, but I want to focus on the February 2016 Pampore terror attack in which the army lost two brave young officers of the Special Forces while killing Pakistani terrorists. The terrorists had attacked a CRPF convoy. There were casualties and the terrorists ran into a nearby EDI building. The son of one of India's most wanted terrorists - Syed Salahuddin - was inside that building. Along with several other employees, he too was rescued.
But as the brave commandos battled the terrorists - the locals were encouraged to shout anti-India slogans from loudspeakers and pelt stones at reinforcements. The local army formation requested the state police to enforce a two kilometre cordon around the operation site.
This is supposed to be standard operating procedure. However, the stone pelters were further emboldened because neither the army nor the police even tried to enforce the cordon. What began with sporadic attacks during operations graduated to regular stone pelting on convoys.
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| Locals were encouraged by miscreants to shout anti-India slogans and pelt stones at army/CRPF jawans. |
When the army was in charge of road opening party (ROP) ensuring domination of the national highway from Jammu to Srinagar - the army physically dominated all strategic points. Those who violated convoy rules were punished. To ease the problems locals faced, army even changed its convoy timings.
Under pressure and at times after protests to reduce the military footprint in civilian areas - army bunkers and posts were reduced from several places, including strategic points along the highway. All of this weakened the security grid.
After Burhan Wani was killed, trouble did not start in the traditional problem spots. It began in areas where the presence of the security forces was at its lowest. There is evidence to suggest mobs were mobilised and protests organised. Police stations were attacked, weapons looted and vehicles set on fire. One cop was killed when the vehicle he was in was pushed into the Jhelum river.
What kind of people protest when a terrorist is killed?
A conscious effort has been initiated both online and offline to create the "cult of Burhan Wani". He was a Kashmiri terrorist who had more than 12 cases of murder and attempt to murder - including that of police and army personnel - registered against him over a period of past four years.
Pakistan may want to hail Burhan Wani as a hero and a martyr as he was a pawn in their wider game of destabilising India in Kashmir. But why would sections of Indian mainstream media fall into the Pakistan trap remains a mystery.
Suddenly, there were a series of write-ups predicting doomsday scenario. The naysayers had even predicted Kashmir would burn after Afzal Guru was hanged. The State and the Centre handled the situation effectively that time. The political leadership is in the dock for being indecisive this time.
Kashmir has been through a cycle of stone pelting tension and violence repeatedly. Each time it has been traced back to Pakistan.
I had covered the 2010 stone pelting. Omar Abdullah was then the chief minister. Massarat Alam was seen as the force behind the stone pelters.
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| Burhan Wani terrorist who had more than 12 cases of murder and attempt to murder registered against him in the past four years. |
Later investigations revealed how funds came from Pakistan and stones were brought in trucks in the name of road construction activity. It was all a part of very elaborate conspiracy. Though more than 100 lives were lost in the agitation that lasted three months, the situation came back to normal.
This cycle of violence will also last its course and peter out, though Pakistan is desperately trying to force and confrontation between the mob and the security forces to push up the body count. There is evidence that Pakistan-based terror groups want the separatists to incite the mob to take on the security forces. The aim is to force a showdown and compel the security forces to open fire.
The army has so far been detached from the events in urban and built up areas. The army has put up posters and banners close to their locations saying any protests beyond the marked areas will result in effective firing. The army fires for effect and shoots to kill. The army also does not have pellet guns or non-lethal weapons. So the people are well advised to stay away from the army camps.
The police and the CRPF have shown tremendous restraint given the provocation. More than 2,000 security force personnel have also been injured and there have been instances of security forces coming under grenade and assault rifle attacks while dealing with stone pelters. There are some very basic lessons for all to understand.
Kashmir was, is and will remain an integral part of India. The history of Kashmir did not begin in 1947. The government may or may not say it in as many words - the only negotiation with Pakistan is on Pakistan occupied Kashmir. As then prime minister Manmohan Singh said, borders cannot be redrawn but they can be made irrelevant, but that too only in a terror-free environment.
Pakistan has lost every war to India since 1947. It lost in 1957, 1965, 1971 - when Pakistan was sliced into two and Bangladesh was born - in Siachen and in Kargil, 1999. Pakistan has also lost the terror war. There are now less than 200 armed terrorists in Kashmir and most of them are north of Pir Panjal. The fence erected in 2003 has stopped entry of terrorists to a large extent. The army needs to be alert at all times but the security forces are in full control of the situation.
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| In reality, Terrorists are short of weapons, ammunition and even the will to take on the security forces. |
The stone pelting is a desperate attempt to rekindle the fire. All talk about large number of terrorists queuing up to join terror ranks is not borne out by facts on ground. Terrorists are short of weapons, ammunition and even the will to take on the security forces.
The army, CRPF and JKP have neutralised the entire top leadership of LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu and Kashmir. The life of a gun-wielding terrorist has been reduced to less than eight months in Jammu and Kashmir.
This is not to say that the situation is under control. Tension is simmering. Frustration is growing. Pakistan is trying to fuel the unrest.
Kashmir did not burn after Afzal Guru was hanged. Kashmir will not go out of control now. The political leadership needs to reach out to the youth - build new and young leaders and engage with them. The initiative should not be with the stone pelters and the separatists.
There are now major restrictions on the use of pellet guns - and a series of other non-lethal measures have been put in place before pellet guns are brought out.
But people of Kashmir also have to realise - it takes two to tango.
Protests in defence of a terrorist are unjustified not just in India but across the world - except of course in Pakistan - a state sponsor of terrorists. And if they want to ensure there are no injuries by pellet guns - protests have to be dignified and out of the range of pellet guns.
All sides must come together to make Kashmir the paradise it truly is and then deal with Pakistan effectively.