Recent attacks highlight urgent need for new approach amid rising violence in the region
An Army personnel stands guard at a forest area near the encounter site, in Desa village of Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday. (Image: PTI)
The death of four Army soldiers, including a captain, in an encounter with Pakistan-backed terrorists in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday must occasion a rethink on the part of the Central government on its approach to the four-decade-old problem of militancy in the former state which is now a Union territory. The latest attack is not an isolated event — it is part of a series of such attacks in which soldiers and civilians, including pilgrims, have been targeted in the immediate past. They include the death of five Army soldiers in an ambush in Kathua as recently as on July 8.
The government and the Army have condemned the terrorist act. The Army, in a statement bordering on the political, has vowed to “eliminate the scourge of terrorism” in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue. Its top commanders are under pressure as the Doda encounter comes close on the heels of the Kathua ambush.
However, Kashmir watchers have pointed out two disturbing trends. First is the increase in terrorist activity in the Jammu division which has been peaceful for more than a decade; and second, an increasing presence of local youth among militants. Reports suggest that India has lost 51 personnel from the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir police in the last four years. Among these, 11 lives were lost in 2024 alone.
Pakistan-backed terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir have a history of about four decades during which the Indian government has experimented with several strategies to contain them. Since inception, counterinsurgency operations were, by and large, entrusted to the Army, which should ideally be at the border or in the barracks. In the process, the role of the home-grown state police force has been reduced to that of aides of the armed forces. The people of the state, caught in a bind between terrorists and the security forces, suffered the worst.
The NDA government, in its 11th year, after winning three back-to-back elections to the Lok Sabha, had sought to blame Article 370 for having road-blocked the integration of Kashmir with the rest of India, and come in the way of the Union government from effectively tackling terrorism. However, the ground situation has only worsened since its invalidation in 2019.
The government has been harping on the changes and progress that have started visiting J&K. It talks of new investments, including foreign inflow of capital and job opportunities for youth. But the facts don’t corroborate these claims.
The government and the Army have condemned the terrorist act. The Army, in a statement bordering on the political, has vowed to “eliminate the scourge of terrorism” in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue. Its top commanders are under pressure as the Doda encounter comes close on the heels of the Kathua ambush.
However, Kashmir watchers have pointed out two disturbing trends. First is the increase in terrorist activity in the Jammu division which has been peaceful for more than a decade; and second, an increasing presence of local youth among militants. Reports suggest that India has lost 51 personnel from the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir police in the last four years. Among these, 11 lives were lost in 2024 alone.
Pakistan-backed terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir have a history of about four decades during which the Indian government has experimented with several strategies to contain them. Since inception, counterinsurgency operations were, by and large, entrusted to the Army, which should ideally be at the border or in the barracks. In the process, the role of the home-grown state police force has been reduced to that of aides of the armed forces. The people of the state, caught in a bind between terrorists and the security forces, suffered the worst.
The NDA government, in its 11th year, after winning three back-to-back elections to the Lok Sabha, had sought to blame Article 370 for having road-blocked the integration of Kashmir with the rest of India, and come in the way of the Union government from effectively tackling terrorism. However, the ground situation has only worsened since its invalidation in 2019.
The government has been harping on the changes and progress that have started visiting J&K. It talks of new investments, including foreign inflow of capital and job opportunities for youth. But the facts don’t corroborate these claims.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his election campaign in the Union territory, had talked about winning the hearts of the people, and that’s what the government must focus on now. It must take the people, who in record numbers turned up in the polling booths and became part of the democratic process, into confidence. Restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and installing a popular government here must be the starting point. Instead of leaving it to the Army that has shed too much blood to resist terrorism, the government must do whatever it takes to enlist the support of the people.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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