Arun Joshi
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday- 2nd day of the new year 2024 – held a review meeting to review the security situation of Jammu and Kashmir , prompted by recent terror attacks in the Union Territory . The attacks in Rajouri-Poonch districts of Jammu region had thrown new challenges for the security grid and it also reflected how close of distant were the security forces from the local population.
Primarily , the statement issued by the MHA after the meeting in Delhi on Tuesday evening , dwelt on two major themes – destroy ecosystem of terrorism whatever it takes to do so , and at the same time all the procedures should be adopted during counter-terrorism operations
The destruction of the terror-ecosystem has achieved a great deal of success . This is clear from the way living style of the people of changed over the past four years , especially after the abrogation of Article 370 , which also translated into no holds barred anti-terrorism operations , in which not only those holdings guns and bombs were targeted , and so were those who funded , sheltered them or facilitated them . This was pursued further with an assault on the environment of terrorism, where the groups , militant, or political semi-religious , which contributed to the narrative of violence and anti-national activities delivering their objectives .
The terror groups and their sympathizers of different shapes and colours , wrapped their goals in “ Azadi slogan” or that of pretended unique identity . This created a web of network having its connection with the Pakistani establishment and so-called non-state actors , in reality all the establishment’s men , and the terror-sympathetic population , convinced by their ideological blindness in which reason never appeared in their sight or who had their vested interests because of lure of money .
In fact , Home Minister , in his meeting with the senior functionaries of the government , and the security forces heads, including the Army chief Gen. Manoj Pande , laid out a new roadmap for the security forces for the year 2024 and beyond to wipe out terrorism from the soil of Jammu and Kashmir
The official statement said that while reviewing the security situation , he sought the assessment of the area domination plan of security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir to eliminate the threat of terrorism . The area domination is physical presence of the security forces , now equipped with the modern gadgets to pick up electronic intelligence , which injects a fear among the terror- sympathizers against embarking on any misadventure . He instructed forces “to strengthen the counter-terrorism operations and need for complete elimination of terror eco-system.” Alongside, it was stressed that appropriate deployment ( of forces ) in vulnerable areas to tread on the path of zero- tolerance of terrorism as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
The elimination of terrorism from J&K , though a national necessity , is full of challenges as it is not that something the security f0rces can achieve on their own or through their traditional or modern counter-terrorism strategies to wipe out all elements of terrorism .. The terrorism in this Union Territory is a stigma for the nation , as it has its international dimensions – just across the border Pakistan is there to exploit each and every act of terror as a manifestation of the frustration of Kashmiri youth against the system – that is against the Indian rule , and then there are international groups which tend to highlight acts of violence than the peace that has been achieved in the territory over the past three-to-four years. The elimination of terrorists will help people to gain their space of peace in which they can dream and move on . They need a departure from the past . Home Minister gave that theme to the security forces.
Second was equally profound message , which had direct connect with the people. His instructions that the security forces should “ follow all due procedures while dealing with the counter terror operations.” This statement , if decoded , brings on record the killing of three civilians on December 22 in Poonch, a day after four soldiers were killed in an ambush laid by terrorists. The army had launched operations to trace the terrorists responsible for the vicious attack , as the number of soldiers killed in 2023 piled up to 19 . There are allegations , now under investigation, that the civilians were tortured to death in army custody. These killings snatched the moral ground of counter-terrorism operations , and the army was placed on backfoot . Home Minister’s call for “ adoption of all due procedures,” was a way of saying that the security forces should be extra cautious in dealing with the post-terror situations or in their duty to eliminate the terrorists and ecosystem of terrorism , that is to avoid civilian harassment and casualties . In the same line, he urged the security forces to strengthen the local intelligence network. Local intelligence is the best counter to terrorists and their ecosystem .
Arun Joshi is author of “Eyewitness Kashmir; Teetering on Nuclear War and senior journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir, writes on South Asian affairs)
Disclaimer: This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write-up have nothing to do with www.prameyanews.com.
