Crucial days ahead to meet Taliban challenge in Kashmir

DOST KHAN

JAMMU: With the Army of the so-called global superpower hanging its boots during the darkness of August 30-31 night in Afghanistan in the most humiliating manner, the question arises now what next?
Though the strategists, analysts and political observers around the world have been voicing their concern and opining about the way-forward, yet the real brunt of the fall of Kabul will have to be borne by India in Kashmir-the theatre of radicalised Jihadis and conspiracies of notorious intelligence agency of Pakistan ISI, unfortunately with the support of ‘sympathisers’ within.
It is these sympathisers, who have been the main actors to keep the pot boiling in the Valley. And, they are the elements, who can be instruments of ‘new Taliban inspired Jihad’. They have done it in the past and they have potential to do it again, given the weak kneed approach, based on appeasement and concessions, of the policy planners in New Delhi’s Kashmir desk. The parasites in the form of separatists, terrorists and soft-secessionist mainstream leaders have always called the shots due to appeasement of the governments that are at the Centre. The 2014 floods are a brutal reminder of hypocrisy and duplicity when those at the helm looked to the other side over orchestrated campaign unleashed by Hurriyat against the army, notwithstanding the fact that they were the only visible force to rescue marooned people during devastated 2014 floods. They rescued all-women, children, elderly and even those owing allegiance to separatism. What the army got except the blames of ‘partisan’ relief operations. The separatists were shamelessly seen indulging in photo ops by distributing relief material stolen from the army boats. Yasin Malik got terribly exposed while posing to the cameras with such stolen commodities in the marooned areas. Forgetting the Herculean role of the armed forces, the terror sympathisers showed no mercy whenever the forces came to deal with the law and order situation. They made them targets of stones and abuses. The patrol parties in the Budgam area still remember the brutalities against jawans when they were abused and even attacked in full media gaze. They virtually enjoyed the ‘governmental patronage’ which refused to act. Same was the fate of Maj Leelu Gogoi, who saved his men by taking human-shield against an unruly mob. But for his ‘out of box’ measure, stone pelters would have virtually lynched the men in uniform.
Now, these are the horrors of the past, as the government is showing grit, determination and boldness in dealing with the situation. The forces enjoy free hand to tackle the law and order, which has resulted in hoisting of national flag and celebration of national events across the Valley with gaiety, end to stone pelting menace and handing over of many newly recruited terrorists to their families to join the mainstream.
For the past over two years, Kashmir has been witnessing a semblance of normalcy with almost nil incidents of stone pelting, bandhs and hartals or Ragdo Ragdo protests taking place notwithstanding historic political decisions taken in terms of abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A besides bifurcation of the State into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. To the utter surprise of political observers, the pampered Hurriyat Conference is not heard of much. Its leaders seem to be taking solace in house arrests and detentions, as they have lost their relevance in the changed political situation.
The semblance of normalcy is not just by the way. It owes its genesis to real hard-work of the security forces and the police. Unprecedented synergy between police and the other security forces has almost witnessed nil collateral damage during operations and complete control over the herds of street urchins, known as ‘misguided youth’.
Credit must go to the police led by DGP Dilbagh Singh for leading a war from the front against so-called terror commanders and Jihadis without mincing words. The forces seem to be on the mission of ‘finding and fixing’ the terrorists, their commanders and their supporters, called over ground workers. This has almost sent a chill in the rank and file of sympathisers in the so-called mainstream political parties, administration and cross section of people.
Just the other day, the police hinted at cracking down on cyber terrorists, also known as while collar jihadis, as it feels that they are the “worst kind of terrorists” who remain anonymous but cause an “immeasurable” amount of damage and brainwashing of youngsters. Based on the assessment there is a fear that these “white-collar jihadis” could trigger a communal clash or influence some youths by manipulating news on social media while they themselves live comfortably in faraway countries. The challenge is critical in the wake of developments in Afghanistan. These social media and computer Jihadis will twist the facts to generate hatred against India and its security establishments. This has been the strategy of Taliban, which has created ground for radicals to create disturbances. The support of Pakistan has all along been forthcoming. This has got equal and matching response from the separatists, despite their being in low key these days, as also mainstream politicians, who have been threatening in metaphors about Kashmir witnessing the Taliban like situation.
Pakistani politicians of the ruling dispensation have also been directly and indirectly boasting of destabilizing Kashmir with the help of Taliban.
The emerging situation would call for a measured but tough response from India in Kashmir theatre. For this, the Centre and the UT administration will have to continue with hot pursuit, which they have demonstrated post August 5, 2019.
On their part, the army and the police will have to draw a foolproof strategy to counter the new threat in the wake of Talibans taking over the immediate neighbourhood. Otherwise all his efforts will go in vain if the political leadership prefers ‘wait and watch’ or ‘appeasement of discredited and irrelevant leaders of the so-called mainstream’.
The success of the acid test depends more on stern action against terrorists and their sympathizers instead of lavishing them in jails with five star facilities.
The action-plan does not only require a viable strategy by the security forces but the guts of the Centre and the UT administration, which unfortunately has a track-record of appeasement policy towards separatists, secessionists, soft secessionists and anti-nationals.

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