Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared on Sunday that an anti-drone system would be set up for better border security across the country holds special significance for Jammu and Kashmir as it has been one of the biggest victims of drone menace in more than one way. The whole thing has been stated in the context of the national security, and it is very important to have safe and secure borders as these are not only guarantee against the aggressive designs of enemies across the border but also because the internal security too is interconnected with what happens on borders.
Amit Shah spelled out the necessity of this anti-drone unit in the near future as he could foresee that this is going to be a bigger menace in the days to come. The use of drone is a low -cost and low-risk adventure that enemy undertakes from across the border. But these low-flying devices deliver deadly material and results in disaster if they succeed in hitting at their targets.
One of the primary reasons why India has been able to stabilize and establish itself among the five top economies of the world has been that the Modi government has focused on the national security and given new and much-needed impetus that the security system had been waiting for decades. National security is imperative for development and stability. It is indeed pointless to draw the comparison between the Modi era that began in May 2014 and that of Congress because this is not just a study in contrast but much more than that. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ably assisted by Amit Shah, has put to at an end the shameful chapters of the past. Jammu and Kashmir is the best example of that, where instead of rewarding those backing terrorism with dialogue, as was the practice in the past, the Modi government dismantles the whole of the structure, hitting hard at its ecosystem. The separatists were put in jails instead of entertaining them at the dialogue table.
In the past few years, the drone system has been upgraded by the enemies across the border. Pakistan used these flying devices that can drop bombs, drugs and weapons, against the strategic assets in Jammu and Kashmir. There were attempts to target airports, military establishments. These are well-documented events, which made the country to think of countering this strategic intrusion from across the border.
Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have been high-targets for Pakistan. Both these Border States mean a lot for the Indian national security. In Punjab, Pakistan experimented and it did succeed in unleashing terror from 1980s to 1990s, leaving hundreds dead and destabilizing the crucial state with its attempts to sow seeds of secession. Once again Pakistan is trying to reignite the flames of secession, misleading the vulnerable sections in the state, and drones have been used to undertake that task. The BSF have successfully intercepted a majority of the drones and seized drugs and weapons delivered by these flying devices launched by Pakistan.
For Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir is very crucial in its geo-strategic goals. It wants to succeed here at all costs. But this time it is also aware that what is up against. Still like a stubborn child, it continues to persist with its games, hoping against hope that it may succeed. It started sending drones, and continues to do so, to keep militancy going. The drones have dropped drugs, arms and ammunition and currency. All these ingredients help sustain militancy. The drones are somewhat effective way to replace the physical infiltration. In physical infiltration, there is a danger that infiltrators if caught can name Pakistan and reveal its plans. That is a game of self-deception that Pakistan thinks it can play, while the whole world is in know of the things that what this country – the epicentre of terrorism is.
An effective anti-drone unit has many advantages. And when constituted, as Home Minister has promised, it will become a reality soon and can break this menace. The setting up of this unit would have clear and direct focus on the drones, while the rest of the forces deployed on borders can perform their assigned duties without having to divert their attention to the flying objects coming from across the border. In Jammu and Kashmir it is need of the hour as Pakistan has used these flying devices as part of its multi-pronged strategy – to bolster the confidence of the terrorists, who still believe that guns and bombs can help them in achieving what they imagine they can. The drugs and money dropped by drones is used in developing and strengthening sleeper cells. It would be in fitness of things that the pilot project is launched from J&K.