JK News Today’s special commentary
The killing of six terrorists in two separate encounters in Kulgam district in South Kashmir on Sunday should be seen as a larger message to the polity in Kashmir that terrorism and its architects have lived their life . The best thing about the security operations , in which the J&K police and army were involved , was that it was driven by the information passed on to them by the locals . That speaks louder than words that Kashmir is saying No to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Twin encounters in Mudergham and Frisal Chinnigam areas of Kulgam , with six terrorists and two soldiers dead have conveyed to the people that security forces would put everything on the line of duty to eliminate enemies of peace , especially those having guns in their hands . Guns are not permissible . This is very loud and clear message .
At local level , these encounters and all other previous gunfights of this nature, leave an everlasting impression on the people that they are in safe hands and terrorists who threaten them with their guns are destined to die rather quickly . Terrorists are losing their support system which they had enjoyed for years, now the mindset is changing and the people have started viewing terrorists as their tormentors . They pass on information to the security forces , that’s where the real success of these counter-terrorism operations surfaces. It is more than adding to the statistics of terrorists killed in these operations.
At a larger level , these encounters have conveyed to the nation and international community a firm resolve of the Modi Government , which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah often point out is that terrorism would be uprooted from the soil of J&K for once and for all . This inspires confidence among security forces and the people alike .
Counter-terrorism operations that picked up speed after the abrogation f Article 370 in August 2019 laid foundation of peace in the Valley which was ,badly bruised by violence on its landscape . The polity was hurt but unable to speak out against the atrocities wrought by gun and grenade culture. No the things have reversed , the people have made a choice that peace is the ultimate guarantee for their progress and shaping future of their generations . And they know counter-terrorism operations were in their interest not against them.
The psyche has changed . This is the biggest gain of the past five years as we take abrogation of Article 370 as the reference point . terrorism in Kashmir , as such , is not in genes of the valley. It was injected by the hostile forces – whether we name them or not , these emanated from Pakistan and their agents in Jammu and Kashmir who were attracted to the ideology of radicalism and communalism in the pre-1947 era. Then, of course, subsequent events in the Himalayan territory gave a fillip to them .
Kashmiri masses have seen and experienced consequences of the actions of such inimical forces . There is not a single gain that they can count, while there are countless losses that they have suffered due to the acts of terror violence on their landscape .
Not that they were not conscious of the danger to their life and future because of violence but they found themselves in a helpless situation as there existed a wide network that promoted and stoked terrorism and worked against those who sought a dignified life, free of violence and stone throwing and shutdowns. The violence thrived because of a structure of terrorism that had been built by various vested interests who benefited from the cycle of violence. The people found stonewalls to their pleas for peace in the system , which had also become part both as a promoter and victim of the situation . It was a paradox that the system failed to shed , and as a result lost its credibility .
Now the system has embarked on a firm mission restore peace in Kashmir . That has made the people to partner with it . That’s the real success.
