JK News Today commentary
The sixth anniversary of abrogation of Article 370 , reckoned as a historic decision for the Indian nation and particularly for Jammu and Kashmir is a perfect occasion to look at what all has been achieved and what all could have been achieved. This very proposition suggests that the goals that were set on August5-6, 2019 for J&K haven’t come in sight in their full spectrum as of now . It also implies , and quite realistically, that the work is in progress.
Taking the clock back to August 2019, before the abrogation is necessary to understand what was the status of J&K at that time. This status is not about the special rights and privileges that the state had under the umbrella of Article 370 and its subsidiary Article 35 A. This was a state where terror was thriving , and today it is struggling to breathe .
There is a lot of data that substantiates a drastic decline in terrorism in J&K , in terms of incidents , casualties and the local recruitment. These are eye-pleasing figures as these demonstrate that the authority of the Indian state has been established . It had come under intense challenge and threat. This threat was physical, psychological and environmental.
This was quite embarrassing for the Government of India within the country and internationally when it saw it striking against a wall of terrorism in Kashmir. Somewhere down the line , the claim that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India was seen more as rhetoric as the ground reality presented a picture in contrast. International think tanks and media were more devoted to highlighting the voices of dissonance, and echoing the sound of bullets and bombs than looking at terrorism a universal threat .
Kashmir was reduced to a battlefield of gunfights between security forces and terrorists . Common Kashmiris were sandwiched in between.
The more dangerous part of terrorism was that it had paralyzed life . It broke down positive conversation and communication . Terrorism started characterizing everything . Its chokehold was complete .
What changed after the abrogation of Article 370 and why didn’t it happen before ? These are two pertinent questions , but, in fact, they are inter-related . Their answers , paradoxically, are both simple and complex . It is simple , because the attitude toward terrorism changed , and complex because despite this , it is still breathing .
The abrogation of Article 370 , in all senses of the word, gave birth to the idea of zero-tolerance of terrorism . . That was the fundamental change . The co-existence with terrorism with the spells of irregular spells of normalcy was ruled out . The statistics of the terrorists killed and strikes at their ecosystem added a much-desired flavor to the counter-insurgency curriculum
Side by side , the strikes at terrorism and its ecosystem freed people from their shackles. They got unhindered access to their work places, patients could reach hospitals without taking detours to avoid stone throwing enclaves , and the children traveled without having to hide their bags or shun uniforms .Resumption of the tourist seasons changed the whole outlook. The fight against terrorism was not all about eliminating terrorists , it was opening doors to the day-to-day freedom of life that were shut on them for decades together..
At the same time, the complexities involved in neutralizing terrorism in complete terms are quite daunting . Terrorists with guns and bombs can be eliminated , their hideouts demolished and also they can be chased and neutralized in jungles and congested urban or semi-urban localities , but the home schooling and the environment of the past over seven decades cannot be undone . Guns fighting guns is very critical in eliminating all those who pose threat to the life and system , but those nurturing thoughts of building an inner resistance to the system is not that easy task.
A revisit to the counter-insurgency strategies is more important than anything else. The local connect is needed , and once that is there , Delhi can have smooth sailing in Kashmir without any dangers emerging to its authority and system in future. Kashmir ‘s terrorism tag has been tor torn apart, what it needs now is elimination of classes in schools of insurgency at homes and stealth conversations .
