The violence in Kashmir is showing no let up. For months, security forces have been battling against heavily-armed terrorists. Casualties are piling up from both the sides. Stone pelters have made it a habit of shielding terrorists from police firing. Army camps, police posts, schools, panchayat offices and houses of ministers get burnt. Families of policemen and politicians are being selectively targeted. Clashes, arson, explosions and killings have become so routine that you feel bored and dismissive.
What makes it more tiresome is our response. We hear politicians and experts repeating that Pakistan funds separatists to brainwash Kashmiri youths, and exfiltrates terrorists to cause unrest. But, why wouldn’t they? We broke Pakistan in 1971 and created Bangladesh. It is now their turn to inflame Kashmiris to revolt and force India to cede Kashmir. It also must employ all means, from providing resources to sending IS, Taliban, LeT and JeM terrorists to train and guide Kashmiri youths and fight along with them. It is a different matter that Pakistan may not succeed in creating a Bangladesh out of J&K, but nothing prevents it from taking an outside chance to see that India leaves Kashmir, finding its investment in the Valley counter-productive.
Islamabad’s calculation draws life from our ridiculous priorities. Look at how we have handcuffed our security forces. They cannot kill terrorists unless they videograph the encounter to satisfy the prosecution of their bona fide. They cannot fire pellets because it would blind the stone pelters. Plastic bullets are barred because violent protesters fall unconscious when they are hit. Strapping a stone pelter onto a vehicle’s bonnet to protect security personnel from the barrage of stones is simply inhuman. They cannot hurl stones back in self-defence because that is unprofessional.
Who cares if the morale of our forces is in boots. It makes no sense to judges, politicians and activists when soldiers walking on streets of Srinagar, holding arms in hand, are kicked and poked by azadi-seeking hoodlums. The media and security pundits hail it as an act of supreme restraint by our soldiers in the face of extreme provocation. Shocking! Their words do not hurt them and their heads do not hang in shame. What have we done to these soldiers who cannot fire to uphold the dignity of their uniform? Why are they so afraid of losing their job or facing a court of inquiry? It is frightening to introspect.
The situation in the Valley has given currency to many false beliefs. It is argued that Kashmiris are angry because for years we have denied them jobs, good education, health care, electricity, water and roads, and snatched away their political autonomy that they enjoyed prior to 1950. The truth is, they are not fighting for these spurious issues, but to prepare the ground for Pakistan to annex Kashmir, however absurd it may sound.
The discredited politicians of the Valley want Delhi to talk to Pakistan, which alone, they imagine, can bring normalcy in the state. But why would Pakistan oblige India to have a fully-integrated, peaceful Kashmir. Similarly, can any leadership in India afford a role for Pakistan to discuss one of its 29 states.
Then, you have a whole bunch of liberals who attribute the continuing disturbances to Delhi’s refusal to talk to all stakeholders. But majority of Kashmiris have no voice. No Hurriyat or separatist leader can dare talk of anything less than Kashmir’s independence. Views of those who call for political empowerment, economic development and withdrawal of AFPSA do not count. The real stakeholders are terrorists who want to break away from India. The foremost need at this hour is actually to remove fear from Kashmir, for any talks to begin. But for that, we will have to trust our security forces and allow them to function freely.
It is time we fall back on Chanakya’s advice. He had suggested creating regions of squalor and prosperity to expand the empire. Following him, we should encourage massive private investments in Jammu and Ladakh, making these regions glaringly different in terms of employment opportunities, education, healthcare facilities and infrastructure. Let Kashmiris have the option of either committing terror acts or enjoying better living conditions. The option of independence is simply not there. It is possible, terrorists will try to prevent Jammu and Ladakh to prosper by extending terrorist activities in those areas. But that may be their undoing. Away from the safety of sanctuary provided by collaborating locals, they may not be able to survive the onslaught of the security forces. Let us not waste time on deciphering Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat and Insaniyat. They were buried long ago by terrorists.
Amar Bhushan
Former special secretary, Research and Analysis Wing
amarbhushan@hotmail.com