Tense Situation in Kashmir Calls For Redeployment of Withdrawn Troops

As soon as the summer season sets in, snow starts melting in the Kashmir valley. And infiltration accelerates through the passes in the border region, mounting the threat of terrorist attacks. Recently, militants attacked the military and security forces, killing few soldiers and officers. In the retaliatory operation by the army and security forces, many militants were killed and huge cache of arms and ammunition were seized.

Dismantling Militant Infrastructure
Defense Minister A.K. Antony stated recently that even today 42 terrorist training camps are being run and Pakistan does not intend to dismantle the militant infrastructure. Pakistani rulers and anti-India elements are intolerant of peace that has of late returned to Kashmir. The moderate factions of the Hurriyat Conference are making efforts for the establishment of lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir through talks due to which unrest is growing among the handlers of militants in Pakistan.

Syed Salahuddin, chairman of the United Jihad Council in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, holding out a threat to separatist Kashmiri leaders said, "They should modify their modus operandi and resolve their differences, failing which the command of the struggle being waged in Jammu and Kashmir will be taken over by militant organizations. If the militant organizations, especially the youth felt that because of the differences among separatists their sacrifices will go waste, then he would himself assume the command of the struggle."

Motive Behind Unrest
Ventilating his ire on the army and security forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, Salahuddin asked police personnel in Jammu and Kashmir not to take over the command of the anti-militancy front.

Salahuddin and his associates support leaders of Pakistan-based hardliner factions, Syed Ali Shah Gilani, and his supporters but by voicing his anger against the moderate faction leaders, he holds out warnings to them. The motive behind it is that these leaders should follow Gilani. These leaders killed the chief of the moderate faction Mirwaiz Omar Farooq's father, Maulvi Farooq, People's Conference leader Abdul Ghani Lone and Ghulam Muhammad Mustafa, and his colleagues.

Salahuddin is associated with the hard line organization Jamaat-e-Islami. He contested the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections in 1987 as a candidate of the Muslim Mutihada Mueaz, but lost. He accused the then Farooq Abdullah-led government of rigging because of which he was defeated.

Irked over it, he and his supporters went to the Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Taking advantage of this situation the then Pakistan dictator Ziaul Haq unleashed a proxy war against India by inciting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir through the "Operation Topac." Salahuddin is exploited from time to time by his handlers in Pakistan and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for making him issue "anti-India" statements and for provoking the Kashmiri youth.

Resolving Kashmir Issue
In order to divert the attention of the Pakistani public from issues such as price-rise, terrorist violence and other problems, Pakistani leaders are bringing pressure for talks on India for the resolution of the Kashmir problem and issues relating to the distribution of river waters. The common Kashmiris are fed up with the frequent incidents of violence and bloodshed and, of late militants are not readily reuniting the youth from Kashmir to join their activities.

The threat held out by militant leaders such as Salahuddin to Police is also a matter of concern. The police have been entrusted the duty of providing security at certain places but they do not possess necessary arms and training to take on terrorists who are equipped with modern arms and explosives. Moreover, police are also assigned the duty of maintenance of law and order in the state and a majority of police personnel being locals tend to hesitate to take on terrorists for various factors.

It is, therefore, imperative that in view of the sensitive situation in Kashmir, the military deployed there should not be withdrawn and the military already withdrawn should be redeployed in Kashmir so that the security arrangements could be fortified, lest some fresh major incident of terrorism take place there.