Rajan Gandhi
Repeated attacks on Army formations, be it Kashmir or Jammu, has raised numerous questions and the frequency of such attacks has baffled not only civilians but experts as well. What has really changed on ground so much so that leave alone Kashmir, army has become vulnerable even at Jammu. Let us go back to 1989 and much of the 1990s when soldiers generally maintained a cold distance from the civilian population, interacting from a position of power when counter-terrorist operations followed the simple strategy of “an iron fist in a velvet glove”. The pressure of military action by eliminating hardcore leaders acts as a catalyst that forces unlawful elements to get tamed. In the mid-1990s, the army installed a simple three-tiered counter-infiltration system along the LoC and IB. The first tier was on the border itself, aimed to intercept and kill any insurgent trying to sneak in with constant patrolling and ambushes being mounted to check infiltration. The second tier consisted of a 5 km belt from the border with night curfew along with shoot-to-kill orders. The third tier was to “cordon and search” villages behind the 5 km belt. Depending on the situation and area, the size of these tiers varied. With experience to keep its frontline forces fighting fit for border security, the Indian army raised the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) after Kargil war. This military subset force managed to create a condition of stability within the State while the army’s main units continue their deployment along the borders, providing the necessary security. The creation of the RR really changed the nature of CI operations in Kashmir as it enabled the army to have roots in the region with capability for long-drawn operations. Thus permanent establishment of the RR in the Valley (Victor) and Doda (Delta) was done.
Army successfully changed its equation with locals with soldiers showing patience, accommodating local aspirations and even organized cricket matches and youth cultural programmes. Since 1998, the army had initiated a wide range of public welfare initiatives in the state under its ‘Sadbhavana’ progamme – which it runs under winning hearts and minds (WHAM) strategy. Over the past few years, the state police have also adopted the strategy under what it calls its Civic Action Programme (CAP). Both Sadbhavana and CAP were meant to justify deployment, to get vital information and to create a cordial relation with public that do not want the security forces deployed in overwhelming numbers after the militancy went down considerably. Under these programmes, the forces provide a range of public services from schools to bus stops, including computers, household appliances and sports facilities. The presence of the army in any area in India has been a catalyst in its development as being manpower intensive, the army requires considerable administrative support for its routine functioning as it has to fully rely on local sources for supply of perishable items like vegetables, milk, meat and poultry products which is actually a boon in disguise for people residing in remote areas as their local produce has a buyer at their doorstep. Further in inaccessible areas, hiring of porters and ponies to sustain the troops is a major source of employment for locals. Army spends a considerable amount on transport, procuring material within the State and on hiring manpower. The presence of the army in remote areas also promotes the improvement of infrastructure and facilities.
Civilians associated with or employed by the army find it more convenient to settle near military areas. But the most important aspect of Police Verification of this population is usually overlooked by J and K police. With army areas especially in Jammu region no more isolated from civilian population -like Bhatindi adjoining Sunjuwan, Chattha, Karan Bagh, Belicharana adjoining Tiger area, Gangyal, Kunjwani adjoining Brigade and similarly in Ratnuchak local colonies coming up just adjacent to Brigade needs state administration’s immediate attention . Police verification along with Adhaar linked up properties in these areas should be immediately implemented. Army has paid heavy price for this lapse be it Nagrota attack or more recently Sunjuwan one. J and K police has failed miserably to initiate verification in whole Jammu city as even old city is now mostly inhabited by outsiders and unchecked mushrooming of paying guests (PGs) has also resulted. It seems for even this simple exercise to be performed local administration needs special instructions from Central Home Ministry.
All said and done once you dilute the fear of authority of the uniformed forces, resistance to dialogue is obvious. This is what we are seeing in the Valley today. The present strain of political appeasement of the public by disparaging the authority of the uniformed forces by registering FIRs or through State Human Rights Commission has cascading effects. This has resulted in repeated stand-offs between the security forces and locals. The very public which respected and admired the authority of Army is now attacking their camps or stone pelting to create hindrance in their counter insurgency operations and in the event providing safe passage to militants . Forces have sometimes abandoned their operations midway to prevent collateral damage to civilians. The incidents of stone-pelting and subsequent use of pellet guns have been questioned along with burial ceremonies of terrorists accompanied with frenzied emotional speeches by fundamentalist, religious or Hurriyat leaders are the reality of today. Public censuring and reprimanding of the security forces by senior officials and political leaders has steadily eroded the status and authority of the security forces. The anti-national elements in Kashmir thrive on the politically-motivated, anti-national, pro-Pakistan statements by their so called well-respected leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani , Mirwaiz Umar Farooq or Yasin Malik. The slogans for azaadi, demand for withdrawal of security forces and revoking of the AFSA lends legitimacy to these anti-national elements and helps in increasing their public following. The media must desist from showing selected video clips or pictures that provide both fodder and oxygen to their subversive activities. Denying publicity to the anti-national elements will divest them of a vital lifeline which our media must understand and Government of India must initiate stringent measures against the defaulters.
There an urgent need for the intelligence agencies to infiltrate the ranks of the anti-national elements as this will not only give them advance information about their nefarious designs at an early stage but will also help them to initiate measures to change the mindset of the misguided youth. Army used Ikhwanis in the best way in 90’s to eliminate foreign terrorists. Some of them were subsequently absorbed in belt forces and some joined main stream politics to become MLA. Something similar needs to be put in place in the valley right now. But unfortunately army has been employed like a police force. Loss of deterrence effect of the Army and the situation in the valley today is a direct result of this confused deployment of the force. Despite the fact that the Indian Army till date has not used anything beyond small arms in these operations, but everyone has questioned everything that the army does in line of their duty. Questioning encounter of Burhan Wani , about army’s integrity when it carried out the ‘Surgical Strike’ across the border or calling Army Chief a Gunda and more recently questioning the religion of army men killed in terrorist attack depicts the state of affairs in reality. The deployment of Army and the imposition of AFSPA have been repeatedly contested by politicians.
Despite specific inputs vital time is lost in getting UHQ approval with disastrous consequences proven time to time. No battle can be won with tied hands. Video which showed CRPF personnel being manhandled by civilians in the valley not just demean the men in uniform; it hurts every Indian. The body language of the locals in the video and their brazen disregard for authority is a matter of serious concern – a new and ominous one.
Readdressing the situation in the valley requires focused and concerted action. The two critical reasons are the dilution of the authority of the security forces and the game of one-upmanship by political parties. The Government has a responsibility to maintain law and order especially in a troubled state like J&K with ever hostile neighbor. Winning the hearts and minds cannot be at the cost of violence or soldiers’ lives. The success of the Indian state hinges on understanding the changing dynamics in Kashmir in a pro-active manner and timely corrective measures to changing scenario.
“The truth of the matter is that politicians always know what to do but the hardest part is implementing it.”
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