Keep your powder dry. That in short is the formula which our security forces have to adopt while they are performing duty on the sensitive LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir. There is no second thought about Pakistan seizing every opportunity of indulging in perfidy. Pakistan army is not answerable to any in that country much less the civilian elected Government. Nothing is more farcical in that country than the charade of democratic Government. A democratic Government means a Government where the army is subservient to the civilian authority. But where army is a state within a state, the civilian Government is only a sham.
This is proved by the fact that only last week Pakistan agreed to find ways and means of reducing tension on the LoC as well as the International Border particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. The two sides agreed to activate field commanders to look into recurrent violation of cease fire and firing and shelling across the border. But hardly the ink has dried on the joint press release in which such pious commitment was made that Pakistani Rangers and army together opened a barrage of firing and shelling on our Border Posts and on civilian habitants close to the border. They opened unprovoked firing in which three civilians and two BSF jawans have been injured and one woman killed by splinters. Firing from Pakistani side has created panic among the civilian population that wanted to benfit from the good monsoons and sows the crops in their fields. Scared by the 82 mm shells of mortar, the farmers returned to their homes to take shelter and not expose themselves to the bullets and shells of Pakistanis.
It is revealed that two serious bids were made by the infiltrators to sneak into our side of the border but both of these attempts were foiled by our alert security forces. Pakistan has resumed its old practice of providing cover fire to the infiltrators who generally move in groups of four or five heavily armed jihadis. Pakistan is facing increasing resistance from the Indian side and repeated failure of infiltrators to sneak in is making their handlers panicky. Army commander has said that this year Pakistan made more attempts of infiltration as compared to the last two years. Actually, Pakistan army has got a wink that the civilian Government wants to engage with India in Track II talks. Emissaries of two countries have been talking. Pakistan army has apprehensions that if talks between the two Governments improve and move forward, it will get isolated and thus will have to eat the humble pie. Pakistan army has been having a major and decisive role in regard to Pakistan’s India related policy. Kashmir is what they will not leave in the hands of the civilian Government in any case. Therefore it is the patent game of Pakistan army to scuttle any attempt of their Government of mending fences with India. The Ufa declaration that eschewed Kashmir has become the powder keg for the Pakistan army and its diehard jihadis. It is so because they survive on Kashmir issue. The same is the situation with the Kashmir separatist. They have been more vociferous than the Pakistani parliamentarians and other politicos in condemning the Ufa meet minus Kashmir. If the eschewing of Kashmir in Ufa meet means that Pakistan has come to understand the hard ground realities of Kashmir issue, it is clear signal to the separatists that Pakistan accepts only two parties to Kashmir dispute. The Hurriyat, the separatists and pro-Pakistani elements stand sidelined.
That is the reason why Pakistan army and ISI fuelled resentment among the Kashmiri separatists to demonstrate against Pakistan excluding Kashmir from the agenda for talks. At the same time, exacerbating violence on the border is a clear signal that Pakistan army wants to provoke India to react violently and even undertake partial military operation to nail Pakistani attempts of infiltration. Once that happens, Pakistan army has reason to whip up anti-India sentiments among the people and thus unite all factions for the impending jihad against India. They want Indian army to run out of patience, and react so that they have an opportunity of nailing their civilian Government. India has to understand the game plan of Pakistan and give no chance to the divisive Pak society to unite on anti-India count.
However, India has to react to the situation as is feasible and desirable. The Indian Army Commander has succinctly said that the army has been given orders to react befittingly and the decision has been left to the filed commanders. The firing and shelling in Purgwal, RS Pora and Shahpur, Poonch sector has forced temporary migration on many families. About a hundred souls are reported to have fled their homes for fear of life. The Government has vacated some school and Government buildings to provide shelter to the migrating families. Civilian administration is geared to meet the challenge, Nobody can say how long will their migration continue and when will peace be restored so that they can go back to their homes and resume their agricultural activities. It is so unfortunate that the people are subjected to suffering, loss and trauma. Therefore it is the primary duty of the Government to provide succor to these suffering people. School children who are forced to abandon their schools must be provided special facilities like teaching classes in refugee camps or shelters. Farmers who are suffering the damages to their houses, cattle and crops have to be provided adequate compensation. At the same time, though we are aware that the security forces, BSF and the army are giving befitting response to the Pakistanis, still it would be advisable to dig bunkers close to the houses of the farmers living on the border so that they can take shelter whenever situation worsens on the border.
While Track II talks will go on as a matter of formality, and while sweet words will be spoken by the Pakistanis, we have to understand that our border with Pakistan is live 24×7 and we have to be prepared to meet this challenge. We should use adequate weapons that will be a match to Pakistan’s weaponry but we should at the same time ensure that we do not lose our cool.
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