Strategic planners of terrorism know the importance of the Jammu Division and clandestinely day and night efforts are on to conquer this still undefeated citadel on North-West Frontier. Terrorism might have been controlled to an extent in Kashmir but Jammu Division is still the hotbed and incidents of the past few months are testimony to this. Home Minister Amit Shah is well versed in the enemy game plan and as and when required he intervenes in course correction. A planned visit to the victims’ families shows the solidarity of GoI with the terror-affected people. Before his visit, he had already made it clear that accountability will be fixed for the incident at the highest level. The zero terror tolerance policy of the Government is well defined and it is a serious matter that all SOPs were just ignored despite clear-cut repeated warning signals. The meeting with all security agencies and the presence of top brass signifies the seriousness of the matter and its implications in the coming days. Instructions have been passed on to review the security scenario as serious lapses have resulted in the carnage of this magnitude and HM has rightly taken the pulse of the situation. The investigation of Dhangri incident has been handed over to the NIA but the more significant is the announcement of handing over all terror-related cases of the last one and half years in the Jammu Division to the NIA. Security agencies have been impelled to provide foolproof 360-degree security. Additional companies of CRPF have already been dispatched, additional checkpoints have been put and VDGs are being provided training and given SLRs. Nothing is being left to speculation now. Ephemeral measures have been put to rest, everyone directed to perform their duties, and the burgeoning of terrorism after a lull is not acceptable at all. The incident itself is a mortification for the Government with imponderable consequences. The fact that Jammu and Kashmir has been selected for G20 meetings and these loopholes in our security system can be exploited by the enemy to embarrass us during high-level meetings. This had happened in the past, Chatisinghpura during the US President’s visit, as such the threat perceptions have to be taken at face value and seriously. Interventions from MHA are well intended and necessary in the present situation.
Home Minister couldn’t visit the tragedy-struck families but the telephonic conversation itself conveys the condolences of the Government and the administration is standing like a wall in this moment of grief along with the victims. No doubt those lives cannot be given back but solidarity and message are clear, their sacrifices are not going to be in vain, and culprits will be hounded and brought to justice at the earliest. Fifty-plus persons have already been rounded up and with NIA taking up the investigations further nexus of OGWs and UGWs will get untangled in the coming days, and perpetrators and their accomplices will be taken to task, who so ever they are. LG Administration has also avowed all necessary help. Personal visits of LG at Dhangri and GMC, and handing over of compensation by the Divisional Commissioner, are all to instil a sense of assurance to the victims, the whole administration is with them in this hour of tragedy.
The visit of the Home Minister is not an ordinary event, a personal outreach to victims, a much-needed healing touch which will have many cascading effects in the coming days. Victims have stood their ground, no subsequent migration is a positive development, and affected families have already shown exemplary courage, ready to fight back, just the right approach, guidance and a bit of support are all needed and Shah’s visit has no doubt provided all this. On the administration front, it is a wake-up call, no place for complacency, the curse of terrorism is still there and has to be fought till the logical end, but indeed, there is no scope for terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir now.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
