Zorawar Jamwal
zorawarjamwal123@gmail.com
A lot of time has passed since Delhi blast on November 10 but threads of the terror attack have not come to end . The volume of evidence is so huge that it will take the Investigating agencies a little more time to reach roots of the conspiracy and to identify all the culprits . This has given rise to some of the more troubling scenario in Jammu and Kashmir , from where the suicide bomber Umar Nabi hailed . His blast in Red Fort area in Delhi left 13 people dead but this act has brought shame to the Valley and its residents
Investigators are working hard to put all the pieces together to find out why it happened. This is natural course of investigations. It will take time as the conspirators were working on the plot for years, at least three years. The magnitude of the problem cannot be gauged from this very fact. This also depicts that the terror modules were working under several layers, taking advantage of their position in society. The doctors who put lot of hard work of years are always supposed to be the leaders of the well-educated and hard working people. They are trusted in society.
When a small section of them administers to themselves the oath of terrorism and crime against humanity, they violate the oath of their profession. Worse still they defame the whole of their fraternity not just the place to which they belong to but all across. They give bad name to the medical profession, as their acts have been termed as “white collar” terrorism, suggestive of the fact that they are part of the larger plots, founded on their ideological convictions rather than any other reason. This has opened a view of the emerging battlefield in which the ideology of suicide bombers will be placed against the aspiration of the young burning midnight oil to create a niche for themselves in the competitive world of high-technology and limitless avenues.
A recount of the events and investigations into them point out to the faultlines. Some of those involved have been arrested and sent to judicial custody, others are under the scanner of the security agencies who are engaged in tracing all the conspirators.
These conspirators should have known the end of the terrorists who did Pahalgam, killing 26 innocent people in Baisaran, on April 22. The perpetrators were neutralized in Operation Mahadev and prior to that the whole structure of terrorists and their supporters in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir was demolished in 22 minutes on the intervening night of May 6 and 7. The escalatory route taken by Pakistan was responded with such a response that several generations of Pakistan will remember that until they go to graves.
A cult that embraces death would be treated as “martyrdom” in the line of religious duty papers over the sight of consequences which travel beyond the individuals and their families. Their acts pollute the thinking of others. Conversely, the acts of terror inflict lasting wounds on society. It becomes quite difficult for the larger community to shake off the tag that suicide bombers bring to them. This is unfortunate situation, which has come to haunt Kashmir yet again after a comfortable gap of few years.
The medical fraternity in Kashmir is ashamed of the ugly work done by their colleagues . The common man is caught in a dilemma – they cannot disown the connection of these white collar terrorists to the land, and they also cannot live with the stigma that sons of the soil turned out to be terrorists. There is a common refrain that they are suffering because of the black sheep.
It is more pinching for other professionals and the aspirants looking for opportunities in the institutions outside J&K. There is instinctive repulsion for the people coming from the land where doctors turn terrorists, the number may be miniscule but that is sufficient to defame the whole region and the people. These aspirants find their opportunities squeezed as they find confronting social unacceptability in some parts of the country. They carry doubtful identity for no fault of theirs. They pay price for the crimes committed by a few among them. The whole society faces music.
At a time when the entire nation is reeling from the shock of the white-collar terrorism, the least expected from mainstream political leaders is moral clarity and an unequivocal condemnation of the forces that aid or justify terror. However, instead of rising to the moment, prominent figures of the National Conference and PDP – including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti – appear more interested in crafting ambiguous, defensive narratives than standing firmly with the country in its fight against extremism.
Such cautious, diluted reactions raise troubling questions. When the nation grieves and demands accountability, why should leaders responsible for guiding public sentiment hesitate to call out the ecosystem that enables radicalisation? Their reluctance to take a clear stand, coupled with statements that seem to soften or divert attention from the gravity of the crime, only emboldens elements that thrive on ambiguity.
In moments like these, leadership must be measured not by political convenience but by moral conviction. Shielding or rationalising individuals with extremist leanings – even indirectly – is a disservice to the country and a betrayal of the victims. The people of Kashmir deserve leaders who speak with courage, not equivocation. Taking firm stand, prominent figures like Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti should lead anti-terrorism rallies from Lal Chowk and send a clear message across the country that that all Kashmiris are not sympathizers of terrorism.
This is a moment for reflection for all – Kashmir will have to decide which side of the fence it wants to be seen. Others can suggest pathways , but it is for them to walk on them.
(The author is Spokesperson, J&K BJP)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
