News analysis
Why has J&K militancy graph risen?
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 29 — In separate militancy-related incidents, including Pak shelling on Kargil and the Gurez areas, nearly 36 persons have been killed during the past 24 hours. They include 19 civilians, 14 militants and three security personnel. And over 12 persons have been wounded in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours. This indicates that the Pak-sponsored proxy war has gained stronger teeth during the past one month.

The killing of more than 17 Hindus in two villages of the Kishtwar area of Doda district, three major encounters between the BSF and the insurgents, leaving seven militants dead, and the killing of three security personnel in different incidents are said to be part of the overall gameplan of Pakistan to sustain subversive violence in the state for achieving two vital gains.

Kicking up violence in the shape of killing members of one community is the outcome of a sustained campaign by Pak agencies to carry out ethnic cleansing in Doda district which otherwise is a Muslim-dominated area. They did it 42 days ago when 26 Hindus were gunned down at Chapnari village. They did it on several occasions between 1993 and 1998 and so far more than 100 Hindus have been killed. They have not spared Muslims and whenever they (militants) found any Muslim cooperating with the government or passing on information regarding the hideouts and plans of the insurgents, he was gunned down. Those who treat the selective killings as part of the Pak plan of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Muslim-dominated areas of Poonch, Rajouri and Doda refer to threats several Hindu families have received in recent days. These Hindu families have been asked to leave Rajouri district within three weeks, failing which they would be massacred.

Others are of the opinion that the killing of over 16 Hindus in two Kishtwar villages was to avenge the killing of four Muslims who were gunned down at Machela village in Doda district four days ago.

According to the police authorities in Doda, there are no village defence committees in and around Machela and Mohammed Shafi who had been kidnapped by the killers of four Muslims and who has been saved has told the police that militants had killed four Muslims, including three women. He had also recognised one of the killers. As such the theory of revenge does not hold much water.

The SAARC summit is another factor that prompted militants and Pak troops to indulge in subversive violence and resort to heavy firing and shelling on the Indian villages and pickets in Kargil, Uri, Gurez and at several places on the international border in Jammu sector recently. Through this violence, the ISI planned to send signals to the SAARC nations during the ongoing meeting in Colombo and sabotage the summit talks between Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and Mr Nawaz Sharif. By kicking up border trouble and by engineering killings of civilians, the ISI and the Pak Army top brass are stated to be trying to pressurise the Indian Prime Minister to adopt conciliatory postures during his talks with Mr Nawaz Sharif.

It has been seen in the past that days before the scheduled meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan and between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries, Jammu and Kashmir state would register a steep rise in the graph of militancy related violence and in border firing.

However, this not be the only factor because Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing in the Kargil, Uri, Gurez, R.S. Pora and Samba sector in June and militants killed more than 40 Hindus in the same month when the SAARC meeting was too far away and the schedule for the summit between Mr Vajpayee and Mr Sharif had not been fixed. For Islamabad the BJP-led government in the Centre and Dr Farooq Abdullah's government in Jammu and Kashmir are like a red rag to the bull. Agencies across the border believe that by intensifying violence in Jammu and Kashmir, they could create a situation in which the dismissal of the Farooq led government followed by a central rule remained the only alternative. If Islamabad ever succeeded in this plan, it would be happy to see one of its main enemies (Farooq Abdullah) out of power.

Whatever may be the reason or reasons for the step-up in subversive violence in the state, one thing is definite that both the Centre and the state government have failed to streamline the security bandobast within the state and on the 1260-km long Indo-Pak border. The Centre's folly is that it has not sent additional security forces to the state nor equipped the VDC members with better weapons. In the light of paucity of security forces, several hundred villages in Doda, Udhampur and Rajouri districts are without any security picket. The state government and the Defence Ministry have committed a mistake by withdrawing or thinning the troops in several areas of Doda district, with the result that areas where the security forces were pulled out witnessed resurfacing of militants.

On the part of the security agencies, no concerted bid has been made to unseat militants enjoying freedom and "power" in the hilly belts of south Kashmir, Kupwara, Doda, Poonch, Rajouri and Udhampur. This way, the militants don't have to wait for opportunities to strike against the security forces and the civilians. The entire security arrangements have to be reviewed and overhauled and that is possible if the Centre rushes at least five to 10 brigades of paramilitary forces and troops to the state. One hears of combing operations soon after one carnage or the other but, so far, these combing operations have not proved result-oriented as they have resembled the hide-and-seek game played by children. Intelligence reports with the government have already identified the areas where the militants have established their hideouts and these can be smashed once the troops seal all the escape routes. Without this, the state fears more killings, more violence and the consequent migration from different areas.

NC government adopting double
policy, says BJP chief
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 29 — The BJP President Mr K.B. Thakre, has blamed Pakistan for destabilising peace in Jammu and Kashmir in the name of Islam. He said that the Pakistan sponsored proxy war had ruined the peace in the state and both Hindus and Muslims suffered due to the subversive violence engineered from across the border.

Addressing party workers on his arrival in Jammu today, Mr Thakre said Pakistan would have not dared to pose problems for India in Jammu and Kashmir had not some big powers been behind Islamabad. He said that these big powers were giving moral and material support to Pakistan to see that India did not get "strong".

Mr Thakre, who was given a reception by BJP workers and leaders here today, said that India could not afford to sit silent. "A way has to be found out to tackle the security situation at any cost, said adding that India had to take measures to and the turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir and achieve progress in different fields.

The BJP chief blamed the National Conference Government for adopting a double policy. On one hand it assumed the role of a nationalist force and on the other hand had patronised anti-national elements within the state administration. He wanted the National Conference Government to change its style of functioning and weed out employees and officers whose integrity and bona fides were in doubt.

Expressing pain over the series of massacres in different parts of the state he said the state government failed to take any right action in tackling the menace of militancy. He assured the party workers that their resentment suggestions and complaints about the failure of the state and central governments in providing a foolproof security cover to people in the sensitive areas would be conveyed to the central leaders, especially to the Union Home Minister.

Later Mr Thakre addressed a meeting of prominent citizens wherein he shared the concern of the people of the state over the fresh challenges posed by stepped up militancy-related violence. He called for peoples' resistance movement against anti-national elements.

Partial response to APHC strike call
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 29 — Normal life was partially affected here today in response to the Hurriyat call against the meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Colombo without the participation of "real representatives of Kashmir".

Shops and business establishments in most parts of the city remained closed today. Banks and educational institutions also remained closed in response to the call given by the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC). Passenger transport on some city routes remained suspended, while in most of the areas of the city it plied normally. There was, however, no impact of the strike call in other parts of the valley.Traffic plied normally on the inter district routes.

A spokesman of the APHC described the Indo-Pak talks without the participation of Kashmiris as "meaningless", adding that the Kashmir "issue" was the "core issue" between the two neighbouring countries. He said that the strike was to register the voice of Kashmiri people and create a realisation for the "resolution of the basic issue of Kashmir". The spokesman added that only a "permanent and honourable" solution of the issue would prevent South Asia from nuclear disaster.

The Hurriyat spokesman reiterated its stand on the tripartite talks to resolve the Kashmir problem as it endangered peace in South Asia. The spokesman also said that following the atomic tests by the two neighbouring countries, the international community had realised that Kashmir was the basic issue between the two countries and it needed a solution.

Protest by Amarnath pilgrims
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 29 — The traditional "Charri poojan" was performed at the Amreshwar Temple, Dashnami Akhara in connection with the ongoing Amarnath yatra here last evening. The poojan was attended by Minister for Industries and Commerce, Bodh Raj Bali.

The poojan was preformed by Mahant Deepinder Giri at the temple. This marks the beginning of the Amarnath yatra when the holy mace of Lord Shiva would be taken out from here on August 2 for the darshan at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on August 8. The holy mace reaches the cave shrine on sravana purnima, the Raksha Bandhan day.

Meanwhile, according to an official spokesman here today, about 1.10 lakh pilgrims have already joined the yatra of whom 90,069 had darshan of the Shivlingam in the holy cave till last evening.

The 24th batch of 3075 pilgrims left Jammu this morning in a caravan of 114 vehicles for the yatra. So far 75,645 pilgrims have returned to their homes after darshan since July 5.