THE killings of six civilians at Dangri village stunned everyone in India. More so, when it was followed by an IED at one of the victims’ houses which claimed the life of a child. The attack happened in an area that is not known for militancy. In Jammu division as a whole, the militancy has been absent over the last two decades, except, of course, the occasional attacks carried out by the militants from across the border. The attack has also highlighted the fragility of J&K’s peace. The situation can take a turn for the worse in a matter of a day.
The security forces have launched a manhunt to track down the perpetrators. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has also assured the victims that those involved in the gruesome killings of civilians would be brought to justice soon. The government, he said, will strengthen Village Defence Committees in the area.
Attacks like these have followed targeted killings of policemen and migrant labourers. This has only further increased the security responsibilities of the UT government, which has already been fighting the militancy. The surge in violence has come despite the fact that the number of militants has dwindled to well under 200 over the last year, the first time this has happened since 2015 when the Burhan Wani reinvigorated the then flagging militancy.
Ever since the withdrawal of J&K autonomy in August 2019, around 500 militants have been killed in the UT, most of them local youth. Though this has reduced the number of militants, the violence has lingered. And over the last year, the militants have chosen to attack soft targets – civilians, panchayat workers, J&K police personnel visiting home, outsiders and minorities – instead of engaging security personnel. Security forces, as a result, now not only have to combat militancy but also protect a large section of population including many from among their own ranks.
The resurgence in violence hasn’t, however, dented the larger drift of normalcy in the union territory yet. While the violence has become more conspicuous in recent months, it is still on the margins in so far as its impact on daily life. Tourism is at an all time high after many years. Last year, over one crore people visited J&K. Most hotels, according to UT’s tourism department, are booked through the winter. And as things stand, tourism will continue.
But, at the same time, it is important that law and order doesn’t deteriorate further. The coming weeks and months will be crucial in terms of the evolving security situation in the Valley. Winter usually doesn’t see much spike in violence. Summer is usually the time when the infiltration takes place and a little more escalation in the influx of the fully equipped militants could change the ground situation in Kashmir for the worse. But on a positive note, the overall situation has by and large stayed stable over the last three years. Here’s hoping it stays that way and things improve further from hereon.
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