Amid apparently apocryphal social media claims that Pakistan army and militants have sneaked into the Jammu region, the central government has made clear its zero tolerance for terrorism. Responding to a question in parliament, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, in a written reply to a question in the ongoing Monsoon Session of Lok Sabha stressed “sustained actions against terrorists and support structures”, crackdown on terror finance and banning of anti-national organisations. The minister listed a series of the other measures such as seizure of properties belonging to militants and their associates. He highlighted that no incidents of ‘organised stone pelting and organised hartal’ have been reported this year. However, the minister admitted that there have been 11 incidents of violence in the region this year in which 14 security forces personnel have been killed in action so far, and 14 civilians have lost their lives.
Jammu has largely been in news this year for security reasons. Militancy in the region has revived after over a decade of absence. As the region grapples with the heightened threat, the Union government and security agencies are working to ensure a secure environment. It is believed that these militants have infiltrated from across the border, although the exact number is unknown. The dense forests of the region have made it difficult for security forces to find them, and their presence in Jammu has caught security forces off guard. The situation is made even more concerning by the fact that the forest area where the militants are hiding extends to Shopian in South Kashmir, the district that has been a hotbed of militancy in recent years. But the militants have chosen to stay in Jammu only, possibly because the region has a lower concentration of security forces than the Valley and also a warmer climate throughout the year.
Last two years have also witnessed a certain thinning of the presence of security forces in the Jammu region, which is being exploited by the militants. Recurrent militant attacks and the attendant loss of lives of security personnel in the Jammu region has created a challenging situation for both the UT and the union government. The new strategy aims to address operational flaws, intensify counter-terrorist operations, and track down hiding militants with active support from locals. But it is likely to take longer before the situation gets any better. Here’s hoping that apart from a strictly security driven approach, the central government also needs to embark on a political outreach to people. And to start with, it needs to urgently hold Assembly elections.
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