The elephant in the room, of course, is Pakistan’s intransigence when it comes to using terrorism — actively and tacitly — as a tool for its security and foreign policy.
The attack on an Indian Army convoy in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in which five soldiers were killed on Monday was reportedly carried out by a well-trained and armed force. The ambush seems part of a broader trend in which terrorist activity has shifted across the Pir Panjal to the Jammu region from the Valley. This year alone, there have been at least six major incidents in the Jammu region, including the death of nine people in Reasi in an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims. Security forces face the challenge of shifting theatres of operations — over the weekend, there were twin attacks at Kulgam in South Kashmir, which ended with the Army killing five terrorists. However, the recent attacks and the high toll they have taken of precious lives – even one life lost to terror is one life too many – should not detract from the broader trend of declining violence: According to the Union Home Ministry, between 2017 and 2022, the number of infiltrators has fallen from 53 to 14, civilians killed from 55 to 31, and “terrorist initiated incidents” from 228 to 125.
With the Supreme Court’s deadline (September 30) to hold elections fast approaching, it may well be the case that terrorists and their backers across the border have stepped up their activities to scupper the return of political normalcy. After all, the people of the erstwhile state have unequivocally endorsed the ballot and rejected the bullet. In the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, voter turnout in the region stood at 58.6 per cent — the highest in 35 years. Now, the government must not take the bait of those who seek to subvert the moves towards restoring the political process in J&K. It must keep its promise to the people and the Court. Second, for long-term security, it is essential that steps are taken to address the alienation in the UT. The best way to ensure this is to facilitate people’s engagement with, and participation in, processes of representation and accountability.
The elephant in the room, of course, is Pakistan’s intransigence when it comes to using terrorism — actively and tacitly — as a tool for its security and foreign policy. This is despite global condemnation and the fact that the Frankenstein’s monster it sought to unleash against India has turned inward as well. In April, Punjab Chief Minister and former PM Nawaz Sharif’s heir-apparent echoed her father and spoke of trade and peace with India, which optimists thought signaled a shift in Pakistan’s intent. But there can be no diplomatic breakthroughs under the shadow of violence and terror, with Indian civilians in J&K and soldiers being killed. For both its own economy and security, as well as for the larger cause of peace, Rawalpindi and Islamabad must abandon their support of terror as an instrument of politics and policy.
