Editorial: Pangs of Paradise

NEW DELHI: This week, India observed the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir, along with Article 35A. In 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Pakistan has since downgraded its ties with India, leading to New Delhi and Islamabad opting for a ‘cold shoulder’ approach to diplomacy. The soured relationship was clouded by the spectre of rising militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, which found mention in the Parliament recently, although with a different spin.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Lok Sabha last month that as many as 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-initiated incidents and 24 encounters or counter-terror operations up to July 21 this year. A Minister pointed out that there was a decline in the number of terror incidents in the region compared to previous years. A total of 14 security personnel and 14 civilians were killed up to July 21 this year, while the number of killings was 44 (30 security personnel and 14 civilians) in 46 terrorist-initiated incidents and 48 encounters or counter-terror operations in the Union Territory in 2023.

As per the data, 146 individuals (91 security personnel and 55 civilians) were killed in 228 terrorist-initiated incidents and 189 encounters or counter-terror operations in the erstwhile state in 2018. Additionally, there were 1,328 organised stone pelting incidents and 52 organized Hartals in 2018. Terror incidents have been common in the Kashmir Valley, but the resurgence of militant activity in the Jammu belt, which was bereft of such attacks, has sent shockwaves within the security apparatus. Last month, five Army soldiers were killed as two Army vehicles were ambushed in Kathua district. Prior to that, terrorists attacked a bus in Reasi district killing nine pilgrims, on the day that PM Modi was being sworn in for a third term.

Since 2021, Jammu saw 31 terror incidents in which 47 security forces and 19 civilians lost their lives. On the other hand, the Kashmir Valley reported 263 incidents in which 68 security forces and 75 non-combatants were killed. Political observers attributed this surge in incidents to the onground military vacuum in the J&K region. A significant number of Indian troops have been redeployed to the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, following the Galwan stand-off with China in 2020, which resulted in the death of 20 soldiers. Security experts have highlighted how this led to a thinning of the security grid, and rendering it vulnerable to attacks. The heightened state of alert in Kashmir has also prompted insurgents to launch strikes in Jammu, which has a limited security coverage.

The assaults seem to be pointing to the fact that the abrogation of Article 370 hasn’t laid to rest the long-term expansionist ambitions of the Pakistani deep state. It is also clear that terrorists and their handlers are attempting to send out a message to New Delhi, forewarning that they can unleash violence at any given point in time, essentially sabotaging the narrative of a new, improved and peaceful Jammu and Kashmir. The assembly polls that are slated to be held by September 30 have also fallen in the crosshairs of non-state actors. India has its work cut out, not just in augmenting troop strength, but in building a comprehensive, multi-layered military strategy to counter the threat at its border.