Just one month over and Kashmir Valley saw three bank robberies after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination currency. Is that Kashmir is facing cash crunch so that people have resorted to bank looting or is that terrorists are facing cash crunch so bank has been benevolent to share new currency with them? Why that other nationalised banks remain untouched? This is the question which haunts security agencies over the modus operandi of militants facing the down side effect of demonetisation which has put breaks on all money movement within the country. It is not only militants in Jammu and Kashmir but terror organisations in north-east too are in same boat. The whole exercise of bringing out all the ill-gotten wealth out has in reality affected their activities but to large extent the Hawala route looks too also has been the sufferer. In Kashmir bank robberies role of inside hands cannot be ruled out because in all the incidents there has been no loss of human life. Even police men on duty simply handed over their weapons also. What has caught security agencies of the guard is that same group of militants were involved in all the three bank robberies that have taken place in the Valley after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes on 8th November. It is also the second bank robbery within a week in South Kashmir’s Pulwama District, which has been the epicentre of the ongoing unrest in the Valley. On 8th December, militants had looted Rs 13.38 lakh from Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch at Arihal in Pulwama District. On 21st November, suspected militants had looted Rs 13 lakh from a bank in Chrar-e-Sharief area of central Kashmir’s Budgam District. As far as police is concerned they have provided security. Bank robberies and militant attacks on security forces and instigating unrest looks to have a common link which the State Government must be able to expose rather issuing statement of caution being taken while using
pellet guns. There is a need to revisit the policy of tackling Kashmir viz-a-viz militancy and bank
robberies.