M. M Khajooria
The on-going sporadic but numerous bouts of cease-fire violations on the IB and LoC in J and K were not only escalated but guns were specifically aimed at civilian targets. The first civilian fatal causality was reported from Sawjian area of Poonch sector in the beginning of October where a 17-year old girl was killed in cross-border firing by Pakistani troops. Four other civilians were injured.
On 6th October, Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) personnel allegedly fired along the working Border in Sialkot, killing four and injuring five. (. Dawn.com.). The cross border firing by Pakistan Rangers and army directed at civilian targets in Arnia belt of Jammu District claimed five civilians lives and injured 34 others. Pak Army used upgraded weaponry in the attack. According to residents of the area it was for the first time after 1965 Indo-Pak war that civilians were deliberately hit. Otherwise in other engagements shells and bombs would invariably land in the fields and other open spaces. It was the highest tally of Indian civilian causalities in a decade in Pak firing from across the Line of Control in this theater.
Pakistan media put out the claim ‘that eight people were killed and three injured as Indian security forces allegedly fired and shelled a village in the Chaprar Sector (Express Tribune) Later that day, two women were killed and 11 others injured as Pakistani troops targeted 50 security outposts along the LoC.
On 9th October, two Pakistani civilians were allegedly killed on by Indian forces .Meanwhile two Indian women were killed by Pakistani forces in an unrelated incident.
About the same time Jammu and Kashmir witnessed unprecedented devastating floods. Kashmir was the worst effected. Unmindful of the massive human tragedy and finding Indian Army hugely engaged in rescue and relief operations Pakistan Army tried to push in terrorist across the LoC. To their utter surprise they found the ever vigilant army ready for their reception. In all, 18 terrorists were accosted and killed during October, 2014. Significantly the Free Press Journal ( 18th October 2014) reported destruction of 19 terrorist camps in PoK by Indian forces. Independent verification of the report was, however awaited.
The entire belt of villages and clusters of homes alongside the border in Jammu region particularly in areas falling in the jurisdiction of Jammu, Samba and Kathua Districts were badly affected by unprovoked firing by Pakistan compelling thousands of families to evacuate and seek shelter in the hinterland. While some have sought shelter with relatives and friends others have been put up in camps set up by the administration. The picture could not be much different across.
I have been of the view that after Pakistan military establishment obviously with the concurrence of the country’s government decided on BAT operations which translated into joint Laskhar-Pak Army teams making forays into area lying on our side of the LoC and committing horrendous acts like beheading of Indian soldiers and decamping with severed heads time had come to move beyond “bullet for bullet” policy and impose unacceptable punishment on the enemy. The October response to Pakistan unprovoked attack on the civilian population did exactly that. The surprise and shock on Indian response was both patent and palpable.
The reaction on the diplomatic front was predictable lines. Governments of both countries accused each other for resorting to “unprovoked firing”. While Home Minister Rajnath Singh wanted that “Pakistan should stop cease-fire violations now,” PM Modi assured the people that” we will not let down our country and “everything will be fine soon”. At the height of confrontation Defense Minister Arun Jaitely accused Pakistan of resorting to unprovoked firing and said “it would be unaffordable for Pakistan” to indulge in what he referred to as “adventurism.”His Pakistan counterpart, Khawaja Asif retorted that “Pakistan was fully capable to respond to any Indian aggression and India should act in a responsible manner.”Chinese News agency Xinhua in its despatch dated 9th October brought in the nuclear angle. It quoted Pakistan Defence Minister as saying “We do not want to convert border tension between two nuclear neighbours into a confrontation,”. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s National Security Adviser, Sartaj Aziz, however introduced an element of comedy when he alleged that “It is sad that the Indian Government has not been able to restrain its forces despite strong diplomatic protest by Pakistan”. The entire world knows that the Indian Army was highly professional and completely apolitical. It was totally under the control of and subject to direction and control of the democratically elected government. It was the Pak Army, on the other hand that dictated terms in Pakistan and in the very nature of their system of governance was free of any restraint by the Pak Government.
Overall, the crisis management by Indian political and military establishments was praise worthy. However, after the well deserved punishment was handed down it should have been emphasised by our leadership that the conflict was not of our choosing. So were the consequences. Mature leadership does not publically gloat over success in situations wherein the worst sufferers were the innocent common people. People in responsible positions expected be carful in making comments and some remarks like “mouths of the Pakistan guns were silenced” should have best avoided. As it is the guns continue to boom across the border even today.
It should be recognised that the purpose of “punishing” Pakistan was to make its leadership realise the futility and cost of such like adventurism and return to proper civilised behaviour. This was phase, a very bad patch in Indo-Pak relations and has to pass off. Pakistan already appears to have decided to agitate in international fora while maintaining some cross border military engagement. We have to do business with each other for which it was now Pakistan’s turn to create congenial environment. Hopefully saner elements within Pakistan and world public opinion would persuade Pakistan civil and military establishments to traverse the paths of peace and reconciliation. To initiative on these lines we should respond positively. The stage has come for the temperatures to be brought down.