DOST KHAN
JAMMU: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ought to have taken his own time in responding to presence of Islamic State of Iran and Syria or ISIS in Kashmir rather than rushing to dub the hoisting of flags of the outfit as acts of some idiots. By brushing aside the issue so conveniently and casually, facts do not change. The Indian intelligence agencies are already tizzy over the machinations of radicals on whose radar lay Kashmir as well. The Islamic Caliphate envisaged by Baghdadi includes Kashmir also. The man in the midst of tackling terror and ensuring national security on borders, Lt. General Subrata Saha, General Officer Commanding 15 Corps has unequivocally expressed his concern over youngsters getting attracted towards ISIS. This should have been a matter of concern for the Chief Minister as well, as he is Chairman of the Unified Command, comprising senior officers of the Army, Intelligence, Para Military Forces and the State Police, that is supposed to be sharing intelligence inputs on day to day and even minute to minute basis on issues of immense national importance. It can’t be that the Chief Minister must have been kept out of loop.
A day after controversial reaction of Omar Abdullah, Director General of National Security Guard J. N Choudhury has pointed towards alarming synergy between various terror outfits. He is of the considered opinion that if terrorist groups from across the Line of Control like the Lashker-e-Toiba, Jaishe-e-Muhammad, Harqat and Indian Mujahideen have strong bonding with the Al-Qaeda and the Iraq based ISIS, the level of threat in Kashmir could be more.
The surfacing of ISIS flags in the Valley should not be seen in isolation of flare up in Islamabad’s diplomatic offensive on Kashmir issue together with euphoric rants by key political players like Bilawal Bhutto and Parvez Musharraf. It is not to suggest that Pakistan establishment and the political hierarchies are hand in glove with dreaded Iraqi outfit but indirect connections cannot be ruled out. Weeks earlier, PoK based United Jehad Council supremo Syed Sallah-ud-Din had publicly endorsed and welcomed notorious terror outfit Taliban and Al-Qaeeda to step up their activities in Kashmir. He got ready support by other Kashmiri secessionists though some over-ground sympathizers had different views. They took opposite line in the public domain because they know the organizations like ISIS are anti Shias. Remember, the presence of ISIS conduits in the Valley had unnerved the Shia population immensely. A national daily carried the statement of Mirza Hussain in its 2nd August 2014 issue, saying, “We fear this may put our lives at risk since the ISIS leader is targeting the Shias, besides Islamic shrines and monuments”. Little over a week and half later, some youth carrying ISI flags were seen amusing onlookers on a Srinagar street again. The finale came on Eid when the flood-hit people of the city got a unique spectacle of ISIS flag donning youth helping stone pelters to target security forces.
The casual reaction of the Chief Minister also reminds of early nineties when the ruling National Conference then had attributed initial bomb blasts across the Valley as handiwork of opponents who wanted to dislodge the government. The reference was towards Congress, which had several times earlier indulged in such activities. But, when the terror monster showed its ugly head, the National Conference leaders and prominent workers were among first ones to flee for safety. Had an effort been made to go deeper into the unrest that prevailed prior to onset of full-fledged terrorism, the situation would have been quite different. The two and half decade terrorism has created havoc in the Valley and impacted Jammu and other areas as well. Thousands of young people have rehabilitated ‘martyrs’ grave yards, leaving kith and kin in the wilderness. However, terrorism did not cause the devastation seen in similarly placed strife torn areas like Afghanistan or Pakistan and now Iraq. By and large Kashmir remained intact though economic activity got standstill and thousands of innocent lives were lost.
What would ISIS intervention or presence of men donning dark out fits in Kashmir mean? Mere thought is enough to send a chill through the spine of ordinary Kashmiri, who is sagacious enough to visualise the repercussions. They cannot withstand the destruction the Taliban type of terrorism stands for. They cannot also see the Valley turning into ruins with palatial buildings and infrastructure raised over decades razing to ground in a spur of moment. That is, in fact, the truth of terrorism, which some zealots misrepresent as Jihad. Even hardcore secessionists will not like such a scenario as they are having better of both the worlds by bullying India to seek concessions and getting paid by Pakistan and ISI.