Dost Khan
JAMMU: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is forthright in his assertion that terrorists have to be neutralized only through terrorists. This mechanism has indeed worked well in several countries infested with the plague of terrorism. Those abreast with counter insurgency know how effective it is to take on terrorists through their own rank and file.
In a State like Jammu and Kashmir, it is all the more important to have a well thought over strategy to free the people from shackles of terrorism, as political leadership has lost its will to fight the monster that has created havoc during the past two and half decades. In fact, it has ironically developed a sort of admiration or affection for those waging war against the sovereignty, integrity and unity of India. Terrorists are misguided youth for the mainstream politicians, who have been successively ruling the State. They are Mujahids for secessionists, who get pampered all the time. With such a credibility deficit and love lost for them, how come the war against terrorism can be won?
With much fanfare the Centre had initiated a political process in 1996 to instill confidence among the present mainstream parties which had abandoned the Valley in the wake of terror unleashed by Pakistan through her lackeys. Most of the leaders had relinquished their political identity through paid advertisements. They had taken refuge in plains across the country for their own safety and the security of their families. However, no sooner they got into the saddle again, a soft secessionism began in the Valley. Instead of taking on the terror regime, some of the mainstream politicians started targeting security forces, over the sacrifices of which they found their lost homes. And then began the tirade on human rights violations, revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and freeing the Valley from their ‘footprints’.
It is an open secret that whopping funds are being spent under security related expenses, known in common parlance as SRE. This involves expenditure on providing security, mobility, lodging and even boarding of the politicians belonging to mainstream outfits. The chronic secessionists have also been its beneficiaries notwithstanding their sentimental attachment with Pakistan and heinous India bashing agenda.
Instead of launching a counter movement to neutralize the horrendous impact of terrorists and their over ground faces on Kashmir psyche, the mainstream leaders have mostly been fence sitters. Frankly speaking, some of them are, and want to be seen, on both sides of the fences, which is why they are engaged in competitive negativism. Did any mainstream group or the party mobilize their ‘huge support base’ (as has been seen during polling) to foil the shut-down calls of chronic Syed Ali Shah Geelani? The tragic tale of political process was evident yesterday when the Valley almost remained shut in remembrance of the death anniversaries of Mirwaiz Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone, who fell prey to the bullets of terrorists, misguided youth or Mujahids. It is hard to comprehend against whom the shutdown was organized. The newly roped in former separatist Sajjad Lone, who finds himself in the cozy comforts of power corridors now, could not even muster courage to mobilize his supporters in north Kashmir to call the bluff of secessionists on the killing of his father Abdul Gani Lone. He has been brought in with a specific purpose. When shall the mainstream politicians play their productive role and save their own people from exploitation in the name of Jihad.
In this backdrop, the statement of the Defence Minister comes as a breather in choked atmosphere. He has been quite emphatic while saying, “There are certain things that I obviously cannot discuss here. But if there is any country, why only Pakistan, planning something against my country, we will definitely take some pro-active steps. We have to neutralise terrorists through terrorists only. Why can’t we do it? We should do it. Why does my soldier have to do it? In nutshell, he brought home his point while using a Hindi phrase, “kante se kanta nikalna” (removing a thorn with a thorn) and wondered why Indian soldiers should be used to neutralise terrorists.
At the cross roads of Indian political history where the party like BJP has surrendered its fundamentals for the loaves of power, the Defence Minister has rekindled a hope.
