Scarcity of decisions in dealing with the terrorists and separatists
Joginder Singh
The way, the terrorists, in the guise of separatists, in Kashmir Valley spit fire against India, sometimes, leaves one wondering, at the amazing capacity of the Government of India, to tolerate, on what goes on there. One thing is certain, that the State Government is mostly bending backward to please the bullies and tormentors and follows their dictate.
It is fruitless, bending backwards, for the people, who would not even lift a finger for you. It is worthwhile, to recount, that while dealing with terrorism, Margaret Thatcher had once said that “Publicity is the oxygen of terrorism”. Not only Government violate every rule or policy which is essential for dealing, with terrorism, but also give financial support to such publications, which espouse their cause.
An ancient worthy, by whatever name you call him, a separatist, or terrorists supporters or a Pakistani agent, called for a bandh to protest musician Zubin Mehta’s concert in Srinagar , in September, saying these events “can be used to change Kashmir’s disputed nature’’.
The German embassy in India had organised the event with the Government’s help, as part of its broader engagement. The terrorist asked the people, to hold demonstrations and observe complete shutdown.
In other words, they dictate what kind of cultural activities, the Government should do or not do.
The mighty Government of India, with nearly two million defence and para military forces, appears to be, on a spree of appeasement, expeditions, to please terrorists or separatists, by whatever name you call them. They ( the amalgamation of terrorists organisations) issue a weekly protest calendar for various issues, including the hanging of the Kashmiri terrorists and also direct the Government employees not to work or abstain from work or even ask the students to neglect their studies and sit in “Dharna”. They are not bothered that some of the terrorists were responsible for the attack on the Parliament.
The Director General of J&K Police revealed sometimes back that more than Rs. 40 lakh were spent to fuel protests and finance stone pelting in Kashmir, and the money came from many separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
This, he says, was revealed in the interrogation of Masrat Alam, who led the agitation in Kashmir last summer. “He has revealed a lot of things during interrogation. We are compiling it, we are taking further action on that and financing for stone pelting has also been revealed. His contacts who have emerged as facilitators of pelting in Kashmir, they are also being rounded up. Many of them have been booked under public safety act cases also and we will follow it up. The amount is quite a bit, in fact more than Rs. 40 lakh,” Asked if there was any connection between sponsorship of the protests and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Khoda said, “No, it has been coming from various separatists including him too.”
The State Government has been, at the best a silent actor, and has abdicated its total responsibility, in ensuring that its writ and not that of the terrorists runs.
In a noiseless, but a clever move, these worthies are carrying on Pakistani agenda and have overawed the administration, which to speak plainly has been their sleeping partner. Anywhere else in the country, such persons would have been detained. Government of India, which has been spending the Indian tax payer’s, money on the wellbeing of the terrorists and providing security does not say anything, as if it is voiceless.
But not a word was said by the then Governments, or any steps taken when 3.70 lakh people of the minority community, were forced to leave the Valley from 1989 onwards. There is not a word of condemnation, when security forces are killed or attacked on being incited by the terrorists.
At the top, the State Government has issued orders, asking the Para Military Forces, not to carry weapons, to defend themselves. Apart from being illegal, how can security forces defend themselves, when the State Government is turning a blind eye, to the high handedness of the terrorists.
This is, what exactly, the terrorists want, that the security forces should not stay in the Valley or if they stay, they should be sitting ducks. In the post-Afzal Guru hanging protests in the Valley, 359 CRPF jawans were injured while 134 of their vehicles were damaged by protestors, CRPF.
Reinforcing the Centre’s policy of appeasement in Srinagar and Kashmir Valley, the Union Home Minister, obviously ignorant or unmindful of the ground reality and Pakistan’s intentions and separatists intentions, says “In Jammu and Kashmir, we do not want guns to always do the talking. So, all paramilitary soldiers were not armed at the time… We want to bring peace in Kashmir by giving a special package there… we, too, do not want to keep the military there for long.”
In Delhi, he speaks in other tone and in Srinagar plays by the terrorists games.
The strain of working and demoralisation of off and on policies, in the para military forces of India, can be seen from the exodus force wise, which is under;
Number of VRS cases between 2007-2011 (till Sep):
BSF 22,260
CRPF 11,392
Assam Rifles 5,601
CISF 3,616
ITBP 1,673
SSB 1,439
Total in 5 years 45,981
Nowhere in the world, the terrorism has been quelled by talks, or by prostrating before the terrorists, whose writ is ruling the Valley and who understand the language of the guns. But in our great country, the Government believes only in talks, when nobody in the Valley wants even to talk to the Prime Minister.
Those, who cannot live in India, under our Constitution, are free to avail their rights and migrate to the country of their choice. Government of India, can also give them a little push across the border, to their dream land Pakistan.
(The writer is former CBI director)
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