Despite stern and clear warning by the Army Chief against abetting terrorists or creating hurdles in anti-terror operations, pro-separatist elements, fuelled by irresponsible politicians, continue to create hurdles for armed forces
Deepak Zazia from J & K
On February 14 when two simultaneous encounters were going on in Bandipora and Handwara area of Kashmir, large number of people including women- with masks on their faces, gathered near the encounter sites and resorted to pelting stones and bricks on the security personnel engaged in the gun battles. One encounter was going on in Parrey Mohalla Hajin, about 35 kilometres northwest of Srinagar, while another gun-battle was going on in Kralgund area of Handwara.
As soon as security personnel reached the sites to track down terrorists hiding in these areas, large number of people came near the encounter sites shouting slogans in favour of terrorists.
Jammu & Kashmir : Catch the bull by the horns
While women were on the front row, males behind them were indulged into heavy stone pelting on the security personnel so as to render help to the holed up terrorists. By doing so, these miscreants are creating hurdles in the on-going encounters and trying to divert attention of the security personnel so that terrorists could inflict maximum causalities on the forces and later manage to escape unhurt.
Eye witnesses revealed that it was all due to heavy stone pelting from the “civilians” that initially 14 security personnel including an Army Major and one Commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who were leading the team, got injured because when this team reached the spot at Hjain, they came under heavy stone pelting and the terrorists hiding in a house availed this opportunity to lob grenades and resorted to indiscriminate firing.
With the support of the locals, who pelted stones on the security forces, terrorists jumped out of the house and managed to pierce through the cordon after inflicting heavy casualties to the security personnel. Although one Laskher-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist got killed, two of them managed to escape due to support from the locals.
More dangerous game plan of these stone throwers was that they later created hurdles in the movement of vehicle which were engaged in rescuing injured security personnel to the nearby hospital. These locals had created barricades on the roads to stop vehicle carrying injured security personnel. And whenever these vehicles slowed down their speed, locals resorted to heavy stone pelting.
It is believed that life of Major S Dahiya, who attained martyrdom while fighting with terrorists, could have been saved if locals had not created hurdle in the movement of the vehicle which was carrying him to
the nearby hospital. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Nitish Kumar admitted that locals were backing terrorists who were engaged in gun battle with the security forces.
Kashmir Valley has been witnessing this new trend of militancy for the last nearly three months. Now it has become a routine that whenever there is any encounter, locals rush to the spot and resort to stone pelting and brick battle with forces engaged in gun battle with the terrorists. This new trend is part of “agitational terrorism”.
Realising that security forces would avoid civilian killing during the encounter, some Over Ground Workers (OGWs) are engaged in recruiting youth and women who would be assigned the job to start stone pelting on the security forces during encounter sites to give escape route to terrorists and also to help them (terrorists) to inflict heavy causalities to the forces.
Last two months’ data is an indication that the Army has received huge causalities due to “agitational terrorism”. Intelligence reports suggest that many youths — approximately 100 — have joined militancy after the killing of Hibzul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last year, prompting security forces to launch proactive operations in recent times.
Out of the nearly 50 operations conducted in Kashmir since January 1 this year, 16 operations have resulted in either killing (22) or arresting (three) of the militants, the officials said. The security forces have also been able to bust the module of OGWs of militants, especially in North Kashmir. More than 40 OGWs have been arrested since the start of this year, they said.
These OGWs do the ground running for militants, acting as their eyes and ears — identifying soft targets, carrying out recce before striking and organising logistics like food and hideouts. These workers might not be high on the priority list of security agencies but their arrest means crippling of the militants, particularly the foreigners.
It was during the year 2009 that the then General Officer Commanding-in Chief (GoC-in-C) of Norther Commander, Lieutenant General B S Jaswal had cautioned about new trend of “agitational terrorism”. He had referred to stone throwers as “agitational terrorists” and said that “agitational terrorism” was a bigger challenge than terrorism, adding terrorists were instigating what he called “mobsters” to attack the forces and were coercing people to join protests.
Ironically when Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had warned
people against attacking security forces during encounter, political parties tried to politicize his statement but it is a reality that security forces are facing heavy causalities due to agitational terrorism.
General Rawat had warned those attacking security forces during anti-militancy operations of tough action. He said that security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were facing higher casualties due to the manner in which the local population was preventing them from conducting the operations and “at times even supporting the terrorists to escape”.
“We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism, displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them”, he said, adding, “They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue, sending out a stern message to those who support militants”.
The Army chief said “If they do not relent and create hurdle in our operations, that we will take tough action”. He said those supporting terror activities are being given an opportunity to join the national mainstream but, if they continue with their acts, security forces will come down hard on them.
“We are giving them an opportunity, should they want to continue to (do what they are doing now) then, we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures. And that is the way to continue,” he said.
Political Parties encourage Separatists
Separatists, National Conference, Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are on same page to criticize Army Chief General Rawat’s statement to appease those who have been involved in attacking security forces during encounters to support terrorists.
What to say of other leaders, even Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad is also echoing separatists’ language for petty political gains as he termed Army Chief’s statement as “politically motivated”
The National Conference has expressed disappointment and dismay over the “belligerent remarks” of the Army Chief and that said such posturing would compound the situation and increase the hostility in the Valley.
“Youth rushing towards encounter sites and incidents of stone-pelting on the forces during encounters are worrying and alarming signs of the sense of alienation and disenchantment in Kashmir,” NC Spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said in a statement.
Even the PDP, which is running coalition with BJP has criticized Army Chief’s statement. PDP general secretary and vice-chairperson of Horticulture Development Board, Nizamuddin Bhat warned through a local news channel that the Army must exercise restraint.
“This has not happened today, there have been occasions in the past also. That is why we say in any circumstances, a disciplined force observes restraint. This is a welfare state and we are committed to certain principles” Bhat said.
Hardline Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Geelani, JKLF chief Yasin Malik, Mirwaiz Omar and other anti-India groups too have critized Army chief’s statement.
The BJP defended Army Chief Bipin Rawat”s statement on tough action against locals hampering
counter-militancy operations in Kashmir and accused the Congress of speaking in the voice of separatists and politicising the Army for “lowly
political gains”.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who hails from Jammu & Kashmir, attacked Congress leaders for
criticising General Rawat’s statement as he claimed that what the Army Chief said was not a warning but a concern expressed by him over civilians’ safety.
“It is appalling and a matter of concern, worry that the Congress is falling to this temptation of politicising the Army chief”s statement … This party can go to any extent for political benefits. It is speaking the voice of
separatists for lowly political gains,” he said.
Advisory for Civilians
The Jammu & Kashmir Government has issued an advisory for the public on encounters. The advisory, issued by the DGP, asks public stay away from the encounter site. District administration of Srinagar, Bargam and Sopia have advised people to not to move towards or assemble near the places where encounters take place between
security forces and militants to avoid injuries.
Prohibited restrictions have been imposed within the radius of 3 kilometres from the site of any counter insurgency operations in the district. The restriction, however, will not apply to the movement of ambulances, medical/paramedical staff and government employees.
Director General of Police (DGP) J&K, Dr SP Vaid said, “We can advise and if someone still wants to jump into the fire, then what can we do?”
The government advisory comes after a year since it first issued such a notice in Pulwama district, following the increasing cases of locals rushing towards the site of a gun-battle to allegedly distract security forces and help the militants in escaping.
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