Grenade attacks, civilian killings, abductions have been a part of 32-year old Pakistan sponsored insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. The so-called “freedom struggle” has endowed people of Kashmir with bloodshed, violence and disturbance. Terrorist handlers have used local youth as tools to keep their obsession alive with Kashmir.

In the past one year security forces have busted around 85 terrorist modules involved in grenade throwing, civilian killings and other different terror activities. Even after losing the three decade old proxy-war Pakistan and its agencies are continuously attempting to launch terrorist modules in J&K. Security forces have exposed dozens of such groups in the recent past.

Pakistan is making desperate attempts to keep the pot boiling in Kashmir by trying to push in more infiltrators and by activating sleeper cells. It’s even using drones to drop weapons in frontier areas. Huge quantities of arms, explosives, grenades, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other material have been seized in the Jammu region during the past few months.

Ultras choosing soft targets

Terrorist bosses sitting across the Line of Control are leaving no stone unturned to once again create fear in Kashmir as they are unable to digest that terrorists have lost the local support and are finding it hard to carry on with their activities. To create fear psychosis, terrorist handlers have directed the ultras to hit soft targets. The real face of terror getting exposed has driven home a point that terror and terrorists have no religion and human lives don’t matter for them.

The nefarious designs of Pakistan getting unveiled have led to the common man in Kashmir saying no to violence. It’s for the first time in the past 32-years of insurgency that the number of active militants in Kashmir has come down to less than 200 while the number of local militants active is just 86. Activities of local ultras have declined due to which the foreigners are coming out from their hideouts and are getting killed.

In December 2021, eleven ultras were killed in two operations in Anantnag and Kulgam districts of South Kashmir within a span of three days. One US-made M-4 carbine, eight magazines, two AK 47 rifles and other ammunition were recovered from slain terrorists.

24 terrorists killed in 2 months

According to the officials as many as 24 ultras, including foreign terrorists, were killed in operations by security forces, between January 1 and February 15 this year, as compared to 8 militants during the same period last year. In 2021, 193 militants were killed while 232 were gunned down in 2020.

The figures reveal that terrorists operating in Kashmir have taken major hits. They seem to be aware of the fact that if they attack security forces they are bound to get killed. In order to save their lives, they are hurling grenades at crowded places and are trying to carryout assassinations of the unarmed political workers and grassroots public representatives.

In 2021, only 128 to 130 locals joined terrorist ranks compared to 180 in 2020. Of the 128 local ultras who joined militancy in 2021, 73 were killed, 17 were arrested while 39 are still active.

White collar terrorists eyeing teenage boys

Militant recruitment has come down and it’s the “white collar terrorists” who are now trying to woo very young boys to take up arms. It’s becoming difficult for the terrorist handlers to recruit youth between the age group of 20-25 as they have understood that violence leads to destruction only and picking up guns is no solution. The recruiters are eyeing 16 to 17 year old teenage boys who have no worldview and are vulnerable. It is easy to brainwash very young minds.

Local recruitment witnessing a decline has exasperated the people sitting across the Line of Control. Their propaganda about Kashmir and Kashmiris facing a threat has no takers as people have realized that Pakistan used them as cannon-fodder for the past three decades.

After August 5, 2019 — when the Centre announced its decision to revoke J&K’s special status and divided it into two Union Territories — the erstwhile princely state opened up to the world. The government has created opportunities for youth in every field and the focus has been on making them self reliant. New jobs, business avenues and other activities have provided young Kashmiri boys with a chance to eke out a decent living and live a peaceful life.

Anti-terror operations

During the past two years security forces have carried out anti-terrorism operations without any political interference and have acted tough against the terrorist sympathizers. Despite a record number of anti-terrorism operations carried out by the security forces and more than 600 ultras getting killed in encounters since 2019, civilians haven’t complained of any human rights violations. The collateral damage in gun battles has been less. The security forces have carried out surgical operations. First the lives of civilians have been secured and then ultras have been eliminated with precision.

Kashmir has witnessed a huge influx of tourists during the past two years. Revival of tourism has provided much needed respite to the ailing industry, which provides employment to thousands of local people directly or indirectly. The J&K Government has received investment proposals worth crores and the ball has been set rolling to revamp the industrial sector in the Himalayan region.

Developments that have taken place in J&K during the past 30-months have left the Pakistan and the terrorists sponsored by it dumbfounded. Their slogans of merging Kashmir with Pakistan and getting “Azadi” are not working. The common man has realized that these slogans were nothing but a false narrative aimed at keeping J&K disturbed.

The Centre’s decision to merge the erstwhile princely state completely with the Union of India has cleared all the confusions. New Delhi has remained firm on its stand that talks and terror can’t go together. The Centre’s clear policy towards J&K has paved the way for its development, peace and prosperity.

Insurgency on last legs

The Pakistan sponsored insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir is on its last legs. The foreign ultras present in Kashmir have given up. Their options are limited. Either they have to surrender or get killed. Till the terrorism is wiped out completely from Jammu and Kashmir, terrorists will male every possible attempt to keep civilians under threat. People of Kashmir seem to have understood that terrorists and their handlers sitting in Pakistan are not their friends as they don’t want a common Kashmiri to live in peace. But a common man in Kashmir has made up his mind. We won’t allow terrorism to raise its ugly head again.

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed)