Jammu, October 13(Scoop News)-Panun Kashmir organized a seminar in Jammu on Sunday. The topic of the seminar was “Jammu on the Terrorist Radar”. Prominent intellectuals and opinion makers in Jammu participated in the seminar and apprised the dangers of the renewed thrust of terrorism and secessionism in the state particularly the Jammu province. The recent escalations in the violence in the state and attempts to foment communal and sectarian disturbances were discussed threadbare during the seminar.
M M Khajuria, former Director General of the state police made the key note speech on the topic of the seminar. Explaining the present security situation in the state he made a lucid comparison of the trends in relation to political developments in the state, country and the whole region of south Asia. Sh MM Khajuria said, “ it was indeed tragic that even after more than six and a half decades of conflict with Pakistan , successive governments in Delhi and the national political class as a whole had either not bothered to or miserably failed to correctly assess and accurately delineate that country’s designs on the territories comprising the state of Jammu & Kashmir . Kashmir valley was erroneously flagged as topping Pakistan shopping list. The truth was that while Pakistan wanted Kashmir for politico-demographic reasons, the erstwhile Frontier Province (Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan) for its strategic location, vast land mass and enormous natural resources, Jammu region was critical for its very survival. He further said, “The mighty Chenab together with Ravi, constituted, what Mohd Ali Jinnah described as the Jugular vein of Pakistan. These rivers fed its canal system that irrigated the Punjab, its food basket, industrial hub and the mainstay of its military prowess and economy. In a significant move Hafiz Sayed was recently drafted to create hype over the ‘water aggression’ by India while the then Prime Minister Gillani and the foreign office spokespersons simultaneously emphasized the urgent need to settle the water dispute”.
Explaining the geopolitics of the region Sh Khajuria said that in the post US withdrawal (from Afghanistan) strategy of Pakistani army and the ISI, Jammu naturally figures prominently on the terrorist radar. Cease Fire violations on the LoC/ IB , almost on daily basis , Kathua- Samba Fidayeen assaults, the Kishtwar communal rioting aimed at triggering minority migration prompting communal tension in the region , periodic communal tension in Rajouri and attempts to suck Jammu into the separatist game plan fore tell the course of events to come. Jammu must therefore recognize the threat and rise as one man to defeat these nefarious designs .Communal amity must not only be maintained but further strengthened. It should be realized that the aim of the enemy was to create terror through attacks on citizens –the primary target.”
Dr Hari Om, retired Professor of History, University of Jammu and a prolific writer and opinion maker said the terrorist assault on Jammu started after Pakistan failed to get adequate international support to get endorsement of its anti-India resolution in UNHRC, Geneva, in 1994. He said terrorism in the state has got internal support which could not be eliminated during all these years due to subversive politics practiced from within the state. Dr Hari Om cautioned that the terrorist violence in the state and particularly in the province of Jammu may go up as the commitment of the state government to uphold the integrity and sovereignty of the nation is becoming increasingly suspect. People of Jammu have a crucial task to defeat subversive machinations and frustrate the terrorist game plan. Dr Hari Om said that the Government of India in recent times has encouraged the communal elements in Rajauri, Poonch and Doda who have sympathy for the separatist cause. Interlocutors appointed by the Centre played an ugly role and only encouraged the fissiparous tendencies in Jammu.
DR Ajay Chrungoo, Chairman, Panun Kashmir, in his presentation described the situation as serious as the new destabilization through escalation of terrorist violence and calibrated military pricks from Pakistan and China in the state is unfolding with an alarming frequency and intensity. “The terror threat to Jammu at this time is taking place in an environment different than 90s. Government of India has accepted the Pakistani dictum of an uninterrupted and uninterruptible dialogue. It is a state of abject adjustment to terrorism and a brazen negation of the proclaimed policy which was articulated by none other than the President of India recently that there will be no compromise with cross-border terrorism.”
Dr Ajay further elucidated, “The commitment of those at the helms in the state government to uphold the national resolve that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India is suspect. The government positions and the constitutional and legislative platforms have been used to describe Jammu and Kashmir as a dispute and even as a colony of India. There is surprise appearance of a state of de- alert in the security establishment in the state inspite of building security threats and it seems that the most efficient organs of security are showing signs of inefficiency. Many amongst us have become prone to apprehensions that the inefficiency is being injected into the system.” Dr Ajay cautioned everybody by stating, “It seems a massive unrest is being attempted at by the anti-national forces. A renewed intifada this time complimented by terrorist attacks, incursions and selective aggressions along LoC and International Border is building up in the state.” He further said that Jammu will be a prime target as a concerted bid by the separatist establishment to claim the province as a part of greater Muslim Kashmir is on. Dr Ajay concluded that peace loving and patriotic citizens living in the state have a responsibility to maintain peace, harmony and a state of alert to foil the designs of the enemies of the nation.
Dipanker Sengupta, professor of Economics in Jammu University said in his presentation, “The recent attacks by terrorists in Samba and Hiranagar targeting the Army and Police cannot be seen in isolation; indeed they have to be seen in a broader context of the events that have occurred in Gool and Kishtwar.”
He explained, “The separatist agenda which was changing in form and was being articulated only in some parts of the Valley is being sought to be given a fillip by a series of acts which seem to be occurring too close to one another not to be uncoordinated. While militarily the attack by the terrorists seem to be an attempt to take the action from an area that was getting ever smaller into the “enemy’s” territory, the corresponding political speak that has accompanied all this is more strident and as always tries to project the image of a Greater Kashmir.”The Seminar was presided over by Dr. M K Teng, Chairman Panun Kashmir Advisory.
The proceedings of the seminar were ably conducted by Mahesh Kaul.
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