I have a lurking suspicion that someone somewhere is somehow trying to ensure that peace doesn’t return to Kashmir. Why else should every proclamation announcing the ‘return of normalcy’ in Kashmir promptly be followed by a militant attack? And the twin militant attacks on policemen on Monday in Shopian and Pattan as well as a murderous attack on a former militant in Tral are the latest additions to the endless list of such incidents as it comes just a day after Union Minister for Tourism Mahesh Sharma declared “We will combat terrorism by means of tourism” and J&K Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed shared his dream to “convert J&K into a cherished tourist destination.”
In the Shopian incident, the killers targeted three unarmed policemen who were returning in a private taxi (Sumo) after investigating a land dispute case. In executing this dastardly act, the assailants took out a leaf straight from the repugnant Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) methodology– dressed in army uniforms, they stopped the Sumo in which the cops were travelling along with other civilian passengers and ordered them to alight. After checking their identity cards to confirm that the three were indeed policemen, the killers brutally shot dead the unsuspecting cops at point blank range!
In the Pattan incident, two ‘unidentified gunmen’ armed with pistols shot at another unarmed police Sub Inspector who was travelling in a civil bus from Baramulla to Srinagar (who on being hit feigned death and thus escaped being killed). Believing that they had ‘accomplished’ what they had set out to do, the killers instead of making good their escape commandeered the bus and ordered the passengers to switch off their mobile phones and keep silent. The panic stricken and terrorised passengers finally heaved a sigh of relief when the assailants finally got down from the bus after having travelled for about 17 Kilometers!
In the third incident which occurred in Tral, a former militant of Hizbul Mujahideen was shot at and critically injured by “unknown gunmen.” The incident occurred in broad daylight and that too in Tral’s busy bus stand. The pattern of attacks followed in all these incidents is really worrisome because:
• All the victims were unarmed when they were attacked.
• None of the victims were involved in anti-militancy operations when they were targeted.
• In all three incidents, the attackers shot their victims in full view of the public.
• All attacks took place in broad daylight.
No militant group has taken responsibility for any of the three attacks and it is most certain that none will ever do so, simply because these were nothing but cold blooded murders committed in the most cowardly manner. Remember, when Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, noted academician Abdul Ahad Wani and Abdul Gani Lone were assassinated, no militant group ever accepted responsibility for the same. Yet everyone knew who were involved and so, even when former Hurriyat Conference chairman, Abdul Gani Bhat finally admitted that this was the handiwork of “our own people (militants),” it came as no big surprise! In this case too, rumours have already started doing the rounds that all these attacks are a Hizbul Mujahideen ‘job’!
Coming just before the onset of the tourist season, the timing of these attacks could not have been worse. The tourism industry in Kashmir has already been dealt a serious blow by last year’s deluge and it is presently in no condition to withstand another ‘negative’ in the form of a security fears percolating down to those planning a vacation in Kashmir. It is not that militant attacks have never taken place during tourist season in the past; however, one had never heard of multiple broad daylight killings in which victims were targeted while travelling in public conveyances taking place when the tourist season was just beginning!
We all know that militant outfits in Kashmir have pledged to continue their ‘armed struggle’ till New Delhi withdraws its “occupational forces” from Kashmir. However, the militants have traditionally been careful not to do anything during the tourist season that could create an atmosphere of insecurity for visitors and thus deprive thousands of their brethren whose livelihood depends on tourism of their only source of income. Surprisingly, this time things seem different as all these three incidents appear to more of a mafia type execution rather than an ambush or hit and run attacks. By making a public spectacle of the killing of unarmed persons, there is every reason to suspect that the aim of the assailants was not to show their prowess, but only to instill panic and fear amongst the public as also tourists and this is indeed a disturbing trend!
Another major deviation in the Monday attacks is that while shooting their victims, the killers displayed scant regards for the safety of others- while one victim was shot in a crowded bus that was moving, another was shot in a bus stand swarming with people. This trend is something extremely worrisome as it is bound to create a sense of immense insecurity not only amongst tourists but locals too. And that brings us to the question- who is behind all this? There can be only two suspects – one, the security forces, law enforcement and intelligence agencies and two, the militants!
It is possible that these attacks could have been the handiwork of the establishment aimed at maligning the image of militants. However, at a time when the security forces and intelligence agencies are gloating over their claims of having facilitated a ‘incident free’ elections as well as ‘broken the back’ of militancy in Kashmir, indulging in such antics would be nothing more than cutting the nose just to spite the face! Thus, there is every reason to believe that it is the militants who are behind these attacks. Of course one could always ask- why should militants indulge in such acts when they know that the same could undermine their popularity amongst the masses! Frankly speaking, I have no answer, but based on the past experience, I can certainly hazard a safe guess.
It is a well known fact that militants have never cared much for public opinion – after all, didn’t they repeatedly put their own reputation at stake when they killed eminent personalities and respected public figures like Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, Abdul Ahad Wani and Abdul Gani Lone? Or were the militants so naïve that they thought that people would believe that these killings were the handiwork of security forces or intelligence agencies? The militants should realise that by indulging in meaningless acts of violence, they are only harming their own cause and wasn’t this exactly what Hurriyat (G) chairman SAS Geelani was hinting at when he observed in his autobiography ‘Walur Ke Kinaray’ that – “When (the) gun lost control, militant groups lost the moral standing.”
And this unfortunately brings me back to where from I had started- indeed someone somewhere is somehow trying to ensure that peace doesn’t return to Kashmir. While we may not be the ones directly responsible for this sorry state of affairs, but by feigning ignorance and choosing not to raise our voices against senseless acts of violence such as the Monday killings, we are certainly encouraging highhandedness on the part of militants. So, while we may accuse the international community for its abject apathy towards the poor plight of the people of Kashmir, but by maintaining a stoic silence over the wrongdoings of those claiming to be waging an ‘armed struggle’ in Kashmir, we are unwittingly becoming their partners in crime!
Therefore, it is time that we got over the misconception that ‘our freedom fighters can do no wrong!’ and that condemning their misdemeanour is ‘betraying the freedom struggle’. I cannot find a single benefit of militancy but can say for sure that it has many disadvantages- the main being that it has tarnished the image of our ideological struggle for the ‘right to self determination.’ And if the separatist leadership, civil society and public does not impress upon the ‘freedom fighters’ to adhere to an acceptable code of conduct, then we should not feel upset when our cries for help and assistance made to the international community for resolving the Kashmir issue falls on deaf ears!