A carrot and stick approach is the need of the hour to wipe out militancy from the State. Also, there should be political consensus to wean locals from being unwitting accomplices to terrorists by addressing their legitimate socio-economic and political issues
A permanent solution to the stubborn militancy predicament in Jammu & Kashmir requires a multi-layered policy-driven initiative based on the carrot and stick approach. On the diplomatic front, the opening of the Kartarpur corridor was a welcome sign towards working out conflict resolution methods but history bears testimony to the fact that we still need to be vigilant.
The recent attack by terrorists on an Army patrolling party killing four soldiers in Zainapora district of Kashmir has once again exposed our vulnerability and douse rays of hopes for peace. Earlier attacks by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Pulwama, Uri and Pathankot have challenged our security policies and political will of the Government.
The rise in terror attacks in the Valley is taking place only with support from locals. It has been noticed that to strengthen the secessionist movement, insurgents are recruiting and training locals. This strategy has made it difficult for security forces to get reliable information from local sources on terrorist operations.
The hardship that security forces have to face during and after anti-terrorist operations is mind-boggling.
There is need to change the mindset of All Parties Hurriyat Conference that Kashmir is an integral part of India and should not get caught in a nefarious game plan of Pakistan. Some kind of Popular Mobilisation Force (against ISIS) as seen in Iraq can be replicated to build solid public opinion against insurgency in the region.
At the same time, there needs to be political consensus to stop getting involved in either in jingoism or deliberately criticising the Government for anti-terrorism operations for vote politics for the same of national security.
There has been a section of strategists who want India to adopt hawkish and surgical tactics and not merely relying on rhetoric. But what about handling terrorists driven by religious fervour and wrongly motivated for harming the country. It is possible to frame a strategy about terrorist attack but there is confusion about whether such a mechanism is successful in dealing with terrorists driven by religious fundamentalism as religion is becoming the main motivating force for terrorism across the globe.
Whether terrorism is unleashed at local, regional national or international level it cannot survive for long without international support and collaboration.
Therefore, the intelligence gathering should be boosted to get information about terrorists' funding, targets, timings and breeding ground. But the Government alone cannot do much. Individuals and groups can make a significant contribution towards improving the general security environment.
On the other hand, there is a need for the sophisticated security procedures which can go all the way from airport screening to the border area. Some kind of positive programmes which can frustrate terrorists can prove effective. There is also a need to promote open institutions, including political institution to absorb the ethnic, religious and political pressure and allow them (the terrorists) to vent their feelings in a proper way.
Since the present day terrorists are well organised and more professional than their counterparts a decade ago, new concepts of safety and security should take birth. A vigilant and assertive police and paramilitary network should replace the old one.
Many of the important suggestions and recommendations of the various committees are not in tune with the exiting circumstances. There is an apprehension that with the availability of biological and chemical weapons, terrorists will start their campaign with renewed vigour.
The States affected by terrorism should open the avenues for negotiated settlement of disputes and exhibit genuine willingness to resolve long festering problems. This threat can be encountered by training and development of a new mechanism bolstered up of a multidimensional and multi-layered approach based on checks and balances. There are certain pertinent questions which need to be answered immediately:
1) What are the new terrorist challenges across the globe, particularly faced by India?
2) Why terrorists are successful in their mission?
3) What is the role of religion in motivating terrorists?
4) How has sophisticated technology helped terrorists achieve their mission?
5) What are the external linkages?
6) What are preventive methods available for the redressal of the grievances of the vulnerable people, thus striking at the roots of the problem? What kind of recent threats encountered by the representatives of people?
7) What are security constraints in dealing with the problem of terrorism? In this regard a careful analysis of the causes of suicidal squad of terrorism could be great use.
8) How India could have avoided Mumbai (26/11) and Hyderabad serial blasts
9) What are legal and constitutional provisions available to deal with terrorists?
After carefully examining the widening gap between the various governments to formulate a common strategy for the suppression of terrorism, some strategic measures ought to be looked into for formulating international strategy to counter this menace. In this regard a comprehensive coordination between various nations can be of immense use.
We need to work on the strategic methods which the security forces and the intelligence agencies ought to be preparing for, to encounter new form of attacks on markets, trains, shopping centers, cinema halls, hotels and other public places. Those who matter in framing and implementing the decisions need to realise that the problem in Jammu & Kashmir is multi-dimensional and requires a fresh perspective.
Unless we hit at the roots of the disease it will keep haunting us. The anti-terrorist campaign should also covers following major issues along with pure security strategy:
1) Tacit understanding of the region and its historical importance
2) Chalking out comprehensive plan by forgetting political and ideological differences purely as citizen of India.
3) Developing understanding among the intrusive members of the region.
4) Analysing the role played by regional political parties so far and the possibility of bringing them under one political umbrella only for the sake of the bright future of the region.
5) Developing comprehension about the potentialities and impediments in the war against terror
6) The environment security agenda through multiple layers of security
7) Combating concept of post-truth and ill ideology manufacturing agents
8) Obnoxious nexus between the local powerful syndicates, outsiders and drug smugglers.
9) There has been a considerable gap in reality and projection to the outside world by building wrong public opinion through academic discourse and media. We need to create counter-narratives by generating true public support.
10) There ought to be highly clinic and consciously passionate approach to address the hidden problem of the region which is entangled in the game plan sponsored from across the border and petty interest of a few players to remain at the helm of affairs.
11) Entire process need to address the issue of meritorious policy analysis with objective approach to provide innovative urge to solve the existing gap between theory and practice by the regional political parties in the region.
12) Streamline the existing web of formalities involved while getting a productive suggestion through.
13) Improve security contents and need by incorporating recent changes through discourse and argumentation.
14) Seeking multiple options and viewpoints in order to help in forming an integrated team consisting of only meritorious members for holistic development of Jammu & Kashmir.
15) Introducing new innovative mechanism in the process of industrialisation designed to help local unemployed youth of the region towards career goals.
16) More integrated programs and services that provide supplemental support to both army and local police making it more efficient with present circumstances of dealing with the worst form of propaganda terror.
17) Growth and enrichment of the region, both inside and outside through community development exercise.
Since it is the intellectual class which provides strategies and new insight into the framework of policies, a positive role of media can be of great help.
(The writer is a Chandigarh-based professor of political science and strategic affairs)