Adopt bold measures to counter terror strikes
The terror attack on yet another Army base in Jammu & Kashmir has been rightly condemned and condolences offered to the martyred three soldiers by the Government. But such perfunctory gestures will not mean much if the source of terror is not taken care of. The militants, two of whom were neutralised by the Indian Army, penetrated the India-Pakistan border and then breached an Army camp in Kupwara district. The courage of the soldiers on duty at the camp saved the day. Although they were initially taken by surprise, theses brave men fought back valiantly and foiled the strike. Our security personnel have been always in the forefront, laying down their lives in the process, regardless of the Government in power. In recent times, they have also encountered a new hostility — from that of locals who impede anti-terror operations by showing stones at security personnel. This happened in the Kupwara incident too, but it was thankfully contained quickly. Given that the terrorists apparently belonged to the lashkar-e-Tayyeba outfit, Pakistan's complicity is evident. And they could not have made it to Indian soil without support from the Pakistani forces stationed on the border. Indian security forces will of course keep retaliating in a befitting manner every time such incidents happen, but the point is: What is India going to do about the fountainhead, which is PakistanIJ It is true that New Delhi's aggressive global pitch has
managed to name and shame Pakistan in the world's eyes, but no country is going to fight India's war; we have to do it on our own.
It's here that we have been hoping to see a difference between the approaches of the previous Congress-led UPA Government and the incumbent Modi regime. Far too much emphasis had been placed by previous dispensations on two factors: Diplomacy and hopes of direct US intervention to strike at terror camps within Pakistan. The second belief had soared after US Special Forces took out Osama bin laden on Pakistani soil. But it must be understood that the US, least of all, is going to directly assist India in such matters. It still merrily does business with Pakistan. Even the Trump Administration, for all its aggressive pitch against Pakistan's complicity in terror attacks, is unlikely to strike within Pakistan — at least for India’s sake. This leaves New Delhi with the option to walk the path alone. If it does that, it can find support from the international community — like in the case of the surgical strikes that the Indian Army conducted against terror camps inside Pakistan in the wake of an attack on an Army establishment in Uri. Incidentally, while the surgical strike was admittedly a strong message, it seems to have had little impact on Pakistan's nefarious designs. Perhaps something more comprehensive needs to be done now. Meanwhile, Indian authorities cannot brush under the carpet the shortcomings in security preparedness at our vital defence establishments. A panel headed by an Army officer, which was formed in the wake of the terror attack on an Air Force base in Pathankot last year, had suggested a slew of measures, many of which reportedly have not been implemented. Equipping our security forces with the latest gadgetry and making available adequate funds for that and more are of prime importance.