Take proactive steps

Hizbul Mujahideen's brazen attack on a military convoy on the outskirts of Srinagar that killed eight Indian soldiers and injured 13 others, proves once again that this is the time to fortify our security within and along the borders and not let down our guard. The attack, the deadliest since July 2008, came less than 24 hours before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Jammu & Kashmir — at a time when the State was already on high alert. That the terrorists were still able to carry out such an attack, points to worrying lapses in the security infrastructure of the State.

Clearly, our leaders must go beyond issuing pedestrian statements such as the one the Prime Minister made on Tuesday after reaching Kishtwar — “India is firmly united against terrorism... Won't let them succeed in their nefarious designs” — and implement concrete measures that’ll protect the people. 

Prime Minister Singh especially must discard his personal mission to forge peace with Pakistan at whatever cost and come to terms with the hard realities of the situation. Even with a self-proclaimed India-supporter like Mr Nawaz Sharif returning to power in Islamabad, the fact is that little has changed within Pakistan. Yes, there was hope that the new Prime Minister would crack down on anti-India activities on Pakistani soil, but as Monday's attack shows, this is far from the case. Hizbul Mujahideen continues to be actively supported by elements within Pakistan, receiving funds, weapons and training from its patrons there. Hizbul chief Syed Salahudeen lives in Pakistan where he hobnobs with the likes of Zaki-ur Rehman lakhvi and Hafiz Saeed — men who executed the Mumbai carnage of 2008 and who enjoy the implicit support of the Pakistani state, particularly the Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence. And that is not all. Monday's attack was preceded by another during the weekend when militants shot dead two police officers in Srinagar. Prior to that, in May, Hizbul Mujahideen militants killed four jawans in Pulwama. It remains unclear if the recent spurt in violence is because Pakistan-sponsored militants wish to throw a spanner in Mr Sharif's much-touted peace efforts or if they believe that the Prime Minister (who has known links with certain radical outfits) will turn a blind eye as they continue to foment trouble. Either way, from India's perspective, there is just one response to the situation: It’s to not just remain on alert at all times but even consider a proactive response. 

While it may be true that there has been a sharp decline in violence in Kashmir in recent months, credit for that goes to the soldiers who routinely put their lives at stake to maintain peace in Kashmir. It may also be that militant outfits are re-grouping for bigger strikes. Unfortunately, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and some other politicians have failed to acknowledge these realities, and continue to harp on the removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. These politicians wrongly believe that they can take the militants head-on by seeking the removal of the Army — which is what it effectively would mean if the AFSPA is revoked. The State apparatus is ill-prepared to counter terror strikes. After this latest incident, talk of even partial revocation of the AFSPA must end.