“World listens to the language of peace only when it com – es from the position of power”, said Dr Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief, while speaking at a function recently at Jaipur. Very apt, and to the point, the sentiment reflects the resolve of the Indian government, while dealing with the situation after the dastardly, and brutal attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam on 22 April. The way the Indian government responded, and the manner in which the entire political class and people of India remained united, and supported the actions of the government, has been commendable, and reminded us of 1962, when during the Chinese aggression, the entire country unitedly stood with the government and the armed forces.
Women donated their jewellery, people gave up one meal a day on one call, and a feeling of patriotism pervaded the country. Somewhat similar sentiments were on display during this period, though the anger and desperation to avenge the killings was palpable, and almost the international wanted that this time Pakistan should be taught the lesson of a lifetime. The government and the armed forces responded effectively and decisively, which showed to the world, especially to the superpowers, that Indian resolve is strong, and the Indian forces are among the best in the world and can take on any advanced weaponry of the enemy country. Technical and tactical sup – eriority of the Indian armed forces during this brief period of engagement was seen and noticed by everyone, including the ones who matter in the world polity.
This definitely placed us in a position of ‘power’, and that is why they understood the importance of peace; hence, the overtures for a ceasefire. In this hour of glory, when the Indian armed forces and the security agencies proved their superiority over the Pakistanis in all the fields, be it the use of technology, or, tactical warfare, or synergy, or collection of intelligence, it would be appropriate to analyse the entire episode to understand our strengths, as well as weaknesses, so that in future, our response should be stronger and more effective in dealing with such mischievous attempts on the part of the Pakistani establishment. In fact, our endeavour should be that in future Pakistan does not even think of carrying out terrorist activities in India, and we will not have any need to respond. Prevention is better than cure, but this requires a lot of hard work on a continuous basis. Learnings from the efforts initiated after the 9/11 bombings by the US security administration, will still be helpful in our present context, and as such, a good deal of introspection and consequent substantial measures should be undertaken.
Evidently, the massacre in Pahalgam was crafted and executed by the ISI with the help of the Pakistani army. As the reports are coming in, allegedly commandos of the Pakistani army were also a part of the terrorist group which committed this brutal attack wherein innocent tourists were killed in front of their family members after checking their religion. It was obvious that the main intention was to create a communal cauldron in India in the aftermath of this massacre. In addition, the plan was to create an adverse atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been showing signs of development and normalcy after the abrogation of Article 370, and to discredit the successfully completed election process recently which culminated in the establishment of an elected government.
It will not be out of place to mention here that despite efforts made by Pakistan during the entire election process, the security environment remained excellent and conducive, and there was a huge turnout of the electorate which ultimately elected the present government. Democracy won in J&K, much to the dislike of the Pakistanis, and that is why the strong urge on their part to indulge in misadventure and terrorism, which eventually resulted in killings of innocents in Pahalgam.
Also, during the last few years, after the abrogation of Article 370, and subsequent steps undertaken by the Government of India to improve the security atmosphere, there has been a steady increase in flow of tourists from all over the country to J & K. Those who visited Jammu and Kashmir during the last few years might have felt a sense of security, and consequent massive inflow of tourists has greatly boosted the economy of the state. More importantly, the Uni government as well as the J&K government, with a longterm perspective of infrastructure and industrial development, initiated a large number of projects and schemes, including allowing foreign investments.
The recent inauguration by the Prime Minister of the world’s highest railway bridge on the Chenab to connect Jammu and Srinagar throughout the year, and enabling the smooth movement of locals throughout the region, especially for treatment purposes, is an indicator towards the firm resolve of the government. A developed J&K will not be liked by the ISI and the Pakistani establishment, as they have always sought ways to keep J&K on the boil, so that their political and strategic interests are served. It was in this background that the dastardly act was planned and executed by the ISI and the Pakistan army. Operation Sindoor has brought into focus various operational, technical, and other related issues which highlight our superiority over Pakistan. It would be appropriate to have an in-depth analysis of these for posterity as well as future improvements.
No amount of explanation can justify the security lapse in Pahalgam. Apparently, a sense of complacency had crept into the psyche of the security set up, which led to this attack. Reports suggest that there were indeed some intelligence inputs indicating maverick attempts by terrorists on tourist spots especially during the visit of the PM to the valley on 19 April, and the security apparatus had been geared up accordingly as well. However, as unconfirmed reports suggest, it didn’t strike the senior formations that terrorists may chose Pahalgam as well. To cap this, related counter-terrorism operations were apparently called off after the cancellation of the PM’s visit on 19 April due to bad weather. If at all this is true, then it is a very serious professional lapse. There can’t be pin-point intelligence all the time, but experience in the field always equips officers to read the intelligence inputs carefully, and then to extrapolate these to the local terrain and its unique security scenario. To put it bluntly, the local SP and other senior police officers should have read the intelligence input in the context of their district, and should have equipped themselves accordingly.
Moreover, this type of security drill must be a continuous process, especially in terror-infested areas. It must be dynamic and should not be attuned to VVIP movements only. The situation becomes all the more grim in view of the fact that the Union Home Minister had been to the valley in the first week of April for a security review, and had issued appropriate and necessary instructions to all officers representing relevant security agencies, and the law-and-order machinery in a meeting.
(The writer, a retired IPS officer, has served in various capacities including as Commissioner of Delhi Police, DG-BSF, DG-NCB, DG-BCAS and Special Director, CBI )
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