The top brass of the Army in Srinagar consistently warns of 200-250 militants awaiting opportunity to slip into Kashmir and sustain the decades-long proxy war.

Yet the defence minister talks of the Line of Control being dominated by Indian forces, and the home minister tells a BSF parade that the level of infiltration has fallen after the highly-politicised surgical strikes last year.

Does that all “dovetail”? Particularly when the Army Chief, Vice-Chief and heads of the Operational Commands have held a rare meeting in as “hot” a venue as the summer capital of J-K.

The political leadership of the Central government appears to be working overtime to create the impression that it has the “ascendency”, but leaders of local parties see things very differently.

Just how over-anxious New Delhi is to project a “the worst is over” picture is evident from Arun Jaitley arguing that the undisturbed meeting of finance ministers to discuss GST proved that the situation was on the mend. Was he not aware of the elaborate security arrangements made for that conclave, and was he ignorant of the continued unrest beyond “city limits”?

Admittedly some of that positive projection is aimed at morale-boosting, or an attempt to partially revive tourist interest, but failure to recognise unpleasant truths also results in failure to work out solutions.

There could perhaps be some acceptance of Mr Rajnath Singh’s claim that infiltration has reduced ~ statistics can always be manipulated ~ but can he deny the intensity of the militant strikes?

Pointing an accusing finger across the border is a poor alibi, and those strikes have become more complex because of the “local support” extended by stone-throwing mobs.

To repeat that schoolgirls hurling rocks at the “uniforms” is an indication of alienation would serve little purpose: our netas in New Delhi would cite as “positives” the success of Kashmiri candidates in the civil services examination, the response to recruitment drives in the security forces.

The self-deception is endless. What is conveniently being overlooked is that the “muscular” posture adopted by the security forces ~ which has been roundly endorsed by Raisina Hill ~ has resulted in the “drying up” of local intelligence upon which the Army, CRPF etc. are so vitally dependent. Whenever there is a “spike” in tensions and militant action the local police tend to lie low and leave the Central forces out on a limb.

The more belligerent the posture of those advocating a “military solution” is, the less is the local “input” for counter-militancy action.

Thus talk of “winning hearts and minds” is not mere political philosophy: for the troops in the firing line it is the difference between thwarting the adversary, or risking life and death.

That is reality, not rhetoric.