Pulwama Attack: Time to Raise a Few Questions & Explore the Reasons

On 14 February, in one of the worst attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) rammed a car full of explosives into a CRPF convoy killing over 40 personnel. The attack sent shockwaves across the country and people transcended all barriers to stand in solidarity with the security forces. In a rare sight, all political parties pledged support to the Government in any retaliatory action it would initiate.

At a time when almost everyone had refrained from politicising the martyrdom of our soldiers, the ruling establishment at the Centre left no stone unturned to score brownie points. From Amit Shah to Sakshi Maharaj, the intention was clear, to stroke sentiments ahead of general elections. But now, I think it is time to shed restraint and ask a few questions.

Intelligence Failure

It is now known that the Jaish-e-Mohammed had issued a video threat 48 hours before the Pulwama attack. Why did the Government ignore that threat? If it did investigate the video, why were adequate measures not taken?

On 8 February 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had given a specific intelligence input that before occupying the area of deployment, there was a need for proper sanitization as the terrorists are believed to be using IEDs. Why was this specific input ignored? In a state which is under President’s Rule, with whom does the buck stop for this lapse?

In a Government where the National Security Advisor is more powerful that the Home Minister and where the Prime Minister is above everyone else, isn’t it ethical on the part of the NSA and the Prime Minister to own responsibility (just as he claims credit for Surgical Strikes) for the failure of Intelligence Apparatus of the Centre?

Security Breach

The Jaish recruit who carried out the attack was a local terrorist. How did they acquire hundreds of KGs of RDX, M4 Carbine and rocket launchers? How did the car filled with RDX gain entry into the most secure Jammu-Srinagar National Highway when the convoy was to pass through (despite the standard operating procedure for sanitization)? Was it a sound decision to move over 2,000 troops in a single convoy?

Prima facie, it appears that failure of Centre’s intelligence apparatus and lack of attention to State Police’s input lead to this security breach.

Security Casualties

Since the current Government assumed office, the numbers of security and civilian casualties have been on the rise with 448 jawans martyred and 280 civilians killed in the 56 months that they have been in office. This is one of the highest in the area during peacetime.

Apart from this, there 5,595 ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LOC) since May 2014 which the Government has not been able to contain. To add to this, there have been attacks on strategically important Pathankot Air Base, Uri and Nagrota Military Camps. The Government, especially the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, may boast of a muscular ‘56 inch chest’ policy the data tells a different story.

The Pakistan Policy

When I look at the events since May 2014 vis-à-vis Pakistan, I wonder whether this Government does have a policy towards Pakistan! Be it inviting Nawaz Sharif to the swearing-in ceremony, the saree-shawl diplomacy, the exchange of ‘love letters’ and Mangoes, landing in Pakistan un-invited, or inviting the infamous ISI to ‘investigate’ the Pathankot attacks, just to recollect a few, are all symptoms of what I call the Hamletian Dilemma: ‘To do or not to do’.

This confusion in policy (if there is one), in my belief, has given Pakistan an advantage in doing all the wretched things it does.

The J&K Policy

In my previous blog on Jammu and Kashmir, I have written at length on the situation in the state, especially in the valley. I pains me to note that the situation has, in-fact worsened since the time I wrote that blog. Mr Modi’s J&K policy has reversed the progress achieved in the state since 2002, baring the incident of 2010. The people of Jammu & Kashmir are more alienated today than ever before. This Government has refused to accept the reality that a Rambo and James Bond approach will not work in Jammu & Kashmir. The only policy that healed the wounds of the people there was Mr Vajpayee’s policy of ‘Insaniyat, Jamooriyat and Kashmiriyat’. In-fact, this was the policy that Dr Manmohan Singh continued in his tenure and reaped huge dividends. Militancy was at an all time low and Srinagar was booming with commercial activity.

This Government started its tenure from a wrong point. The aggressive promise of repealing article 370, which is the core of J&K’s accession to the Indian State and its flip-flop of article 35A, another emotive issue for the people there resulted in alienation. The BJP’s presence in the J&K Government with the PDP further worsened the matter. Today, the three regions of the state (Jammu, Kashmir and Ladak) are pulling apart. Unfortunately, PM Modi’s public comments on J&K and his Government’s policies or for that matter his party’s actions, are in extreme opposite directions.

By turning a blind eye to the attack on Kashmiri students by elements affiliated to the Sangh Pariwar and with a Governor (affiliated to BJP) calling openly for boycott of Kashmiri products, the BJP has further deepened the divide. Further, the BJP has been using J&K to polarize the country and fight the upcoming elections on the plank of hyper-nationalism.

The Way Ahead

Listing the problems alone is not enough, we must also think of the road ahead. In the aftermath of the Pulwama attacks, the Government must adopt a combination of economic, diplomatic and military approach towards Pakistan. While it deals Pakistan with a ‘iron fist’, it must shed its muscular approach in J&K and adopt a more compassionate approach in the state. Apart from this, I am very firm in my belief that India must engage Pakistan’s military leadership in a dialogue. It would be good if our National Security Advisor and Pakistan’s Army Chief have a dialogue at a neutral location. I know that I would be certified as anti-national by the BJP for this suggestion, especially at the background of Pulwama, but any sane individual will know that war is not an option when both the countries are nuclear-armed.

Many reading this would have been bored by now, I’ll leave it at this and will deal with Jammu & Kashmir in detail in my next blog!