Poonch attack a wake-up call

Terror attack in high-security area comes ahead of G20 meeting in Srinagar

The attack on an Army truck in Poonch in Jammu on Thursday in which five soldiers were killed is a reminder that the terrorist threat is very much real and present in Jammu & Kashmir. Claims that terrorism has been brought under control are premature. The Poonch incident happened in the border area where the security is the highest. There is intense patrolling by the Army, and the police forces have kept a strong vigil in the area. The Army has claimed that there have been infiltration attempts from the Pakistan side, mainly in areas south of the Pir Panjal range. It is not yet known who or which militant organisation was behind the attack as no one has yet been caught and no claims have been made. It is a matter of concern that an Army truck which was on a counter-insurgency patrol was itself the target of attack.

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The Poonch attack is the second major incident after the killing of six civilians by militants in Rajouri in January. An Army Commanders’ Conference held in New Delhi last week had deliberated on the country’s internal and external security situation. Addressing the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had praised the Army for its operations in the Union Territory. But it should be noted that there is no representative government in Jammu & Kashmir for many years. There is no sign of the state Assembly elections being held, though there have been promises about them. There is no political process to address the needs and aspirations of the people. The police and the Army are unable to function like an elected government and often do not have the right rapport with the people. Prolonged rule of bureaucracy and the uniformed forces can create or increase alienation among the people and that makes the environment conducive for militancy.

The attack has significance in the context of the G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting to be held in J&K next month. The ambush also took place soon after the announcement that Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto will attend the Goa meeting of the Foreign Ministers’ Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). In the past also, any positive movement in India-Pakistan relations has invited a terrorist response. Terrorism has many aims and all that should be countered and defeated with vigil, determination, tact and, most importantly, with politics and policy. The government needs to create conditions which are not congenial to militant activity. There are apprehensions that the border areas have again become vulnerable and even hospitable to militancy. Steps should be taken to make the border areas, not just the border, safe and secure.