The internal and external situation on the first anniversary of the historic revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir appears assuring, even as the need for safeguarding the initial gains calls for sustained efforts.
S. Kalyanaraman replies: The Government of India has not issued any statement regarding a change in defence policy since the abrogation of Article 370. Instead, it has emphasised that the change in legislation is a purely internal matter that only reorders the constitutional relationship between the Centre and a constituent unit (erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir) of the Republic of India.
Ashok Kumar Behuria replies: According to the Constitution of India, there are some special provisions for the State of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), as in the case of some other states as well.
If Baghdadi has possibly moved toward the east, then the proclamation of an Indian branch flashes a note of caution for the security and intelligence agencies.
This article looks at the essential conditions for a durable peace in Kashmir and argues that the Valley has been most peaceful only during an active, on-going peace process. The lack of effective and continuous engagement with key stakeholders, especially the people of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), has fostered a sense of deep alienation and enduring distrust. It further argues that counterinsurgency operations need to be simultaneously augmented by an active peace process engaging all stakeholders.
On 8 July 2016, a group of soldiers and policemen surrounded a house in Bumdoora village of south Kashmir. As search of the house started, one policeman was fired at and injured. By the time the encounter ended three terrorists had been killed; one of them was Burhan Wani, a Hizbul Mujahideen leader. Following the killing, Kashmir erupted in a wave of protests.
The distancing of every segment of Kashmiri politics, population and even separatists from the Amarnath pilgrim attack is a clear indication of anger and frustration building up against senseless acts of terrorism.
The growing vilification of the Kashmiri movement by Salafi-Jihadi terror groups is a part of their overt radicalization attempts aimed at hijacking the sub-nationalist insurgency.
The only way forward for India, therefore, is to decouple the Kashmir issue from that of Pakistan, and address the internal aspects: Kashmir's development, unsettled political issues, healing the wounds and alienation of the youth, promptly.
The August 5 Anniversary: J&K on Home Straight
The internal and external situation on the first anniversary of the historic revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir appears assuring, even as the need for safeguarding the initial gains calls for sustained efforts.