The decision taken by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to deploy army and paramilitary forces on the hills to pre-empt strikes by the terrorists on troops has although become necessary in context with recent crucial situation in Jammu region but at the same time this move has exposed the veracity of the truth behind the peace narrative spread by the leaders of the party in power.
It is quite unfortunate that not much time has passed when reportedly the government had announced that it was discussing a proposal to withdraw the Indian Army completely from the Valley hinterland but with aforesaid strategic decision by the MoD and MHA, it seems that the situation has come back to square one making it necessary to take this harsh step to curb the rising incidents of terrorism.
Going by the critical situation with regard to the return of terrorism, it is the time for people sitting at the helm to face the reality and stop claiming that terrorism is on its last leg as the situation in Jammu Province was never so bad even during the peak of terrorism in the 1990s.
It is pertinent to mention that people in the affected areas are reportedly feeling panicky following terror attacks and movement of terrorists as they fear that they too could become soft targets. With the aforesaid move, the government has ensured elimination of foreign terrorists besides boosting the morale of the local people as terror strikes spread fear psychosis.
Earlier, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Kathua and Reasi were declared as terror-free regions but now the government is struggling to combat terrorists in these districts thus making it vital for the government to first counter the scourge of insurgency and later boast its role in eliminating the terrorism from the soil of J&K.
All said and done, the move by the government to fortify defense against the terrorism is laudable as the situation lately has turned so critical that the people sitting at helm can take no chances at all. It is imperative now for those in power to acknowledge the gravity of the situation, prioritize the elimination of the insurgency, and restore peace and stability in the affected areas. This fortified defense strategy not only aims to curb the immediate threat but also seeks to reassure and protect the local populace from the pervasive fear psychosis induced by terror strikes.
