HEALING TOUCH FAILS AS WOUNDS MULTIPLY
By O P Modi
Mufti Mohammad Syed, while campaigning for his
party candidates, may not have imagined the extent of the 'healing touch' needed
to assuage the continuing trauma suffered by thousands of people of the state
since 1989. No day passes without some family losing its dear and near ones in
the terrorist related violence in one or the other part of J&K.
By now it must have become clear that the noble idea of the 'healing touch' has
so far touched only the tip of the iceberg of 12 years' terror and mayhem
unleashed by Pakistan in the state. The job is so stupendous that a full-fledged
ministry is needed to reach out quickly to heal old and fresh wounds in every
nook and corner of the state.
Reasons for the heightened terrorist attacks are not far to seek. In his bid to
prove to the world that the attack on Iraq is not an attack on the Muslim world,
President Bush has lifted the sanctions against Pakistan. It was done just
before the attack. Taking advantage of the American indulgence, Pakistan has
intensified terrorists' infiltration across the LoC.
General Musharraf has been clever enough to favour United States in instalments,
at different points of time. Even at the cost of his country's sovereignty, he
has been compromising with the Americans on the issues ranging from providing
bases for the attack on Afghanistan to the arrest of Al-Qaeda activists.
It is noteworthy that after 9/11 attack on World Trade Centre(WTC), following
which war against Taliban was launched, the Pakistani President has been
acceding to American demands one by one in return for USA's huge financial and
military assistance.
Musharraf takes stringent action against the terrorist organisations and
individuals in his country, when he feels heat from USA and when he needs to
assure them of his continued support in their war against terror. Latest example
of Musharraf's strategy is the arrest of and handing over to the Americans the
Al-Qaeda top brass Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is suspected to be the mastermind
behind the attack on WTO. He is said to be a close associate of Osama bin Laden.
A year ago Musharraf had categorically stated that Osama bin Laden was dead and
a few days back he has declared that Laden is in Pakistan! A few months ago,
Musharraf said that after Iraq, Pakistan could be targeted by USA. Perhaps the
Pakistani President will soon produce more wanted men in the WTO attack.
It should not be surprising that even Laden himself be caught and handed over to
US! But all will depend upon the outcome of the war on Iraq. If the Iraqi
resistance continues, America will become more and more accommodating towards
Pakistan and Musharraf will continue blackmailing that country.
President Bush has described the war against Iraq as an assault on the terror
machine. It is his theory that it is impossible to track and capture individual
fidayeens. To eliminate terrorists completely the very factories that produce
terrorists need to be destroyed. Pakistan is aware that the Americans are fully
in the know of its duplicity.
For the Pakistani generals, Musharraf donned the mantle of their saviour from
the American wrath from day one of the attack on Talibans in Afghanistan.
Musharraf also seems to have convinced them that to destroy 'infidel' India,
Pakistan should continue to exploit diplomatically and financially America- the
other 'infidel' country.
Besides the encouragement that Pakistan has got from the lifting of the
sanctions there are other reasons too; though these are not decisive for the
heightened militancy. With the Special Operation Group (SOG) disbanded, a number
of militants released and the announcement by the Centre to go ahead for talking
to the Hurriyat by its interlocutor Vohra, the militants have mistaken it as a
sign of weakness on the part of the Central and state governments. Pakistan
feels that in this hour of America's total involvement in Iraq war, it can go
ahead with its diabolical plan of snatching Kashmir from India with impunity.
For over three months, since Mufti Syed took over as Chief Minister, to be
precise, the terrorist violence remained subdued. There were signs of
conciliation from the side of the militants as the state government went on
fulfilling the promises that the PDP had made in its election manifesto. A few
days back even the SOG was disbanded. But during the past three weeks militancy
is back with greater fury and intensity.
Within a couple of days of government's announcement to disband the SOG, Sardar
Manjit Singh, DSP Poonch, a brilliant, brave and budding police officer was
martyred in a senseless terrorist violence in Poonch on the holy Moharram day.
The terrorists had no pang of conscience with regard to the sacredness of the
Moharram.
Reportedly wearing Indian Army uniforms, they intended to fire into the
procession in order to create communal disturbances. Along with Manjit head
constable Manhoar lal was also killed. Several persons, Hindus and Muslims were
injured. Within the last three weeks four major attacks were carried out on
police force by the terrorists in Jammu region and Kashmir valley.
On March 15th, in village Ind in Gool a police post was attacked wherein 11
policemen and two civilians were killed. It is worth noting that between 30 t0
40 terrorists attacked the Ind police post. Earlier in Rajouri, two bomb blasts
killed six persons and injured several others belonging to different
communities. The town has been rocked by a dozen bomb blasts, resulting in death
and injuries to innocent citizens.
In another gruesome act, terrorists descended on village Nadimarg in Pulwama
district in the valley and killed 24 Kashmiri Pandits. Obviously, Pakistan is
bent upon escalating the cross-border terrorism in order to nullify the gains of
the recently held Assembly elections in the state and terrorise the people into
submission to the command of mercenaries once again.
There are thousands of families in the state who have been traumatised by the
Pakistani-inspired violence. All of them need the healing touch. Obviously Chief
Minister Mufti Syed can neither reach every family to extend his hand of healing
touch nor can he provide jobs to thousands of persons affected by the death and
destruction inflicted by the militants over the years. Then how to tackle this
monster that has appeared in the human form to devour thousands of human beings;
babies, children and adults alike?
We must understand that the cross-border terrorism, organised by Pakistan and
ignored by USA, is the part of a much bigger plan of the Super Power. Why the
Bush administration renders only lip service in respect of every day killings of
innocent civilians in the state? If it has the cheek to stand up against the
United Nations and the worldwide demonstrations against the attack on Iraq, why
it has failed to take even one practical and concrete step to stop Pakistan from
cross-border terrorism in the state?
As the war in Iraq drags on, Pakistan will do its worst to escalate the proxy
war to a stronger pitch. Let there be no doubt about it. The policy of healing
touch should be pursued, but it will need a separate ministry for its practical
and effective implementation. -CNF