The dastardly terrorist attack on a bus full of Hindu pilgrims in Jammu’s Reasi on Sunday late afternoon was timed to send a message to the new government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was being sworn in the same evening in New Delhi. Perpetrated by Pakistan-backed terrorists it was a challenge thrown to the Indian establishment by the rogue state of Pakistan, apart from being a religiously motivated attack on the pilgrims, at least 10 of whom died. This act of pure hatred was followed on Monday by a terrorist ambush on Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh’s convoy in Kangkopki district in the state. These two incidents make it clear that two of India’s neighbours—Pakistan and China, both working with each other—are not happy that Narendra Modi is back as Indian Prime Minister and are trying to raise the terror quotient in his third term.
One of PM Modi’s exemplary achievements during his last two tenures has been his ability to curb terrorist activities to a large extent. For every Uri or Pulwama, there has been a strong response from the government, to the extent of crossing the border and hitting the Pakistani terror factories. At the same time, the daily threat of terrorism that citizens faced during UPA rule, has all but disappeared. It is possible that Pakistan and China will try to destroy this sense of security and well-being that Indians in general have come to enjoy in the last decade. It is they who may be the soft targets, just as those innocent pilgrims who were attacked in Reasi. While it is imperative to find and neutralise the terrorists who carried out these attacks, the security apparatus needs to be extra cautious to ensure that the terror apparatus run by Pakistan and China cannot escalate matters any further. A strong message needs to be sent out so that Pakistan and China do not indulge in similar misadventures.
The message given by our security leadership that anyone who picks up the gun has a shelf life of one year, needs to be reinforced. The mainstreaming of Jammu and Kashmir has started. The whole region stepped out to vote during the Lok Sabha elections. While it was problematic that a man who is in Tihar jail in a terror funding case, Engineer Rashid, won convincingly over mainstream politician Omar Abdullah from Baramulla, there is reason to believe that the victory was a sympathy vote for the local factor of youngsters in Tihar jail, with whom Rashid is also incarcerated. It was not a referendum on the removal of Article 370, as is being propagated by a section of opinion makers. Even then, the overwhelming vote for Rashid shows that feelings of alienation still exist and the government has its job cut out to ensure that the process of mainstreaming of Kashmir does not falter, while simultaneously decimating the terror network that operates on the ground.
In fact, another state that needs careful handling is Punjab, where too the victory of a Khalistani sympathiser, Amritpal Singh in the Lok Sabha elections is a matter of concern. This extremist has come from the peripheries to win a Lok Sabha seat, a near-impossible feat unless one has major support, especially in terms of funding. It must be investigated who funded this man, who is now in jail for his anti-India activities. Serious attempts are being made from abroad to stoke the long-dead Khalistani movement in India. Several international players are involved in this, including Canada, Pakistan, China, and possibly even certain interests in the United States.
It goes without saying that China will not want a stable India, which can be both an economic and military rival to Beijing, if not one already. China wants India to be weak and under its thumb and will continue to use Pakistan as a tool to try and ensure that India falls prey to fissiparous tendencies. The problem is when sections in the West too would prefer India to be weak. There is a belief that sections in the US expect compliance from India on pet issues like Ukraine and Russia, and are not averse to keeping India on its toes by indirectly allowing the Khalistanis to have a free run. What else explains the backing that a designated terrorist like Gurpatwant Singh Pannun receives even from the US administration, or the willing ear that these people offer to Pakistani front men on anything related to India? Pannun is actively working to stoke terrorism in India, his statements are incendiary, asking for the assassinations of Indian leaders and attacks on Indian Parliament and civilian aircraft. But the US uses the fig leaf of freedom of expression to turn a blind eye to Pannun’s activities and would rather put India in the dock by claiming that the Indian government is trying to get him assassinated.
Hence, countering terrorism is not just about on-ground moves to flush out terrorists and destroying their networks. It is also about sending strong messages internationally that India will not tolerate any attempts to destabilise it.