new challenge
    Date :22-Sep-2020

 security forces in Kashm
 
 
THE security forces in Kashmir now face a new challenge -- of dropping of weapons and ammunition by drones obviously by powers that be in Pakistan and Occupied Kashmir for the use of terrorists in Indian territory. The terrorists are also digging bunkers and underground escape tunnels through which they infiltrate into Indian territory and also get back to safety. Of course, the security forces are alert and have captured a lot of such material in the past some days, and even shot down a few drones engaged in sly supplies. The forces have also unearthed quite a few bunkers and escape tunnels in the past some days to frustrate terrorist bids to cause damage.
 
Despite this, the top brass of the security forces do recognise the new challenge that needs to be tackled with much greater focus than the ordinary conditions. Obviously, Pakistani powers that be have evolved this new method to perpetrate terror in India. No matter the details of the new challenge, we cannot miss one fact that the success quotient of the security forces has risen tremendously in the past one year since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution that gave the region Special Status.
 
That was an anomalous condition whose benefit separatists, terrorists and political parties took for seventy years. For in that condition, the local administration held a terrible sway over things and could stall any sincere effort to rein in terrorism and separatism. And even when the Centre knew of those ugly details, it could not do much tied as it was under artificial restrictions. Those restrictions removed, the Centre is now in a position to curb anti-national nonsense more easily than ever before. Until one year ago, average Indians elsewhere in the country felt a sense of scare about Kashmir, so much so that he often said in frustration that Kashmir was almost lost to India.
 
There is a complete reversal of that sense of frustration now, and average Indians feel confident that the security forces will establish an effective control over things soon. The past one year has thrown up enough evidence to make average Indians believe that the process of establishing a firmer grip on the situation has already begun in Kashmir. The biggest plus point of the current condition is that the security forces enjoy full freedom to act professionally and deal with terrorists and separatists. The political community in Kashmir also has been taught a good lesson about how it must behave in accordance with nationalistic ideals.
 
The fact that the politicians have no say in administration for the present is a great morale booster to security forces, since the separatist elements among them have been silenced effectively. Security forces find these physical and psychological conditions quite favourable to act with complete professional freedom and keep an effective check on anti-national activities. In such a situation, the new methods employed by terror-bosses -- like using of drones for airdropping of arms and ammunitions in Indian territory -- will not remain a novelty for long and the security forces will evolve a better and smarter method to curb those in the next some time.
 
New Lt. Governor Mr. Manoj Sinha is proving to be a man of great thrust and sense of mission. Like a man possessed, he moves around in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and takes major split-second decisions when he realises the details of the situation. His unrelenting pressure has begun showing good effect on the overall administration and the local population now acts as the administration’s friend, lending every possible help to the government or security personnel. Against the background of the overall change in the situation, the challenge of drones etc appears quite okay to be handled by the security forces. In the next some time, terrorism will be controlled more effectively, drones or no drones. For, if the terrorists are using modern techniques, Indian security forces, too, are professional enough to understand the challenge fully.