Two policemen were killed by terrorists in Pulwama, while an Army jawan was abducted and slain in Shopian.
With 35 infiltrators killed in different gunfights in Jammu and Kashmir during Ramzan ceasefire, there is a spike in the terror-related violence in the state, but the nationwide outrage over the abduction and brutal killing of Rashtriya Rifles jawan Aurangzeb in captivity, along with disturbing feedback from the ground, is certain to force to the government’s hand to allow the ceasefire to lapse.
“The ceasefire was only for the month of Ramzan. Security forces will resume their operations immediately after Eid,” a senior security officer told the media here.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been pleading for an extension of the ceasefire by two more months and some more confidence-building measures so that a dialogue process can start with Hurriyat. Reports said that Centre’s interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma is likely to work on the threads after Eid to open dialogue with the Hurriyat, led by separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Hurriyat on 11 June came out with a statement that 5-point formula presented by Geelani after the 2010 unrest provides the basis of any dialogue with the government. The points are repeal of all “black” laws, “demilitarisation” from all the areas of J&K where people are living, release of “political prisoners”, punishment to security personnel for “human rights violations” and, above all, to recognise Kashmir as a “dispute”.
Reports suggest that Sharma is already working on this formula and is trying to develop some middle path to move ahead for dialogue with these Pakistan-backed separatists. Army Chief Bipin Rawat has supported dialogue, saying that peace should be given a chance in Kashmir. However, he expressed concern over the recruitment of locals into the terrorist ranks.
BJP general secretary in charge of Kashmir affairs Ram Madhav recently met CM Mufti and Governor N.N. Vohra here. He is said to have been briefed by the state unit of BJP about the ramifications of the ceasefire. A state BJP minister told this newspaper that they oppose the ceasefire as the terrorist violence has only increased during the period.
Also, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has told a news channel that the ceasefire will end. His hint about resumption of anti-terror operations came after senior Army officer on ground Lt Gen A.K. Bhat told the media that “launch pads” on the other side of the border are full of terrorists waiting to infiltrate into India.
Lt Gen Bhat, who is the GOC of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, said that every night for the last one month, terrorists were being pushed to this side. He said that Army has information that there are about 250 terrorists ready to cross over in the current month. According to the data available with the security grid, in the one month of Ramzan ceasefire, there have been 64 terror attacks while the number of such incidents was only 16 in the previous month. Moreover, cops have been killed and fired upon in South Kashmir within the period.