26 November 2010, which also happens to be second anniversary day of the Mumbai terror attack, found Indian media abuzz with the reports that in the rising terror menace in the Kashmir valley have joined militants from different parts of the world including North Caucasus. One of India’s national daily, Indian Express on its edition of 26 November 2010 displayed photograph of two gun wielding militants from Chechnya codenamed Usman and Umar, who are active in northern regions of valley particularly in Sopore. Though the photograph has yet to be authenticated by the experts in the field, the presence of foreign militants in Kashmir and the recent rise in their numbers have been abundantly clear in recent days. It has no doubt direct bearings on prospects of peace in the turbulent Kashmir valley, but on a wider scale it may also give boost to the menace of international terrorism in other parts of the world as well.
Recent revelations suggest that though Kashmir has recently been witnessing relative peace after the violent phase of June-September this year, the ground reality is increasingly becoming menacing for the life of Jammu and Kashmir. If the reports are to be believed, there are more than 60 foreign militants active in the Sopore district of northern Kashmir. In total there are about 150 militants active in northern Kashmir alone. In the last summer, when the snow gradually started melting, there were about 45 infiltration bids though some of which could be foiled by the Indian army and security forces, the infiltration attempts could lead about 140 new militants from across the border to sneak into the Indian side of Kashmir. Militant organizations like Lashkar-e-Toiba which overtly propagate their Kashmir agenda have become active in recent months. One of its commanders Sajad Khan alias Shamas of Batamaloo with base in Rajouri of Jammu region has reportedly set up a terror cell in Srinagar this October.
Adding to the worsening scenario, the youth who in last months took active parts in violent protests in the valley, including pelting stones against security forces, are joining the ranks of the militants. Authorities claim at least 14 youngsters joined the militants in October. Some of the youngsters nabbed by the police are found with grenades. These youngsters came from families without any involvement in militancy in the past and any such background. The joining of youngsters to the militant group has further raised heckles in the establishment, as it may give a push to the militant movement in the valley. The memory of the late 1980s and the early 1990s are not that old. Those were the times when the valley witnessed almost daily violence, death and destruction. Conservative estimates put the death toll in Kashmir during that period at about 40,000, while some other estimates put the death toll at the scale of 1,00,000. Hence, the joining of the youths to the militant groups is a disturbing scenario for the Kashmir. These are the youth, who were born during the heydays of militancy. Understandably they might have witnessed the turbulence at its height. At this juncture it appears most important to check this trend of youth’s conversion to the culture of gun.
After the Mumbai terror attack, the source of which is traced to Pakistan territory and to terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba, India so far has not undergone any major attack of that proportion. It is dubitable whether it is the tightening of India’s security forces that could foil such an attack in advance, or it is mere chance happening that India could survive for the last two years from any major terrorist flare up. Last week itself, a boat was intercepted in the Indian waters off the coast Gujarat, which on warning moved towards Karachi of Pakistan but finally could be halted by the Indian forces. Hence, it may be everybody’s wish that lest not Mumbai happen again, but the terror networks and designs manifest themselves beyond the comprehensions of saner human thinking. As the Kashmir situation develops, and as it is developing the prospects to be a congregation point of international terrorists, India needs to be more alert and take on board other willing powers like Russia. Needless to add, on many occasions Russia has harped how terrorist groups with similar designs have played havoc in places like Kashmir and Chechnya. Mark the famous statement of then President and currently Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin in Indian parliament in October 2000 when he categorically criticised the terrorist organisations and their menacing activities in different parts of the world including Kashmir and Chechnya, and called for joint activities to tackle this menace which he calls ‘plague of the 21st Century.’ Both the countries have joint working groups on terrorism, and on Afghanistan, and in November 2001 both the countries signed the Moscow declaration on terrorism. These mechanisms need to be further strengthened.
One thing must be made clear. The terrorism arc is not confined to the spaces of Kashmir or/and Chechnya. It goes beyond that. Just having a glance beyond Kashmir proves this point. To the north of Kashmir extend the territories of Afghanistan and also Central Asia, which are passing through a very virulent phase of turbulence not only due to the weakness of state mechanism but also due to much of the activities of terrorist groups with international agenda. In fact the territories between the north of India and south of Russia, have in recent years seen horrendous scenes of terror violence. Tragically, a common understanding to tackle the menace, and bring peace and stability to the region is lacking among the players in the region, as they perceive interests different from each other.
The emerging Kashmir scenario, hence, must be seen in a wider context. Any surge in terrorism in Kashmir will have its resonating effects in other conflict regions of the world. It will definitely provide the terrorists another haven to play their games, while some nations may play the role of mute spectators. It may put forth challenges before India, but at the same time it will also increase the terrorist ranks and boost their morale for operations in other regions. In this context, countries like India and Russia and other likeminded powers must come together, and devise common strategies to fight the menace.
