It was the evening of June 9 when hundreds of high-profile guests, the Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi gathered in Delhi to participate in the third swearing-in ceremony of Kashmir A bloody game was played in the mountains of
Militants ambushed a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the southern region of Indian-administered Kashmir, killing nine people and injuring 33.
According to the report of the British newspaper The Guardian, an injured pilgrim from the hospital said that the militants continued to shoot at him for half an hour even after the bus fell into a deep ditch. Which was clearly meant to kill us all and send a message to Modi.’
This was not the first or only incident in the disputed region, but reflects the growing militancy in Indian-administered Kashmir, where nearly two hundred security personnel and more than 350 civilians have been killed since 2020. Experts say that this new wave of attacks is more alarming than the challenges faced by the region in decades and the nature of the attacks is so technologically advanced that the Indian military and intelligence agencies are more active than ever to counter them.
This week, state elections are being held in Kashmir for the first time in a decade. The manifesto of Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party claims to transform the region from a ‘hotbed of terrorism to a tourist destination’, but the recent surge in attacks would belie the Modi government’s claims of bringing peace to Kashmir. is
Since independence in 1947, both India and Pakistan have claimed ownership of the entire region, while both control parts of it. Three wars have been fought between the two nuclear powers over the same region. In the 1990s, the independence movement in Indian-administered Kashmir gained momentum when thousands of Kashmiris took up arms to fight against Indian rule, in response to which India launched a brutal military operation that weakened the influence of the militants. His influence was reduced but he was also accused of serious human rights violations.
However, Delhi was never able to completely crush the separatist rebellion. Waves of attacks and new militant figures have ensured that Kashmir remains one of the most militarized regions in the world.
In August 2019, the Modi government unilaterally stripped Kashmir of the partial autonomy it had enjoyed since independence and brought it under the full control of New Delhi.
Since then, Modi has sent thousands of additional troops to Kashmir, imposed a communications blackout and imposed strict restrictions on the movement of millions of Kashmiris. Hundreds of Kashmiris were jailed and local journalists were routinely detained and harassed.
The move was celebrated by many in the Indian establishment, but it met with resentment within Kashmir and from Pakistan.
The Modi government justified its decision to take control of Kashmir on the basis of ensuring the region’s security and safety. However, according to India’s security establishment, the Kashmir insurgency is far from over and some experts believe that this latest wave of attacks is directly related to the Modi government’s actions.
Praveen Sawhney, a former Indian army officer and defense expert, told The Guardian that ‘the threat India is facing within its borders is unprecedented.’
After five soldiers were killed in an ambush in November last year, Indian Army Chief General Upender Dwivedi, who headed the Northern Command in the region at the time, said the new militants were allegedly from ‘Pakistan’. , were highly trained from Afghanistan and other countries’. He also alleged that some of them were retired Pakistani soldiers. On the other hand, Pakistan denies this allegation.
Former Director General of Indian Jammu and Kashmir Police, Shesh Pal Vaid, said that apart from being highly skilled, these militants were also using the latest weapons, including M4 salt rifles, which were left behind by the US army when they fled Afghanistan. was given
“The way they have been ambushing our forces in the last two years shows a new trend,” Ved said. I have decades of experience dealing with insurgency but I can tell you that we have never faced anything like this – at least not in the last two decades.’
Indian army and local police and intelligence officers told the British newspaper on condition of anonymity that the recent attacks did not involve local militant youths who have little training in combat, but rather a group of militants. The new batch was apparently highly trained to military standards, equipped with high-tech equipment including drones and using inaccessible Chinese applications to communicate near Pakistan’s border.
“The attacks of the last two years have stunned us,” an army official said. These men have received extensive training in guerilla warfare and their aim is to inflict maximum casualties.’
Troops of Indian security forces patrol past a cutout of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Srinagar on December 11, 2023, ahead of the Supreme Court’s verdict on Article 370 (AFP)
According to him: ‘Unlike in the past who were killed during suicide attacks or gunfights with the police, these militants now wait for several days to attack and then target Indian Army targets with precision. They then disappear back into the forests and take advantage of the complex mountainous terrain to remain hidden, making it difficult to track them down. They are also using drones to ensure the delivery of arms and money within nine miles of the Indian border.’
An Indian military officer said: ‘We are having difficulty gathering intelligence about these militants. We do not know exactly who they are and how harmful they can be to us.’
According to police and Indian military officers, around 150 militants are active in the region. Security officials described how Indian soldiers were ambushed by militants wearing body cameras and later posted the videos online. After an attack in the Doda region in July, militants posted a video online showing the beheading of an Indian army officer.
Former Northern Command chief Dipinder Singh Hooda said: ‘Now there has been a change in their strategy. Militants ambush soldiers, then disappear and later appear elsewhere and attack there.’
Those who have claimed responsibility for the attacks have claimed to be linked to new militant groups such as the People’s Anti-Fascist Front, the Resistance Front and the Kashmir Tigers, which were launched in 2019 after Modi revoked Kashmir’s special status. have emerged after
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However, the Indian Army claims that these groups are merely rebrandings of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the outfits historically responsible for insurgency.
Another cause for concern is where these attacks are now taking place. Jammu, the only Hindu-majority region in the region, was largely immune to militant attacks, but ambushes against the army have become more common in Jammu since the establishment of new networks. Experts believe that targeting these places is part of a deliberate strategy where Indian forces have been withdrawn and deployed in other troubled border areas, particularly along the Chinese border.
The fear of insurgency has become so high in the Jammu region that a controversial local civilian militia has been formed here, which the state is arming with automatic and semi-automatic rifles. The militia, known as the Village Defense Guards, was also formed in the 1990s but was notorious for human rights abuses, rape, murder and extortion.
“There has been an increase in militancy in Jammu, so we patrol the village day and night and keep an eye on the militants,” says 45-year-old Rajkumar, a volunteer in the militia. He added that the government has promised them more weapons and training.
According to him: ‘The militants have the latest weapons and training, that’s why we are asking the government for additional support. This time we are more afraid.’
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#Indian #authorities #worried #technology #tactics #Kashmiri #militants
2024-09-17 08:35:13
– What are the main factors contributing to the rise of militancy in Kashmir?
Table of Contents
Kashmir’s Bloody Game: Rising Militancy and India’s Struggle for Control
The evening of June 9 was a day of pomp and ceremony in Delhi, as hundreds of high-profile guests gathered to attend the third swearing-in ceremony of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the festivities were overshadowed by a brutal attack in the mountains of Indian-administered Kashmir, where militants ambushed a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims, killing nine and injuring 33.
The attack was not an isolated incident, but rather a reflection of the growing militancy in the disputed region. Since 2020, nearly 200 security personnel and over 350 civilians have been killed in Kashmir, making it one of the most militarized regions in the world. The Indian military and intelligence agencies are facing unprecedented challenges in countering the new wave of attacks, which are increasingly technologically advanced.
This week, state elections are being held in Kashmir for the first time in a decade, with Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promising to transform the region from a “hotbed of terrorism to a tourist destination.” However, the recent surge in attacks belies the Modi government’s claims of bringing peace to Kashmir.
The Kashmir dispute has its roots in the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, with both countries claiming ownership of the entire region. The region has been a flashpoint between the two nuclear powers, with three wars fought over it. In the 1990s, the independence movement in Indian-administered Kashmir gained momentum, with thousands of Kashmiris taking up arms to fight against Indian rule. India launched a brutal military operation to quell the insurgency, which weakened the militants’ influence but was also accused of serious human rights violations.
Despite the efforts, Delhi was never able to completely crush the separatist rebellion. Waves of attacks and new militant figures have ensured that Kashmir remains a hotbed of militancy, with the region witnessing some of the most intense violence in decades.
In August 2019, the Modi government unilaterally stripped Kashmir of its partial autonomy, bringing it under the full control of New Delhi. The move was met with widespread resentment in Kashmir and Pakistan, with thousands of additional troops sent to the region, a communications blackout imposed, and strict restrictions placed on the movement of millions of Kashmiris. Hundreds of Kashmiris were jailed, and local journalists were detained and harassed.
The Modi government justified its actions as necessary to ensure the region’s security and safety. However, experts believe that the latest wave of attacks is directly related to the Modi government’s actions, which have fueled anger and resentment among Kashmiris.
Praveen Sawhney, a former Indian army officer and defense expert, warned that “the threat India is facing within its borders is unprecedented.” Indian Army Chief General Upender Dwivedi has alleged that the new militants are highly trained and allegedly from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries. However, Pakistan has denied these allegations.
The situation in Kashmir is complex and delicate, with the Indian government struggling to balance its need to maintain control with the need to address the legitimate grievances of the Kashmiri people. As the region prepares for state elections, the question on everyone’s lips is: can Modi’s BJP deliver on its promise of peace and prosperity in Kashmir, or will the region continue to be plagued by violence and militancy?
Key Takeaways:
The recent attack on Hindu pilgrims in Kashmir is part of a growing wave of militancy in the region.
The Indian government has faced criticism for its heavy-handed approach to Kashmir, which has fueled anger and resentment among Kashmiris.
The region remains one of the most militarized in the world, with nearly 200 security personnel and over 350 civilians killed since 2020.
The Modi government’s decision to strip Kashmir of its autonomy has been widely criticized, with experts warning of unprecedented threats to India’s security.
* The situation in Kashmir is complex and delicate, with the Indian government struggling to balance its need to maintain control with the need to address the legitimate grievances of the Kashmiri people.
Keywords: Kashmir, Narendra Modi, Indian-administered Kashmir, militancy, Pakistan, India, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, autonomy, human rights, security, terrorism, insurgency, election.
Optimized images: India Kashmir Protest.jpg (demonstration against abrogation of Article 370 in Srinagar on August 5, 2022).
What factors are contributing to the rise of militancy in Kashmir despite government claims of peace?
Kashmir’s Bloody Game: A Rising Tide of Militancy in the Disputed Region
As the sun set on June 9, hundreds of high-profile guests gathered in Delhi to participate in the third swearing-in ceremony of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But amidst the pomp and pageantry, a sinister game was unfolding in the mountains of Kashmir. Militants ambushed a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the southern region of Indian-administered Kashmir, killing nine people and injuring 33. This was not an isolated incident, but rather a reflection of the growing militancy in the disputed region, where nearly two hundred security personnel and more than 350 civilians have been killed since 2020.
Experts warn that this new wave of attacks is more alarming than the challenges faced by the region in decades. The nature of the attacks is so technologically advanced that the Indian military and intelligence agencies are more active than ever to counter them. The militants are using the latest weapons, including M4 salt rifles, which were left behind by the US army when they fled Afghanistan. They are also employing high-tech equipment, including drones, and using inaccessible Chinese applications to communicate near Pakistan’s border.
The recent surge in attacks belies the Modi government’s claims of bringing peace to Kashmir