Targeted killings of Hindus in Valley and the Kashmir Puzzle

In the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India is battling a multi-pronged hybrid war against terror. Thirty years of bloodshed and still a clear path towards peace and stability in the region is far from sight. As we have seen in the recent decades that most of the modern battles have been hybrid in nature, so is the Proxy War of Kashmir.

New Delhi: In a sudden spate of targeted killings by terrorists, nine civilians, including a bank official, migrant labourers, police officials, teachers, and sarpanches, have been killed in the past one month in the Kashmir Valley. Terrorists, with the aim of changing the demography of the valley, are aiming for another mass exodus of Hindus from the valley after the 1990s. A huge number of Kashmiri Pandits resettled in the valley and given government jobs are on the verge of leaving the valley for Jammu. Terrorism’s sole aim is to terrorise society into submission. Terrorists using country-made pistols are clearly frustrated and changed their strategy to target innocent men and women from Hindu and Sikh communities.

In the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India is battling a multi-pronged hybrid war against terror. Thirty years of bloodshed and still a clear path towards peace and stability in the region is far from sight. As we have seen in the recent decades that most of the modern battles have been hybrid in nature, so is the Proxy War of Kashmir. It shows the multidimensional nature of modern military missions. Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are class examples of the western world’s ‘hybrid war’ or ‘three blocks war’ concept being put into action in the war against terror.

The Indian Army’s much-praised initiative ‘Operation Sadbhavna’ combined with ‘Operation All Out and simultaneous Disaster Relief Operations is one such successful implementation of the ‘Three block war’ wherein, the Armed forces are fighting in Block- one, while simultaneously helping secure, stabilize and nation build in Block- two, and all the while, you are also helping people through disaster relief, humanitarian help and peacekeeping in Block- three to win hearts and minds of common Kashmiri people and to create an atmosphere of harmony amongst all, ever since the year 1998.

We can say it without twitching an eyelid that the Indian Army’s Operation Sadbhavna is the best humanitarian aid for the terror-stricken people of the valley. The olive branch extended by Operation Sadbhavana rates amongst the best humanitarian aid and nation building operations ran by any military in the world but, is not found sufficient. The humbling efforts by the uniformed men and women are winning hearts, but people are still being radicalised, stones are still being pelted and pro-Pakistan slogans are still being shouted.

There are other blocks too in the battle zone, like fighting the Jihad, the separatism, the religious extremism, but we leave them un-defended. Thus, the continued losses in the last three decades. We have not put sufficient intellectual energy and resources, and work towards the other Blocks specifically and then all the Blocks together. Successful counter-insurgency must involve several dimensions, including all blocks.