Author: M K Tayal
Publication: Mid-Day
Date: November 2, 2003
URL: http://web.mid-day.com/news/nation/2003/november/67781.htm
What motivates a young man to take
up terrorism, enrol himself at a training camp in Pakistan, infiltrate
India, fire at the Army and possibly never return home?
It is a small pay package that equals
the wage of a peon or driver. The lure of a mere Rs 3,000 per month ensures
that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) meets its manpower requirements.
However, not every terrorist gets
Rs 3,000. Payments relate directly to performance, area of operation, number
of casualties the terrorist has inflicted upon Indian security forces,
motivation level and other HR criterion.
In short, the ISI maintains dossiers
and gives annual marks to its cadres very much like the Pakistan Army does
for its regular employees.
The pay scale is not rigid as it
varies depending on the risks one is willing to take and his commitment
to the cause. Some of the more 'enthusiastic' Kashmiri youth get around
Rs 5,000. With the number of years one puts in, the annual increment increases.
A Kashmiri company or battalion
gets from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. A district commander gets around Rs 20,000.
Nevertheless, one thing is clear
that Kashmiri youth get a raw deal compared to the Pakistani or foreign
counterpart. The Kashmiri mujahideen is paid less by the ISI than a Pakistani
terrorist.
The rank and file from Pakistan
or Afghanistan or any other country gets a starting salary of Rs 5,000
that can go up to Rs 7,000.
Commanders get much more. A commander
starts at anything above Rs 25,000. The higher they go, the heftier the
pay package and the more discreet it becomes.
Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) Doda district
commander Mohd Shahzad, a Pakistani national, captured by the Army after
a fierce encounter in September 2003, said he came to Jammu & Kashmir
to be a jehadi and was paid nearly Rs 20,000 per month but that limit was
waived off as a special case.
"Money didn't matter. I could get
as much as I wanted," Shahzad had said. However, he remained silent when
asked what was the amount his parents were getting in Pakistan.
But it is sure that the money Shahzad
got was for operations in his area and his logistical support. His monthly
emoluments were being directly sent to his home in Pakistan.
The main attraction in joining the
ISI is the initial offer. A Kashmiri gets Rs two lakh as one-time payment
to join. There is a catch. One must go over to Pakistan to get the complete
four to five month training and then work his way back into India from
the 120 launch pads.
The basic training at the 85 training
camps is the same and involves handling small arms (AK-47) and explosives,
small unit tactics of raid and ambush and radio communication. The second
term involves training of special operations-explosives.
The fidayeens (soldiers on a suicide
mission) get highly sophisticated training but their emoluments remain
a mystery, since naturally none survive to tell their tale.
"Poor economic conditions in the
Valley force some to cross over to Pakistan for their training. The amount
is too tempting for anyone to say 'no'," explains an official.
There are other factors too at work.
Competition and style for instance drive most youth into the realm of the
AK-47. "It has become a style. If you don't have a gun you don't get good
girlfriends and nobody respects you," a militant said to an army officer
serving in the Valley.
Sources also point to the presence
of foreign militants who come to the Valley after sessions of intense motivation
and psychological drills. LeT's Shahzad said he came to Jammu & Kashmir
(J&K) to fight jehadis as he was told harrowing stories of atrocities
being committed on the Muslims in the Valley.
I felt I had to take revenge but
now after fighting the army for more than three years I realise the futility
of this 'freedom' movement," he said in a heart-to-heart talk.
However, the ISI makes sure that
those who help recruit while on the job are not neglected. It rewards handsomely.
"If a militant motivates and enrols another youth, he can make upto Rs
1.5 lakh," explained a source.
However, initially the ISI made
sure the money was delivered to the militant's parents but as the numbers
started dwindling, so did it the commitment.
Though no one complains publicly,
there have been reports of parents of the deceased militant not getting
a single penny. Realising this, Kashmiri youths are now averse to taking
up the gun while recruitment from Pakistan remains high.
