Author: Shishir Gupta
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date: September 4, 2006
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/11989.html
Introduction: Scenario grim in J&K, states
hit by Naxalism, North-East: agenda paper
Ahead of the Tuesday conclave of Chief Ministers
on internal security, the Centre has presented a grim picture by admitting
that cross-border terrorism has spread to the hinterland and infiltration,
in comparison to the same period last year, has trebled.
Although the Home Ministry has tried to underplay
the threat to internal security, the agenda paper for the conclave, to be
addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, points to the rise in grenade
attacks in Kashmir, increase in the number of casualties in Naxalite violence
and no respite in insurgency in the North-East.
Stating that cross-border terrorism has spread
to the hinterland, the Government has admitted that Pakistan still continues
to aid and abet terrorism and terrorist groups, particularly Lashkar-e-Toiba
and Jaish-e-Mohammed who are out to target India with the help of Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The total number of infiltration have doubled
from 21 (January-July, 2005) to 50 (January-July, 2006) while the number of
infiltration foiled have declined during the same period. So has the number
of militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir.
Cross-border infiltration has nearly trebled
from 170 (January-July, 2005) to 476 (January-July, 2006), clearly indicating
that neither has the Government been successful in containing the menace nor
has Pakistan tried to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the border.
The number of grenade attacks in Jammu and Kashmir(January-July 2006) total
an alarming 176, a manifold jump from last year.
While the Centre has spelt out the political
steps it has taken to forward the peace process in Kashmir, the result evidently
is missing on all counts. The government initiatives mentioned in the paper
are the two round-table conferences and the efforts to bring the Hurriyat
separatists into the political process.
No less worrying is the Naxalite problem.
Although the Home Ministry claims that the total number of incidents (January-July
2006) have gone down to 930 as compared to 1039 (January-July, 2005), the
number of casualties increased from 407 to 487 during the same period. The
agenda paper says Naxalites are now organising themselves on military lines,
citing examples of the raids in Jehanabad ( November 13, 2005), Giridih (February
9, 2006), Udaygiri (March 24, 2006) and Chhattisgarh (March 12, 2006). The
Ministry admits that Naxalites used a light machine gun mounted on a bus in
the Eraborre massacre in which 34 Salwa Jadum volunteers were killed.
The Home Ministry, while patting itself, has
even praised the Salwa Judum for its sustained anti-Naxalite campaign. The
paper records that the state worst affected by Naxalism is Chhattisgarh but
the figures of violence have come down since last year.
shishir.gupta@expressindia.com
