The horrific black day, 22nd April 2025, will remain etched in the memory of Indians for many years to come. It just fell short of an indirect attack on India’s sovereignty but has raised the important question of the intent of Pakistan to continue to bleed India through thousand cuts.
The provocative speeches of the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Gen Munir & Saifullah Kasuri, a deputy of LeT Chief Hafiz Saeed & the Deep State’s intent to make Kashmir as “land of the pure” are believed to be the triggers for this barbaric massacre which can be committed only by the beasts.
Three of the beasts belong to the terror land of Pakistan while the other two locals were trained by the fountainhead of Jihadi terror, Pakistan. Rightly, Pakistan has been identified as the perpetrator and the main culprit of the horrific attack. But does the buck stop there? It’s time for hard talk and thorough introspection of the lapses that allowed the jihadis to carry out the massacre with impunity.
It’s time to call spade a spade. There are clear cut administrative and security lapses. The blame game cannot go endlessly nor should an attempt be made to push the incident under the carpet. Accountability needs to be fixed, those responsible for the lapses identified and the heads must roll.
The area being isolated, away from the roadhead with no motorable connection, a slippery trek with deep gorges, dense forests provides an ideal target for the terrorists apart from being prone to accidental falls and injuries. Apparently, the coordination between the security agencies and the local administration was lacking. The area was not secured; there were no security pickets either on the foot/pony track or in the Valley itself.
There were no medical aid posts. There are no rescue teams placed in the area to provide immediate assistance even in the case of an accidental fall leave alone a terrorist attack. There are no cctv cameras placed for surveillance and security. All these glaring lapses have happened despite the fact that the area is promoted as “mini Switzerland” and is one of the most popular tourist hotspot during the Pahalgam sojourn having a daily footfall of 500 souls approximately.
While the Baisaran Valley is 30-40 mins away from the roadhead, the nearest medical facility is another 30-40 mins away from the roadhead. It’s a clear-cut case of things being taken for granted resulting in the setting in of complacency.
The net result of the complacency has been the deadly massacre of the innocent tourists who had come to enjoy the so called “heaven on the earth” that turned into a bloody hell for the unsuspecting ladies and children accompanying them, some of them just married & were there to enjoy their honeymoon. They will never forgive those responsible for these lapses and nether should the nation’s leadership which should be uncompromising in identifying the culprits however well placed they may be.
Hurriyat may have been dismembered but the separatist mindset still prevails among the Valley based political leadership. The narrative of “outsiders” is being promoted by these leaders and their cohorts in Jammu region. This narrative is promoting separatism and exclusivity. Till such time this narrative is shed away, total integration of J&K with rest of the country will remain a myth.
Just like a wolf wearing lion’s skin does not become a lion, sub-nationalist leaders do not become secular or democrats by joining the democratic process. Under the garb of freedom of expression, the poisonous and divisive statements made by such leaders act as elixir for the Jihadi terrorists.
The tourists have been thronging to Kashmir based on the assurances given by the top leadership that all is well and it is safe and secure to visit. Tempting campaigns are being launched by the tourism department to attract and lure the tourists. Many such campaigns are led by the CM himself.
It is thus incumbent on the government to ensure the safety and security of the tourists through holistic appreciations of the security of the various tourist destinations and not permitting the tourists to venture into areas considered unsafe. Either keep all the tourist hotspots safe and secure or declare them as “No Go” areas.
Proper advisories need to be issued to the tourists by the administration. No surety has been given by anyone that the tourists will not be targeted by the terrorists. Hence this presumption should not be allowed to cloud the minds of the planners and administrators.
Moreover, there should be no hurry in declaring certain areas as terror free zones. Such situations are transitory and temporary because the terrorists like water follow the path of least resistance. They reemerge when the resistance weakens. No area should be declared terror free till the last gun is eliminated from the union territory.
There is also a need to review the entire gamut of security in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Unified Command System needs to be enforced strictly. There is no scope of turf battles when it comes to national security. Egos and false sense of equivalence needs to be shunned. It is the era of domain experts.
The government needs to issue an order that there is no inter se equivalence of ranks between the Army, State police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and civil administration officials. J&K is not facing merely an internal security problem. It is the battleground of a proxy war and jihadi terror unleashed by our enemy who is hellbent to destabilise India and exploit to the hilt our internal fault lines including the religious diversity. J&K needs a new model to combat this threat.
Rashtriya Rifles (RR) should be made responsible for the internal security and counter-terrorism grids with Director General Rashtriya Rifles (DGRR) being made the overall commander of all forces deployed for these tasks. Overall responsibility of HQ Northern Command. GOCs 15, 16 and 9 Corps should be made responsible for the counter infiltration grid & the defence of LOC and IB. HQ Western Command should be divorced from the internal security responsibility of J&K.
DGRR will be responsible to prepare a well coordinated internal security and counter terrorism plan that should not have any gaps and should ensure a seamless grid from LOC/IB to the hinterland including north and south of the Pir Panjal. All Joint operations should always be conducted under the command of the RR officer. All other forces located in the jurisdiction of RR Sectors should be placed under the operational command of the RR Sector Commander.
JKP should be placed in support of the RR for operational purposes including intelligence gathering. DGRR should also be designated as internal security advisor to the Lieutenant Governor (LG). He should also chair the meetings of the Unified HQ. To ensure smooth functioning of the proposed system mindsets will have to change and develop new outlook towards managing internal security in J&K. DGRR will be mandated to launch Operation All Out to eliminate the terrorists as well as those forming part of the terror ecosystem.
I have a word of caution for the war mongers also. There is no use to cry hoarse in the TV debates by advocating an all-out war against Pakistan. Gone are the days when war was considered as the ultimate weapon to impose a nation’s will. In the nuclear scenario, an all-out war becomes the last option in the escalatory ladder. War entails high cost and a potential for escalation.
War is incredibly costly in terms of lives, resources, and long-term social and economic consequences. War can also impact long-term stability and development. There are numerous non-military tools for achieving national objectives, such as diplomacy, economic sanctions, international pressure, covert operations and grey zone warfare. CCS has taken certain diplomatic punitive measures against Pakistan. Suspension of Indus Water Treaty is a major decision.
Not long ago Sartaj Aziz a foremost Pakistani strategic expert and minister had said that “revocation of IWT can be taken as an act of war.” Pakistan’s response is awaited. The decision will definitely hurt Pakistan because it affects the cultivated lands of the Punjab and Sind, the major contributor to its beleaguered economy.
India should also approach the FATF and use the American influence to suspend IMF and World Bank loans and assistance. Except for a handful of nations the entire world is standing solidly behind India in this hour of crisis. We should not let this opportunity slip. PM has already announced the nation’s resolve to identify, track and punish the perpetrators of the dastardly Pahalgam massacre.
(The Author is Retired Brigadier and a Jammu based security and strategic analyst)
