Kashmir attacks: Bridge security gaps

A spate of terrorist attacks rocked Kashmir on Monday, targeting a Kashmiri Pandit shopke-eper, two migrant workers and a Central Reserve Police Force trooper in separate incidents. A day before, two more non-local workers were target-ed by unidentified gunmen, bringing back gory memories of last autumn, when the deaths of 11 migrant workers in the Valley triggered an exodus of non-local labourers. Migrant workers have always been vulnerable targets for gunmen looking to strike terror in the hearts of the civilian population.

The government has said that its decision to scrap the region’s special status and bifurcate it two years ago yielded positive results on the security front. Last December, the Centre told Parliament that between August 5, 2019, and November 22, 2021 (841 days), 496 terror-related incidents were reported from Jammu and Kashmir, down from 843 reported in the same span of time before the abrogation. It must now take into account the string of attacks and look for ways to mitigate them.

The attacks on migrant workers and Pandits — the killing of a prominent Pandit businessman last October had already shaken the community — are meant to undermine faith in the administration and make local populations subservient to militant groups. The government and forces must take steps to bridge security gaps, guarantee protection to vulnerable workers and businessmen and ensure that the promises of prosperity and peace are kept expediently.