From the security point of view, it was not at all a good start to the New Year in Jammu and Kashmir. There was a grenade attack in Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu Kashmir followed by the dreaded attack on civilians in Dangri village of Rajouri leaving six dead and thirteen injured in two separate attacks.
The terrorist attacks in Rajouri, the otherwise peaceful region, left security and intelligence agencies off guard. It was rather not presumed the attacks of this magnitude would ever take place here. But terrorists prove their capabilities wherever they wish they can attack and inflict damage.
This is at least what the security agencies must be thinking upon and understanding its relevance in the present day situation of Jammu and Kashmir. Normally, Chenab valley was least known for such terrorist activities though it was affected in early 1990’s.
The locals have been not supporting such activities at all. That is why even the local political parties have expressed their concerns over the resurfacing of terrorism in the region. Rajouri and its adjoining districts have a mixed population and it is politically believed that the attackers might have tried to spark the communal tensions in the region. But people played their role and defeated any such attempts.
They stood united in these toughest times and observed shutdown in the district to express their solidarity with the victim families. Officials in the security grid are ascertaining facts and the NIA is already in the town to collect evidence.
But the bigger challenge for security forces is how such incidents can be stopped in the future. Recently, the Union Home minister Amit Shah directed the security grid of Jammu Kashmir to have zero tolerance towards terrorism.
The UT police Chief Dilbagh Singh even on year end has said that Jammu Kashmir was comparatively a peaceful year with a decline of 37 per cent in terrorism related activities. Now the resurfacing of terrorism is a challenge that needs to be tackled effectively.
