By Farooq Wani
By terminating the services of three government employees who were clandestinely working with Pakistan-based terror outfits, both the Centre and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has unambiguously conveyed the message that it is determined to ensure that no stone is left unturned to root out the menace of terrorism that has bedevilled life J&K for decades.
Faheem Aslam, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Kashmir University (KU), Revenue Department Officer Murawath Hussain Mir and police constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker were sacked on Monday under special provisions of Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution, allows termination of service without any departmental inquiry.
These persons were actively involved in providing logistics to terrorists, promoting and propagating terrorist ideology, raising funds for terror-linked activities and furthering the secessionist agenda. Termination of service without an inquiry may appear to be extremely harsh, but it needs to be understood in the correct perspective.
It’s a well-known fact that those involved in anti-national activities do so with utmost secrecy to avoid detection. Furthermore, the handlers of such unscrupulous people take extraordinary steps to ensure that their ‘assets’ aren’t compromised and as such incriminatory tell-tale evidence is seldom found. Lastly, due to fear of retribution by terrorists, witnesses are reluctant to depose against those involved in anti-national activities
Accordingly, while the sackings have sent shock waves, such affirmative action does not come as a surprise. It only confirms complete synergization of central and UT institutions like National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), intelligence agencies, armed forces and the police under the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha-led UT administration.
To cite an example, earlier this month the NIA raided five locations in the three Kashmir Valley districts (Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama) and seized digital devices containing incriminating data. All the locations raided were residential premises of suspected hybrid militants and over-ground workers (OGWs) linked to “newly-formed offshoots and affiliates” of banned Kashmiri militant outfits.
The NIA, in a statement, said that an investigation into their possible involvement in clandestinely collecting and distributing “sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotic substances and arms/ammunitions” is currently under progress.
Searches carried out across the Kashmir Valley (in Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Awantipora, Anantnag, Handwara and Kupwara) and in Jammu (Poonch) have led to the recovery of terrorist literature and exposed conduits for financing terror and resulted in apprehension of hybrid militants and OGWs.
Since 2021, the centre has terminated the jobs of 52 UT government employees, including senior officers, engineers and teachers who were found to be either helping inimical forces, guilty of financial impropriety or inefficient.
Radicalisation of Kashmiri youth is disturbing the peace and communal harmony in J&K and as such, the central and UT administration, security forces and intelligence agencies are focussing on this disturbing trend and taking proactive measures to curb the same.
Due to sustained pressure on terrorists and their supporters, new militant outfits like The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF and others, who are linked to major banned militant organisations like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, etc”, are finding it increasingly difficult to operate.
The services of some individuals related to key separatist leaders owing allegiance to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) and All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) who had managed government jobs through back-door entry who had been in service for years, has been terminated under provisions of Article 311 (2) (c).
Describing India as “a victim of terrorism” that had faced numerous terror attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people lost their lives, India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval has gone on record saying that New Delhi is determined to lead the fight against those promoting terrorism and extremism, both within the country and around the world.
India’s counter-terrorism agenda includes the strengthening of its existing security apparatus, enacting new laws and cooperating with other countries to prevent terrorist activities.
According to the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), a think tank that analyses data collected from Terrorism Tracker, which has been providing information on terrorist attacks since January 1, 2007, and other sources, India currently ranks 13th on the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). Afghanistan and Pakistan ranked first and second respectively, are countries frequently spoken of as exporting terror to India and the neighbourhood.
India’s time has come. Besides being a party to thirteen United Nations sectoral conventions on terrorism, it has taken a leadership role in constructing and introducing a comprehensive legal framework to combat terrorism. No wonder, India enjoys the trust and respect of the international community when it comes to formulating simple but effective anti-terrorism strategies.
The author is Editor Brighter Kashmir, Author, TV commentator, political analyst and columnist.
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