Herbert Armstrong’s words “Ambition is more than mere desire. It is desire plus incentive-determination-will to achieve the desire” are apt for one of the bravest Officers of the Indian Army, Colonel Praneet Goel, Sena Medal.
Colonel Praneet Goel, Sena Medal belonged to an illustrious family of academicians. His parents ran a school in the quiet and calm town of Roorkee. Being an important Army Cantonment, Roorkee had many men in olive greens and these soldiers had an important impact on the young Praneet and at a very young life Praneet had decided that he only wanted to become an Army Officer when he grew up.
His parents fully supported the ambition of young Praneet though they had a flourishing business and intrinsically wanted Praneet to take over the family business. But being professional academicians, they always gave wings to Praneet’s ambition so that he could soar high in life happily.
And soar Praneet did. On January 02, 1988, Praneet Goel joined the 79 NDA Course in the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune after clearing the world’s eighth toughest exam. The tall and well-built Praneet took easily to the tough training regime of NDA as fish takes to water. It was clear to his coursemates right from day one, that Praneet would do very well in NDA and eventually as an Army Officer.
Praneet was allotted Charlie Squadron in NDA. In the three years in NDA, Praneet did very well in Cross Country and Basketball. In all the six terms in NDA, Praneet came in the second enclosure in Cross Country and was in the first string of the Basketball Team of his Squadron. The six terms in NDA have three outdoor Camps – Camp Greenhorn in the Second Term, Camp Rovers in the Fourth Term and Camp Torna in the Sixth Term. Camp Rovers is the toughest Camp in the entire world.
One of the strong indicators of the mettle of a cadet in NDA is the performance in these three Camps. Praneet in Hindi means “Leader”. And leader Praneet was in these camps. Always volunteering to pick up heavy loads during the tough exercises in these camps, or volunteering to do map reading, considered very tough under these trying circumstances, Praneet emerged as the undisputed leader in his Squadron and was aptly nicknamed “The Josh Box of Charlie Squadron”.
In the beginning of the sixth term in NDA, Praneet Goel was given the coveted appointment of Cadet Quarter Master Sergeant (CQMS) for his superlative performance in the last five terms. The appointment of CQMS is one of the top three appointments given to the best three Cadets in a Squadron, the other two being Squadron Cadet Captain (SCC) and Cadet Sergeant Major (CSM).
CQMS Praneet Goel passed out 32nd in the overall order of merit of 323 Cadets of 79 NDA Course who passed out on December 01,1990.
On 08 January 1991, Praneet Goel reported to the internationally acclaimed Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun as part of the 89 Regular Course, for the last one year of pre-commission training. Gentlemen Cadet (GC) Praneet Goel was allotted Jessore Company. Continuing with his brilliant performance, GC Praneet Goel excelled in the training in IMA too and in the third and final term, Praneet Goel was given the important appointment of Junior Under Officer (JUO).
JUO Praneet Goel was commissioned as an Officer in the highly decorated and valiant Assam Regiment on December 14, 1991 after an impressive Passing Out Parade (POP). Praneet’s parents who came for the POP from Roorkee, pipped one star on his either shoulder. Second Lieutenant Praneet Goel smartly saluted his Parents after being pipped by them and then touched their feet. His Parents embraced Praneet and tears of happiness flowed in the eyes of all three. It was a sombre and poignant moment as Praneet had achieved his ambition at a young and tender age of just 21 years.
After three weeks of post commissioning leave 2/Lt Praneet Goel reported to the Assam Regimental Centre in Shillong for orientation training. Because of his being good in Drill and having a smart soldierly bearing, 2/Lt Praneet Goel was selected as one of the two Stick Orderlies for the Eastern Command Investiture Ceremony which was to be held in Shillong. Being selected as a Stick Orderly for a Command Investiture Ceremony is a matter of great pride and honour.
2/Lt (later Colonel) Praneet Goel as a Stick Orderly in Eastern Command Investiture Ceremony in 1992
Soon after he reported to his Battalion and after a few months itself he was given the coveted appointment of Adjutant. Shortly orders came for the Battalion to move on a Foreign Mission to Cambodia. The Battalion did exceedingly well in the foreign land and after completing their assigned tenure they came back to India. After a couple of prestigious staff and instructional postings, Major Praneet Goel cleared the prestigious Staff College Exam and went for a year’s course in the famed Defence Services Staff College located in the salubrious Wellington, nestled in the majestic Nilgiris. Praneet did well in this Course too.
After the Staff College Course, Major Praneet Goel was selected as the Staff Officer to a Formation Commander, who was also the Colonel of the Assam Regiment, of an important Operational Formation in Srinagar. One evening after office hours, as Praneet was playing Lawn Tennis in the Sports Complex of the Formation Headquarters, three terrorists attacked the Formation Headquarters in a Fidayeen (suicidal) attack.
Major Praneet Goel, in his sports dress and unmindful of his personal security and safety, grabbed an AK-47 from a nearby sentry and rushed to the place of attack. He immediately took over the control of the situation and within 40 minutes killed all the three terrorists. For this brave act of a very high order Major Praneet Goel was awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry), one of the Nation’s prestigious awards for bravery.
As a Lieutenant Colonel for his very good performance as an Officer till date, Lt Col Praneet Goel, Sena Medal was selected for the prestigious appointment of United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Officer (UNDPKO) in the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA. Praneet did very well as the UNDPKO and soon became an indispensable part of the team of the Secretary General, United Nations.
After the three-year tenure in the United Nations, Praneet was promoted to the coveted rank of Colonel and was assigned the command of his own Battalion, the very Battalion he was commissioned in as a 2/Lt. It is the dream of every Indian Army Officer to command the Battalion he is commissioned in.
Colonel Praneet Goel, Sena Medal assumed the command of his Battalion in the operational area of Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir. Praneet started leading his Battalion from the front, be it operationally or in training. The career of Praneet was on an upward trajectory and it was very certain now that Praneet would rise to the higher echelons of the Indian Army and would retire nothing less than a Lieutenant General.
But destiny had planned it otherwise.
On the evening of January 02, 2010, as one of the sub-units of Praneet was doing intensive training., Praneet reached their training location after darkness had set in and started monitoring their progress. After the training finished at around 1 am in the morning of January 03, 2010, Praneet headed back to his Battalion Headquarters which was at some distance away. At around 1.30 am as Praneet was on his way back in his official vehicle being driven by his trusted and well-trained driver, a huge truck which had steel reinforcement bars protruding out of it was reversing and in that process the steel bars broke the windshield of the Maruti Gypsy vehicle that Praneet was being driven in and brutally entered his chest and Praneet started bleeding profusely. The security vehicle following Praneet’s vehicle immediately evacuated Praneet to the nearby Military Hospital. Despite the best efforts of the Army Doctors to save him, Praneet left for heavenly abode. Colonel Praneet Goel, Sena Medal sacrificed his life in the duty of the Nation.
A bright career of a promising soldier came to an abrupt and tragic end.
As Daniel Webster, a famous American politician remarked “Although there is no sculptured marble in their memory, nor engraved stone of their deeds, yet their remembrance will be as lasting as the land they honoured”.
We pay homage to Colonel Praneet Goel, Sena Medal, on this solemn day. You shall forever remain in our hearts and memories and will always be a source of inspiration to all of us. Our prayers for your eternal peace.
About the Author
Lt Col JS Sodhi retired from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army and is an alumnus of NDA, Khadakwasla and IIT Kanpur. He is a M.Tech in Structures has also done MBA and LL.B and is a prolific writer and a public speaker. He features in the World Book of Records, London and the India Book of Records for his media contributions. He Tweets at @JassiSodhi24. The views expressed are personal.
One of the Ireland’s youngest leader Leo Varadkar became Prime Minister of Republic of Ireland for second term as a result of power swapping deal made between the coalition party in the government to share the Prime Minister’s post after half of the five-year term.
Who is Leo Varadkar?
The son of Mumbai born doctor and an Irish Nurse, he himself is a recognised doctor. He is one of the youngest politicians of the world, who reached the highest position of his political career in Ireland and became the youngest Prime Minister of Ireland in 2017 at an age of 38 years.
àhe came out with referendum on same sex marriage in Ireland which helped him to be recognised as a bold and courageous leader in world.
àHe was also criticised for anti–immigrant sentiments as he proposed in 2008, the unemployed foreigners could be given a lumpsum payment if they agreed to leave the country.
He is staunch supporter of united Ireland, as he announced that he wants to see united Ireland but not by neglecting the views of minority.
What is Ireland Issue?
Ireland is an island that lies to the west of the British mainland and has two separate politically independent territories.
Northern Island is about 1/6th of the total Island is part of the United Kingdom and is administered as an autonomous region.
The rest of the Island forms the ‘Republic of Ireland’ and is independent sovereign nation since 1922.
The problem is not of border, but the problem is that Northern Island is a land divided between those who consider themselves as Irish (who want Northern Ireland to join/merge with Republic of Ireland, an independent country within the European Union) and those who consider themselves as British (who want Northern Ireland to remain in the United Kingdom, separate from the Republic of Ireland).
Good Friday Agreement, 1998
Also known as Belfast Agreement 1998. It was a political deal to bring an end to 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland, known as Troubles, approved by public votes in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
When Northern Ireland in 1921 became part of United Kingdom and rest of Ireland became an independent nation, this also created split between the citizens of Northern Ireland like the Unionists who were happy with Britain, while the Nationalists want to became the part of Republic of Ireland. This led to troubles which lasted for almost 30 years and cost the lives of more than 3500 people.
After Brexit
After Brexit, it is only Northern Ireland which shares border with European Union (The Republic of Ireland), as in Brexit agreement, there are checks required on goods transported between EU and UK.
Now the problem is that as goods arrived from UK, they are checked before entering Northern Ireland, to ensure that they comply with EU rules. Nationalist Party (Sinn Fein) supported it as they say this is in line with Good Friday Agreement, while the Unionists including Democratic Unionist Party opposed it because they said that this separates them from rest of the UK.
To resolve this issue, UK government proposed that goods are split into two different lanes, Goods for Northern Ireland go into green lane and are not checked while goods for Ireland and EU go into red lane for being checked.
National Challenges for Leo’s as PM:
During his first term, he negotiated hard to keep Northern Ireland in European Union’s Custom Block, which remains unsolved as now Britain has proposed a new solution. Leo is unlikely to agree with this, and this may intensify the tensions in Ireland.
He has also the responsibility to lower the cost of energy as there is energy crisis in Europe due to the Russia–Ukraine War. There is also a housing problem in Ireland because as per report there were only approximately 900 houses available in Ireland.
Global Implications of Leo Varadkar as the Prime Minister for the second term :
As he is a staunch supporter of United Ireland and also wants Northern Ireland in EU’s Custom Union, and is against hard border, this may bring more conflict in Ireland, which can further escalate the crisis in Europe.
His image as anti-immigrants, because earlier he advocated that unemployed foreigners should be deported from country, EU is already suffering from the immigration problem, and this can further create more problems.
As Ireland is suffering from housing and energy problem, it’s will be tough for him to resolve this problem and bring stability.
As he announced that, he wants to see united Ireland, but with the support of whole and also by keeping the view of minority, he also hinted of talking with the United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which would be challenging for both the nations given how emotive the issue is both the nations.
Conclusion:
The charisma and confidence that Leo Varadkar as a young leader has, puts him in the line of the likes of the French President Emmanuel Macron and the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. But his different approach in dealing with Northern Ireland and Ireland as he is an advocate of a United Ireland would be quite challenging. However, it is a golden period for Leo Varadkar to settle the Ireland issue and create history.
Overview of India and Pakistan’s nuclear histories:
Zia Mian, Co-Director of the program on science global security at Princeton University, said that the idea in Pakistan of acquiring nuclear weapons began in the early 1950s when Pak signed a military alliance agreement with the US as part of which Pakistan became an ally of the US in the cold war against USSR and in return the US was to provide economic aid and military advice to bring Pakistan into the modern age weaponry systems.
In this way, the US plotted the modern American idea of nuclear technology, i.e., nuclear weapons in warfare. Raj Chengappa, the Editorial Director of the India Today group, Jayita Sarkarv, and Feroz Khan, who is the Director of Arms Control and Disarmament affairs, said that in 1964, China tested nuclear weapons, and in the 1965 Indo-Pak War when China sided with Pakistan, this compelled India to move forward with its nuclear weapons program.
Thus, two nuclear neighbors i.e., China and Pakistan compelled India to develop nuclear weapons in order to ensure security. The strong debate started that India was building weapons, and Homi J Bhabha was very active about this. But the Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was against nuclear weapons. Basically, India saw nuclear weapons as a limited but necessary capability to protect itself. Atomic Energy Commission in India was established as the regulatory body under Homi J Bhabha.
In 1963, PTBT was ratified by India which stated that complete prohibition of nuclear testing in underwater, atmosphere and outer space.
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1953 “Atoms for Peace” address suggested the creation of an international atomic regulatory organization. Hence, IAEA was created in 1957. The organisation’s primary goal was to encourage nuclear technologies’ safe, secure, and non-militaristic use.
The NPT came into force in 1970 to promote the peaceful benefits of nuclear energy, advance nuclear disarmament, and stop the spread of atomic weapons and technology. Provisions of NPT were:
Nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states were the two groups defined under the treaty.
NWS will not increase their nuclear arsenals and would move towards gradual disarmament.
Neither India nor Pakistan joined the NPT as they said that it was a discriminatory treaty which divided the world into Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) and Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS).
In 1969, Indira Gandhi ordered to go ahead with nuclear weapons, and in 1971 the India-Pakistan war occurred and Bangladesh was created. India detonated its first nuclear weapon on May 18, 1974 in what it referred to as a “peaceful nuclear explosion,” also called Smiling Budha which included use of Plutonium. The nuclear test was conducted in Pokhran, Rajasthan. The United States provided the heavy water required to generate the plutonium utilised in the experiment, and Canada provided the CIRUS Reactor.
This triggered anger in Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto always dreamed of increasing bombs in Pakistan, and after the defeat of Pak in 1971, he wanted to turn his dream into reality. Pakistan criticised New Delhi for trying to distinguish between military and non-military applications of a nuclear test. Pakistan began developing nuclear weapons in response to its 1971 war with India. India’s test of nuclear weapons was also a wake-up call for the International Community, which compelled them to take non-proliferation more seriously. Later, The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was founded by the international community in November 1974 due to India’s peaceful nuclear explosion.
INDIA AND PAKISTAN’S NUCLEAR TESTS AND SANCTIONS BY THE US
In 1998, the BJP government in India decided to conduct a series of nuclear tests in Rajasthan specifically; most were believed to be militarised. India has been working on their nuclear arsenals, and now they needed to be tested. This is why India condemned the CTBT treaty because this treaty aimed to keep nuclear arsenals for NWS and banned to acquire weapons for NNWS. India believed that the Soviet Union and the United States were no longer required to test their arsenals to prove their reliability because they had already done a lot. It was said that India’s nuclear test in 1998 was against CTBT, but legally India never signed CTBT. Agni-I, Prithvi-II, Agni-III, Agni-V, Agni-V, and Prahar were the names of the nuclear tests, Mansoor Ahmed, Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard University, said that Pakistan conducted five nuclear explosions in the underground Tusko hills in Western Baluchistan and Kharan in 1998. These tests were in response to India’s test in Rajasthan in 1998. Abdali ballistic missile, Ghaznavi and Shaheen-I, Shaheen-II and Shaheen-III were some names of the tests. At the international forum, it was argued that deterrence capability would be compromised if Pakistan conducted another test.
At that moment, the immediate concern was to avert dangerous arms competition and to stop the zero-sum game. When the US started to engage with both nations, the basic objective was to restrain weapons and missile delivery programs. The nuclear tests conducted by India were another down because of fear of sanctions
INDO-NUCLEAR DEAL SIGNED
On October 1, 2008, the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear agreement became official. The agreement allowed India to conduct nuclear trade with the United States and other Nuclear Suppliers Group members. In exchange for access to American dual-use nuclear technology, it also promised to allow American businesses to construct nuclear reactors in India. Pakistan objected to the agreement, saying that Pakistan likewise deserved an NSG waiver because India was given preferential treatment. Pakistan increased its production of fissile material in response to the agreement.
INDIA AND PAKISTAN NUCLEAR POSTURE
According to the Nuclear Weapons Convention, even today, India has nuclear weapons, but it continues to be at the forefront of disarmament efforts, so India’s nuclear ambivalence persists. Pakistan was clear and purposeful about weapons because they wanted to build in order to fight against stronger neighbors and wanted to establish a sense of deep identity as a regional power. This showed that Pakistan has a “FIRST USE POLICY”, “FULL SPECTRUM DETERRENCE,” and India has a “NO FIRST USE POLICY”, “MINIMUM DETERRENCE”, “CONVENTIONAL FIGHTING CAPABILITY”, “GLOBALLY VERIFIED NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT” AND “COMMAND AND CONTROL”.
CBM’S AND SERIES OF AGREEMENT
In order to avoid war, tension, mistrust and establish peace and security, both sides must agree to ratify the agreement in order to not attract nuclear instillations. So, CBM and NRRM should be used in order to diffuse tensions, reduce nuclear wars. Non-Attack of Nuclear Facilities Agreement was signed by Rajiv Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto in 1988 where they both pledged, not to attack the listed nuclear facilities. Other Agreement on Prior Notification of military exercises was signed in 1991, Ballistic Missile Flight-Test Pre-Notification Agreement was also signed in 2005. So, basically, both sides pledged to notify each other in the event of a nuclear accident.
About the Author
Khushbu Ahlawat is from Sonipat, Haryana and has done her graduation from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University in BA (Hons) Political Science. Currently she is pursuing Master of Arts in International studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. The views expressed are personal.
The Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar remarked “I am entitled to have my own side, I am entitled to weigh my own interests, make my own choices. And my choices will not be cynical and transactional but they will be a balance of my values and my interests.” This statement truly reflecting presently in India’s foreign policy especially with respect to Western Asia. Today’s India’s position in West Asia is according to its choice as we witnessed in Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit to West Asia.
Background
India’s relation with West Asia can be traced back from Indus Valley Civilisation and be said that India’s and West Asia have civilisational link. India’s position in West Asia changed with span of time which can be seen phase wise like during cold war, after cold war and currently after the coming of Modi government from 2014.
During Cold War
During this period India supported Arab on Israel–Palestine issue and even criticised Israel. It supported Arab also because of Pakistan, as Pakistan continuously used Islamic connections to negate India’s role. During the Cold War phase, India adopted the policy to not influence the regional dynamics in West Asia and to support Pan Arabism and Secular Arab state together with Palestine.
India’s position Post-Cold War in West Asia
With the oil boom in West Asia and rise of pro–west Monarchs such as Saudi Arabia and also good relations with Arab countries like Egypt and Jordan, it helped India to shift or reconsider its West Asia policy which resulted in the start of diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992.
Look West Policy
India had to engage, three broad regions of the West Asia ie Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Region, Mashreq Region and Maghreb Region, in 2005 the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh announced Look West Policy and stated that West Asia is part of India’s extended neighbourhood. India has also moved away with anti–Israel rhetoric and has enhanced its ties with Israel.
After coming of Modi Regime
India’s Look West Policy get a new flavour under the Modi government, as the Modi government changed the India’s West Asia policy from strategic restraint to strategic alignment, deflecting its position from traditional West Asia relations.
Current India’s West Asia position is based on:
Economic Aspects
India’s high dependence on West Asia for its energy need as India’s approximately 70% of energy needs imported from West Asia and may be in future it increases as India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world.
India growing its trade with West Asia in other area away from energy as India trying to enhance free trade agreement as it has done with UAE that is India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
India’s Diaspora and Remittances
Around 11 million Indians working in West Asia, which makes India’s core agenda is stable relations with West Asia and stability in West Asia.
India is largest recipient of remittances, according to the World Bank, India’s remittances soared to $100 billion of which approximately 30% share is from GCC.
Terrorism and Radicalism
India’s relation with West Asia helps in counter terrorism and also in tackling radical ideology in India and ISIS.
West Asia can be gateway for India to Central Asia region as Afghanistan is unstable in the region and earlier too India had been trying to enter Central Asia through Afghanistan.
Defence Cooperation
West Asia is important defence partner for India to counter Chinese hegemony in Indian Ocean. India is growing its defence ties with UAE and Oman and conducting regular military exercise.
India’s strategic access to Port Duqm in Arabian Sea for Military use and Logistical support which help India to expand its foot print in Indian Ocean Region.
I2U2 (India, Israel , the UAE and the USA)
I2U2 has been referred to as the “West Asian Quad” by the Ambassador of the UAE to India. It shows the importance of I2U2. It is like a boon for India because it gives more space to India to adopt independent Israel policy which is closer and more strategic. It also makes India’s position strong in Gulf Countries and help in diverting India from oil based economic relations.
Challenges for India in west Asia.
Political instability is the major challenge in West Asia since the onset of Arab Spring in December 2010. Internal security issues in Syria, Iraq and Yemen have gone from bad to worse.
Terrorism and radicalism are also one of the major challenge and security threat in the region such as Hezbullah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine, ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
Israel is also one of the weakest links in West Asia because of Israel–Palestine and Israel– Iran conflicts.
India’s deepening ties with Israel in recent years also not gone well with some West Asian countries like Iran and Turkey who have started playing the China and Pakistan card.
Increasing influence of China in West Asia like 25 years deal between Iran and China, the infrastructure projects of China in West Asia are also major challenges for India.
Way Ahead
As I2U2 is a win win proposition for all countries, India needs to play more active role in West Asia to keep balance with all major power.
India has to be more active in West Asia to counter the hegemony and active role that China in playing in West Asia as China.
India has to actively counter the Pakistan narrative especially in OIC, which pushes OIC for unnecessary comments on Kashmir and internal issue of India.
After coming of Taliban in Afghanistan, North–South Transport Corridor and Bandar Abbas Port development down tracked, India has to assure all stakeholders specially Iran that it is still interested in this corridor.
India has to more focussed or can say must shift aggressively from oil-based trade relations to wide interests like health, science and technology, infrastructure, maritime security etc.
India with the help of its soft power and cultural ties can play a major role in the peace and stability of West Asia.
By: Kritika Kaushik, Research Analyst, GSDN Network
Chinese President Xi Jinping with the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammaed bin Salman: source Internet
The recent visit of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia for the first-ever China-Arab Summit is becoming Xi’s new style of diplomacy, raising concerns in the Indian subcontinent. Earlier, the first thing that came to the minds of Indian observers was the former Soviet Union & the US, when the question of the Cold War came. But, as now we are living in a state of affairs where the current world order is in constant friction and is difficult to be defined by seeing only one event or a bipolar competition in isolation, the China-Arab Summit is an important development for expanding our understanding about the Cold War itself.
Therefore, let’s see the China-Arab meeting from a multidimensional perspective. On one hand, India and China’s relations have got crippled in the recent past owing to the continuous cartographic and military aggression by China against India, it is important that we see the development of the Chinese inroads towards West Asia with a critical understanding. While India’s Presidency at the G20 is a moment of celebration, we must keep an eye on how China is not spearheading cold wars per se but is manipulating the cold war dynamics for its own benefit. In other words, Xi is meeting the Saudis, it is business as usual for Xi but with a greater force and a bird’s eye view in a manner that Xi’s foreign policy choices are not just nudging the state of the present world order but putting so much friction and chaos in the same.
For instance, Saudi Arabia is a traditional ally of the US and Russia is going to have discomfort with China’s Arabian engagement. Earlier it was thought that China is an all-weather partner and full-time ally of Russia, but China is now unshackling such baggage and moving towards its own version of ‘strategic autonomy. The present state of world order was described as the US-China Cold War or Cold War 2.0, but what is remarkably different here is how China is making itself indispensable to the world powers but rather giving them a tough time.
When we compare the position of China with that of India, India has been very cautious about the foreign policy stance it has taken since Cold War 2.0 and has made some tough choices like abstaining to vote against Russia with regard to the Ukraine war, something that didn’t augur well with the US and the world in general, etc. But we are seeing how China is spreading its geopolitical wings with relatively greater ease which is a cause of concern because China is not a country that champions peace, democracy, human rights, human security, etc. like India does. The concern is that a democratic and global power like India has to face this Chinese dilemma as an immediate concern both as a neighbour and as a great power competitor, a country with whom India cannot afford to be either a full-time enemy or a full-time friend.
The 572 islands which comprise the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, forming India’s southeastern border, lie in an extremely significant strategic zone. The southernmost tip, known as Indira Point, is just 90 nautical miles from Indonesia, while the northernmost portion of the island is only 22 nautical miles from Myanmar. More than 60,000 commercial vessels pass through the Six Degree and Ten Degree canals, which are dominated by these islands, and the Bay of Bengal every year.
The Malacca Strait and the Six Degree Channel are two of the nine main choke-points that restrict access to this area. Because the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in this strategically critical area, India’s expanding naval capabilities may play a significant role in regulating access.
Admiral R. K. Dhowan, the former head of the Indian Navy, had in 2016 recognised that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands serve as a “extended arm” of India and are a “very very vital part” of that nation’s security. According to Dhowan, India must send naval personnel to the islands to keep an eye on vital shipping lanes.
Now, with the growing presence of China in the Indian Ocean region, it is important to have in place a blueprint to challenge this unprecedented rise. Keeping this in mind, the massive Rs 72,000 crore development project on the crucial Great Nicobar Island has recently received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. Over the course of the next 30 years, the project will be carried out in three stages. An International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT), a greenfield airport, a power plant, and a township for the workers who will carry out the project have all been suggested as part of a “greenfield city.” The NITI Aayog has stated in a report that “the projected port will allow Great Nicobar to engage in the regional and global marine economy by becoming a significant participant in cargo transshipment.”
The Indian Navy will be in charge of the port, while the airport would serve both military and civilian purposes as well as tourists. To accommodate tourists, plans have been made for roads, public transportation, water supply and waste management facilities, as well as a number of hotels. A total of 166.1 sq km have been designated for the project along a coastline strip with a width of between 2 and 4 km along the island’s southern and southeast shores. 9.64 lakh trees are anticipated to be cut down as part of a 130 sq km forest diversion plan. The port is anticipated to be operational by 2027–2028. Development activities are slated to start in the current fiscal year. Over the course of development, the island is anticipated to add 1.5 lakh indirect jobs in addition to more than 1 lakh new direct ones.
The southernmost Island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, Great Nicobar, has a 910 sq km land area. The Great Nicobar Island contains coastal plains, mountain ranges that rise close to 650 metres above sea level, and tropical wet evergreen forests. The island is home to 113 species of fish, 71 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians, 26 species of reptiles, and 14 species of mammals, some of which are endangered. The island’s signature species is the leatherback sea turtle.
Although there is a lot of potential for tourists on the island, the government’s main objective is to take advantage of the island’s advantageous location for both tactical and strategic reasons. Great Nicobar is situated close to the East-West international shipping corridor, along which a sizable portion of the world’s shipping traffic travels, and is equally distant from Colombo to the southwest, Port Klang and Singapore to the southeast. For cargo ships making this trip, the projected ICTT may end up serving as a hub.
Great Nicobar’s development was first proposed in the 1970s, and its significance for bolstering regional stability and national security has been emphasized time and time again. This objective has recently taken on a lot more significance as a result of rising Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and Bay of Bengal.
Many environmentalists are, however, concerned about the proposed large infrastructure development in an environmentally significant and vulnerable region, which would include the removal of about a million trees. They have cautioned that by increasing runoff and silt deposits in the water, the loss of tree cover will have an effect on the island’s flora and animals as well as the neighboring coral reefs.
Coral reefs are of crucial ecological value and are already threatened by rising oceans. Environmentalists have also brought up the concern that the construction plan may cause the mangroves on the island to disappear. In the past, India had success moving a coral reef from the Gulf of Mannar to the Gulf of Kutch. The Zoological Survey of India is now calculating how much of the reef will have to be shifted to finish the project. A leatherback turtle conservation strategy, according to the administration, is also in place.
The administration claims that advancing the project is crucial for both national security and strategic reasons. After the first stage of clearance was granted on October 27, officials stated that all factors would be carefully considered before final approval was given.
The project’s location, which is right outside the eco-sensitive areas of Campbell Bay and Galathea National Park, has raised some eyebrows. However, according to the Center, just a small portion of the island and its forest cover is going to be under development, and 15% of that area will be made up of greenery and open areas.
The development of the Great Nicobar Islands is a step in the right direction, with the archipelago now being strongly recognised and considered as a strategic asset. The project is ambitious and once fulfilled will significantly change the picture of the region in vast aspects. However, a lot of other issues should be kept in mind, and measures must be rightfully undertaken to ensure that the ecological concerns be rightfully addressed. Whether relocation of the island’s forests into the Indian mainland is indeed a viable solution remains a matter of debate amongst scholars and policymakers. The decision-makers must also keep in mind the concerns of the local populations and the tribal communities of the region, who will be the ones directly affected by the subsequent massive redevelopment.
About the Author
Sagnik Sarkar is a graduate of Political Science from the Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University. Currently, he is pursuing his Masters in International Relations from the same institution. He is passionate about researching, and has a special interest towards International Relations, Diplomacy, Connectivity, Trade, Human Rights, Conflict Studies, Public Policy and Governance. He has been associated with numerous think tanks in the past, such as CSIRD, Asian Confluence and Asia in Global Affairs. He is extremely enthusiastic about academic writing and has authored and published numerous research papers and articles pertaining to various issues under the realm of Political Science and International Relations for notable organizations.
The quote of the former US President, Barack Obama “Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay” is apt and appropriate for the sacrifice Captain (Capt) Ummed Singh Rathore of the Indian Army made for India.
Inspector Bhanwar Singh Rathore of Rajasthan Police wanted his son Ummed Singh Rathore to join the Indian Army as an Officer and serve the Country in continuation of the rich legacy and traditions that the valiant Rajput family was proud of and famous for.
Ummed Singh Rathore was born in Village Tibdi in Pali District, Rajasthan. He did his initial schooling in Raghukul School, Ajmer before clearing the tough competitive exam of Sainik School, Chittorgarh. To clear the entrance exam of any Sainik School is very tough as thousands of children from that particular State apply every year and just about 50 are selected.
Ummed toiled hard in Sainik School, Chittorgarh and by the dint of his hard work he started excelling in Football and Long Jump. Ummed was soft spoken and well-mannered and with a positive demeanour, he was liked by juniors and seniors alike.
It was a moment of pride for Ummed’s father and the entire family when on January 02, 1988 Ummed joined the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla as part of the 79 NDA Course, after clearing the world’s eighth toughest competitive exam. Ummed was allotted Kilo Squadron and in the three years in NDA, Ummed was in the Squadron’s Football and Athletics team. Ummed soon became famous in the Squadron for his culinary skills and on every Sunday and Holiday, Ummed’s cabin would be swarmed by coursemates, juniors and seniors to relish the cooking of Ummed. The large hearted and benevolent Ummed would never turn any Cadet back empty handed.
Ummed passed out of NDA on December 01, 1990 and after four weeks of leave he reported to the famed Indian Military Academy, Dehradun on January 08, 1991 as part of the 89 Regular Course. He was allotted Alamein Company and in the last one year of pre-commissioning training he took keen interest in Weapon Training and Field Craft.
On December 14, 1991, Second Lieutenant (2/Lt) Ummed Singh Rathore was commissioned in 21 SIKH. The SIKH Regiment is one of the bravest and decorated Regiments of Infantry of the Indian Army whose tales of valour are legendary.
After commissioning, 2/Lt Ummed Singh Rathore reported to his Battalion in Nasirabad, Rajasthan. After a few months, the Battalion moved to Drass which is a High-Altitude Area, in Army parlance. Drass is one of the coldest places in the world and the weather can turn inclement without any warning. The area was known for extreme weather and harsh winters and foot walk was the only means of connectivity and routine link patrol had to be sent to ensure the safe arrival of troops on forward posts.
In Drass, on December 05, 1994, a link patrol was moved under the command of Captain Ummed Singh Rathore and 6 soldiers from the Battalion Headquarters to a forward post Bimbat LC. On their arrival at the Administrative (Adm) Base, it started snowing and they decided to stay put there to wait for the weather to clear up, but it remained stubborn till December 07, 1994.
On opening of the weather, Capt Jasmeet Singh at Bimbat LC contacted Capt Ummed Singh Rathore and both of them decided to do a half link. Capt Ummed Singh Rathore leading from the front along with four soldiers, leaving behind two soldiers in the Adm Base, started moving towards the half link point.
However, after half an hour, the weather conditions deteriorated and turned monstrous. As there was no whereabouts of the patrol, Colonel LP Sahi, the then Commanding Officer of 21 SIKH, send a rescue team under the Battalion Second-in-Command, but it was in vain due to unpredictable weather and avalanche risk.
After fighting the devastating weather, all five brave soldiers including Capt Ummed Singh Rathore made the Supreme Sacrifice in the Service of the Nation.
Due to the extreme weather conditions, the mortal remains of all the five brave soldiers were recovered much later in May 1995.
As a famous English politician and author remarked “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example”.
We pay homage to Capt Ummed Singh Rathore on this solemn day. You shall forever remain in our hearts and memories and will always be a source of inspiration to all of us. Our prayers for your eternal peace.
About the Author
Lt Col JS Sodhi retired from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army and is an alumnus of NDA Khadakwasla and IIT Kanpur. He is a M.Tech in Structures and has also done MBA and LL.B and is a prolific writer and a public speaker. He features in the World Book of Records, London and the India Book of Records for his media contributions. He Tweets at @JassiSodhi24. The views expressed are personal.
Radicalisation in Jammu & Kashmir has three dimensions-regional, ethnic and religious, whose growing influence is considered as a threat to national security.
The disturbing trend is that the Hurriyat on the directions of its masters in Pakistan is trying to spread “Salafism” in the region, South of Pir Panjal. The youth in particular is being targeted under these schemes.
“If the youth in J&K become victims of this new Salafized version of Islam, the consequences for entire India would be grave” – this warning was sounded by Mr M.K. Narayanan many years ago, in a public gathering. Radicalisation is not new to Kashmir. Ever since the advent of Islam in Kashmir Valley, it has been through phases of radicalisation depending upon the attitude of the ruler. But the silver lining is that every time it emerged out of that phase successfully without causing immense damage to its social fabric.
The net consequence was the emergence of Kashmiriyat, the backbone of the philosophy of co-existence in the Valley. Sufism is the mainstay of Kashmiriyat, scholars argue. Kashmiri Islam, a variant of Sufism, differs from the mainstream fanatical Islam in that, the former is based on the teachings of its famous Rishis.
The current phase of radicalisation in the Valley has few distinct features: Sufism is being replaced by Salafism, more youth is being radicalised, polarisation among the Sunni Muslims is increasing which encourages separatism, the free-flow of Wahhabi literature and petro-dollars, and the proxy war unleashed by Pakistan through ISI sponsored jihadist terrorist outfits.
Salafism as most of the readers know, is alien to Kashmir but is gaining ground in Kashmir at the cost of Hanafi school of thought. Drawing parallels to Salafism/Wahhabism is akin to Deobandi school of thought and is a more puritanical form of Islam practised in Arab world while Sufism is akin to shrine-going Barelvi school of thought.
The main cause of spread of Salafism and radicalised Islam was the disenchantment of the younger generations with Sufism practised by their elders. Due to the continued violence and political struggle, the cadres of jihadist terrorist organisations like LeT and JeM were able to convince the educated Kashmiri youth to move towards radical ideologies.
Initial indoctrination of the youth took place in jails and prisons outside Kashmir where the captured hard core Jihadist terrorists and the young Kashmiris were imprisoned together. A few of the dis-enchanted youth was attracted to Salafism by them on release from jails.
Printed literature, cell phones and social media are the main sources of Salafi literature, which also attracted the unemployed educated youth, who spent lot of time in confinement due to frequent bandhs. Easy availability of video clips featuring popular Salafi clerics and ISIS literature on You Tube is the other contributory factor.
Most Kashmiris and other Muslims still revere mausoleums and shrines and consider them to be part of their cultural heritage. “Kashmiriyat may be down; it is not out”, according to Dr. Vijay Sazawal, a Kashmiri writer. As evident, spread of Salafism has political, social and economic reasons.
According to Jamat Ahl-e-Hadith, only 16% of Kashmir’s population is under its fold. There lies the ray of hope – bulk of its 8 million Muslim-population is still not radicalised. To prevent any further erosion, the government needs to address the socio-political and economic concerns of the Kashmiris.
Spread of radicalization
In various intellectual circles, people are also deliberating an important issue: the new and fearless face of militancy and possibly growing intellectual “radicalisation” in Kashmir.
With internet services being shut down in Kashmir, radicalization of locals by word of mouth was rising. There has been a proliferation of home-grown militants in the valley, according to intelligence inputs. However, when internet services shut down in the Valley, radicalization by word of mouth becomes rampant, with over-ground workers (OGWs) of terrorist organizations communicating through satellite phones and radicalizing the youth during prayers at mosques, especially in villages, according to intelligence inputs.
Evidence touted is the Islamist affiliation of leading terrorist Zakir Musa and his attempt at wresting of the political direction of the movement. The competitive religiosity leads to offshoots of sectarianism and extremism, such as the takfiris.
After the abrogation of Article 370, the campaign to brainwash the youth has also intensified. The plant of fundamentalism is spreading rapidly in mosques and madrasas run by organizations like Ahle Hadees and Jamaat-e-Islami, who also ideologically support organizations like Lashkar and Jaish.
Factors responsible for radicalization
The lure to join terror ranks is neither completely due to monetary gains, nor entirely due to religious indoctrination that is pushing the youth to participate in Jihad for establishing Islamic State in Kashmir or Azadi. It is a mix of radicalisation, glamorisation of Jihad, sense of adventurism and a perceived alternative method to break the status quo of hopelessness. Albert Bandura said that, “it requires conducive social conditions rather than monstrous people to produce terrorists Given appropriate social conditions, decent, ordinary people can be led to do extraordinarily cruel things.”
The factors that push a youth to terrorism are disillusionment with the status quo, failure in personal life, identity crisis and sense of hopelessness setting in the minds of the youth.
How does this radicalisation lead to terrorism in J&K
Spread of Jamaat and Wahhabi ideology is believed to be behind the attack and involvement of untrained people in terrorist activities in a new way. Several other radical foreign forces are also behind it.
To counter this, agencies are eyeing the use of various groups having influence in social media, as pawns. Jihadi terrorists are targeting common people, minorities and non-Kashmiris in Kashmir. Due to this fear, migrant laborers are forced to migrate continuously.
Kashmir’s political analyst Professor Noor Ahmed Baba says that terrorists in Kashmir often kill Muslims too. Therefore, it should not be associated with religion, but former BSF officers say that the reason for this is also religious. These terrorist organizations target non-Muslims as infidels and mushriks. At the same time, Muslims leading a normal life are killed by calling them Munafik or hypocrites.
Role of Unarmed Jihadis in Radicalisation is a Major Pull Factor
A sense has been created by ideologues who rightly should be called unarmed Jihadis, that it is a religious duty of every Kashmiri youth to join Jihad. Some of the religious institutions controlled by Jihadist ideologues are preaching a skewed and misconstrued interpretation of religion that has the potential to capture the hearts, minds and imaginations of the young people.
The unarmed Jihadis weave a web of misinformation campaign that promises the youth, sudden identity as a solider of God, an exalted position among his peers and local populace. He now wields authority and social media also helps him to become a local hero. There is a sense of accomplishment in him and he starts believing that he is doing Jihad for a just cause.
The most unfortunate part is that if a misguided youth returns to the main stream the family suffers the stigma of having a son who is coward and scared of attainting martyrdom. Parents are caught between the misinformation campaign and violation of tenants of Islam by separatist and ideologues forcing youth to join Jihad without sufficient reasons. The loss or killing of terrorists is celebrated, parents are congratulated and family members are made to believe that now their path to attain salvation has been cleared by their son by sacrificing his life for Islam and Jihad. The cycle of recruitment continues because ideologues of Jihad glamorise the killing of terrorists to create more recruits and as a result burial grounds become recruitment grounds.
The peril in Kashmir is that unarmed Jihadis have created conditions where objectives are non-negotiable: they want the total elimination of all who are not with them. To spread their ideology of hate and Jihad, unarmed Jihadis are using social media to their advantage.
As per Rand Corporation, internet creates more opportunities to become radicalised than any other tool.
It acts as an ‘echo chamber’: a place where individuals find their ideas supported and echoed by other like-minded individuals. Process of radicalisation gets accelerated and it occurs without contact. The internet thus increases opportunities for self-radicalisation.
J&K Police in its report on “Radicalisation and Terrorism in J&K – A Study” mentioned: “new terror recruits are not driven by ideology as most attended government schools and came from middle class families. Hardly anyone was educated full time in madrasa and majority among the recent recruits joined terrorism because of thrill seeker attitude. The terrorism in Kashmir is an enigma where unarmed Jihadis are product of radicalisation but armed Jihadis are product of glamorisation of Jihad. One fights with the weapon in hand and the other fights to conquer cognitive domain by employing perception as a tool to expand the domains of conflict. Between armed and unarmed Jihadis there is third dimension and that is the role of Pakistan. Pakistan has managed to drive a wedge deep enough within the society to undermine the sense of shared values that form the foundation of democracy and enshrined values of Kashmiriyat.
Counter Radicalization Strategies
First is the threat from religious radicalism which is driving terror in Kashmir. Youth as young as 12-years-old have been radicalised and are forming a part of the system that drives terror in Kashmir. Second, the ‘best method’ of de-radicalisation is “to isolate them from radicalisation in a gradual way… those completely radicalised need to betaken out separately and possibly taken into some de-radicalisation camps”.
Counter-Radicalisation and De-Radicalisation
It’s the second issue which is a tricky one. Religious radicalisation has been troubling us for long ever since it took on the form of violent extremism. In Kashmir, it happened under the nose of all security, primarily because none had an idea of faith being used as a system of hybrid war. By the time its ugly head manifested it was too late. We were left fighting the symptoms and not the causes of radicalisation. To defeat radicalisation, strong counter narratives are needed which are never easy to evolve without the assistance of informed academia and clerics.
While terrorists are developing strategies to target and attract the youth, counter-terrorism efforts continue to focus on hard power as the central approach in dealing with this issue. Infact radicalisation falls in the spectrum of potential extremist activity and it needs to be treated as such.
Ideologues have created such a void on ground that reconciliation at this stage appears impossible. The pluralist Muslims need to introspect and expose this façade of terror organisations and separatists and let the people know that such an ideology is self-destructive. There is a need to break this cycle of terror factory in the name of religion. Thus, it is vital that instead of fighting terrorism, state must find ways and means to ‘fight radicalism with human development’.
What is known is that in 2017, a Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation Division (CT-CR) was set up under the Home Ministry to help state governments, security agencies and communities in preventing youth from embracing extremist ideologies.
The most important part of this initiative is to create counter narratives against the extremist narratives that are constantly fed online and institutionally through some seminaries to vulnerable youth. The essence of this is to ensure that no misinterpretations of religious texts are fed to youth, and the same is done through the services of some clerics to add authenticity to the campaign. Much of this has been adopted from the ‘Singapore model’ which Indian authorities have studied and imbibed in considerable detail. This model presumes that young male populations are vulnerable at their workplaces and particularly where they remain in clusters for most of the time
The places identified to have such vulnerability are prisons and jails, labour camps, schools, universities and seminaries. Singapore’s vulnerability was also enhanced by the mobile population which enters for work and exits every day from Malaysia. It set up a programme which now has almost 75 clerics assisting it for online monitoring and education and delivery of lectures to clusters; some good counter narratives have been formulated in an on-going process. India adopted some of these measures and is in the process of refining its program.
We need to study the success story of Singapore and Malaysia where de-radicalisation has been, indeed, handled very well and professionally. This is one task that we need to undertake on priority.
We also need to monitor Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp and other chat rooms that are acting as the breeding ground for misguided youth.
Some suggested methods to Counter Radicalization
Revival of Kashmiriyat and Sufism
Creation and promotion of inter-faith tourist circuits (Shiv Khori-Shahdra Sharief-Buddha Amarnath-Gurudwara Nagali Sahib in Jammu and Mattan-Charar-i-Sharif, Kheer Bhawani-Shankracharya-Gurudwara Chatti Padshahi-Hazartbal in Kashmir)
Restoration of mutual trust, job creation, modernisation of Madrasas
Application of “Prevention of Misuse of Religious places and shrines Act” in J&K
Check free-flow of funds from Saudi Arabia, projection of Pakistan as a failed state and sell India’s success story
Counter Pak propaganda through TV channels by its complete overhaul
Female education and empowerment of women
Gradual return of Kashmiri Pundits
Opening of IT parks
Modernisation of police and develop it into a well-trained, equipped and motivated people-friendly force so that foot fall of Army and CAPFs can be reduced
Prevent misuse of social media
Empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions
Integration of Kashmir youth into the national mainstream (National Cadet Corps can play a major role) and revival of traditional folk arts like “Bhand.”
Tackling radicalisation is a battle of minds. Hence, a sustained effort with new approach and outlook to win the hearts and minds needs to be launched. De-radicalisation is like detoxification and would require a sustained and continuous effort. If the issue is addressed without any vested interests and gradually Sufism will soften the followers of Salafism as well. Radicalisation is not India specific but a global problem. We could study the de-radicalisation strategies being adopted by other nations and pick up those relevant in our context.
Counter Terrorism
Counterterrorism is a holistic process that should focus on elimination of terrorism, and not only terrorists. However, there seems to be some dichotomy in our strategy and conceptual understanding of dealing with armed and unarmed Jihadis. The critical conceptual point for formulation of response strategies lies in the recognition of the factors that give impetus to the idea of Jihad. It is evident that important factors in Jihad are the ideologues and unarmed Jihadis who more often remain beyond the reach of the law, because they wear the mask of religious preachers and at times religious/social reformers. As a result, the law is unable to reach them unless they cross the red line. Apart from legal recourse, this issue needs to be looked at from a strategic perspective.
Following few options must be exercised to deal with terrorism:
(a) Engage to Disengage: Disengaging might suggest critical cognitive and social changes, in terms of leaving behind the shared social norms, values, attitudes and aspirations so carefully forged while the individual was still a member of a terror network. Disengagement is not possible unless there is engagement with armed and unarmed Jihadis. One must remember that the individual is moulded by a way of life or misconception that he may continue to adhere due to the belief of so-called enshrined values or way of ancestors drilled by indoctrination
Once a recruit joins terror organisation he is trained simultaneously for violence and psychologically believing that, he is following the path of Allah. Thus, disengagement is not only from violence but also from some continued adherence to those that are part of terror code of conduct, perceived values and attitudes. Engagement should be socially relevant so that individual is not stigmatised. Disengagement from terrorism may be, broadly speaking, the efforts of an individual or collective process (or combination of both).
We can identify both psychological and physical dimensions of disengagement. Parents and religious teachers who can debate and discuss the true interpretation and teachings of Islam and meaning of Jihad. One must remember that disengagement may not always result in de-radicalisation or counter radicalisation.
(b) Distinguish between Near Enemy and Far Enemy: The focus of counter terrorism initiative is directed against the near enemy. In this case near enemy is terrorist who is seen on ground as the face of terrorism. But little is being done to bring to book the far enemy and that is unarmed Jihadis. There is a need to adopt an approach to deal with near and far enemy simultaneously through a process or law, social awakening, theological interpretation of true values of Islam and removal of misconception that has been articulated by terror ideologues. This engagement is not sequential; it should be attempted simultaneously.
(c) Rehabilitation: The word de-radicalisation and radicalisation have become buzz words and very loosely referred to. If there is nothing wrong with ‘radicalisation’, then it is offensive and misleading to speak of ‘de-radicalisation’. No individual will accept that he has been radicalised or he was manipulated and willingly chose a wrong path. It should be left to him to introspect this aspect later but he should never be told that he has been radicalised. Rather psychological and social rehabilitation should be attempted. Some Arabian countries are using the term ‘reforming’ instead of de-radicalisation and is being done through correct interpretation of the teachings of Islam that proscribe violence against innocent and unarmed subjects.
(d) Transition and Transformation: The central aim to set the stage for transition and transformation is to ensure active participation of all stakeholders to the conflict including armed and unarmed terrorists. It is an inclusive process first to recommend the transition back to the society and then transform him to be accepted in the society without any stigma or baggage of his past. It would require conditional amnesty (legal and social). It is a process that cannot be executed by the state alone but through a holistic approach of state and society.
(e) Strategy Must be Enduring: There cannot be a change of strategy on daily basis. The results of above strategy may start fructifying after a few years. Unlike the tactical operations where terrorists are eliminated and counter terrorism strategy appears to be working, the strategy to deal with terrorism and unarmed Jihadis need long gestation period. Patience, perseverance and pursuance are the keys to succeed in this complex psychological, and information war.
Long Term Solutions
(a) Bring Calm to the Streets: It is essential to normalise the life of common man from this muddled environment.
(b) Keep the Youth Away from the Streets: To bring youth out of this disarrayed environment, there is a need to establish communication and dialogue to disengage youth from the negativity of the overall environment. Simultaneously, it would require return of the students to the education institutions and restoration of economic activities including tourism to engage the youth in constructive activities.
(d) Disruption of the Network for Recruitment of Terrorists: Itneeds to be a priority because as long as the ideologues are free to operate, terror recruitment will continue. Simon Cottee says that, “Law-enforcement agents can’t disrupt a motive, but with the right intelligence they may be able to disrupt a network of terrorist recruiters”.
(e) Re-establishment of Communication with Public: According to John Burton, the initial dialogue must centre on the public security, development, identity needs, youth aspirations and political access.
(f) Improvement in Law and Order: There is need for the government to restore faith of the people in the administration and putting in place a grievance redressal mechanism.
(g) Fight Radicalism with Human Development: It should be done through social awareness campaign and engagement with the people.
(h) Meeting the Aspirations of the People of Jammu and Ladakh Division: They need to be compensated for maintaining peace.
(i) Set a Benchmark: Establish effective systems to inform, influence, and persuade public to leave the path of confrontation with clearly defined.
Conclusion
In Jammu and Kashmir today it is time to engage and it does not matter with whom. It could be with young people in remote areas, it could be religious preachers and it could be a man on the street. State should not be seen as oppressor but as benevolent and committed to the genuine welfare of the people of J&K without any biases.
It is true that elimination of terrorists is important but not holistic to completely annihilate terrorism. Thus, it is high time that instead of targeting terrorists, state should work out methodology to deal with terrorism in a holistic manner. To bring calm to the streets, unarmed Jihadis are required to be dealt with appropriately and they cannot be allowed to run a parallel system of Intifada. Apart from the military and non-military operations most important challenge at this stage is ensuring survival of democratic institutions in J&K.
About the Author
Rahul Wankhede is a post graduate in Defence and Strategic Studies with a gold medal. Rahul has worked with think tanks and NGOs in the domains of research, analysis and mentoring and is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. The views expressed are personal.
