Editorial: Dangerous trend

Terrorists infiltrating the mainstream political parties to carry out their activities surreptitiously is a new and dangerous trend in the trouble-torn Kashmir Valley. Reports of alleged links of Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Talib Hussain and Udaipur murder accused Riaz Akhtari with the BJP have laid bare this alarming trend. Hussain, who was overpowered by villagers in Reasi […]

Terrorists infiltrating the mainstream political parties to carry out their activities surreptitiously is a new and dangerous trend in the trouble-torn Kashmir Valley. Reports of alleged links of Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Talib Hussain and Udaipur murder accused Riaz Akhtari with the BJP have laid bare this alarming trend. Hussain, who was overpowered by villagers in Reasi district, was appointed the IT and social media in charge of the party’s Minority Morcha in Jammu province in early May. The BJP claims that he resigned from the party in May itself, weeks after joining it. He could be a mole planted by Pakistan-based terrorists as per a devious plan to eliminate the party’s top leadership. There is a criticism that the liberal online membership system of mainstream parties could facilitate the entry of people of all hues without any background verification. The BJP must come clean on these dubious members. A thorough probe should be conducted to find out whether any party leader is hand in glove with terror recruits or their handlers. The black sheep who sully the party’s reputation — and jeopardise national security — should be promptly weeded out. Infiltration by terrorists is a menace that should prompt all political parties to remain vigilant. While no party can do rigorous and fool-proof screening of every prospective member, tighter membership norms can help in keeping out the trouble-makers. The responsibility for the induction of party members should be fixed at every level. It is vital to build political consensus on not allowing terror groups to misuse any party’s platform to carry out anti-India activities.

The militancy in the Valley had reached a more dangerous phase after the advent of a social media phenomenon that sought to romanticise the azadi movement. This led to the emergence of local leaders like Burhan Wani. The number of youths who are acquiring arms is now going up steadily. So are the instances of guerrilla warfare. What is alarming is that the terror attacks have been occurring in areas which were earlier declared militancy-free. The azadi sentiment has been rapidly turning into an Islamist movement with the militants going after teachers, bank employees, small businessmen and other sections to generate more outrage. The pattern of recent killings, picking non-Muslim targets, suggests a throwback to the 1990s, a decade marked by mayhem leading to the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. The dangerous trend of selective killings reflects a macabre strategy to send out a message that there is no room for non-Muslims and non-locals in Kashmir. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has clearly emboldened the terrorist outfits bent upon creating trouble in India with the active support from their Pakistani handlers. The recent surge in terror attacks exposes the hollowness of the Centre’s claim that normalcy has been restored in the region.

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