Security Concerns Persist Despite Article 370 Repeal: Pahalgam Incident Analysis

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday alleged that the tragic attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, was due to a serious “intelligence failure.” The party further asserted that merely issuing threats to Pakistan will not help resolve the ongoing issues in the Union Territory. The nullification of Article 370, which provided special status to the erstwhile state, has not ended violence in the Kashmir Valley, where Hindus are still being “targeted,” according to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated a “political festival” after the contentious provision of the Constitution was revoked in 2019, but left Hindus in the lurch, alleged the opposition outfit, attacking its former ally. Since the August 5, 2019, measure, as many as 197 security personnel, 135 civilians and 700 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir, the editorial claimed, reported news agency PTI. Terrorists struck a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists from other states. Where is National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, who poses as “James Bond,” the Marathi daily questioned, reported PTI. “After Pulwama (strike in 2019), the Pahalgam attack was a failure of intelligence agencies,” the editorial averred. The BJP has sought West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation for violence against Hindus in her state, but the national saffron party is not ready to take the responsibility for the massacre of Hindus (in Pahalgam), the editorial noted. The publication maintained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi lied when he said the 2016 demonetisation would “break the backbone” of terrorism. Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted terrorism had ended in the Kashmir Valley after Article 370 was nullified, but blood is being shed there every day, the editorial stated, reported PTI. “There are no signs of violence ending in the Valley. Hindus are being targeted. And promises made to (displaced) Kashmiri Pandits have not been realized. On the contrary, Hindus are fleeing (the Valley). The BJP, which claims to be the messiah of Hindus, should be ashamed of it,” the editorial emphasized. The Centre is governing Jammu and Kashmir through the Lieutenant Governor, but cries and wails emanating from Pahalgam has made it evident how efficient that is, the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece stated, reported PTI. Issues are not going to get resolved by threatening Pakistan. This will only make “bhakts” (BJP supporters) feel good, the editorial stated, reported news agency PTI. “Who will protect Hindus? It is their (the BJP) business to cry and wail after Hindus die and then blame Pakistan and Muslims. This also happened after Pulwama (attack),” the daily noted, reported PTI. Attacking the BJP-led central government, the editorial alleged that hate on religious lines has been spread throughout the country for the last ten years. (With PTI inputs)