Handwara encounter: A new, worrying phase of militancy

Two major encounters have taken place between Indian security forces and militants at Keran and Handwara near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir over the past month. Although several militants were eliminated in these encounters, there is reason for serious concern. The militants were well-trained. Not only were they able to engage the security forces for several hours, if not days, before being killed but also, they were able to inflict heavy losses on them. While the militants in the Keran encounter were local Kashmiris, those in the Handwara face-off were Pakistani nationals. Apparently, after receiving training in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, they had just crossed the LoC into India. In recent years, most militants have been poorly trained local boys. Indian security forces were able to eliminate them easily largely because they were poorly trained. That could now be changing. It does seem that angry local youth are now willing to cross over into Pakistan for training as they did in the early years of the militancy. And importantly, Pakistan is providing them the training. It is also pushing its own nationals across the LoC into India. The escalation in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in recent weeks had raised concern that Islamabad was using the shelling to provide cover to militants being infiltrated into India. Some 25-30 militants were reportedly infiltrated in April alone. The Keran and Handwara encounters are proof of such infiltration.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a recently formed group which India believes is a front organisation of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, was reportedly involved in the Keran and Handwara encounters. The TRF’s formation is worrying as it appears to be an attempt at unifying militants active in Kashmir. A divided militancy worked to India’s benefit as militants would fight and eliminate each other or provide India with input on their rivals’ hideouts. A unified militancy could prove to be more challenging for Indian security forces.

In August last year, the Narendra Modi government claimed that its decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution and the subsequent lockdown imposed on Kashmir would serve to wipe out militancy. Official figures of militants killed and of the fall in local recruitment were touted to support such claims subsequently. However, militancy seems to have returned to the Valley, and with renewed vigour. So long as New Delhi continues with its policy of repressing Kashmiris and fails to initiate a genuine political process, rage will push hundreds to fight Indian forces. It’s time the government changed tack.