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| Burhan Wani's killing and its aftermath | | View from Delhi | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 10: "On 8 July 2016, at around 6 PM, gunfire reverberated in Kokarnag again. I received my first call within minutes, which indicated to me that this was not an ordinary encounter. The caller told me that it was ninety percent certain that Burhan Wani was inside the small cordon," Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, who served in Kashmir for years, said while reflecting on the Kokarnag encounter.
He said: "For those who may not know, Wani is the most-wanted terrorist in Kashmir Valley, credited with having created a wave of what is called New Militancy in South Kashmir. It would not be long before, with his inspiration, that militancy travels to the badlands of North Kashmir. His Robin Hood image inspired a new phenomenon: the attempted protection of terrorists by local mobs at encounter sites and large-scale eulogizing of even neutralized Pakistani terrorists at their funerals".
The former Army Commander further revealed: "Burhan Wani managed in just five years to create a band of 60-70 young locally recruited terrorists. Many were well-educated and technically proficient in exploiting social media for their cause. Their photographs in combat fatigues with weapons went viral on Facebook and Whatsapp. Many of the flash mobs they instigated to keep an eye on encounter sites were mobilized using social media. Burhan's entry into terrorism was triggered by his ill-treatment at the hands of a couple of errant policemen in Tral, a small township in a broad sub-valley on the east of the National Highway, near Avantipura. Tral is notorious for its alienation and use of violence for the last 26 years. The Wagad ridge to its West and the Dachigam Forest to the North afford excellent hideouts for militants. Despite the presence of a full RR unit along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the area has only been passingly under control. Burhan belonged to Tral. Last year, in April, his brother was killed in an encounter when he was mistakenly taken to be Burhan, even as he had gone to the forest to meet his renegade brother".
Gen Hasnain didn't stop just there. He further said: "At 7.30 PM on 8 July 2016, a caller rang again to confirm that it was indeed Burhan Wani. He had been killed at the hands of one of Army's extremely quiet but efficient units, 19 RR (Sikh LI). It is learnt that Burhan, once cornered, came out in an attempt to break the cordon and was gunned down. This prevented the ignominy of being burnt to death once the house he was holed up in caught fire due to the effect of rockets and other munitions. As I tweeted this information out, I had a deluge of calls coming in from different corners. Burhan's neutralization was making big news. My initial assessment, which I shared immediately, was that the authorities had to be careful in handling the post-encounter situation. This is in light of the fact that the Hurriyat would attempt to make much of this event and use it to motivate the youth; passionate crowds should be expected at the funeral. We had occasion to witness 30,000 people at a funeral of a Pakistani terrorist late last year. It will need to be a fine decision for the political and security authorities to allow a public funeral or provide a quiet burial done by the Police with the family attending".
Ata Hasnain also reflected on the past experience and said: "In the past, authorities have mostly given the freedom to conduct public funerals and faced the consequences for it. Only in the case of Afzal Guru was the body not handed over to the family, and a quiet burial was conducted at Delhi. However, that had different connotations, and comparisons need not be drawn. It is not as if bigger names than Burhan Wani have not been neutralized in counter-terror operations in the past. In the same area, Shabir Baduri, who operated for almost nine years, led the Hizbul Mujahideen's activities in Anantnag. Abdullah Uni (LeT) was killed at Sopore in 2011. I do not recall how the mortal remains were handled in these cases but the major difference today, even in comparison to the situation five years ago, is the widespread use of social media to iconize neutralized terrorist leaders and collect flash mobs. The authorities know best how to handle the situation and, politically, this is a challenge for the coalition government".
The former Army Commander also commented on the impact the killing of Burhan Wani would have on the ongoing Yatra to the Holy Cave Shrine of Baba Amarnath. He said: "The Amarnath Yatra is now entering its second week. The vulnerability of the Yatra is always a problem for the authorities, especially after the recent spate of ambushes on the National Highway, which is causing more concern. A reprisal strike against the Yatris will be perilous but, although I do feel that this is unlikely, the security forces securing the Yatra and its various facilities will remain the targets. Kokernag, incidentally, is very close to the National Highway near Qazigund. The Lidder Valley from Anantnag to Pahalgam has been quiet for some years despite the presence of New Militancy, signs of a revival of turbulence have sprung up lately".
The operative part of his whole reflection on the developing situation was like this: "For the moment, the challenge is to withstand the emotions of the moment and ensure no 'martyr effect' takes place. The Separatists have no qualms about a few young men dying, and a repeat of 2010 is possible. The agencies dealing with security need to be on the same page and leave aside the unnecessary rancour of the immediate past. I would consider this an opportunity to achieve something positive, but equally, the wily Separatists will wish to keep the initiative. The maturity of the leadership (both political and security-related) will decide which way the cookie crumbles".
What Ata Hasnain said about the encounter, developing situation in the Valley and about the need to handle the situation in a most coordinated manner needs to be appreciated. However, the question to be asked is: Will the vested interests in Kashmir not play any mischief for political gains? If the conduct of the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Omar Abdullah, is any indication, then it can be safely said that the situation would further worsen. His tweets have already given the nation to understand that he had seen in the killing of Burhan a ray of hope. The problem is not Geelani and his ilk; the problem is from those who call themselves mainstream leaders and use their official position to vitiate the atmosphere for political gains.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and her team and the security forces have to ensure that no one dares to vitiate the atmosphere in Kashmir. But more than that, it is time for the Chief Minister to assert and restore peace in the Valley using all available means. |
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