Page 10 - The Indian EYE 071522

OPINION JULY 08, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

Secularization of Militancy in

Jammu & Kashmir: Myth or Reality?

A waning international support has led militant groups to seek renewed legitimacy and support for their activities.
The rhetoric of ‘struggle for resistance’ against ‘occupational forces’ is being aired, as opposed to calls for jihad

TEJUSVI SHUKLA TERROR OUTFITS AND
PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT
he Resistance Front (TRF) In the information domain,
released a pamphlet on 5 May militancy has indeed experienced a
T2022 threatening attacks on marked shift post-2019. This can be
the Amarnath yatra. The TRF pam- majorly credited to the older exist-
phlet warned that “blood will spell ing groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba
(spill)” of those acting as “stooges” (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM),
of the Union government, even as it and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) ex-
tried to convey a sense of religious periencing a waning presence due to
tolerance by assuring safety to pil- the collective effect of state-crack-
grims “till you (they) are not in- down and reducing external aid. Si-
dulged in the Kashmir issue.” The multaneously, several new groups
yatra began on 30 June, after two such as TRF, United Liberation
years of travel restrictions on account Front of Kashmir (ULFK), Kash-
of the pandemic. The 2019 yatra was mir Tigers, and People’s Anti-Fascist
curtailed due to the abrogation of Force (PAFF) have emerged.
Article 370. Nearly 600,000-800,000 These groups are different from SOURCE: NEWSCLICK
Hindu pilgrims are expected this the older terrorist outfits in terms of
year, as opposed to a few thousands their nomenclature, logos and slo- chaahe wo kisi bhi dharma se taaluq that thee occupier has been illegally
in the preceding years. gans, as well as the nature and tone rakhta ho…iss tarah Jammu Kash- occupied (the occupier has illegally
Such messaging by the TRF of messaging and communication
appears to be another addition to a through their pamphlets. For in- mir mein jo sayah aate hain humaare occupied), snatched from us and in
mehmaan hain…magar humaari gu-
this fight everyone the citizens of JK
series of attempts that seek to ‘secu- stance, to begin with, the names of zaarish hai ki sayah guarris rahein, are welcome to fight against the oc-
larize’ militancy in J&K, even as ter- each of the newly emergent groups humaari nasl-fasal-imaan-makaan cupier India.”
ror outfits like the Lashkar e-Taiba depict a clear departure from Islam- ko khatm karne waale Hindustan ke This line of justification was also
(LeT) continue to be active. In the ic nomenclature as adopted by their khaakun mein rang na bharein.” evident while claiming the murder of
first week of May, for instance, three predecessors. Whether it is TRF or (Every inhabitant of Jammu Kashmiri Pandit Makhanlal Bindroo,
LeT terrorists suspected of planning the PAFF, the emphasis is on ‘Kash- and Kashmir has an equal right to just a day prior on 6 October 2021.
to attack the Amarnath yatra were miri resistance’ against ‘occupation- reside here regardless of their reli- The TRF pamphlet called him an
also killed in an encounter in Sri- al’ and ‘fascist’ forces, as opposed to gious identity…Incoming tourists in RSS ideologue who was mobilising
nagar. Targeted killings of Kashmiri a call for jihad against infidels. Jammu and Kashmir are our guests, Kashmiri youth under the pretext of
Pandits, as well as migrant Hindu This change is also seen in the but it is our request that tourists shall undertaking “health activities” and
workers, moreover, suggests that logos used by each of these outfits, stay here as tourists and not try to involved in “immoral trafficking and
attempts to ‘secularize’ militancy in as also their respective slogans. The collude with the Indian establish- drugs supply.”
the state are a red herring. slogan ‘Resist to Exist’ of the ULKF, ment that is attempting to attack our
The Brief explores the veracity is a visible contrast to logos of, for MILITANT ATTACKS AND
of claims suggesting secularization instance, the HM (‘inil hukmu illa demography and property). TARGETED KILLINGS
Even while claiming attacks or
of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir lillah’ – legislation is for none but Al- inciting popular support, the lan- Data suggests that recruitments
(J&K), post abrogation of Article lah) or LeT (‘al dawatal irshad’ – the guage used is carefully distanced for the previously existing organiza-
370. It examines the communication invitation to move under the instruc- from Islamist references. For in- tions continues to far surpass that of
strategies of militant outfits through tion of the LeT, that is, the Army of stance, while claiming the murder the ‘secular’ outfits, both in 2020 and
online and offline mediums. It then the Good). of a Sikh school principal, Supinder 2021. As of March 2022, of the 168
explores indicators of militancy, to Pamphlets periodically released Kour, and a Kashmiri Pandit teacher, militants active in the Valley, around
see if they correspond to the senti- by these new outfits add to this tone Deepak Chand, on 7 October 2021, 82 belonged to the LeT, 41 with JeM,
ments being aired in the information of messaging. The threat letter re- the TRF pamphlet names “politi- 38 with HM, three with Al Badr, and
domain, seemingly devoid of com- garding the Amarnath yatra, as not- cisation of education sector” as the merely two with the TRF. The num-
munal angst. In doing so, the Brief ed earlier, deliberately tried to sepa- reason behind the attack. Note that ber of foreign militants in the Valley
places in context the rising signifi- rate religion from politics. no mention of the religious identity has also been rising in 2022, after a
cance of perception management as Another pamphlet by the TRF of the victims is made. Instead, the fall for the past two years.
a part of information warfare being dated 15 June 2020 asserted pamphlet emphasises that “…our In terms of the number of inci-
waged by terrorist outfits operating …Jammu Kashmir ke har shehari fight is to safeguard our Freedom
in the state. ko barabar haq hai yahan rehne ka, Continued at next page... >>

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