CRPF is ready for greater responsibilities in J&K
S.S. Parthasarathi
In a written statement to the Lok Sabha on 30 July 2024, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) stated that during the year, up to July 21, there have been 11 terror-related incidents and 24 encounters or counter terror operations in which 28 people lost their lives. Out of these, 14 were civilians and 14 were from the security forces (SF), mostly the Indian Army. In 2023, there were 46 terror-initiated incidents and 48 encounters, in which 44 people were killed, 30 of whom were SF personnels and 14 civilians. While giving the comparative figures, the ministry mentioned that there was a gradual decline in the number of killings and terror-initiated incidents, especially in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K); the ministry attributed this decline to the government policy of ‘zero tolerance’.
It is a fact that there is a gradual decline of terrorism in the Kashmir Valley, but there has been an unprecedented and unexpected spike in the terror attacks in Jammu division especially in Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Jammu, Kathua, Doda, Kishtwar and Udhampur districts. Since October 2021, there have been about 12 incidents of ambush on the SFs (including the army), most of which remained concentrated in Jammu division. In these attacks more than 40 army personnel have laid down their lives. Two CRPF personnels have also laid down their lives in the last couple of months—one in Kathua and another in Udhampur. Attacks on Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and Village Defence Committee (VDC) members have also been reported from the same regions.
These attacks suggest that the terrorists are highly trained and motivated. The kind of training and tactics which they demonstrate can only be imparted by a military force or its associated arms. Perhaps, they are operating in close coordination with the Pakistan Army and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Recent recoveries from the operations also indicate that unlike the past now they are equipped with sophisticated weaponry and military gadgets such as M4 rifles, GPS, advanced night vision devices, magnetic IEDs, etc. Most of these attacks were claimed by a banned terror organization, Peoples’ Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), which is an offshoot or proxy of Jaish e Mohammed (JeM).
The frequency of attacks indicates that in this region nothing concrete can be done to permanently fill the gaps or the fault lines in the security grid. Terrorists are resorting to attacks at different locations of this region at frequent intervals, primarily targeting Indian Army troops for two reasons. One, the large presence of the Army makes them vulnerable to attacks; and these attacks give them the required milage and publicity. It seems that the ISI and the terror handlers across the LoC (line of control) have decided to diversify their attacks and to engage the Indian security forces in a more complex and varied manner.
Consequently, the terrorists are now resorting to guerilla warfare tactics, both in Jammu as well as in Kashmir division. While in the Jammu division, they are mostly targeting the SF through well planned and executed ambushes, in Kashmir Valley they are attacking such soft targets as Kashmiri Pandits, migrant workers, police or SF personnel on leave. The modus operandi mostly is hit and run.
At a time when the government is making all out efforts to bring back normalcy, peace and prosperity in all of Jammu and Kashmir, such attacks in parts of the union territory are definitely worrying. This needs a careful understanding of the situation and methodical response by the policymakers in the MHA, intelligence agencies and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters, as the force’s primary mandate is internal security and counter terrorism operations across the country. The surge in terror incidents coupled with the consistency of attacks and its spatial spread is a grim reminder that the conflict zones require a long term approach and long-term strategy. In such theatres, the idea of development can only be well conceived with the coexistence of security.
CRPF’s Critical Role
It needs to be emphasised that in past three and a half decades, besides the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and JKP, the CRPF had played a tremendous role in containing the situation in Kashmir. The idea of peace and development in Kashmir Valley just can’t be imagined without the CRPF. Close watchers of militancy in J&K know this fact. Be it counter terrorism operations in vast stretches of north, central and south Kashmir or prompt and effective dealing with India’s most violent and life threating agitations that took place on a very large scale in Kashmir Valley between 2008 to 2010 and again between 2016 to 2019, CRPF played a frontal and most challenging role.
During these phases, apart from terror attacks, CRPF faced the organised gangs of stone pelters armed with sharp edged weapons, petrol and other incendiary bombs, etc. In execution of these duties, hundreds of CRPF personnel lost their lives and thousands were grievously injured. The abrogation of article 370 could be successfully and peacefully implemented by the central government in Kashmir Valley because CRPF was central to it by way of its deployment in almost all the hotspots of the Kashmir Valley.
The changing dynamic of internal security challenges in the last two to three decades calls for a massive overhaul in the methodology and approach required towards the maintenance of national security. It is high time that the CRPF, which is the designated central armed force for internal security (CAFIS) and counter terror operations by the MHA, is tasked to shoulder bigger roles and responsibilities. While some other Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) may be temporarily deployed in any area to meet some internal security requirements, the CRPF has to be pivotal and central to the task. There can’t be any compromise on that, because it would lead to a situation of confusion, disorder and lack of ownership in the given theatre. This has happened in the past. More importantly, it goes against the concept and spirit of “one force one task” or more precisely “one border one force” as envisaged by the 2001 Kargil Review Committee Report and the subsequent recommendations of the group of ministers on national security.
CRPF is the lead force designated for internal security and counter insurgency and counter terrorism and thus its deployment in the entire Internal Security/Counter Terrorism (IS/CT) grid including that of J&K has to be contiguous. In the last two to three decades, the CRPF has already made its deployment on a grid pattern in the Kashmir Valley. While there are still gaps in some areas which the CRPF ought to adequately and strategically cover in the near future, this would require increasing its strength in J&K. The grid level deployment of CRPF in Kashmir has immensely helped both the Rastriya Rifles as well as the J&K administration. Even during the phases of violent agitations, it was not possible for anyone including the Army/RR and J&K administration or JKP to engage or disengage from the site of any encounter without the safe passage provided by the CRPF.
Barring a few pockets which the CRPF had to temporarily vacate to meet some specific deployment needs in other disturbed areas or where the CRPF intends to expand its reach in the near future, the CRPF is presently deployed at almost every nook and corner of all sensitive areas in Kashmir division.
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