Reality dawns: Kashmiri youth realizes the false cause of jihad

Are the residents of Jammu and Kashmir fed up with militancy and terrorism and desperately want the situation to return to normal? The Indian Army Chief, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, would answer in the affirmative.

"We have had a lot of success in the last one week or 10 days. In the last one week alone, more than 15 terrorists have been killed… Most of the operations were based on the information provided by the locals themselves. This goes on to show that they are also absolutely fed up with militancy and terrorism and they want the situation to return to normal," Naravane said in Dehradun Saturday.

Close cooperation and coordination between the locals and all the security forces operating in the Union Territory is believed to be main reason behind Indian army's success in the valley this summer.

For decades, Pakistan's jehadi factories had indoctrinated and radicalized the Kashmiri youth by fanning their religious sentiments and goading them to take up arms.

Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), ISJK, or the much (in)famous Jaish, Lashkar and Hizbul, joining a radical outfit soon became badges of honour for the village youth as Pakistan localized militancy in the erstwhile state.

Earlier this year, during a panel discussion during the Raisina Dialogue 2020, General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), had emphasized on the importance of starting counter-radicalization programs.

"We should start counter-radicalization programmes while identifying who are the people to have been radicalized and to what degree. Then look at them who are completely radicalized and then look towards the future. What we are seeing in Kashmir, young boys and girls as young as 10 years old have been radicalized, but they can still be isolated from radicalization in a gradual manner. Anything which has started can end. You need to see where it is starting. It is starting from schools, universities, from some other sources. We get the nerve of the whole thing from where the radicalization is coming, we have to start isolation of these people through deradicalization camp," said Rawat.

While the plan of setting up of deradicalization centres hasn't materialized yet, the Army and police have tasted some success in recent months which prove that things may be moving in the right direction.

Earlier this month, three youths from Pulwama's Mandoora and Shaldraman Tral, were prevented from joining the terrorist ranks and two militants accused of luring them arrested.

In March, the J&K Police had prevented six youths, including five minors, from the Magam and Narbal area of Budgam district in J&K from joining terror groups.

"They had been indoctrinated and influenced by the false narrative," the police said.

In February, J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh had said eight youths who had joined militant ranks in 2020 had shunned violence and returned to the mainstream.

Those who didn't met the same fate as the others before them.

<img class="wp-image-3234 size-full" src="https://indianarrative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/bac42ea3ca26d213e299c7a43d316866.jpg" alt="" width="855" height="571" /> The Burhan group of Kashmiri youth – Burhan Wani, the poster boy and chief commander of the Hizbul and his associates Sabzar Bhat, Waseem Malla, Naseer Pandit, Ishfaq Hameed, Tariq Pandit, Afaqullah, Adil Khandey, Saddam Paddar, Wasim Shah and Anees — had added new colours to militant activities. Foreign terrorists were relegated to the background as the 11 local faces were enough to attract scores of youth from the valley to join the militant ranks

This year till June 11, a total 98 terrorists have been killed in the valley including some big names like Riyaz Naikoo, one of Kashmir's most wanted terrorists. In May, 18 terrorists were eliminated and in April the figure was 28. In March and February, seven terrorists each were eliminated. In January, 18 terrorists were killed.

In 2019, a total 158 terrorists were eliminated and in 2018, the security forces killed 254 terrorists in the valley. In 2017, a total 213 terrorists were killed.

From academia to insurgency, from self-determination to self-destruction, the stone pelters have over the years graduated into dreaded terrorists as Pakistan indoctrinated Kashmiri youth with jihadi ideology in its aim to give it a local face.

Perhaps, no more.

Data prove that the militant recruitment numbers from the Valley has been declining gradually every year and may reach a double figure mark this year.

The chants of 'Kashmir banega Pakistan' are gone and so have the IS and Pakistan flags..