It is not every day or even once every six months that a commanding officer of the army is killed in an encounter with terrorists. And how come “Pakistani terrorists” could so easily infiltrate the LoC and base themselves deep in “forest hideouts” in Kashmir? The security forces were tipped off of terrorists in their jungle hideout. From the looks of it, however, the terrorists were, in fact, waiting to ambush, seemingly aware of the impending encounter and the ‘Army CO’, the Army Major and the JK Police officer were sitting ducks for the “Pakistanis”.

Obviously, the Centre, which “rules JK” is not in control of things in Jammu and Kashmir. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, who keeps sending press notes of how the abrogation of Article 370 has dealt a massive blow to cross-border terrorism, should revisit the set narrative. If this particular encounter isn’t an eye-opener, there must be something incredibly wrong with the Centre’s Kashmir policy. The Modi government should stop bragging about all things Kashmir.

Back to how these terrorists, said to be Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, could enter India without anybody noticing is something to think about. There must be an active network working right under the nose of Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha; helping with “safe-houses” and financial and other logistics. Neither demonetization nor the abrogation of Article 370 made a whit of a difference.

The terrorists who killed the ‘CO’, the Major and the Deputy Superintendent entered India through the porous India-Nepal border a la the enterprising lovebirds, Seema Haider and Sachin Meena with Seema’s four children in tow. India’s internal and border security are in the hands of amateurs. Nothing else can explain how a woman with four children could enter India and not an eye could spot.

Now, hardened foreign terrorists have used the same border entry plan and after gaining entrance managed to travel all the way from the Nepal border to the jungles of Anantnag to set themselves up in their jungle fastness with arms and ammunition and an intelligence network to boot. Where is the NSA? And will somebody come clean on what the government intends to do with Seema Haider and her Indian beau now that she's headed for Bollywood?

As for what can the security services do after the latest incident of terrorism, except “persist with unwavering resolve”? The lives of army and police are cheap. The deaths of the Colonel commanding officer, of the Major of the Indian Army, and that of the Deputy Superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, will soon be forgotten. So also that of killed “army jawan” and another jawan “missing in action”.

The point is nothing much should be expected from the Modi government. The armed forces never take it kindly when a ‘CO’ is killed, which is a direct call to war. According to retired army officers any “government with an iota of self-respect will declare war if a commanding officer is killed.” The “enemy” had killed a ’CO’ in the Galwan Valley, too. So forget about “iota of self-respect”. The Modi government hasn’t yet gotten over the “sweet success” of the G20 Summit in this “era of no war”.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonack, and Deputy Superintendent Humayun Bhat along with an army jawan have been martyred. And it was only after the BJP finished celebrating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stupendous G20 accomplishments that the media could spare time for the martyrs and their families. The cameras wouldn’t budge from eyeing the Prime Minister and his acclaimed accomplishments.

But that said, no dubious peace with Pakistan can be bought with the lives of our armed forces personnel. There is something awfully wrong if Indians cannot pause and give a thought to our martyrs. Decking up the party headquarters and gathering there in the thousands to celebrate at a time when soldiers have been killed at the border isn’t best behaviour for any country. Celebrating the G20 success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have waited for another couple of 24 hours, the walls of the BJP headquarters wouldn’t have fallen. (IPA Service)