Reactions to the Pulwama event made me think that we seem to have lost the plot since 1987.
Allegations of widespread rigging in the elections in 1987, created massive disaffection in the Kashmiri populace against the Government.
This was exploited to the hilt by Pakistan, wherein the same Kashmiri people who supported India in 1947, 1965 and 1971, were brainwashed against India.
This was a carefully played card wherein infiltration was not by armed men, but by soothsayers who infiltrated the mind. Money for this came from Pak and the seasonal infiltration by armed terrorists was a decoy to give cover to the real infiltration- the infiltration of the minds of the youth.
We could have played the same game by isolating such elements and counter infiltration of the mind, by creating a love for India.
The opening up of the road to PoK was one such move by the Vajpayee Govt.
I recall that during my tenure as Election Observer in Kashmir in 2008, all those who had visited PoK were massively disappointed and said “We are much better off in India. Life is hell in PoK”.
The hard line adopted by the Govt against disturbance was not accompanied by a soft parallel approach to win over the populace sitting on the fence.
The Army did conduct some great outreach programs. Some students were taken to visit other parts of India. But the vigour with which we rallied against attacks was missing.
The covert game played by Pak should have been met with equally well funded counter measures. But this requires painstaking efforts by nameless, faceless people. It’s a thankless job with no glamour attached.
Harsh vigorous josh wala battles may be glamorous but are passé now.
We have to defeat the enemy in the mind game he is playing.
Such battles are not fought with swords or guns or fighter jets.
They are fought with brains.
Hysteria will lead us to further alienate the Kashmiri which is what the Pakis want.
After the punishment which our Armed forces are definitely going to mete out; to avenge Pulwama, we have an unfinished agenda - to win over the Kashmiri Indians, who stay in PoK; by offering them a better life in India, than the hell in which they live presently.
