By Priyashree Andley
Defending the border is similar to defending national security and identity. Today the Line of Control (LoC) is vital for the self-perception of India and Pakistan. It commences from the convergence of Munnawar, Tawi and Chenab rivers, extends up to NJ9842 in the north, running through the districts of Jammu, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara and Leh. It has a total length of 778 km, with 242 km in the Jammu region.
In the wake of the recent cross border attack and killing of five Indian soldiers in Poonch district in August 2013, I argue that Jammus militarised border, strategic importance, cross-border ethno-cultural ties, socio-economic development and political (in) stability lead to its vulnerability. Physically insecure and sometimes economically marginalised, the populace is susceptible to attack and mobility restrictions increase their dependence on national security forces as well as compel them to search for new survival mechanisms like Village Defence Committees (VDCs). Most civilians display a combination of weak preferences and opportunism, mainly subject to survival concerns affecting their collaboration with political actors. As loyal civilians, their often non-national motivations like survival are sidelined.
Today, when the debates are on between different political parties over whether India and Pakistan should call off their talks, it is important to focus in the security of the civilians especially those residing in the border villages in J&K. In the absence of a coherent strategy by both nations, the beneficiaries are the extra territorial actors like insurgents or militants. For Pakistan, the biggest challenge today is to fight increasing insurgencies on their own soil affecting several districts and states. Their army convoys have been attacked, civilians are targeted by terrorists and several suicide attacks have taken place. Ordinary citizens caught in irregular warfare are less than heroic. They primarily seek to save their home, family and life.
So, fear, underdevelopment and political competition and lack of consistent strategy in the region of J&K allow insurgents to carry out attacks across the border. Prioritising intra-Kashmir confidence building measures by the state and political parties are important for activating national identity in the process of ensuring border security. This will impact the potential of the armed forces and civilians to strengthen counterinsurgency operations in J&K and limit the role of extremists on both sides that continuously spread vicious certainties about the other in the peace process.
The nature of the political regime determines the course of irregular warfare. Consequently, two main perceptions coexist in a democracy. First, there is fear of the ethnic other to cause danger to the order leading to hatred towards those who insist on living differently. Second, there is willingness to promote mutual respect. Such a clash exists within a democratic country like India. The other clash is within the individual i.e the forces of fear and reactive behaviour and respect. To accept the reality of the other in J&K is a challenging task for the armed forces and the state where militants and political forces play the communal card.
Counter insurgency operations fought on multiple fronts makes the spirit of self-defence of border people an essential prerequisite for success. However, the question I wish to raise is that can military operations reduce or resolve the problem of underground elements in the state and those across? We need to prevent alienation of sections of vulnerable populace of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Budhists and Gujjars in the state. This will prevent extremist elements attempting to activate communal boundaries within borders that suit the agenda of militants.
The state continuously tries to activate the national identity boundary of border civilians to defend its strategic border in the wake of cross-border militancy. However, the communal elements use this external grievance to create fissures between Hindu and Muslim communities, abetted by militants. There is need to increase people-to-people interaction across the border (thereby sustaining national borders). The psychological impact of encouraging divided families and people on both sides of the border would be immense after years of partition. Thus, softening the LoC becomes means to consolidate national boundary/identity (facilitating state security and popular support for counter insurgency operations).
Finally, economic and moral support from the state is a necessary pre-condition for successful implementation of the civilian component of countering insurgency, weakening agendas of extremists and militants. The state and armed forces need to examine peculiarities of Jammu; geographical, administrative, cultural, economic and political to prevent sectarian elements and militants from representing one community against another. Long term peace-building involves improvements on the ground that are necessary through measures like sensitive policing apparatus, reduction of military and semi-military forces in population centres and return of migrants to J&K. However, further research on government and armed forces regular and irregular and their role in politics and state formation is important to understand the need for stability and long term peace.
Security Analyst