‘Destroy terror eco-system’

I was posted in Srinagar for a couple of years during my 33year tenure in the Indian Air Force During that time I had what they call my ear to the ground picking up the local sentiment in the region I saw action during the Kargil War 1999 as I was in the Air Defence Fighter Squadron at Srinagar Then again during Operation Parakram after the 2001 Parliament attack We had almost launched a retaliatory attack but the mission was called off due to details being leaked to Pakistan By air defence we mean forming an air defence umbrella for our ground attack aircraft and also for the ground troopsExodusWe had been observing from the early 1990s that there was a hostile environment In 1990 Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik killed IAF officials I have also witnessed the exodus of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits from the Valley the searing trauma they endured This was happening right when I was stationed there So many air force colleagues senior and junior were Hindu Pandits too and we heard firsthand accounts from themRoadsI have witnessed the region actually shrouded in fear No tourist or even locals would dare to walk on the roads alone Then there was some change as the Road Opening Parties ROP started being deployed all over The ROP deployment is meant to provide safety and security to people When that happened I did see people daring to walk on the roads Yet everybody would be home before sunsetMindsetThese were small onground changes overall I must state that there has been little to no change in the mindset There is also a political system that allows this to grow for their vested interests Some time ago we had a statement from MP Aga Syed Ruhulla Mehdi of the National Conference NC saying it is not tourism but cultural invasion in the guise of tourism He was speaking in the context of a fashion show in Gulmarg during Ramadan Terms like cultural invasion are a pointer to the mindsetSupportOne has to understand that attacks like the one in Pahalgam do not take place in a vacuum There is a system that enables this Currently with the outrage on the boil it is all about justice and finding the perpetrators of the attack What is important is looking at the entire picture India has to also find those that may have hosted the attackers offered other support if any and finish that off too they have to be dealt in the same way that the terrorists will be We have to uproot the entire damaged tree with roots not just a few branches The ecosystem of this evil has to be destroyed That and demographic change must happen it will take enormous political will to do so The larger network has to be identified and taken out even at the cost of collateral damageIsraelWe are being told not to compare this to global events but the IsraelHamas war does come to mind What happened after October 7 Israel went to war and we have to do something similar Currently there is no fear in the minds of those enabling terror or perpetrating the attack We need a reaction strong enough to change that After all 26 lives have been lost Remember there have been so many before this Absolute and effective action is needed a fitting response to the carnage on this scale For locals or tourists Kashmir should no longer be the Valley of fears or tears Group Captain Retd Sanjay Mahadev Bawle saw action in Kargil and Operation Parakram a major military mobilisation by the Indian Army in response to the 2001 Indian Parliament attackWorld reactsAnthony Albanese Australian Prime MinisterlsquoI am shocked by the horrific terror attack on innocent civilians There is no justification for this violence and Australia condemns it Our hearts go out to the injured to those mourning loved ones and to everyone in Australia touched by this terrible newsrsquoOlaf Scholz German ChancellorlsquoWe strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack against tourists in Pahalgam Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and we wish a speedy recovery for all the injured Our heartfelt condolences go out to the people of IndiarsquoIranian Embassy in IndialsquoThe Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi strongly condemns the terrorist attack We extend our condolences to the government and people of India especially to the families of the victims of this attackrsquoMinistry of Foreign Affairs Sri LankalsquoSri Lanka strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured Sri Lanka stands in firm solidarity with the Government and people of India in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestationsrsquoatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params