Ajay Pandita was martyred as retribution for the killing of over 100 Islamist terrorists in the Kashmir valley

The Panchayat elections in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2018, amid a boycott by the National Conference and PDP. The killing of a Hindu Sarpanch, Ajay Pandita in Anantnag, South Kashmir’s Lukbawan village, is a mere reminder for us all about the ground realities of Kashmir, which are not a pretty sight to behold. Ajay Pandita was shot dead by bike-borne terrorists, who assassinated him for being a representative of Indian democracy in the valley, and also because he was a Hindu.

Ajay Pandita was an elected Sarpanch since 2018, belonging to the Congress party. It must be remembered that it was the BJP’s cessation of ties with the PDP which had led to the conduct of Panchayati elections in the state. However, were these elections a mere theatrical exercise, with no actual consequence on the ground? The remaining Sarpanchs of the valley agree. Members of the Panchayats have been left to fend for themselves. They have no real powers, and their election to the local rural bodies only ensured that they make it to the hit list of terror organizations.

Ajay Pandita was the first Pandit community Sarpanch to be killed in two years. Images of his blood-soaked janeu, and the wails of his family members left behind, have indeed once again momentarily moved the nation’s conscience. Even as I write this piece, people seem to have begun forgetting Ajay Pandita, and his sacrifice for democracy in Kashmir. Ajay Pandita is survived by his parents, and a fearless daughter, who has vowed to avenge her father’s brutal killing at the hands of Islamist terrorists. His assassination serves as a reminder to all – kaafirs will not be spared in the valley.

For those who have been following developments in Kashmir closely, it is known that the security forces are on a roll, and terrorists are being gunned down almost daily. Already, 101 terrorists, including the likes of Riyaz Naikoo, have been eliminated this year. The terror organizations, therefore, are visibly frustrated. 29 terrorists were in killed in April, and 15 in May. An equal number of terrorists have already been neutralized in June, with the bulk of the month remaining. Terrorists are suffering a huge setback in Kashmir, and as such, are now resorting to their old ways of killing unarmed civilians, almost always non-Muslims.

As such what is to be done of terror?

Terror, the kind of which led to the death of Ajay Pandita. Were the assailants ‘terrorists’ per se, or mere Islamists with a gun and a bike, driven by a Jihadi gush? We don’t know. Islamism is embedded in Kashmir, and hatred for the kaafir on the pretext of them being ‘collaborators’ comes naturally to many in the valley. Ofcourse, there is no discounting the fact that the security forces are doing an impeccable job in Kashmir, however, much is to be worried about if they are the only ones at the job.

Where, for instance, is the Jammu and Kashmir administration? Ajay Pandita had requested for security two months ago, and the negligence of the administration to provide him with the same has cost the man his life. The Sarpanchs, and members of the Panchayat in the Union Territory have been demanding security for themselves, requests of which have been falling unto deaf ears. Post the killing of Pandita, many elected panchayat members are mulling resignation. And why wouldn’t they?

Article 370 was removed. Great. The menace of Islamism to be eradicated from the valley, however, requires more than a Parliamentary legislation and boots on the ground. It requires a comprehensive strategy and an impeccable execution of the same, which India currently does not seem to have, nor do we seem interested to demand the same.

At some point, we must look inwards too. Is Pakistan sending in terrorists across the LoC into the valley? Absolutely. Are they the only terrorists in the valley? We’d be fools to fall for such narratives. Supposing we are able to cause a complete stoppage of terrorists sneaking into India from Pakistan, will terrorism in Kashmir vanish thereafter? No.

And it is for that scenario that we need a plan. How will Islamism and subsequent terror be eradicated from the valley? The prospects of us even inching closer to accept such a reality look grim. Had the government and administration be in the hold of strategic game plan viz., Kashmir, the least which would have been done would be the provision of security to local Panchayats and their heads. Ajay Pandita perhaps, would have been alive. A country which provides for the security of Hurriyat members and conniving politicians of the valley, but refuses to do the same for Sarpanchs, is a country which is bound to be rendered unsuccessful in the larger fight against Islamism, if we want to truly fight it at all, that is.