Security Failures on Multiple Fronts

The killing of over forty CRPF men in an attack near Lethpora Pulwama on Srinagar-Jammu highway and the attacks on Kashmiris in Jammu winter capital including the employees putting up in government owned residential quarters shows the failures of the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir state. Had the sufficient security contingents been deployed in advance as per routine practice before the movement of the CRPF convoy on Kashmir highway, the deadly attack first of its own kind won’t have killed more than 45 CRPF men and had the curfew been imposed on Friday this week in Jammu city the way it is imposed in parts of Srinagar city and other districts of Kashmir valley, the attacks on Kashmiris including the government employees putting up in estates department owned residential quarters in Jammu city won’t have led to torching of vehicles and ransacking of Kashmiri hotels in muslim dominated pockets like Gujarnagar area. Unfortunately the curfew in Jammu city was not imposed as strictly as it is imposed in parts of Srinagar city and Kashmir valley and consequently, the violent mobs got a field day on Friday to ransack Kashmiri hotels in muslim dominated pockets like Gujarnagar area and attack government employees in estates department owned residential quarters in different parts of the winter capital.
Though curfew was strictly imposed on valley pattern in parts of Jammu city on Saturday the second day after the lethpora attack but same created an impression among the minds of scared Kashmiris in Jammu that law enforcing authorities did so to prevent Kashmiris from protesting against the Friday attacks. What ever may be responses of law enforcing authorities to the situations in Kashmir and Jammu but Kashmiris present in Jammu including the Kashmiri state government employees are feeling insecure. Rajnath Singh saying that public transport would be suspended during the movement of army and paramilitary convoys on highway is just the endorsement of a past practice and abandoning this past practice deserves explanations from the authorities tasked the job of the security of the army and paramilitary convoys. No other option excepting suspension of public transport during the movement of Army and paramilitary convoys can be exercised to ensure the safe and secure journeys of army and paramilitary convoys to their destinations. While the central government has taken care of its own area of concern on the security matters, the governor’s administration has failed to take care of the security of its own government employees in Jammu and people of Kashmir putting up in hotels and residential houses in winter capital for short stays.