Violence in J&K linked to panchayat polls, feels Centre

The fresh spurt of terror in Jammu and Kashmir, including that in the Sunjwan army camp attack, were carried out to thwart the holding of the panchayat elections in the state, top security officials say.

These elections, which are pending since mid-2016, are opposed by the militants and their backers in Pakistan.

The successful conduct of the polls may isolate the separatists, say the highly placed officials after an assessment of the situation.

Significantly, these polls have been opposed by Kashmir-based parties also on the ground that the situation is not conducive for them.

Last Sunday, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti chaired an all-party meeting in Jammu, which saw a full-throat demand for the postponement of the elections.

According to the officials, ever since the Mehbooba government announced the panchayat elections, Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo started circulating a video in which he threatens to pour acid into the eyes of those who contest the elections.

The term of the previous panchayats ended in July 2016 around the time a massive unrest followed the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani.

The Centre and the Mehbooba government believes that holding the local polls would reinforce "grassroot democracy" and help in the restoration of the political process in the troubled state.

They felt the elections would attract widespread participation and replicate what had happened in 2011, which had followed the killing of 120 people in 2010.

That year's polling had seen a 80% voter turn-up for polling, breaking all records.

Even though the MLAs are too irked about losing their importance, the newly-elected panchayats could get busy with getting money for developmental tasks.

The army's "pro-active" strategy in the aftermath of the 2016 Uri terror attack had also helped in the containment of any big incursions along the Line of Control (LoC) in the state.

So the local elections were thought of as a step forward for re-starting the political process.

But what changed the scenario was the milder winter this season.

A lesser snowfall helped the easier movement of terrorists in the hinterland and from across LoC.

Saturday's attack in Jammu's Sunjwan was the third such incident in the last one month.

Prior to that, terrorists had managed to free one of their associates after attacking the accompanying police party in a Srinagar hospital and there was an attempt to storm a Rashtriya Rifles camp in Kakpora.

This, along with threats from Pakistan-based militant groups against anyone participating in the polls, appears to have heightened tension in the Valley.

These threats have come in the background of an increase in the number of local youths joining militancy.

"Postponing elections doesn't improve situations," said a top official who acknowledged that the chief minister is under tremendous pressure to call them off.