Forty four CRPF jawans who died on Thursday at Pulwama in Kashmir are the latest victims of long-unresolved Kashmir issue. Even after seven decades, those ruling the country have not been able to bring about a political solution to the Kashmir issue. It is the need of Pakistan to keep Kashmir issue boiling.

Pakistan has ensured its existence all these years through its anti-India stand in relation to Kashmir. Cricket icon Imran Khan’s rise as the Pak Prime Minister was viewed with much expectation by India. But within a short span of time, it became clear that Imran also wanted to follow his predecessors’ anti-India stand in the name of Kashmir. Pakistan’s invisible hand can be seen in any small or big attack in Kashmir.

The attack in Kashmir on Thursday was the biggest one over the past two decades. Terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Muhammed has owned up the attack that was precisely planned without any flaw.

Forty four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and many others injured when terrorists targeted a convoy with a car bomb at Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, in what is the worst attack ever on security personnel in the state. Reports suggested that the vehicle used by the terrorists was a Mahindra Scorpio carrying more than 350 kg of explosives.

Home Ministry sources said that terrorists triggered the car bomb while 78 vehicles with 2547 CRPF men were on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. The stretch on which the incident occurred had been sanitized earlier in the morning, and authorities have termed it as a "serious breach" of security. The convoy comprised CRPF men, who had completed their training in Jammu and were ready to be deployed in various centres in Srinagar.

Photographs showed charred remains of vehicles and human body parts littered across the highway, alongside blue military buses. Official sources said that the attack was carried out by one Adil Ahmad Dar alias "Waqas Commando". A resident of Kakapora, he had joined the terror outfit last year after dropping out of tenth standard.

What is shocking is the question how the terrorists were able to drive explosive-laden vehicle into JK highway, which is under strict vigilance of the army and which witnesses frequent patrolling by army men. This shows serious lapse in security in the area. An attack on school, leaving about ten students injured two days ago was a premonition of an imminent tragedy.
Military convoys have always been a target of terrorists. All security officers are aware of this. Still, taking more than 2500 army men together through this terror-prone area shows serious lapse that needs to be pointed out. This is something that has to be discussed at top military level.

The whole nation is mourning the deaths of CRPF men who have sacrificed their life for the country. The prime minister has also sounded intention for retaliation. In such situations, people should come forward to react against terrorism irrespective of their political leanings. This is not the time for blame game.

But political leaderships will have to find an answer to the question that how long the Kashmir issue will continue like an untreatable wound in nation’s heart. Is it enough if we condole the deaths of soldiers? Their families are usually given lakhs of rupees as compensation. But it will never be a compensation for the lives lost. It is the responsibility of State-Central government to restore peace in Kashmir.

Among the army men killed in the attack, there was a Keralite identified as V V Vasantha Kumar. He was the son of late Vasudevan near veterinary college at Kunnathidavaka Village at Vythiri in Wayanad. He was the 82nd battalion member of CRPF. He had 18 years of service and had only two more years to retire. He came home for leave on February 2nd and returned for duty on the 9th. He leaves behind his wife and two children. He lost his father when he was very young. Vasasnth Kumar and family deserves all respect of the State and countrymen for his martyrdom.

Kashmir is now under governor’s rule. Earlier though it was BJP-PDP coalition government, the number of terror attacks at that time was also not less and it even kept increasing with the involvement of locals as well.

JK Governor Satya Pal Malik’s statement that Intelligence wing was unaware of the attack points fingers at security flaws. It is a challenging task to eliminate terrorists’ hideouts and presence in Kashmir. For that, what is first needed is local people’s corporation. Those who are reluctant to be part of Indian Union nationalism should be persuaded to be part of it. Until then, there will not be peace in Kashmir. In order to achieve this, what is needed is a political solution acceptable to all. National leaderships should work together in this direction, setting aside their political differences. All parties should take special care to ensure that Kashmir issue is not used as a tool for their political gains.