In January 2016, terrorists had attacked the Pathankot air base and killed 7 military personnel. In September, 2016, 4 terrorists attacked Indian army's brigade headquarters in Uri, J&K, killing 19 soldiers.
The attack in Sukma came at a time when CRPF has been functioning without a regular chief for nearly two months. Former CRPF DG Dilip Trivedi gave an
interview where he said that jawans must be given more bullet-proof jackets and protective head gear. This lack of equipment highlights the lack of seriousness in national security matters.
With Kashmir on the boil once again, questions have been raised about the performance of the Narendra Modi government in matters of national security.
To test the public's mood, Business Standard did a poll on social media where it asked how people rated Modi government's performance on national security front. The results of this poll may not be the final word but indicate the general public perception of the Modi government's record when it comes to safety and security.
50% of the 1192 respondents said they thought the Modi government performed badly. 24% said the performance was average while the remaining 26% said it was good.