Eom Gadrus Killing Hits Counter-Insurgency Efforts In J & K

Official efforts to finish off the residual militancy, by strengthening the counter-insurgency apparatus, received its most serious setback when pro-Pak militants gunned down Yusuf Gadru, probably the first surrendered militant in the Valley. He was killed alongwith three of his armed guards at Kujjar in Ganderbal area, on Monday because of his participation in eliminating secessionists. The killing sent shock waves through the ranks of pro-government militants, especially since Gadru was gunned down in his own village, a stronghold where apparently he held sway.

While Kuka Parray largely remained a show piece in the counter-insurgency scenario, it has been men like Gadru and Mama Saidpuri who mattered mostly on ground. After Kuka Parray got himself a berth in the state Assembly by winning the elections from his home constituency of Sonawari, the task of fighting secessionists in north Kashmir reverted mainly to Yusuf Gadru and Mama Saidpuri. This automatically put Gadru on top of the secessionist hit list. By successfully accomplishing the task there is obviously a current of triumph and jubilation among the pro-Pak militant groups.

 

Enmity to Gadru had transgressed party loyalties among secessionists in north Kashmir as he was seen as the most potential threat to all of them. While locally it is believed that every pro-Pak group had deputed assassins to eliminate Yusuf Gadru, the killing has been carried by Pro-Pak Hizbul Mujahideen in tandem with foreign accomplices.

Army units deployed in the area have launched an all out man hunt to trace Gadrus killers and the pro-government militants are being assured that the killers would be nabbed at all cost.

The killing of their ideologue and front-runner has demoralised the friendlies, as they are called in the parlance of the deployed forces.

The most striking feature of this gruesome killing has been that it stands to negate the official claims that the pro-Pak militants groups are on the run. In contrast, it appears logical to presume that while avoiding direct contact with the Rashtriya Rifles and the Border Security Force (BSF) deployed in the areas, the secessionists are gaining a psychological advantage over counter-insurgents by executing hit lists at regular periodicity with lethal accuracy.

The inability of the administration to either protect the surrendered militants or to give them gainful employment, while the secessionists are slyly targeting them is acting as a damper on their capacity to fight insurgency, which is definitely down, but by no means out.