Opinion

Mountain terrorism and the Holy Amarnath Yatra

If targeting pilgrims is the hobby of terrorists, then microwaving these terrorists should be our pleasure!

July 5, 2024

Amarnath pilgrims: Frequent targets for terrorists in J&K

Shri Amarnath Yatra commences on the auspicious day of Skand-Shashti as per the Hindu Calendar and concludes on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan). The holy shrine of Amarnath Ji, or Amarnath Temple, is located at an elevation of 3,888 meters approx., about 29 kilometres from Pahalgam. Devotees perform the Yatra in large numbers from June to August, and the pilgrimage tour is famously known as Amarnath Yatra, which begins from Chandanwari. It is considered to be one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, or the holiest shrines in Hinduism. The 52-day Yatra in 2024 formally began on June 29 and will conclude on August 19.

For decades, Amarnath pilgrims have frequently remained soft targets for terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir. This year on 9th June 2024, a bus carrying pilgrims to the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi temple was attacked by terrorists in the Reasi District, causing the death of 10 people and injuring 33 after the vehicle fell into a deep gorge.

Reasi is one of the oldest towns in the Jammu and Kashmir State. It was the seat of the erstwhile Bhimgarh State, established by Raja Bhim Dev during the 8th century. It remained an independent principality till 1822, when Raja Gulab Singh who was the Raja of Jammu, under the Sikh empire, amalgamated the small states.

The horrific terror attack on Sunday evening of June 09, 2024, unfolded around 6:10 pm when terrorists ambushed a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori shrine to Katra. The attack caused the driver to lose control, and the bus plunged into a gorge in the Pouni area of Reasi district, which borders Rajouri district.

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, strongly condemned the cowardly terror attack and assured action against those responsible. “Our security forces and JKP have launched a joint operation to hunt down the terrorists,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Kashmir still continues to be one of the world’s most dangerous geographical spaces. The problem as noted novelist Fredrick Forsyth says, is because “We are in a defence posture against these terrorists, and when we find them we have a right to defend ourselves from them killing us.”

All roads going to Hindu pilgrimage centres, have become ‘Terror-roads’, innocent pilgrims are eliminated, by terrorists, whose minds are soaked in the brine of fundamentalist beliefs and radical ideologies. Pilgrimages, within our own country, are targeted, by terrorists, who live in a remote antediluvian, polarized universe. Pilgrims live in constant fear of terror attacks. The questions uppermost in their minds are about the next attack – What, when, and where?

Keeping track of the complex networks of terrorists in the Valley, are the Army, Police, and an array of Intelligence agencies. What is it that is lacking? Kashmir as well as states like Bengal and Kerala, need a dedicated espionage bureaucracy, that will constantly scan communications and technical information. Can we not set up a Bharat Anti-Terror Operations Command (BA-TOC)? We need to invest in sophisticated aerial assets like the Lockheed AC-130 gunship, which is a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground-attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems. India has already invested in the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft; hence this platform needs to be expanded.

Technology should be the new Frankenstein haunting the coward terrorists, hiding in forests and mountain slopes, and killing innocent pilgrims. China and America have made great strides in developing High Power Microwave weapons, Neurological Microwave Weapons, Directed Energy Weapons, and Sonic and Ultrasonic weapons. India is also said to be engaged in research into these kinds of weapons, which could totally neutralize any adversary, hiding in the mountains or underground. These weapons will be the Trishul of Lord Shiva, that will exterminate these pilgrim killers.

The government also needs to explore more aggressive measures. It does not make any sense to send defenceless pilgrims, on long mountain treks, or in buses, only to be interdicted by heavily armed terrorists. No doubt, there is heavy security deployed throughout the pilgrimage route, but if anti-terror forces are also deployed in the guise of pilgrims, the retaliation can be instantaneous, and there would be no question of terrorists escaping into the dense forest.

Already, there is much speculation that China used “microwave weapons” in Ladakh. The Indian Ministry of Defence in its year-end review 2020 has mentioned the use of “unorthodox weapons” by the People’s Liberation Army along the LAC, where the two militaries were locked in a standoff. The EurAsian Times reported comments made by Jin Canrong, Deputy Dean of the School of International Relations at the Renmin University of China, that had created a huge controversy in November 2020. He had claimed on a TV program that PLA soldiers had used directed energy weapons (laser weapons) against Indian soldiers during the skirmishes at the Ladakh border. He had said the Chinese military “made innovative use of high-power microwave weapons” to attack Indian soldiers in control of the higher positions at Pangong Tso. Indian soldiers had captured the strategically important heights in the Chushul sector, which provided a view to the Spanggur Gap and the Chinese garrison at Moldo. The professor said China recaptured the heights after turning the hilltops into a “microwave oven”. He said 15 minutes after the weapons were deployed, those occupying the hilltops all began to vomit. However, the Indian Army has termed these claims as baseless and fake news, but there is an admission that “unconventional weapons” were used.

Be that as it may, these weapons are being experimented upon by many nations, India should also develop this capability, which will be most effective against terrorists in Kashmir. If targeting pilgrims is the hobby of terrorists, then microwaving these terrorists should be our pleasure.

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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