New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) : Pakistan-based terror outfits have shifted their focus to exploiting local socio-political grievances in Jammu and Kashmir to incite public agitation and recruit youth after narratives surrounding the abrogation of Article 370 lost momentum, security agencies have warned.
A recent intelligence assessment has pointed to terror outfits exploiting socio-political issues in Jammu and Kashmir to further their activities and influence.
Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Pakistan-based terror groups extensively sought to exploit the issue. However, with the campaign losing traction, the outfits are now turning their attention to other socio-political issues in the region.
The granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the linguistic Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir has, in recent times, been used as a recruitment tool by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) handlers based in Pakistan.
The move has reportedly caused resentment among the Gujjar and Bakerwal nomadic communities, which have enjoyed ST status since 1991.
“The issue has led to significant social polarisation, with protests and street agitations being held in several areas. However, there has not been large-scale communal or physical violence regarding this issue,” an official said.
Recent intelligence reports indicate that the issue has emerged as a major point of contention in the Pir Panjal region, with the Lashkar allegedly exploiting it to recruit cadres and incite violence in the area.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that the primary intention is not recruitment or radicalisation. “At first, the handlers are reaching out to people of the region through private chats and also on social media. Some of the communications openly advocate for widespread violence,” the official said.
While this may be the first step, the next objective is to spread the violence across the Kashmir Valley. Security agencies are expected to take action, which could in turn lead to further grievances among those affected by the measures.
“These persons are the potential recruits for terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba,” the IB official said.
The granting of the ST status to the linguistic Pahari community is not the only issue that the terror handlers are trying to exploit. Their focus remains more on the Kashmir Valley rather than the Jammu region.
“The handlers are trying to create a major divide between the people of the region. False narratives are being spread about how Jammu remains preferred over Kashmir,” the official said.
Another official said that a perception is being created that more preference is being given to the Jammu region, while those in the Kashmir Valley are deliberately being sidelined.
There are some sticking points, no doubt, but terror handlers are amplifying them into a major problem with the hope that the youth take to the streets and indulge in acts of violence, the official added.
Intelligence officials say that the issue that these terror groups exploit the most is the one relating to migrants, adding that this is an issue that has very often caused friction, with the migrants being accused of taking away the jobs of the locals.
“Terror groups take advantage of this and have escalated the issue further,” the officials said.
Groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar, through their proxies, have even circulated hit lists comprising the names of the migrants workers in Jammu and Kashmir. Migrants have also been killed on several occasions by operatives of these terror groups.
The exploitation of socio-political issues poses a major challenge to the security of Jammu and Kashmir. Relentless efforts by the government of India and the security agencies have managed to keep J&K quiet.
The elimination of separatism in the Valley contributed largely to the restoration of peace. However, if terror groups continue to exploit socio-political issues and the same gains traction among the people, then there is every chance that the law and order situation would become chaotic, an official said.
