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The wages they pay...

Just when I was beginning to believe that joru ka bhai ik taraf, aur saari khudai ik taraf, Gen VP Malik -- who, along with the other two service chiefs, had studiedly been kept out of the CMG -- admitted that he did not favour the release of terrorists "caught after hard efforts." I felt relieved. The way things have moved, I wouldn't have been surprised had the COAS declared a general amnesty for all our honoured guests (some provided with radios and cell phones) in Kote Bhalwal and Tihar jails. The Chief's admission came three days after his men killed the three mehmaan mujahideen who had attacked the HQ of 1 Sector Rashtriya Rifles at Khanabal. In the 12-hour operation, two RR soldiers, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police man and a BSF jawan were injured, and a major and a 10-year-old girl were killed. The same militants had also ambushed a bus near Chhatarbal, killing two soldiers and injuring nine others.

In case you're wondering why I'm still flogging the dead horse of the terrorists' release (though I know you've long ago given up questioning my kinks), here's the answer: It is very important to me to keep the issue alive. For governments *must* be punished when their pusillanimity imperils the State. More so since we know that cassettes containing the BJP-led-government-released Masood Azhar's recent exhortations to Jehad against India are being distributed by ISI agents in every part of the country.

Four reports have increased my antipathy:

* Released hostage Shirley Macklin (a Canadian): "Since I've been off the plane, my feeling is that Indian people, what I know of them, are so sweet and loving to one another. I don't think they can believe anyone can actually be that evil."

* Julie Mangan, who had begged Masood to help her find the corpses of her husband Keith and five other hostages kidnapped and murdered by Al-Faran in 1995: "He is a cold, callous man. I can't believe he has been released. When Keith was taken, the same Indian authorities claimed they never gave in to hostage demands. Yet that is exactly what they have done now. It's scandalous."

* Rahul Bedi, who regularly contributes to Jane's: "'I am fighting the politicians, the system, other security organisations and lastly the militants,' said one security officer. Official statistics amply bear out this inefficacy. From 1997, when nearly 6 militants were being killed in encounters for every security forces personnel who died in counter-insurgency operations, the ratio dropped to around 4 militants in 1998, plummeting further to around 2 militants last year. 295 security force personnel died in counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir last year, the maximum since the insurgency erupted in 1989. 'The best years in battling Kashmir's insurgency seem to have been when weak coalitions were in office in Delhi,' a security official said."

* Defence analyst Sreedhar: "When the Indian negotiating team landed in Kandahar to negotiate with hijackers, they took a tough stand on the whole issue and exposed the hijackers' hollowness. After four days of intense talks, the Indian team wanted to call the hijackers' bluff. In fact at one point of time, the negotiating team even announced that the talks had broken down. Suddenly, however, the political leadership took the inexplicable decision on day 7 to release the three terrorists in exchange for the release of the passengers, crew and plane."

Now hear what the security grapevine has been screaming over the last week: Rs 400 crores was the hush-hush part of the hostage deal... Which is only money and doesn't quite bother me -- in light of what follows: The buzz about "dry runs" having been conducted by Islamic militants in Bombay, in preparation of a major disruption operation poised for January 26, 27 and 28...

As they say, Situation Normal All F***** Up. For, following is the current priority of our "nationalist" government: The setting up of "mega museums," to be called Bharat Darshan and spread over 600 to 1,000 acres, showcasing India's history and cultural heritage to commemorate 50 years of the Republic. The multi-crore project has just been cleared by Mahatma Vajpayee. All because "Today, the challenge before us is the preservation of this cultural heritage which is threatened by the ravages of time and by external cultural influences."

What Republic, and for how much longer...? THIS is the "challenge" before the government while the security of India is at peril?! And lest you think it's a single aberration, behold: The second major project in the offing is the plan to set up a maritime museum at Dwarka to promote it as a tourist destination...

While my countrymen, particularly the saffron variety, seem to have sighed 'Karma,' I'm seething with rage at Masood's release. Probably because I spent January 2 with the men of 29 Rashtriya Rifles during a Cordon-Search-Encounter-Civic Action operation near Baramulla. RR is a strange kettle of fish, indeed. For instance, if you look it up on the Net, three-quarters of the results involve allegations of human rights abuse directed by Amnesty, HRW, Al Umma, etc. Which, in my book, instantly imparts to RR a certain glow...

The army's role in the terrorism conflict expanded in 1993 with the introduction of this elite unit created specifically for counter-insurgency operations in J&K. Since 1996, at least 300,000 troops have been deployed in the valley, including those positioned along the LC. Yet, RR is a paramilitary force under the MoD's control, raised to reduce the direct involvement of the army in internal security, but with the training and ethos of the army. Its role includes internal security duties during peace times and rear area security during periods of war. Meaning, RR has only been engaged in the latter duty since its inception...

RR's mission is entirely different from that of a regular corps; integral to its CI chore is the charter to plan and undertake civic and developmental activities, and to fill the breach left by a failed civil administration. If that weren't enough, it has to build an independent intelligence capability, as well. Therefore, the terrorists' release is a direct stab in its back and the men's angry reactions confirmed it: "Look, Taleban and Pakistan together engineered the hijacking. Masood cannot be perceived as just one terrorist. This man has the power to motivate thousands of militants, who could then motivate and recruit hundreds more. Since Musharraf took over, terrorist strikes have doubled. With Masood's release, we've been made easier fodder for militants' guns. Yeh 'proactive' sab kehne ki baatein hain."

When I was driven along miscarriage mile to the 29 RR camp, out of bounds to all except the locals, I was greeted with hostility. What with the Press going at them hammer and tongs, it was entirely forgivable. However, it didn't take one long to shimmy up: I simply started blasting Masood's release. The men seemed starkly different from the soldiers I'd met so far. For starters, most of them sported beards, and those who did, looked decidedly Kashmiri -- doesn't take genius to figure that they must double as undercover operatives. Secondly, a whole bunch wore "patkas," a black head-cloth that made them look fierce. Somehow, all the officers, especially a Maj Bhakar and Maj Tshering, were "ishgaadi" -- a special Bhosle term signifying the kind of man portrayed by Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now: awfully sexy without being conventionally gorgeous. Their fatigues seemed a tad different, and their brimmed hats lent them a cocky air. I was in groupie heaven...

The three companies of 29 RR had spent all of the night of December 31 patrolling and had faced two terrorist ambushes. The entire post had been at "stand-to," ie, alert sentry duty, and had to amuse itself with speculative firing of para-illuminating devices: Pyrotechnics for the new millennium... The acting CO, Lt Col VR Singh, like most of his men, has been serving in this most pacific of all spot (kidding!) since September 1998. He explained that they had received information about a possible militant presence in Paliharan village: "civic action is essential because it is also the means to gain hard intelligence." And what's that? WHAM, of course -- winning hearts and mind of the people.

After jabbering with them over a most excellent chicken pulao, I got the feeling that the men of RR are more cynical about the ground realities in Kashmir, simply because they mingle more with the natives in the trouble areas and so are better informed than those at the LC (I don't want to even mention the deaf and dumb dorks lounging in Delhi). During cordon ops, the officers religiously take photographs -- if proof be needed when civil actions are initiated -- and frequently come across arms caches concealed in sophisticated movable walls and cemented-over wall niches in the remotest of villages. Dukhtaran-e-Millat -- the women's wing of Hizbul -- has become very active recently; its members act as arms couriers for militants by posing as pregnant women in burkhas and who thus can't be frisked by the men.

One feature had stood out like a sore thumb to me: No matter which remote and poverty-struck area I visited, every house was pukka; every village seemed more prosperous, and every villager far healthier than their counterparts in Bihar or Gujarat. And so it was at Paliharan. All the villagers, except ailing persons and pregnant women, had been hustled out into the grounds. While the soldiers searched each house for arms caches, two medics examined complaining villagers and doled out free medicines. I wondered aloud, Why do some soldiers tie that black thing? An ishgaadi piped up, "Oh, commandos started the patka trend and now any jawan with a do-or-die aggressive attitude adopts it." The CO gave him such a killing look that I burst out laughing.

Fortunately, there were no militants there today. When the all-clear was given, the CO addressed the noisy assembly: "Hum aapke raksha ke liye hain. Agar koi bhi baat ho, aap-ko kis cheez ki zaroorat ho, to hum ko bataiye..." and so on. I entered a random house and made my way to its kitchen: Aai shappat, it was as well-equipped as any in a decent-sized town in Maharashtra. The thing that came to my mind was: Bloody pampered scoundrels. And I'd been here less than a week...

Suddenly it was evening and we were on our way back to Baramulla, my vehicle trailing the CO's Jonga. With my new-found vision, I was engrossed in watching the countryside till we entered Terrorism Town. And without warning the Jonga screeched to a halt and I hit the windshield. When I came to, which took at the most 3 seconds, I saw a state transport bus blocking the road sidewise. The RR men were hustling out frightened passengers. One soldier had the driver by the scruff of his neck against the CO's Jonga, his knee poised to kick him the groin. All this WITHIN SECONDS? Over the next 2 minutes, the bus was searched, the wailing driver pleaded his innocence, I was hustled back into the Jeep and we were on our way. I was amazed at the lightning speed! And what Chindu would call the brutality of the soldiers...

I didn't have time to ponder over "brutality" for long. For I reached Srinagar the next morning, exactly when 14 persons were killed and 34 injured, 7 of them critically, when a bomb planted in a cart exploded in the Batmaloo vegetable market. Yeah, our soldiers are called barbarous by one and all: Such are the wages only they pay for trying their best to prevent the results of the stepped up activities of militants... Activities encouraged by the release of bastards like Masood Azhar...

Varsha Bhosle