Kashmir's new wave of attacks puts Indian government in tough spot
Recent terrorist activity in Kashmir raises questions about regional stability after five years of relative peace A mix of political changes troop movements and local issues create perfect storm for violence
Earlier this month a devastating grenade blast at a Srinagar flea-market hurt eleven people with one victim passing away later (its worth noting that this happened just weeks after a new local government started work)
The situation in Jammu - the Hindu-majority area shows troubling numbers: forty-four people lost their lives to terror acts this year including security forces. This marks a big change from the last few years when things were more-or-less quiet even after big political changes in 2019
Three main reasons might explain whats happening in the region:
- Pakistanʼs push to make trouble for new leader Omar Abdullah
- Local people feeling left-out after losing special rights
- Less soldiers in Kashmir because many moved to watch China border
The whole thing started when Narendra Modi and his party changed Kashmirʼs special status about 5 years ago; Pakistan didnt like it but couldnt do much. Now with a new government in place they might be trying to cause problems again
Life isnt easy for regular people in Kashmir: jobs are hard to find young folks dont see much hope and last years court decision about the regions status made many Muslims worried about their future. The new government has a lot to fix but its powers are limited - they cant even control the police
The sense of alienation from the Indian state had deepened since 2019
The national government seems stuck using old solutions: sending more troops doing more searches. But without fixing the real problems that make people unhappy militant groups will keep finding support
