JAMMU: Doda seems to be going the Kashmir way. This is the view of some observers who have watched the growth of militancy in the Valley. The Government is hatching plans to decimate the Muslim population in order to keep control of the growing alienation of the majority population, The BJP.and the Hindu administration have already made up a case against the Muslims by a well planned disinformation campaign showing increased militant activity. The ground work has been carefully laid out for the induction of the security forces cnmasse to suppress the Muslims and force them to flee to the valley or into Pakistan.
‘The process in the district is the same as that in the Valley. The number of militants operating in the district as officially stated 300. The BJP, say there are as many as 1,500 militants in the area.
Doda district has 62% Muslims and 38% Hindus and others. The militants are said to making fundamentalist appeals to persuade the youth to join them.
The militants are under attack since last July, when a sub inspector and a CRPF head constable were killed and five wounded, this was followed by a number of incidents, On Independence day Muslims in Doda town were attacked, a superintendent of police was sinuously wounded and two CRPF men killed. While 10. Muslim youth were killed and many injured in the firing.
After incidents the authorities deployed more BSF troops in the area, but it is generally held that these measures are not enough. The strategy to cut off the supply line of the militants, who the police say arc hiding in the forests in the hills, has yet to show results.
However, the militants have stepped up their activities this year. Attacks on police stations and posts and Army camps, looting of arms, ambushing of paramilitary patrols and burning of public buildings have become a regular feature in the area. The number of killing, kidnapping and looting cases has also gone up. The militants also burned down the microwave station at Bankoto near Banihal and snapped the Valley’s links with the rest of the country.
The hilly and forest terrain of the Doda district makes itcasy for the: militants to hide and escape Moreover, the militants can sneak in and out of Doda through passes connecting Anantnag district in the Valley. They can also escape to the adjoining Udhampur district through two other routes and to Chamba in Himachal Pradesh through the Sarthal forest.
The BSF has posted men at six remote police posts to prevent their escape, The Jammu region police chief says the BSF “on most occasions” acts independently on the basis of its own intelligence.
There is a strong likelihood that the district be declared disturbed and handed over to the Army. On May 7, the Union home minister, S.B.Chavan, told the Lok Sabha that the government was considering to setup a cantonment in the district. Weapons would be supplied to the Hindus assisting the security forces, Chavan added.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 28, 1993
