The killing provoked a hurdle not only in Jammu province but also in Kashmir and all groups, irrespective of their political affiliation, condemned the incident with one voice. It is no more a matter of satisfaction for anyone as the cause for which militants were fighting in the past has been taken up by others who are equally opposed to attacks on any section of the Valley and would like to provide a healing touch for the majority as well as the minority community. It is in this spirit that Mehbooba Mufti went to parts of Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai when some Kashmiri students were subjected to harassment by the police. The protection of a few thousand Kashmiri Pandits who remain in the Valley after a major section of them have migrated should be a matter of honour and commitment for the new government as otherwise its secular credentials will come under scrutiny.

The major problem is not that militants chose to attack the minority living in a far-flung village, but the fact that the attack became possible only because the policemen posted in the area chose to be silent spectators instead of doing their duty. According to reports, the militants were able to neutralise the policemen without firing a single bullet either through bribery or through persuasion. In either case, it raises important questions about the ability of the government to govern or provide security for the people. If those who are posted to guard become mute spectators, the battle will be lost even before it has begun.

When the new government took office, it decided to disband the Special Operations Group of the State police which had been set up to deal with militants. The group had acquired a bad reputation for alleged excesses committed by it while dealing with suspected militants. But the State Government while disbanding this outfit did not create an alternative formation to deal with militancy as it wanted to leave the matter to the State police. The ability of the police to do this job has become doubtful after this incident and the State Government will have to do more to restore the confidence of the common people in the ability and commitment of the State police to fight militants.

The need for creating a special force arose in the first place because there were doubts about the ability of the State police to do the job. These doubts had arisen in the wake of a virtual revolt by the State police. In the present case, the credentials of the police have become even more suspect as it had failed to perform its duty and thus violated its oath of office. Mere suspension will not meet the ends of justice, as the government has to ensure that the police acts and works as an instrument of the State under its orders. It is high time that a thorough scrutiny is undertaken to weed out suspected elements and also check their resolve to fight the militants. In this context, the Centre will also have to play its role. The Union Home Ministry which virtually gave a free hand to the previous State government headed by Dr. Farooq Abdullah has been watching the actions of the present regime like a hawk. It must move forward and extend its help and hand of friendship to the State government as the problem of Jammu and Kashmir is a national one and cannot be tackled by any State government on its own. More so, the task of checking infiltration from across the border is the job of the Union Government and unless they are able to do it, the State will be rocked by many more incidents like the one earlier this month.

There is also need to differentiate between the healing touch adopted by the State Government by releasing those persons against whom no cases had been made out after a long period of detention and dealing with hard-core militants. Such a policy is an essential tool of any anti-insurgency policy and the Government of India can be no exception. Jammu and Kashmir has remained a complex problem and there can be no easy solutions. More so, as the Pakistan government has been encouraged to fish again in troubled waters, thanks to the pre-occupation of the world powers with Iraq. Under the circumstances, India has no option but to deal with it with its own resources and skills as very little help can be expected from the world powers.