Context: In a recent address, the Lieutenant Governor of UT Jammu & Kashmir emphasised the need for a multi-pronged Counter Terrorism Strategy in the region which is focused on Intelligence, Community engagement, Technology, and Inter-Agency collaboration.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Strategy to Counter Terrorism in J&K.
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) continues to face a complex security environment, where terrorism is not just a law-and-order problem but also deeply linked to local alienation, external interference, and governance deficits. Hence, a multi-pronged strategy is required.
Multi-Pronged Strategy to Counter Terrorism
- Intelligence-based operations.
- Community engagement to build trust and gather information.
- Use of modern technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) for threat prediction and surveillance.
- Strong inter-agency collaboration between police, armed forces, and central police forces.
- Reviving beat policing, which relies on local police officers patrolling and connecting with the community.
Role of State Police in Fighting Terrorism:
The primacy of the local or State police as the fulcrum of counter-terror operations is a well established fact -
- Local police understand the terrain, demography, language, and culture better than any outside force.
- Connect with the local population facilitates high-grade intelligence of terrorists who operate amidst the population.
- The Pahalgam terror attack (April 2025) highlighted a critical gap in human intelligence (HUMINT). Strengthening local police could help prevent such lapses in the future.
Role of Technology in Fighting Terrorism:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI), predictive analytics, and real-time data processing help to detect, track, and counter emerging threats.
- Balance between Techint (Technical Intelligence) and HUMINT is essential for a responsive and layered security apparatus.
Role of Inter-Agency Collaboration in Counter-Terrorism:
- Jammu & Kashmir Police, the Indian Army, and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) must operate as a cohesive unit to eliminate terrorism and dismantle its support system.
- Joint efforts between Police and Central Agencies are vital to intensify targeted strikes on Overground Workers (OGWs) and disrupt networks providing logistical and financial support to terrorists.
- Inter-agency cooperation facilitates the pooling of resources, expertise, and jurisdictional powers, making the counter-terror response more agile, adaptive, and comprehensive.
Community Engagement and Participatory Governance
Presently, elected MLAs, sarpanches, and local representatives have been kept out of the security matrix. Jammu and Kashmir Police (JAKP) is kept outside the command of the locally elected government. Excluding elected representatives and local control over J&K Police weakens democratic accountability and hampers community trust in counter-terror efforts.
The local population feel more comfortable to share information with their sarpanch or their MLA than with someone from a central agency.
- Restoring the control of the JAKP under the elected government will facilitate better accountability and responsiveness to community needs, ensuring that policing strategies align with the local population’s concerns and aspirations.
- Elected officials can play a vital role in bridging the gap between the police and the community, fostering trust and cooperation essential for effective law enforcement and counter terrorism.
- Policy makers need to encourage structured dialogue between police forces and local leaders to collaborate and address community concerns, gather information on terror-related activities and enhance public safety initiatives.
A one-size-fits-all approach would not work in J&K, India needs a multi-pronged counter-terrorism strategy rooted in intelligence, trust, governance, and technology. A key step is to empower the local institutions and adapt to regional realities to win both the war and the people's trust.
Also Read: India needs National Security Doctrine