The terrorist attack in Uri which killed 18 Indian soldiers has generated fears about a resumption of hostilities across the border and added new dimensions to security concerns and political and diplomatic initiatives.
THE terrorist attack at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 17 in which 18 Indian Army jawans were killed has sent shock waves through the country. The repercussions of the attack at the regional, national and international levels have added a new dimension in terms of security concerns, political discourse and diplomatic initiatives. The attack and the loss of soldiers’ lives have caused social anguish and anger. The perception that the heavily armed terrorists had infiltrated the Indian side from Pakistan after being trained in the neighbouring country has aggravated the anti-Pakistan sentiment. At the same time, the situation has also helped unravel, rather forcefully, the huge gap between mindless and jingoistic political rhetoric and realistic administrative and governance possibilities. At the level of international diplomacy, the repercussions have signalled the emergence of new and nuanced measures not only by India and Pakistan, the two countries directly affected by the attack and its fallout, but also by other major international players, including the United States and China.
Reports from Uri suggest that the local population has slipped back into fervent security anxieties reminiscent of the situation that existed in the region in the late 1990s. The region witnessed a number of attacks and counter-attacks involving alleged terrorist infiltrators from Pakistan and the Indian security forces in the days following the September 17 attack. The cumulative effect of this on the residents of Uri is one that has heightened their fear and anxiety.
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