How Indian Army is Winning Kashmir by Amity: A Student’s Perspective

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Kashmir”? Rich culture, serene sceneries, delicious cuisines, and many more things but the one thing that influences its general perception the most, is its decades-old insurgency. But, like all things, this too has begun to change. As the security forces double down on the disturbing elements, the new Kashmir is brimming with investments, young boys and girls going to schools and civil agencies carrying out development without fear. The UT received 2.5 billion USD in investments in the year 2021 alone. Both national and international giants are looking to invest in the UT notable of which are, Dubai’s Emaar group which will be developing a giant mall in about 5 lakh sq ft of land in Srinagar, and Lulu group which will be investing about Rupees 200 Crore for a Food Park in the UT along with many others.

The terror presence in the valley is also dwindling with less than 200 militants operating in the valley for the first time in 30 years and the recruitment in various groups, declining by 48% in 2020 showing growing disaffection of common Kashmiris with the terrorists. All this, however, was not possible without strenuous efforts of the Indian Army to ensure the safety and upliftment of the people. Apart from CI/CT ops, the Army also initiated civil-military interaction events, community development, and social welfare activities.

Operation Sadbhavana:
The ’90s are considered to be the most violent decade in the history of Kashmir. These were the years when there were frequent confrontations between the security forces and various militant groups operating in the valley, attacks on minorities and non-Kashmiris, and mass exodus. Amidst this mess, the Indian Army launched Operation Sadbhavana (Goodwill) in 1998 to help the common Kashmiris, suffering for decades due to terrorism.

The Army committed an initial budget of Rupees 4 Crore but has spent more than Rupees 550 Crore to date in various development and social welfare activities including encouraging sports, infrastructure development, women empowerment, etc. All the projects are handed over to the civilian government after completion.

Under the operation, there are mainly five areas of focus namely education, health & sanitation, infrastructure development, women and youth empowerment, and community development project.

As per official data, the Indian Army has opened 46 Army Goodwill Schools since the launch of Op Sadbhavana in which more than 14,000 children are enrolled currently with approx a lakh having already completed primary education in the last 15 years, carried out renovation and infra development in about 1900 government-run schools and sponsored the education of more than 800 students both within and out of the former state. It also set up shepherd schools to cater to the educational needs of Gujjar/Bakarwals nomads. Apart from that, the Army tied up with the NGO, CSRL in 2013 to open Army Super-40 to prepare students for the IIT JEE exam nine of which qualified JEE advanced in 2016-17.

Decades of militancy had not only devastated existing infra but frequent attacks also blocked government agencies to work freely until the Army stepped in. It completed a slew of infra projects including roads, bridges, and water supply augmentation projects. Apart from that the Army organized medical camps throughout the valley and established a military hospital in Kargil, providing free healthcare, medicines and spreading awareness about STDs and family planning. Approximately 149 veterinary camps had also been organized to treat animals. Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) and Youth Guidance Employment Nodes (YGENs) have been established for the empowerment of youth and women.

The Army also conducts various sports events with the local bodies like the Kashmir Premier League, Kupwara Football League, etc to encourage sports among the youth.

Armed Forces in HADR:
The Army also launched numerous Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) ops to assist citizens in distress in times of natural disasters. For instance, when floods were caused due to intense rains in August and September in 2014 in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army launched Operation Megh Rahat, under which nearly 30,000 troops were deployed and more than 2 lakh people were rescued by the Northern Command. The Army also donated Rupees 100 Crore to the Prime Minister Relief Fund on the occasion of Army Day on 15th January 2015.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Army played a vital role in assisting the civilians by distributing food packets, masks, and PPE kits in Anantnag, Akhnoor, Baramulla, Kulgam, Kupwara, and Srinagar, besides also donating blood in civil hospitals, spreading awareness and setting up quarantine centers. During the second wave, armed forces launched Operation Co-JEET to strengthen the supply of medical oxygen, set up beds, and ensure the mental well-being of the patients.

Such consistent efforts have significantly enhanced friendly relations between the people and the Army, strengthened the Indian Army’s stand of being a people’s Army, and has successfully blunted the Anti-India campaign perpetrated by Pakistan.