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THE NATION: KASHMIR

Now Heart Warfare

Even as the Valley gropes for peace, in Ladakh the army finds a way to endear itself to hostile villagers

By Ramesh Vinayak in Leh

Lt-General Arjun Ray, general officer commanding of 14 Corps, on his first trip to Turtuk in June last year, was greeted by two improvised explosive device blasts. Just as terrified villagers were suspecting a violent reaction, Ray unleashed the unexpected-a dose of development. Turtuk was part of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) until 1971 when India sliced it off from Baltistan. Ethnic affinity with people across the Line of Control (LOC), meant that its 2,600-odd Balti-speaking populace has always been under a cloud and the area a flashpoint. It erupted in 1999, when Turtuk at the height of 10,000 ft played a key role in the Kargil war. The intrusion in the sector went undetected for months as the locals did not inform the Indian Army, which is considered "an occupation force". Turtuk residents had not only refused to provide logistical support to the Indian troops, they are believed to have guided Pakistani shelling.

The scene is vastly different today. Turtuk now has all that which villagers in the hinterland cannot dream of. There's a primary school where students learn mathematics on computers. More remarkable is the lot of women. They run a profit-making poultry cooperative, pick up new skills at the vocation training centre (VTC) and continue their education as students enrolled with the National Open School. Half a dozen women, including the wife of a missing militant, are employed in the school. Also available is round-the-clock, high-quality medical care-free of cost. "The place has made a leap of progress by 20 years," says Haji Abdul Qadir as he watches his 10-year-old son Obaidullah sketch mountains on the computer screen. Perceptions are changing among the Turtuk residents who belong to the Al-Hadees sect known to be a recruiting ground for the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Tyakshi poultry cooperative has provided jobs for women

Turtuk is not the only one. Winds of change are blowing along the 284 km-LOC from Turtuk to Batalik, Kargil and Drass, where 190-odd villages are the beneficiaries of the army's novel initiative on border management. Called Operation Sadbhavna (goodwill), it is the brainchild of Ray, commander of the Leh-based corps raised soon after the Kargil war. Launched nine months ago, the operation seeks to "de-alienate" the border populace and forestall militancy spilling over into the Ladakh region.

The army brass and the Union Home Ministry have discerned "a sound military sense" in its implications. "Border development is the best antidote to militancy," says Ray, who characterises the campaign as "a game of heart warfare". It combines the army's reach with Central resources-Rs 2 crore was sanctioned from the Border Areas Development Programme in a place where civil administration is almost defunct. "It's the cheapest way to keep militancy away from Ladakh," explains Ray.

Some of the army's military moves too have strategic nuances. Upgrading the Ladakh Scouts to a regular regiment and raising a new battalion has to some extent corrected the communal imbalance. Muslims, who comprise half of Ladakh's population, were only 4 per cent of the force, reflecting their deep alienation. In the past year, the percentage has been pushed up to 30.

Computer-aided learning is a big draw at Partapur

This, unfortunately, has led to new problems. In Ladakh the Buddhist-Muslim distrust runs deep. The Buddhist leaders are now accusing the army of "pampering" the Muslims. "The army's selective goodwill mission in the border areas is fuelling ill-will," charges Thupstan Chhewang, chairman, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. The civil administration too is upset that the army is creating a "parallel infrastructure". Clearly, army-administration synergy is still a far cry and this puts a question mark on the sustainability of the new model of border management.

But army officials, buoyed by the response, are certain of its success and about Union Home Minister L.K. Advani's Turtuk visit to assess the operation's impact. However, it will take some time before the winds of change in Ladakh gather strength to waft across the Zojila Pass.

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