New Delhi: Islamabad’s recent reshuffle within the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has reportedly brought hardliners to key positions, with Indian intelligence agencies assessing that one of their primary objectives could be reviving militancy in Jammu and Kashmir through a strategy reminiscent of the “Burhan Wani model”.
According to intelligence inputs, the ISI is reassessing its approach in Jammu and Kashmir after the limited success of proxy outfits created in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s death in 2016. Officials believe the agency is seeking to cultivate a charismatic local figure capable of attracting Kashmiri youth to militancy, much like Wani did during his rise.
Following his death, the ISI created proxies such as The Resistance Front and People’s Anti Fascist Front (PAFF). They are in reality just fronts of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed respectively.
The ISI also tried to legitimise the attacks taking place in Jammu and Kashmir. The Resistance Front on October 7, 2021, released a statement claiming responsibility for killing two teachers at a government school in Srinagar. The proxy alleged that the teachers had harassed parents and threatened consequences if students did not take part in India’s Independence Day celebrations.
In its revived strategy, the ISI stopped using Arabic and religious names for its terror groups. Names such as The Resistance Front and PAFF were used for terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. Further, terrorists were referred to as freedom fighters and the Indian forces as occupational forces.
An official said that a lot has changed after the abrogation of Article 370. The Indian security forces were successful in dismantling huge terror networks in Jammu and Kashmir. Further, many in J&K began to appreciate the change as tourism got a boost, and this led to a direct increase in the income of the people of J&K, the official said.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that the post-Wani strategy is no longer working. Despite all the claims, everyone realised that, be it The Resistance Front or the PAFF, they were Pakistani by origin and proxies of the Islamabad-funded Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, the official said.
The new brass in the ISI is expected to make drastic changes in its Jammu and Kashmir strategy. They would look to bring back the Burhan Wani model, as back in the day it was extremely successful. The biggest problem for the ISI today is homegrown recruitment. The recruitment model during the Wani days was probably the most successful. It saw a large number of youth joining the Hizbul Mujahideen, and this had become a nightmare for the security agencies, the official said.
Another official said creating another Burhan Wani also aligns with the ISI’s plan of reviving the Hizbul Mujahideen, which was a thoroughbred homegrown outfit. The ISI wants to reduce the presence of Pakistani terrorists by a lot and would prefer to have a module that is all Kashmiri, the official said.
Wani had become a social media star. His images were sufficient for many youth to take up arms and be part of the Hizbul Mujahideen. There was not much scouting to be done, and even the radicalisation classes were not necessary, thanks to the presence of Wani, the official said.
Wani not only managed to bring in recruits, but his messages also helped in coordinating protests and stone pelting in Jammu and Kashmir by the youth. The ISI has factored in all these aspects and feels that bringing back the Wani style of terror would help in bringing in the youth and establishing a fully homegrown terror module.
India’s changed doctrine of treating every act of terror as an act of war and not a cross-border strike has necessitated this decision by the ISI to have a fully homegrown outfit in Jammu and Kashmir. The ISI feels that bringing back the Burhan Wani style of terror and reviving the Hizbul Mujahideen is their best bet for now, an official said.
(IANS)
