When Afaq Ahmad Shah, a 12th class student blew himself up along with his Maruti car to attack the 15 Corps Head Quarters in Badamibagh Cantonment during the third week of May, he became the first suicide bomber in the twelve year old militancy in
Kashmir
.
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Though previous attacks by the “fidayeens  were termed suicidal, they were hit and run attacks, in which militants, fought with the security forces or/and attacked the security installations, some of whom escaped. There always existed a chance of escape. Hence those attacks were never suicidal in the real sense although the media and every one, including the government began calling them “suicide squads. ?
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Suicide is generally an individual act and rarely is it a group act even in the history of terrorism. A single suicide bomber has always carried out suicide attacks by the LTTE in
South Asia
or by the Hamas in the
Middle East
and there have never been suicide “squads.  The implications of this first ever suicide bomber in
Kashmir
is worth analyzing rather than discussing whether Islam permits suicide.?
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First, the fear of the suicide bomber will have its greatest impact on the security of the leaders in the state. Though many of them have been provided adequate security and bulletproof cars, the witnessing of a suicide bomber armed with RDX blowing up everything near him, as has occured in other parts of
South Asia
will have an impact. This fear will result in the leaders feeling insecure and lead to further strengthening their security, which will cause inconvenience to the general public, and also alienate the leaders from the masses. Given the conditions in
Kashmir
, where the government is not popular, any increase in security will increase the gap between the people and its leaders.
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Secondly, the entry of suicide bomber is also bound to have an impact on the morale of the security forces. It is not that the armed forces were scarred in undertaking their day-to-day counter-insurgency activities, but they would be more suspicious in dealing with the public. In the wake of suicide bombing, a sarcastic smile or a wink, when being checked or interrogated, would cause more damage than a 20 kg RDX blowing up a security vehicle. The hostile situation, in which the security forces are operating, coupled with the fact that the nature of militancy has changed since the Kargil war, will further lead to increase in security operations, which obviously will have a negative impact on the people.?
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Thirdly, the nature of militancy has also undergone a change. The militants have started relying on RDX, which can be used in any simple improvised explosive device (IED). Even a small quantity of RDX can throw a jeep 30 meters into the air or cause damage to not only the target, but also to the surroundings and a bulletproof car can easily be made into pieces. More than the blast, the sight of a vehicle disintegrating into pieces or a security post being destroyed would cause maximum psychological damage. A suicide bomber can walk or cycle up to any governmental or security installation, and blow up the entire structure. Even if the suicide bomber is caught before reaching its target, the triggering of the bomb, would serve its purpose, depending on the quantity of the RDX, he or she is carrying.
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Finally there is the alienation in the Kashmiri people. Unlike previous hit and run cases, in which the foreign mercenaries were involved, Afaq Ahmad Shah, the suicide bomber, was a local Kashmiri youth. This fact must be underlined. It is time to reassess often repeated judgments that the militancy is
Pakistan
sponsored; the locals are not involved; the militants are mercenaries; the growth of madarsas in
Pakistan
and
Kashmir
are the main reason for the militancy in
Kashmir
and so on. Though there is an element of truth in these assertions, the failure to understand the complete alienation among the
Kashmir
people, especially its youth will further increase the intensity of the ongoing conflict. Afaq, according to his relatives and friends, never showed any signs of involving himself in militancy. The fact that his father is a retired lecturer and the family is well respected would disprove another myth that only the economically and socially deprived take up militancy.?
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This suicide bombing may be an individual act, by a disillusioned or highly motivated youth. It may or may not be followed by similar other acts. But what needs to be understood is the existence of alienation, especially among the Kashmiri youth. The Central and State governments should earnestly attempt to remove this. The least that could be done is to start a dialogue with all sections of
Kashmir
society, and the state government should begin to improve its record on administration before it becomes too late.?
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