Why in news?
Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kamalkote sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
What are the recent happenings?
- Shelling and retaliations along the LoC with Pakistan is becoming an everyday occurrence.
- All of May 2020, the Pir Panjal range, which fronts the Kashmir Valley, has seen mortar and small arms firing.
- The recent firing led to the unfortunate death of Sepoy Lungabui Abonmli.
- Sepoy Abonmli is the third soldier to succumb to shelling in this area in recent times.
- Two other soldiers with injuries were airlifted to the Command Hospital in Udhampur, due to shelling in Poonch sector.
- The recent shelling in Haji Pir in Uri claimed the life of Akhtar Begum, a civilian.
- This has been a worrying trend, as when the shells reach deeper they fall in residential areas, in villages such as Churunda and Silikote.
- When shells begin raining, villagers panic, leave their homes and run further, to temporary shelters.
How are the diplomatic ties currently?
- Unfortunately, aspects of relations with Pakistan in other spheres are not encouraging as well.
- Two personnel from the Indian mission in Islamabad were suddenly missing.
- All this implies further breakdown in relations.
- It makes evident that India and Pakistan are unable even to adhere to reciprocal protocols regarding staff posted in the missions.
- Earlier, India expelled two Pakistan High Commission officials, Abid Hussain Amid and Mohd Tahir Khan, on charges of espionage.
- Whether or not it is a tit-for-tat reaction by Pakistan for this, India must take steps to ensure its diplomatic personnel do not face such harassment.
What should be done?
- The incidents are an additional disruption to life for the J&K people, in the aftermath of the dilution of Article 370 in August 2019 and the COVID-19 lockdown.
- Shelling should not be allowed to be a regular occurrence.
- India needs to re-engage with Pakistan and end the ceasefire violations along the border.
- But currently, ceasefire with Pakistan along the Line of Control is obviously not working.
- The government thus needs to build bomb shelters for civilians until normalcy returns.
- It is also time to consider if the Indian staffing in Pakistan is commensurate with the vastly shrunk bilateral relations or not.
- The pandemic rages and there are travel curbs and reduced face-to-face opportunities now.
- So, it might be prudent to temporarily maintain only essential mission staff in Pakistan till India is able to obtain trust and stability in the ties.
Source: The Hindu
