'Suspension of water treaty a good step'
Lt. Gen. Hooda, who had a distinguished four-decade-long career during which he played a crucial role in managing security challenges along India's borders with both Pakistan and China and one of the erudite military leaders, talks to Mayank Singh about issues arising out of the Pahalgam terror-strike. Excerpts:
It has been more than 10 days since the terrorists killed 26 people in Pahalgam. What is your observation specific to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir?
My sense is that things were getting better, particularly in Kashmir. For a couple of years, terrorist incidents shifted to the Jammu region. In Kashmir, I am not saying that incidents were not happening, but the overall violence was reducing, and it was leading to rising tourist footfall. It wasn't as if Pakistan had given up everything.
Does it mean things in the Valley will witness a return to how things were earlier?
Yes, the Pahalgam incident is big. But I don't see this completely changing everything in J&K. If people think that after this incident, terrorists will gain a foothold, there will be a breakdown in law and order, and terrorists will roam free carrying out more attacks, or the success in bringing down the violence and attacks in the last four to five years will be overturned, that is not going to happen.
What will happen is that development work may slow down, and the Valley will see a decrease in tourists, hampering the local industry. The locals may face an economic decline. I repeat, the Pahalgam incident is horrific.
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