If part of the effort to inject an employment angle into the “development narrative” in Jammu and Kashmir there would be reason to applaud the decision to include a women’s unit in the five India Reserve Battalions for which an expenditure of Rs.61 crore per battalion has been approved by the Centre.

Unemployment in J-K has assumed chronic dimensions, as proved by 140,000 applications being submitted for 5,000 openings.

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Unfortunately the decision for 1,000 women “soldiers” is being projected as a response (knee-jerk reaction?) to disturbing scenes of young girls in school uniform joining their male colleagues in pelting stones at security forces.

The theory of “set a thief to catch a thief” is much too fanciful to have relevance in a situation so complex and bitter.

Even if the women’s force was recruited it would take months for the constabulary to be trained and motivated to “take on” their sisters.

The greater risk would be expansion of the conflict, drawing local womenfolk into open, physical, confrontation with the Army, paramilitary and police.

Virtually eliminating the remote chances of winning over the hearts and minds of radicalised young people brain-washed into believing they are fighting for political and religious freedom.

A few months back the Chief of the Army Staff had read out the “riot act” to civilians who pelted stones to disrupt the troops’ anti-militancy operations.

Will General Bipin Rawat now present an honest evaluation of the impact of his caution?

There is a widespread impression that the stonethrowers have shed both respect and fear of the forces; unleashing a women’s squad on schoolgirls could trigger similar results. What appears a quickfix solution to the armchair “strategists” in North Block risks a dangerous exacerbation of the conflict in the Valley.

Admittedly Mehbooba Mufti is at her wits’ end, but only “face” will be lost if her call for counseling the youth is experimented with. At the risk of being repetitive, let it be stressed that there is no “military solution” to the insurgency.

New Delhi will have to “back-off”, talk to stakeholders and find ways to a negotiated political settlement of core issues.

As Atal Bihari Vajpayee had realised, even if naming the first NDA Prime Minister is like waving a redrag in the face of his “successor”.

Just how far things have deteriorated is confirmed by the Election Commission seeking the deployment of over 75,000 paramilitary personnel to conduct the scheduled by-poll to the Lok Sahha from Anantngag.

That figure is calculated on the basis of the deployment for the Srinagar by-poll a fortnight back, which witnessed over 200 violent incidents and a voter turnout of just seven per cent.

Are we looking to a democratic exercise of a military operation on 25 May?