The security forces are understandably worried over these developments. After all, the success of the army's counter-insurgency operation owes a lot to the surrendered militants. Not only did they provide vital intelligence about the militant's movements, they even formed outfits that campaigned against the secessionists.

Take the instance of the valley's most celebrated renegade, Kuka Parray.

Soon after surrounding, he floated an organisation called the Ikhwan with his band of followers. Operating under army protection, Parray and his men engaged militants from other groups and even helped the security forces in their counter-insurgency operations.

Just before the assembly polls last year, Kuka Parray even formed a political outfit called the Awami League. The League contested the elections, but failed to make any significant impact.

Interestingly enough, Kuka Parray's outfit has suffered the most from the defections. In an interview to a local daily, Parray admitted that at least 75 men from his organisation have defected to pro-Pakistan secessionist groups.

In the interview, Parray lashed out at Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and accused his National Conference government of 'reviving militancy.' Parray even blamed Abdullah of 'engineering defections' in his outfit.

There are other serious charges that Parray levelled against the government. He said the state home minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar, had 'militant connections' and that at least two National Conference legislators had distinct militant links -- while one was heading a faction of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, another was a battalion commander of Al Jehad.

What's more Kuka Parray has threatened to expose all National Conference ministers and legislators with militant connections at a public meeting in Jammu later this month.

Parray's allegations caused quite a sensation among politicians in Srinagar. The first to react was the home minister himself. Ali Mohammad Sagar called Parray a 'murderer' and said the government had 'many things against him.' Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah went a step further. "If he (Parray) does not stop levelling baseless charges against us, I will put him behind bars," he thundered.

Political observers say such war of words will not solve the problem. If anything, it will only seek to divert attention from the real issue. It is a fact that violence in the valley is on the rise and for the first time in many, many months, the security forces are bearing the brunt of a renewed militant offensive. In many places, army convoys have been ambushed and hideouts of surrendered militants raided. Army commanders believe that surrendered militants who have defected are passing on vital information about the security forces to secessionist groups.

Police sources also say they have reason to believe that diehard militants have succeeded in infiltrating the ranks of the surrendered militants. And it is these moles who are helping out secessionist organisations like the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Perhaps encouraged by the defections, the Hizbul Mujahideen has made a tactical announcement: it has declared 'a general amnesty' for all surrendered militants. Simply put, it means that the Hizbul will welcome all those who had left the outfit and even co-operated with the security forces. Already, the result of this is said to be encouraging.

To some extent, the administration is to be blamed for this reverse trend among militants. No effort has been made to rehabilitate the surrendered militants and they always lived in fear of being bumped off by their rivals. Though some kind of protection was given to them, that was not enough to shield them from their erstwhile colleagues.

It is only now that the government has woken up to the gravity of the problem. Farooq Abdullah recently announced that two battalions of the CRPF and the BSF would be raised to accommodate those militants who have surrendered before the police and the army.

The right decision, but perhaps it has been taken a bit too late in the day.

Courtesy: Sunday magazine