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The following months are going to throw up a couple of challenges to the Jammu and Kashmir government and the security forces deployed in the state.
Extraordinary arrangements are being made for the forthcoming annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave and the assembly elections that will follow in October.
A huge number of paramilitary forces and army personnel are currently sweating it out in the high mountain ranges to ensure that the month-long yatra goes off without the terrorists being able to cause any damage to life or property.
Over the past twelve years, terrorists have killed many pilgrims along the route to the cave. Even a few days ago, they exploded an improvised explosive device, leading to the death of three army personnel.
It is to thwart these kinds of attempts that the security forces are keeping a 24-hour vigil all along the route, but the hilly and inaccessible terrain makes their task onerous.
The next big event in the state is the assembly elections and the administrations is bracing up for terrorist attacks on political activists of the ruling National Conference.
The National Conference says that since 1989, when terrorism became part of the everyday lives of the people, terrorists have killed more than two thousand of its workers.
Already some of the terrorist organisations have started issuing statements warning people and political activists not the participate in an election, which will "achieve nothing".
Mainstream political leaders have already been provided security, but as the elections draw near, the demand for protection will go up.
The Centre is also trying to woo some of the separatist leaders. According to analysts, this will make the elections broad-based and lend them international credibility.
One such person who is being courted by the central government is the president of the Democratic Freedom Party, Shabir Shah. Shah has made himself available to the various foreign and national delegations that call on him with a view to persuade the separatists to join mainstream politics.
But with the majority of the separatists having refused to take part in the elections, it is unlikely that Shabir will jump into the fray alone and earn the wrath of the terrorists.
There are also demands from various opposition political parties that in order to ensure free and fair elections, the Centre should impose governor's rule before the people exercise their franchise. This will prevent the National Conference from 'rigging' the polls, they say.
However, while addressing a function in Srinagar on Saturday, National Conference president Omar Abdullah said that his party is ready to contest polls under governor's rule.
He even challenged the All-Party Hurriyat Conference to contest the polls in order to prove its representative character.
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