Srinagar: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday underlined ‘pivotal’ role for police in creating ‘conducive atmosphere’ for “reconciliation process” started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government through the appointment of interlocutor who unlike envoys of past has been conferred rank of a “cabinet secretary”. She also announced to pay “double” reward to police for surrender of militant “during or before encounter.”
On Monday Government of India appointed former IB chief Dineshwar Sharmaas its “representative to Kashmir” and tasked him to “understand the legitimate aspirations of the wide cross sections of society, particularly the youth in Jammu and Kashmir and communicate them to the State Government and the Centre.”
Addressing the attestation cum passing out parade at Police Training School Manigam Ganderbal, Mehbooba congratulated the new recruits for “going into the field in a situation where our NDA government led by Mr Narendra Modi has started reconciliation process.”
“An interlocutor has been appointed. To make the reconciliation, this dialogue process successful police have a pivotal role to play,” she said.
Mehbboba terms termed as “huge step” taken by the Prime Minister in “not only nominating the interlocutor but also granted him status of cabinet secretary.”
“This has never happened in the past. Numerous interlocutors were appointed who held talks but never ever they were conferred such rank and this means that 1 crore, twenty lakh people, most of whom gave mandate to Mr Modi, want to get people of Jammu and Kashmir out of troubles. This is why doors of dialogue have been opened and to create conducive atmosphere, your (police’s) role is very important.”
She said there are a plenty of challenges “at every step” for police and counted militancy one amongst them.
“You will fight militancy, you will fight militant but if you have eradicate militancy you have to play a very positive role,” Mehbboba said, adding, “You are law enforcers but you have to follow law yourself. We should not reciprocate what militants do. Our security forces and army has done a wonderful job but as far as maintaining law and order in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, they can’t substitute you. You have to see it yourself.”
In last one year, Mehbooba said many of police and army men were killed. “How many should I name? Lt Umar, Feroz, Ayoub, many others..our sons, our brothers attained martyrdom but I am glad that police did not lose patience. There were numerous attacks on our workers. Our worker was killed and day later his house was burnt down,” she said, adding, “But I want to stress that there should be difference in acts of militants and ours. Militants came and kill our workers, martyr our policemen and then they do ransacking and burn houses which they have done recently but our forces, may it be police or security forces, should not do the same. We are a law abiding as well as law upholders and as such I shouldn’t come across any compliant that if militant escapes or militants carry ransacking that we have to also ransack houses of people.”
She also listed non-corporation by those “who claim to be victims of braid chopping” as a major challenge to the police.
“You should never lose morale. You see thousands of youth turn up for police recruitment but when militant wear uniform like yours, wears commando uniform does not turn them like you, law abiding and law protectors,” she said, adding, “They undoubtedly wear uniform like you do. They wield the gun as you do but there should be lot of difference between you and them. You are protectors of the life and property of the people and they do opposite of it.”
Wherever possible, she said police shall make a local militant to surrender, “during encounter or prior to it.”
“I will give double the reward you get for killing him. I have time and again said that it is easier to kill a militant rather than kill the militancy and if you want to wipe out militancy, you have to take people along. You have to win hearts of people. If you think that you can win over militancy by displeasing people..by killing four, eight, fifty militants, it is not going to happen,” she said.
Mehbooba said hailed the new recruits as “best lot of jawans as there was no political or administrative interference” in recruitment.
Earlier, she said that if violence happens, huge crowd of people would come for rescue but “opposite is happening.” “Now crowd of people gather for pounding. We saw, many incidents of braid chopping. It started from Rajasthan, then it happen in UP, Haryana and in Punjab. Thousands of cases happened but I don’t know whether FIRs were registered in all cases but our report suggests that FIRs were not registered in thousands but when it started to happen in Jammu and Kashmir, may it be Rajouri, Jammu, Poonch or Kashmir Valley, we registered FIR in all cases. Unfortunately, mobs of people took law in own hands and started to beat innocent people. This is another challenge to you as to who to reach to the root of the matter,” she said, adding, “Now, more rumours are floated than what happens in reality. Recently, a person from Anantnag whose fingers got cut in Saudi Arabia five years ago, bandaged the fingers and cut hair to claim that his fingers and hair were cut. Likewise, people don’t cooperate with police investigation. When blood samples are sought from people, if we have to effect of spray which you (women) claim to be sprinkled with, they run away. This is another challenge.”
With regard to braid chopping, she said, people “spread rumours, add fuel to fire.”
“There are people who always look for excuses to spoil the situation. Such people are to be identified and strict action taken against them. Also there is need to identify those who are behind braid chopping and motives behind it.”
Listing out the initiatives taken by the Government for the welfare of the jawans and officers of the organization, the Chief Minister said almost all cases of compassionate appointment or SRO-43 were either settled or concluded during the last one and a half year. Also the most chased demand of cadre review was undertaken in Police to ensure better promotion avenues to the officers of the force, she added.
Mehbooba Mufti said additionally the long pending demand of pay anomaly among various subordinate ranks of Police was removed besides a three times hike in the ex gratia amount and increase in the ration money for jawans was effected. She said a proposal for more accommodation for the officers and jawans has been sent to Centre for funding adding that the modernisation of JK Police is being given a thrust with more sophisticated instruments for crime detection, weaponry and vehicles to match the challenges faced by it.
Around 700 policemen passed out from the school after going through the basic training.