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| Situation calls for CCTV cover | | | Nirbhay Jammual
Does the existing security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir warrant Close Circuit TV(CCTV) cover ? This question has assumed importance after the Punjab Government has decided to provide CCTV cover in the malls,shopping centres and at main public places in the state.The Punjab Government has taken this decision in view of serial bomb blasts in Delhi,Ahmedabad,Jaipur and other places.It has taken this decision after reports have reached Chandigarh that agencies across the border were trying to revive militancy in Punjab.Contrary to this,there is no need for awaiting reports from across the LOC on the plans of militants in Jammu and Kashmir.In fact since 1989 Jammu and Kashmir has witnesed more bomb,IED and grenade explosions than in any part of India.Militants have carved out bases and hideouts not only in the upper reaches of the state but in the villages and towns where people keep on passing sleepless nights.
The mushroom growth of malls in Srinagar and Jammu and the phenomenal expansion in the shopping centres,fast food cafes, restaurants and hotels has made it mandatory for the Government to provide CCTV cover.If the police have been able to identify the brain behind the serial blasts in Delhi and Ahemedabad they have done it with the help of CCTV pictures.The police were able to draw the sketches of the people involved in planting and exploding the bombs only after scanning the CCTV images.During the last 19 years the police and intelligence agencies have not even once succeeded in identifying those people who were responsible for carrying out explosions and other acts of terror in Jammu And Kashmir because of the lack of CCTV cover.Whenver and whereever bomb or grende or IED explosions took place in Jammu and Kashmir the Government would simply blame either the Lashkar-i-Toiba or men of Jesh-e-Mohammad or Hizbul Mujahideen.And whenever it had no specific information it would simply blame terrorists.
Punjab Government has decided to provide CCTV cover to all crowded places,besides shrines,malls exit and entry points in the main cities and towns within 12 weeks.Only some big malls in Punjab have the CCTV cover for identifying any case of theft.In fact the Punjab Government plans to emulate the London police In London there are the highest number of cameras installed in all shopping centres,railway stations and bus stops and other public places.But Jammu and Kashmir Government prefers to maintain its special identity.Even after the state has been ravaged by militancy related violence the CCTV cover is unavailable everywhere except at the Railway station and at the two Airports,in Srinagar and Jammu.Amazingly the CCTV cover at the Jammu Railway station has remained nonfunctional for the last over one year.Possibly the Government has one major problem. The problem of funds,required for purchasing the CCTVs, and electricity constraints.Well as a state enjoying special status it could easily get the required funds for installing CCTVs from the centre under the security related expenses.
Well there is urgent need for installing CCTVs not only in the malls,crowded places and inside all shrines but on the entry and exit points on the inter-district borders.Those villages close to the International Border in the Jammu sector and to the LOC need to be brought under the CCTV cover which could further help the police in monitoring the movement of militants,after their infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.It has been invariably seen that the Army convoys are targeted by the gun toting youths.No doubt road opening exercises are carried out before the start of the security convoy it could be better if the trucks,one in the front and the other in the rear,carry CCTVs and those equipments which could carry out automatic defusion of IEDs and other explosive material planted on the road.Till the border areas and villages were covered under the CCTV cameras the Government needs to give top priority on providing CCTV cover to the crowded places,all temples,mosques,Gurdwaras and churches in the state.Bus terminals,shopping centres,cinema theatres,hotels and reastaurants too desrve to be provided with CCTV cover.In this case owners of malls,hotels and shopping centres need to be involved in investing in the puchase and installation of CCTVs. |
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