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| No police please! | | Proposed police take over scares Kashmiris | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 13: The police have been told to gear up for playing a leading role in restoration of peace in this conflict torn state. Normally, the people should have welcomed the move. But strangely enough the proposed move has been taken with a pinch of salt especially in the Valley.
The police, according to a sarcastic Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh of Sopore, have played a significant role in containing militancy. “The police rarely perform (fight) in the battlefield. They fight militancy in a sophisticated way.” While elaborating, Zahoor narrated his own story. Zahoor happens to be the brother of a militant. Recently he was selected by the PSC but the police withheld his character verification for quite some time. Finally when the higher authorities intervened, the police submitted the report. “He is brother of a former militant.” Good sense prevailed on the concerned and they allowed Zahoor to join.
A renowned gastroenterologist has applied for a passport. The same has been denied to him. According to the police, the doctor happens to be the brother-in-law of a former militant. The doctor does not deny this. “Yes, my Sala (brother-in-law) was a militant but how does it render me ineligible for holding a passport?”
The story did not end here. As ill luck would have it, the doctor had to divorce his wife for a variety of reasons. After divorcing his wife, he approached the concerned and apprised them of the unfortunate development. “Now, I have nothing to do with my Sala. Please send my verification to the passport office. Nothing moved.” His Sala’s ghost continues to haunt the police.
The police have also been accused of sabotaging the rehabilitation of the `reformed militants’. Abdul Qadeer Dar heads the Peoples Rights Movement (PRM), an organization of former militants. He said: “Militants and upper ground workers who underwent what the authorities call reformation expected rehabilitation which was promised to them. But the promises were never fulfilled. Not to speak of militants, their distant relatives find it very difficult to get clearance from the state intelligence apparatus. Many former militants today curse the day when they underwent `reformation’.”
“There is no denying the fact that some `reformed’ persons were engaged under the Rehbar-e-Taleem scheme. But their services have not been regularized for want of clearance from police and intelligence agencies”, he said.
The lawyers and the human rights defenders have their own reasons for opposing the proposed move. “The police are answerable to none. They do not accept the court orders. It is the police that take vital decisions. And if past experiences are any indicator, the people have every reason to get scared”, said Parvez Imroz, a well known human rights defender.
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