Srinagar: In the backdrop of a Hizbul Mujahideen militant surrendering during an encounter in south Kashmir, top officials from different security agencies today appealed local militants to shun violence and join mainstream.
The move assumes significance as it comes just a day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a security review meeting in the valley during his four-day long visit to the state. The Home Minister, who arrived here on September 9, is on a four day visit to the state – two each in Kashmir valley and Jammu region.
“Persuading a local militant to surrender during an encounter is a clear message to all the youth who have been lured into this net to shun violence and we will receive them with open arms,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir range Muneer Khan told reported in a joint press conference alongwith GoC Victor Force Major General B S Raju and CRPF IG Operations Zulfikar Hassan.
“A local Adil Bhat, who had joined militancy three months back, was firing during the course of encounter in south Kashmir district of Shopian on September 10. Somehow he lost balance and could not fire any more. He could have been killed, but we preferred to give him a chance to live. We preferred to give him a chance to come back to the mainstream. We preferred that he should join his parents again. That’s why we opted to catch him alive,” Mr Khan said.
The IGP Kashmir said it is not necessary that the local militants surrender during encounter, but they can come even now and join the mainstream. “Two other militants were killed in the Shopian encounter because after persuasion they chose to carry on fighting a lost battle,” he said.
Giving details about the second operation in Kulgam which ended this morning, he said there was another person by the name of Arif (Sofi) an established chronic OGW. “He was the lifeline of the militants. There were all the reasons to knock him off during the encounter. But we didn’t kill him because he was not having a weapon. Nobody would have questioned us if we would have killed him. And this was not the first time that he was arranging logistics for the militants. But no weapon, so we didn’t kill him,” Mr Khan said.
This, he said is the difference between a disciplined force and militants. “Militants kill our men when they are on leave with their families or when they are playing with their friends. This is the difference,” he added.
Answering a question about the fate of the militant who surrendered, he said there is a clear cut policy about the people who are arrested after they surrender. “If he is not involved in very heinous crimes, we are suppose to rehabilitate him and help him to join the mainstream. It is a documented nom which is followed in such cases,” he said.
He said the Centre’s Rehabilitation policy is not only for the militants who come from Pakistan and want to join the mainstream, but also for those who are in Kashmir and went to shun violence. Meanwhile, the GoC Victor Force appreciated the courage shown by Adil to surrender. “We had specific information about presence of militants at village Barbugh at Imam Sahib, Shopian on September 10. After two militants were killed, the third one went inside a house. As the house was occupied by local civilians, we restrained from firing at the house. We asked the civilians to come out, but they were hesitant to do so at it was dark. Then we persuaded the militants with the help of locals to surrender. It was around 0100 hrs, after several hours of persuasion, Adil came out and laid down his weapons,” he said.
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