M A I N   N E W S

Counter-insurgents feel deserted
Victims of govt’s use-and-discard policy
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 16
They fought against militancy in Kashmir, but are now falling prey to the militants’ bullets themselves, thanks to the “opportunistic use-and-discard-policy” adopted towards counter-insurgents by the Centre as well as the Jammu and Kashmir Government.

These individuals, called counter-insurgents, have of late become the top target of the militants resulting in a spurt in ‘revenge killings’. First, it was Javed Shah, then Kukka Parrey, and now two others are openly being threatened by militant groups. His close Lieutenant Abdul Rashid Khan, alias Babar, was shot dead in Anantnag district here yesterday.

The targeted persons — Papa Kishtwari and Liaqat Ali — are bitter about the approach of the government. “Who would have dared to attack Kukka Parrey and Javed Bhai if the government had not reduced their security? Their private security men, all former militants, had also left them after the government withdrew all supply of funds for counter-insurgency” said Mr Ghulam Rasool Lone, alias Papa Kishtwari, in an exclusive interview to The Tribune.

In view of the changed ground realities following the killings, it was very hard to trace counter-insurgents, who are currently maintaining a low profile. It was only through a trusted middleman that Papa Kishtwari relented to spare some time for The Tribune. Incidentally, he did not trust the telecommunication link and was not available over the telephone.

Several other counter-insurgents have gone into hiding after the recent revenge killings. The counter-insurgents, a name synonymous with the infamous ‘police cats’ of Punjab of terrorism era, have been credited with “cleansing” several areas of militants, who blatantly hoisted Pakistani flags with Indian forces remaining a spectator.

Unlike Punjab, where several of the police cats were absorbed in to the force, the men of the same creed had not been so lucky in Kashmir. Though Papa Kishtwari was using all caution, his security arena was found wanting by The Tribune team. The street to his house was easily accessible and despite the recent killings, the state government had not done anything to step up his security.

“I don’t trust anyone now. I have given you time, because I want people to know our story also. Look at our plight. We want to carry on with our mission, which is only possible with the active cooperation of the government and the security forces. But, we are not being encouraged to do so. We have done so much for brokering peace in the country and this is the reward we are getting,” he grimly remarks.

“Maut atal hai. (Death is certain),” he said turning philosophical. “Hamne aadmi maare hein is desh ke liye (we have killed people for this country)” he continued. “But we have been discarded”. As he recounted the past, all dotted with blood and bodies, Liaqat Ali, a former district commander of Hiz-bul Mujahideen-turned-counter-insurgent and a trusted lieutenant of Papa Kishtwari stood close guard.

Papa Kishtwari had joined militancy and left his services as a Sub-Inspector in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the early 1990s. He was kidnapped by members of the Pakistan sponsored Jaanbaaz group and was kept in confinement for nearly three months. When he finally escaped, the CRPF refused to take him back saying that he had joined the militants.

He claimed that he hoodwinked the militants and helped the police in raiding a hideout from where some top militants were arrested. Yet, no one believed him. He was again contacted by militants and he joined them. He was later on designated as the operations chief of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

It was after 1995 that he became frustrated with the Pakistan’s designs. The militants had started looting people and plundering. Innocents were slaughtered and women raped, he said, adding that “I objected to all these and decided to raise my voice.”

“We (Kukka Parrey and Javed Shah) were the first to join the so-called mainstream. We were used by the government and security agencies for their operations. I cleansed the Pulwama region of militants. They used to hoist the Pakistani flag there, I and my 160 strong team led the security forces in various operations following which the militants had to flee to safer havens. We were given thousands of rupees for each operation,” he disclosed.

“Huge funds were at our disposal to cultivate informers and things really worked. A number of areas were declared militant-free by us. But, now nothing is being done. The government has taken away all our resources. The boys have left me. It had promised us jobs. Where are these?” he questioned.

Papa Kishtwari admitted to have committed some mistakes. “There were some atrocities on our part, but then only those who work commit mistakes,” he opined.

Now, we get money and security guards only when we do some operation. How we could give the security forces results now, when there was no money to give to informers.

Papa Kishtwari said the use and discard policy of the government was not going to help anyone. He saw a sinister design behind the recent revenge killings. “Who had given the attackers police uniforms and why was the security of those killed curtailed?” he questioned.