Security forces cautious about surrender policy
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 23
Describing the surrender policy for misguided youth as a political decision, the Army, the BSF and the CRPF, though not opposed to it, have certain reservations about it. The state Cabinet yesterday cleared the policy, paving the way for the “homecoming” of thousands of state youth, who had crossed over to Pakistan and occupied Kashmir between 1989 and 1999 for arms training.

“Only time will tell the difference the policy will make, but let us try it “, said a senior Army officer, and added the Army  had conveyed its views to the Union Home Ministry.” We are not the only stakeholder in it, but anything which eases tension and has the potential of bringing about a positive change should be afforded an opportunity,” he said.

“Though the contours of the policy are still not known to us, we feel those involved in serious crimes like killings should not go scot-free”, maintained the officer, and said “We treat the misguided youth as our own citizens and should give them a chance”.

“We all know that even now some of the youth enter the state via Bangladesh, Nepal and the Wagah border using fake documents, but once we put such a policy in place, we would be able to monitor them properly,” he said.

“We want that the activities of the youth, who come back, should be monitored by the CID, the local police and the SHO concerned for a long time instead of two years as is the policy now”, said a BSF officer. For two years, any individual could maintain a low profile and thereafter start working again for Pakistan, he said.

“The youths have stayed in PoK and Pakistan for 10 to 15 years, which is a long time to change anyone’s psyche and loyalty. No doubt, they are our own people, but the BSF wants a proper monitoring mechanism in place”, he maintained. The officer said the BSF, like other security forces, had been waiting for the past the six months for the policy to come out.

“Since it has addressed most of the riders, which we had submitted to the Home Ministry, we now want a foolproof monitoring mechanism in place,” he said.

The CRPF, which also described the decision as political, referred to its own experiences in the past.

“In 1996-97, we had raised an exclusive battalion (136 Battalion) of surrendered militants, but unfortunately 150 to 175 of them left the training mid-way,” said a CRPF officer.

In some cases, “our jawans (surrendered militants) were attacked by militants and in one specific case, one such jawan had again joined militancy and was caught planting an IED in Pulwama”.It was a double-edged sword, but anything which had the potential of restoring normalcy and peace in the state should be welcomed, he concluded.

Jammu, November 23
Political parties in the Jammu region have reacted sharply to the decision of the state Cabinet to give a nod to the rehabilitation/surrender policy for those youth who had crossed over to Pakistan or occupied Kashmir (PoK) for arms training. Terming the decision as shocking for the peace-loving people of the state, BJP spokesperson Nirmal Kamal said here today that the policy was another blunder committed by an immature Chief Minister, who had been desperately trying to appease anti-national forces in the state.

Recalling the recent statements of the defence and police authorities, she observed that the step was fraught with danger, as a large number of militants were waiting to sneak into this side of the border to intensify subversive activities. The decision would provide them with an opportunity to enter the state. She quoted a recent statement of DGP Kuldeep Khoda, who revealed a few days back that there were still 500 militants active in the state.

“This means that the number of militants operating in the state has not come down despite the claims of the security forces of killing a large number of militants. The surrender policy will increase militancy-related incidents despite various safeguards attached to it. This is supported by the fact that the security agencies, the local police and others have not been able to reduce the number of militants drastically,” Nirmal said.

“Permitting those who crossed the border for arms training in 1990s to return legally and rehabilitating them amounts to nothing but supporting militancy in the state at the government expenditure and diverting the attention of public from administrative failures of the present government,” she said and took the Congress to task for supporting the policy. The Panthers Party has also opposed the policy and stressed the need for providing employment to the youth.Party leader Balwant Singh Mankotia asked the government to concentrate on creating job avenues for those who had been living peacefully in the state.

Meanwhile, activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Mocrha (BJYM), under the leadership of their state president Munish Sharma, staged a protest at Kachi Chawni Chowk against the Cabinet decision. The BJYM activists were carrying party flags, wearing black ribbons around their foreheads and raising slogans against the Cabinet decision as well as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Addressing the protesters, Munish said this decision was a humiliating blow to all patriot youth of the state, who had been struggling for jobs.