‘Maintaining peace biggest challenge’
As memories of turmoil during last summer in Kashmir valley, where over 100 persons were killed in stone pelting incidents, are still fresh in everyone’s mind, the state police is adopting new strategies to deal with any untoward situation this summer

In an interaction with Tribune correspondent Archit Watts, the Director General of Police (DGP), J&K, Kuldeep Khoda, spoke at length about the various strategies to be followed to maintain law and order in the state.

The following are the excerpts:

Q: What is the major challenge before the Jammu and Kashmir Police today?

A: It’s been more than 20 years since we have been fighting militancy and bringing peace back to the state is the biggest challenge for us. Nearly 350 terrorists belonging to the four terrorist groups - Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Badar - all funded by Pakistan, are active in the state. Our efforts to restore peace, deal with law and order situations, especially in the Valley are continuing.

Currently, we are focusing on these aspects as our aim for 2011 is to avoid the loss of life and property across the state while dealing with such incidents.

Q: Last year, over 100 people were killed during unrest in the Valley. What are your plans this year to deal with such untoward incidents, especially the stone-pelting mob?

A: We always adopt new techniques to deal with such situations and this year, we are adopting non-lethal weapons to deal with crowd, as mostly police personnel face problems while dealing with a violent mob. For this purpose, we have formed five battalions, especially to deal with the stone-pelting mob, and these are equipped with full body protective gears, non-lethal weapons like plastic pellets for SLR guns, pump action guns, coloured water canons, triple-action smoke grenades, besides other traditional methods and weapons.

Q: Other than crowd control methods, how are you preparing to deal with youngsters, just to change their minds?

A: A large number of youngsters were found involved in violent incidents and a fairly large number of them were arrested in stone pelting activities last year. That’s why we are opening health clubs, organising sports tourneys, talent hunt contests, seminars and debates on various issues to help them explore their talent and make them aware of rightful living.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also ordered all government departments to listen to the grievances of the public with much care so that they would have no need to adopt any subversive method.

Q: Is there any major threat from Pakistan this summer as the intelligence agencies have from time to time sounded alert about terrorist strikes?

A: We consider all these inputs seriously. We have recently received reports that Pakistani rangers or other agencies in Pakistan are continuously trying to push terrorists into our territory. The terrorists have set up more than 20 main camps near our boundary. They are also funding separatists or anti-social elements here to carry on their operations.

Q: How do you take the threats of Syed Salahuddin, chief of HM, who has released a number of videos showing terrorist training camps on the other side?

A: No, he is no one to dare us. We are well prepared, as our government both at the Centre and state has full faith on us and we are very much capable in dealing with any such threat. It is not a question of fear from any individual, when a country (Pakistan) is already trying to harm us.

Q: Besides foreign ultras, is there any threat from Sikh militants?

A: Yes, there are some inputs that Sikh militants are trying hard to enter into the state from the other side, but our intelligence agencies like the CID, IB and RAW’s information about all this has helped us a lot. So far, there is no Sikh militant active here.

Q: You have so far spoken about militancy, is the law and order under control in J&K?

A: The year 2010 has proved far better as compared to 2009. The figure related to serious crime has also come down. If this continued, the day will be not be far when this state will appear as one of the top tourist places across the world.

Q: Will the troop reduction increase the burden on the police?

A: Let the Ministry of Home decide the issue. But, we are very much prepared to deal with all kind of situations.

Courtesy: The Tribune