Security for retired cops

Cold blooded killing of retired DSP Abdul Hamid Bhat while he was coming out of a mosque in Batmaloo, Srinagar after offering Friday prayers, is a stark reminder that all is not right about security matters in the city. His killing belies the claim that militancy has been eradicated in the city. This killing of a retired cop was preceded by other events that strengthen the argument that lowering the guard in regard to security is inadvisable. The gunning down of an NC activist in June in Natipora locality was attributed by some to personal vendetta though preliminary investigation made in that case showed that it was politically motivated killing. Again, we may recollect that a rocket was fired at the Secretariat some time back and most probably from somewhere in Batmaloo locality. This locality has a track record of being infested with terrorists and several killings in the past have taken place there.
Killing of retired DSP Bhat has been claimed by a rather unknown militant organization called Islamic Movement of Kashmir (IMK). The first thing for the intelligence sleuths to do is to find out the roots and branches of this organization. It is just possible that more recent acts of subversion and killing could be the handiwork of this organization. We know that some of the Pakistan-based jihadi organizations like LeT, JeM etc. are proscribed organizations but they continue their subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir under different nomenclature. Lashkar-e-Toiba stalwarts have openly said that their agenda is separation of Kashmir from India and they are working enthusiastically for achieving that aim. It is just possible that the Islamic Movement of Kashmir is the offspring of LeT and the ISI has floated it in order to create an impression that it is the local people in Kashmir who are running the separatist movement. Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) has been banned by the Government of India but in J&K State, where runs the writ of Article 370, whether this banning becomes operative or not is not known. The question is that if sufficient evidence is available to show that the IMK is in fact a newly formed militant organization with the agenda of unleashing violence and mayhem so as to destabilize peace in the State, is the State Government in a mood of imposing a ban on it? We think that this will be an embarrassing question for the Government because it has been making loud claims of restoring peace, law and order in the State and with that it has been vigorously campaigning for withdrawal of AFSPA and even the army as well from some areas. The incident of the killing of a retired cop may induce policy planners to rethink security situation and decide not to take any risks and not to lower the guard. It is true that an incident here and an incident there should not be generalised and should not be blown out of proportion. We do not suggest that an environment of panic should be created. But at the same time, we should be clear in our mind that sleeping cells do become active and carry forward their agenda. We should also understand that underground activists are neither de-oriented nor remorseful; they are rather lying low to strike selectively but effectively.
The killing of retired DSP Abdul Hamid Bhat raises the question of providing security to such of the retired cops as had been deployed on sensitive assignments and situations during their active service. The claim that the victim was instrumental in foiling the violence arising out of stone pelting episodes of 2010 is the tactics of militants to spread fear and canard among security personnel and policemen and deter them from performing their normal duty. The militants aim at not only demoralising the cops but also at defaming them in the eyes of the public. This is a challenge and the policy planners need to come out with their reaction. The first thing to do is to provide security cover to such of the retired police officers and cops as were deployed on very sensitive assignments during their active service. They should never feel that they are left to their fate once they retire from service. Their security as retired police officers and cops has to be the part of overall security umbrella. We would appreciate if the Government and especially the security paraphernalia of the state take serious view of the incident of killing of a retired DSP in Batmaloo locality and consider it a challenge to the efforts of the Government to restore normalcy in the State.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here