Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 6: Army has started night patrolling in North Kashmir district of Baramulla where two Panchayat members were killed last month forcing over 200 Panchayat members to resign in panic.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Baramulla based 19-Division of Army, Bipin Rawat, told Excelsior that the step was taken after the decision about area domination for providing security to the Panchayat members was taken in the Unified Headquarters meeting early this week.
The General said that Army has started day as well as night patrolling in the North Kashmir district of Baramulla where killing of two Panchayat members in Palhalan and Nowpora villages led to panic. Over 200 Panchayat members resigned in panic in the North Kashmir villages of Palhalan, Goshbugh, Taapar, Wusan, Kalsari, Nehalpora, Nowpora, Nowpora-Jageer, Wagoora, Chenad, Soloosa, Khashi Tangan, Delina, Sangrama, Putkhah and Kreeri in district Baramulla after the killings.
The Army commander said that the night patrolling was stopped in the district after the improvement in the situation but now recent killing and insecurity has forced security forces to sanitize these areas. “Our aim is to give sense of security to people and Panchayat members are part of them”, he added.
The Army units of 46 RR, 22 RR, 52 RR, 29 RR, 2 RR and 32 RR along with police are engaged in night domination of the Baramulla villages to give sense of security to the Panchayat members who had been resigning due to fear psychosis.
The more focus of the Army during these patrols is around Masjids in villages during night prayers as majority of the attacks on Panchayat members took place near the Majids and around night prayers.
Meanwhile, fresh posters of Harkatul Mujahideen militant outfit appeared in Watergam village of Baramulla threatening the Panchayat members. The militants asked the Panchayat members to resign or face the consequences.
Last week the threat posters of Lashkar-e-Toiba appeared in the villages of Drangbl, Naranthal and Jalsheeri of Baramulla district. The posters pasted on the electric poles and compound walls were later removed by the Police but not before it spread fresh panic. The Panchayat members through these posters were asked to resign by October 3.
Over 600 Panchs and Sarpanchs have resigned in South Kashmir districts of Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama and North Kashmir district of Baramulla after militants targeted them since last year. These resignations came in the form of paid advertisement in the local newspapers and through posters that were circulated in the local villages and Masjids.
Before targeting them, militants had asked the members of the Panchayats to resign or face consequences. The threatening came through posters circulated in several villages of these districts.
But the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while playing down the threats said last week that only 50 Panchayat members had sent their resignations which were not accepted. He made it clear that the Government will not cow down and wherever the Panchayat members will resign, by-elections will be held there.
Over 33, 000 Panchs and Sarpanchs were elected last year to this grass root level democratic set up after a gap of over 34 years. The peaceful Panchayat elections were considered as a mile stone by the State Government. Now the existence of this institution is facing militant threat which is a major concern for the Government as its members have become soft targets for militants.
In order to stop resignation of the Panchayat members and save them from militant wrath, Chief Minister directed the security forces during the Unified Headquarters meeting early this week to make proper security assessment of elected Panchayat members so that security cover will be provided to them in the vulnerable areas. He had called upon police and all other security agencies to remain alert and take necessary steps to instill confidence among the elected representatives.
Soon after the meeting, the security forces intensified the night vigil in the sensitive areas to provide sense of security to the Panchayat members.
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