Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 22: After this year’s surge in militant attacks against security forces, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that his Government has worked out a strategy to deal such attacks.
While addressing the Passing Out Parade of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Humhama Training Centre in Budgam, Omar said: “They want to bring down the morale of security forces. And the militants feel that by targeting the security forces, their own morale will go up. But they have been unsuccessful in both. In order to lessen the number of such attacks in the future, we have readied a strategy for taking steps in that direction.”
“The number of overall attacks in 2013 has decreased compared to 2012. However, in the year 2013, security forces were specifically targeted, wherein they (militants) had much success. For that, we need to change our strategy and it is the evidence of a fact that militants have understood that there is a pressure on them from security forces”, said Chief Minister.
Omar said that CRPF and Police have to deal with complex and challenging situations in the State where they have to combat militancy and deal with law and order situation simultaneously. He said every care needs to be taken in this kind of situation to deal with people and help control law and order situations.
Omar advised the CPRF to respect the human rights and behave nicely with people while dealing with law and order and militancy. “Your behaviour towards people is of paramount importance and you should always make the best attitude and positive behaviour towards people the benchmark of your duty”, he said.
The Chief Minister praised the exemplary service of the CRPF across the country and the State. While seeking flawless services from them, he said: “Your good work often goes unnoticed while any flaw in your service rendering raises fingers pointing towards you, as such, you have to concentrate on rendering flawless and careful duty with your best capacity and highest degree of sincerity for which you have taken the oath.”
“Treat this as a message or an advice, but during discharging your duties, differentiate between strictness and misbehaviour. I often tell my police officers that sometimes when I see the behaviour of policemen with the people, I see that they want to be strict but end up misbehaving with them. People will not feel bad if you try to be strict. However, when you turn strictness into misbehaviour, people will never be ready to bear that. And then in stubbornness they do not do what we want them to do,” Omar said.
Chief Minister said that situation in the State is not fully normal yet but there is considerable improvement. “The situation here is not fully normal, though it is right that the situation has improved a lot. The situation you dealt with before is not the same you are dealing with now”, he added
Omar sought CRPF’s support for an end to an era of militancy. “But we have not reached the milestone where we can fully do away with guns and God willing, that day would not be far if you continue to help and support,” he said.
The CRPF Training Centre came into being in 1990 at Humhama and served as an important training centre throughout the year even during the harsh winters in Kashmir. This centre is the only training centre in North India and contributes a lot in imparting modern training to the CRPF which plays the role of striking reserve to assist the States to maintain the law and order and in counter insurgency operations.
The Passing Out Parade was led by Parade Commander Pardeep Ranawat, Sub Inspector Mohammad Azam was Parade-2 I/C, the National Flag bearer was Assistant Sub Inspector Sat Pal Singh and CRPF Colour Bearer Sub Inspector Sukhdeep Singh while Flag Escort Commander was Kulvinder Singh.
The Chief Minister took salute on the parade of 335 pass outs and presented awards of excellence to the best indoor cadet bagged by Kapil Anand, best indoor award won by Subash Chander, best shooter award received by Ajmeri Ahmad and all round best award won by Sutendra Kumar.
Of the passing out candidates 66 were from Utter Pradesh, 34 from Rajasthan, 16 from Jharkhand, 2 from Andhra Pradesh, 75 from Bihar, 5 from Punjab, 6 from Odisha, 2 from Karnataka, 3 from Himachal Pradesh, 4 from Gujarat, 26 from Haryana, 30 from Assam, 9 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Madhya Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, 10 from West Bengal, 3 from Tripura, 3 from Kerala and 27 from Jammu and Kashmir.
Later speaking to reporters, Omar said reciprocity has to be the key word if the relationship between India and the US has to progress and both the countries need to work together to resolve the serious issue of mistreatment of diplomat Devyani Khobragade.
“I think if the relationship is to progress, reciprocity has to be the key word. If they treat our diplomats well, we will treat their diplomats well. And that is the way this relationship will go forward,” Omar said.
Omar rued the fact that “we go out of our way” to treat the US diplomats while Washington does not extend the same courtesy to the Indian diplomats.
“I think it is in the fitness of things that the US recognises that this woman was a diplomat (and) she should have been treated like a diplomat. More so, when we go out of our way to treat their diplomats very differently than we otherwise would,” he said.
“You take an example, when even mid-ranking US officials visit India, we open all doors for them. I mean the US Ambassador barely has to ask for an appointment and there is hardly an office in New Delhi that does not open to him or her. The same courtesy is not extended to the Indian Ambassador posted in Washington, the Chief Minister said.
Omar complimented the Centre for taking a strong stand on the issue.
“This is a serious issue that the US and India need to work together to resolve. That having been said, I think this is the first time that India has actually taken a strong stand on an issue like this which I think we should compliment the Government of India for.
“I think some of the statements that are coming in the western press are indicative of the surprise that they are feeling that a country like India has actually had the guts to stand up for what is right,” Omar said.
Omar said there was nothing new in Ministers resigning before the elections to work for the party and he will see if such a thing was needed in the State before the Assembly polls scheduled next year.
Omar was expressing his views in the wake of Congress leader Jayanthi Natarajan’s resignation as Union Minister for party work, which has given rise to speculations that more Ministers from Centre may be drafted for party work.
“There is nothing new in seeking resignation of some Ministers just before the elections. If you remember, before the elections of 2009, Ministers like Jairam Ramesh resigned to work for the party. It is the need of the hour,” Omar said.
Omar said it is the internal matter of the Congress party to see which Minister has to resign or which not.
The Chief Minister said he will see whether there is a need to take resignations of some of the Ministers, belonging to his party National Conference, one to two months before the elections.
“As far as such a thing in J&K is concerned, we will see to that one or two months before the elections,” the Chief Minister said.
National Conference is in coalition with Congress in the State, which is scheduled to go for polls next year.
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