Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 17: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said today that the Kashmiri youth, who have taken to militancy, have realized futility of senseless violence and they want to return home and live normal lives with their family members.
In a series of tweets today in the wake of surrender by a footballer of South Kashmir within few days of his joining militancy, Mehbooba said: “I understand the predicament of young boys, who have strayed into militancy. Most of them now realize the futility of senseless violence and want to return home to live normal lives with their family members with dignity”.
At the same time, the Chief Minister admitted that the choice to renounce violence is also not going to be an easy task for the youth as some of them could find themselves trapped in the militancy and violence.
“But the choice to renounce violence is not an easy one and they (the youths who have joined militancy) could find themselves between the devil and deep blue sea,” she said in one of the tweets.
She asserted that the fear of social stigma also clouds their (the youths’) judgment.
However, the Chief Minister assured the youths, who shun violence and return into mainstream that the State Government would secure their future and ensure that they were not harassed.
“My Government is committed towards a Rehabilitation Policy that security future of the surrendered youths and ensures that they are not harassed,” Mehbooba said.
Asserting that it was family of the youth, who take to militancy, which suffers the most, the Chief Minister remarked that a mother’s love has prevailed and her impassionate appeal has helped in getting back Majid.
She was referring to the return of Majid Arshad, a college student and footballer from Anantnag district of Kashmir valley, who had joined Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit about 10 days back but surrendered today in South Kashmir after an emotional appeal by her mother asking Majid to return home went viral on social media and was also highlighted by many newspapers.
“A mother’s love prevailed. Her impassioned appeal helped in getting Majid, an aspiring footballer back home. Every time, a youngster resort to violence, it is his family, which suffers the most,” Mehbooba Mufti remarked on micro blogging site twitter.
Majid Arshad surrendered before Army and police today after remaining with the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit for nearly 10 days. After joining militancy, his photographs with gun had gone viral on social media, which were followed by an impassionate appeal from Majid’s mother asking her son to give up violence and return home.
Meanwhile, referring to Mehbooba Mufti’s tweet dropping hints towards Rehabilitation Policy for the surrendered youth, sources said the State Government’s Home Department was drafting the Policy, which would be completely different from previous NC-Congress Government’s Surrender Policy for the militants.
While Omar Abdullah Government’s Surrender Policy had focused on return of militants from Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) through four designated routes, the upcoming Rehabilitation Policy was likely to focus on surrender of local youths and ensure their rehabilitation.
Omar Government had designated four routes including Uri-Muzaffarabad in Kashmir, Poonch-Rawlakote in Jammu, Wagah border in Amritsar district of Punjab and Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. However, not even a single militant returned from these four routes.
Only Nepal border with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was used by some of the militants to return along with their families, which have come up during their stay in Pakistan and PoK.
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