Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 16: The Security and Intelligence agencies have favoured a North-East type Rehabilitation Policy for the militants returning from Pakistan and PoK to dispel genuine doubts in the minds of some agencies that the militants returning from the neighbouring country could turn out to be “security risk’’ in future.
Official sources pointed out that there was a vast difference between Rehabilitation Policy in force for surrendered militants in North-East and Jammu and Kashmir. “While various security and Intelligence agencies have unofficially voiced serious concern over the Rehabilitation Policy of J&K, no such objections were raised by them over a similar policy in the North-East,’’ they said.
They noted that under the North-East Rehabilitation Policy, the militants, immediately after their surrender, are taken to rehabilitation camps run by the security agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and some other bodies like Art of Living in which they were made to learn the art of peaceful living by shunning the path of militancy and violence.
The surrendered militants, who are cleared by the security agencies, NGOs and other social organisations are then provided soft loans and jobs in both Government and private security as per their qualification and training given to them in the rehabilitation camps, a senior officer, who had remained associated with rehabilitation of the militants in the North-East, said.
He added that this way the “just and genuine concerns’’ of security and Intelligence agencies about re-cycling of surrendered militants were duly addressed. “It has been observed in the North-East that very few surrendered militants have taken to arms after the Rehabilitation Policy,’’ he asserted.
Although no report of re-cycling of the militants, who have surrendered under the Rehabilitation Policy has surfaced in the State, the Security and Intelligence agencies were keeping their fingers crossed especially in view of the fact that all those militants, who have returned from Pakistan and PoK, had gone their for arms training and had worked their as militants for past quite some time.
Moreover, sources said, some of the militants might have been pushed into this side by Pakistan’s Army or Intelligence agencies with a part of “larger plan’’ to use them at a later stage. Out of a total of about 280 persons, who have come from Pakistan and PoK using Nepal route, some of them have brought their Pakistani wives with them, who could also pose a security risk, they added.
Sources said the security agencies operating in Jammu and Kashmir have already declared that they wouldn’t allow the militants to enter from PoK through the Line of Control (LoC) from any area other than the two prescribed routes of Poonch-Rawlakote in Jammu and Uri-Muzaffarabad in Kashmir.
“Since the Rehabilitation Policy has been approved by the State Government and endorsed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), we have to follow it but definitely we will not allow any illegal crossing as was happening on Nepal route. We will allow the militants if they take only two legalized routes in the State,’’ sources said.
It may be mentioned here that the Rehabilitation Policy has identified four routes for return of youths into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan and PoK, which included Poonch-Rawlakote in Jammu, Uri-Muzaffarabad in Kashmir, Wagah border in Amritsar district of Punjab and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi.
When the Rehabilitation Policy was announced, about 650 militants had applied for their return. A total of 180 persons including the militants, their Pakistani wives and children have returned so far, none through four authorized routes. All of them have come via Nepal route.
Sources said the militants on their return were being charged with illegal crossing of the LoC and produced before the Court. After bail, they were sent home. No prescribed mechanism was in place to keep surveillance on their activities.
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