Three incidents have occurred in sequence, one in Srinagar and two in Rajouri. These speak of growing nexus between the militants, and security personel. The Rajouri case could be more a vendetta than real act of subversion directed against the state. But it has something more to convey beyond mere vendetta. Such incidents have to be looked at from the prism of national security. Three days ago, Rajouri police and SOG arrested police constable Abdul Rahim of Mendhar, 156 Territorial Army jawan Muhammad Hanief r/o Palima, Rajouri, a suspected militant and tempo driver Muhammad Rashid, and a civilian Aurangzeb of Rajouri. The mission before the police was to break the nexus under which a grenade had been planted at the shop of a civilian Javed Ahmad at Darhali Bridge, Rajouri.
Earlier, in Srinagar, after the arrest and interrogation of five suspected police constables, a major nexus between them and the militants came to light. A day after Rajouri grenade recovery incident, involvement of another police constable in the nexus has surfaced. Basharat Hussain, PSO of DySP Headquarters Rajouri was under investigations. He has been quizzed and interrogated, a senior police officer said from Rajouri.
Unveiling of three incidents in succession in which the nexus between the militants, police, civilians and surprisingly a jawan of Territorial Army are involved, speaks more than what meets the eye. All the five suspects of Rajouri grenade episode come from Rajouri and Poonch districts. Both districts are infested with militancy with presumably extensive links and conduits. While Rajouri witnessed grave communal tension a couple of months ago, the Krishna Ghati and other border areas in Poonch have been witnessing heavy firing by Pakistani rangers. All these events that converge on destabilizing our security along the border and inside border are alarming and cannot be dismissed as mere incidental or stray cases. It has to be reminded that after the arrest of five police constables in Srinagar and their disclosures made after interrogation, the Kashmir Police Chief minced no words and spoke threadbare of the fact that militants had penetrated different services and a process of internal sabotage was being planed. This is the old strategy of the militants and their mentors from across the border. Earlier also such instances of cops forming nexus with the militants had come to notice. This was despite the fact that the State police have rendered tremendously patriotic services and suffered many losses and made precious sacrifices in helping the state return to normalcy. Therefore while the stray cases are being investigated into, we should not jump at castigating the entire police organization. We should rather be fair and judicious in underlining the services and sacrifices of the police organization.
However, since the State is going through abnormal times, it is important that full security is provided to the institutions of society. In the first place, the Government has to tighten the scrutiny of recruits coming for recruitment in the rank and file of police organization or other services with the Government. Secondly, the Vigilance Department of the police has to be very efficient and functional and keep an eye of what is happening within the police organization. The deployment of suspected policemen or officers at sensitive places and positions has to be scrutinized by the highest authority on the basis of the history sheet of incumbents. Police should not become the dumping ground for all unemployed youth just to please them and mollify separatists sentiments among the youth. The Government should not think of applying ointment in all cases of militancy; it must also understand that in some cases surgeons consider operations as the remedy of a given malaise. Let there be plain speaking that militants have made dent in many services and organizations and have carved out sympathisers and helpers. This activity is carried out secretly. The nexus incidents which we have mentioned here could be just the tip of the iceberg. There might be the need of a grand purge of all sensitive departments of the Government and the state should not feel discouraged or scared if that process has to be initiated. It is only to show due respect and recognition to the precious sacrifices made by the police and the security forces.
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