* Colleges mgmt, parents to be involved in persuading youth
Sanjeev Pargal /
Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Apr 25: The Unified Headquarters meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today decided to increase role of the civil administration in tackling law and order problem including increasing incidents of stone pelting in the Kashmir valley and called for involving religious and elderly persons, educationists and parents of the youth and students to dissuade them from stone pelting on security forces.
The Unified Headquarters meeting that lasted three hours in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, deliberated on series of measures that could be taken to maintain peace and normalcy in the Kashmir valley to facilitate arrival of tourists, working of educational institutions and smooth pilgrimage to Shri Amarnath ji shrine.
Attended by Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, top Generals of Northern Command and Western Command, top brass of civil administration, para-military forces, Intelligence agencies and Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Unified Headquarters meeting decided to put comprehensive strategy in place to prevent unrest in Kashmir this summer as it would not only lead to law and order problem but also spoil the tourist season in the State including the Valley.
Sources told the Excelsior that the Unified Headquarters described as “dangerous” the new trend of school and college students including females joining protests in different parts of the Valley and subjecting para-military forces and police to stone pelting, leading to chaos.
There was a general consensus that civil administration should be further activated to play more effective role in curbing the protest.
“It has been decided that senior officers of the civil administration would be in forefront to persuade agitating youth and students to shun the protests and brief them about their grievances instead of stone pelting. The CRPF and JKP will come into action only if the protesters didn’t disperse even after being persuaded by the civil administration,” sources said.
A significant input was given by the Intelligence agencies in the Unified Headquarters meeting that Pakistan people living along International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, at the behest of their troops, have started cutting crops well in advance this year.
“Generally, the Pakistani people start cutting their crops by the end of May or start of June. However, this year, new phenomenon has been noticed on Pakistani border with people started cutting their crops in the month of April,” the Intelligence agencies pointed out in the meeting and cautioned that this could be the tactic of Pakistan to create trouble along the borders by trying to push infiltrators or resort to shelling and firing.
Calling for adhering to Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) during crowd control, the Chief Minister stressed for coordination among all security agencies in dealing with any kind of eventuality.
In their assessment of the situation along LoC and hinterland, security agencies pointed out that infiltration of the militants has been down this year as compared to last year but there has been recruitment of some local militants, which was worrisome. However, they said, efforts were being made to dissuade youths from the militancy by engaging them in different kind of works.
Sources said the Unified Headquarters meeting was of the view that security agencies should gear up well in advance this year for holy pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath ji shrine, which is scheduled to start on June 29 and culminate on August 7 taking into account the security situation in the Kashmir valley.
Sources said the misuse of social media by Pakistan and certain “anti-national elements” in fomenting trouble in the Kashmir valley by instigating youths and students to indulge in stone pelting figured in detail in the Unified Headquarters meeting. The meeting said a strategy would be put in place to block the Groups, which were spreading hatred among the youth and instigating them to indulge in stone pelting at the risk of their lives.
The Unified Headquarter meeting expressed concern over spike in violence in Kashmir and suggested way and means to ensure peaceful summer ahead. The use of social media being used for organizing protests and fomenting trouble was thoroughly discussed and it was decided that laboratories will be set up at various levels to monitor its misuse.
Mehbooba directed the security agencies to exercise maximum restrain while dealing with day to day law and order situations and ensure that no collateral damage takes place. “Wherever restraint was exercised, it showed positive results on the ground for the Government and helped in maintaining peace and order”, she said.
She also directed the security agencies to improve the Public-Security Force interface and make it a regular affair. She said the youth unfortunately caught in the cycle of misinformation and violence are our own who ought to be won over with a healing touch.
The Chief Minister asked security forces to undertake youth counseling to tackle protests. “The counseling sessions for youth would not only help the youth all apprehensions and misgivings about the system but would also give the security agencies a chance to reach out to people through community policing”, she said.
Mehbooba said youth engagement should be prioritized rather than viewing it as a routine law and order issue. She also directed that the local militants should be encouraged to surrender.
Chief Minister directed that care should be taken to avoid and minimize all collateral damage while conducting operations against the militants. While giving example of last month’s encounter at Chadoora in which one militant and three civilians were killed, she said that such killings are unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.
She also directed that parents of youth be taken into confidence as and when there is some complaint about any youth and in no way should the family be held accountable for the deeds of the said youth. She directed that the parents of the stone pelters and militants should not be harassed.
The Chief Minister directed the security agencies to ensure that inter community harmony and amity among various sections of society is maintained at all costs. She directed that culprits be brought to justice if found spreading hatred against a section of society or in the name of a social cause and if need be strict provisions of law be slapped on such hate mongers who are found taking law into their own hands.
The use of social media by separatists and militants to foment trouble in Kashmir was discussed thoroughly during the meeting. The security agencies were of the opinion that the social media is being used for organizing protests and motivating youth to join protests during the operations.
The meeting suggested for ways and means to stop the use of social media being misused by the some elements who want to foment trouble in Kashmir. It was decided that laboratories will be established at various levels to monitor misuse of social media by militants and separatist elements.
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh expressed grave concern over the student protests which are becoming uncontrollable. The various security agencies also expressed concern over these protests and suggested means to tackle them. Dr Singh called upon security forces to take all steps to maintain law and order and restore peace and normalcy in the Valley. He also called for advance preparations for smooth annual Amarnath Ji pilgrimage.
The meeting suggested that there should be better coordination at Police Station level with the para-military security forces who are engaged in law and order duties so that it is ensured that there is no or minimum collateral damage.
Senior Army Commanders said that there are apprehensions of more ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border and infiltration attempts are also going to increase this year. They said that this year there were two successful infiltration attempts by militants during which 12-15 militants managed to infiltrate.
The meeting suggested that new strategy be adopted while conducting operations against the militants. The emphasis was laid on quick, precise and surgical operations against the militants so that there is no room for stone pelters gathering during the operations.
The meeting besides others was attended by Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh; Chief Secretary, BR Sharma; Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B B Vyas; Principal Secretary, Home, RK Goyal; Director General of Police, Dr. Sheesh Pal Vaid; GOC in C of Northern Command, Lt Gen Devraj Anbu; Corps Commanders of various Army formations operating in the State; Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu; senior officers of CRPF, BSF and Jammu and Kashmir Police.
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