JK News Today Commentary
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday rolled out a list of tasks that J&K police should accomplish to make the territory terror and fear-free . This speaks of his trust in the police force that he believes it can do what is needed for taking J&K to the level where the people’s lives run smoothly without any interference of the external violence or the internal factors . This is a statement of the nation’s faith in the police that has scripted a new .
Manoj Sinha while addressing the passing out parade of Dy.SPs at Udhampur police academy , touched upon the real-time issues , with a sharp focus on J&K police , like a man who knows all the ins and outs of the territory where he is at the helm of affairs for well over four years and five months . He has seen and witnessed J&K struggling with woes that debilitated the status and prestige of the masses . Terrorism was one of the biggest ills , and he knows that unless it is fully eradicated , the territory will not breathe easily . Breaking terrorism is not enough, the police needs to go far beyond and neutralize all inimical elements in society .
Why should J&K police take this frontline role in doing what appears to be a huge task? It is simply because that J&K police force has shown that for all its ranks no challenge is insurmountable The force in the recent years has shown its mettle and did a remarkable job in taming terrorism in Kashmir which continued to roil the Valley and placed a big question mark over the internal security of the country . There should be no hesitating in stating the fact that J&K police carved out its own niche in becoming a frontline force while the nation’s leadership had put all its hopes elsewhere. The national leadership had the reason to do so; there exist a trust-deficit with all the institutions in J&K because of its typical political orientation and education system.
Post-abrogation of Article 370 , the J&K police handled each and everything deftly, which has not been explained and documented in detail . The posterity must know that how it was done , but there has been a little effort in that direction. Its efforts and pivotal role in maintaining peace and order were greatly appreciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a number of times . Home Minister Amit shah complimented J&K police and its leadership on various occasions , as the real task of pulling J&K through difficult situations and times , and maintaining peace and order was done by the state police . Its leadership in the then DGP Dilbag Singh gave a new sense of confidence to the force and placed it on the frontline against all odds . The police not only fought terrorism , but various aspects , and achieved several milestones while moving in the direction of the zero-tolerance toward terrorism goal .
But the challenges have not diminished. First thing , the police have to maintain peace and order achieved so far , and give a momentum to this process in which terrorism is not only abolished from the surface but from its core areas .. The ecosystem that sustains it from ferrying weapons funding and those engaged in sheltering them and identifying targets. Added to that is to stay ahead of the terror-mongering men and women in technology and other advancements that have changed the whole world. This is a mix of both conventional and unconventional methodology in counter-terrorism.
Indeed the fight against terrorism in J&K is part of the advancement of strengthening of the internal security of the country. Terrorism as such was not only threat to J&K but also to the entire nation. Acts of terror of yesteryear brought some weaknesses in the system to fore . There is no denying the fact that terrorism doesn’t know boundaries . The US, the most powerful country of the world , is as vulnerable to the acts of terror as any other country . India is no exception . A fact, however, stands out that terrorism in J&K has international dimensions . J&K was made a spring board by the terror groups and their mentors across the border , to “ bleed India by thousand cuts,.” Since 1990s , the international dimension was not confined to Pakistan and its export of terrorists, tools of terrorism and also the narrative , but it did change the perception of the international community, especially in the west about J&K and its relationship with the rest of India. There were more questions and suggestions than standing by the country in its fight against terrorism. There is a difference , which should be acknowledged , in countering terrorism by Army and CAPFs and J&K police . It is important that all forces work with greater synergy in countering terrorism as that is prime objective of any nation having islands of terrorism, but in the context of Kashmir , the Police playing frontline role changes the whole connotations. It makes it indigenous fight – the local police fighting terrorism in Kashmir . That narrative is imperative in giving a right prism to the international critics .
In short, J&K police has been assigned a national duty that it has performed over the years with finesse. The new leadership in DGP Nalin Prabhat is cut out for it.. He has shown for the past few months how the police can take greater responsibilities as he has inspired next level confidence among all ranks .
