Fear grips force as kin turn collateral
VALLEY ON EDGE 11 family members of policemen were kidnapped, released. Senior officials admitted concern among lower ranks My men are extremely disturbed. There is a fear perception about our families. This should happen neither from our side nor from theirs
SHO RANK OFFICIAL
SRINAGAR : There is a sense of alarmanddespairamongjammu and Kashmir policemen and their families after 11 members of policemen’s families were kidnapped, and then released, by militants over the past 48 hours, responding to the Wednesday night detention by the police of family members of some Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including those of its operational commander, Riyaz Naikoo.
The release of the relatives of the policemen came after the police let go the relatives of the militants.
Families of a few militants in Shopian alleged their houses were ransacked and set ablaze allegedly by security forces on Wednesday night, hours after four policemen were killed by militants.
While the police, army and the Central Reserve Police Force collectively fight militancy in Kashmir, policemen typically come from the same social milieu as local militants, making them and their families easy targets. Army and paramilitary men stay in guarded camps.
While police officers are putting up a brave front, they concede on the condition of anonymity, that the lower ranks are jittery following the abductions. The abductions have happened in south Kashmir, in Pulwama, Shopian, Ananatnag and Kulgam.
“My men are extremely disturbed. There is a fear perception about our families. This should happen neither from our side nor from theirs,” said an officer of SHO (station house officer) rank in central Kashmir who has many policemen from south Kashmir under his command.
“If families get involved, there will be chaos. Overall, both sides will get affected. Many of my friends and colleagues are contemplating to migrate from south Kashmir. Some are even thinking of leaving their jobs,” he said.
Additional director general of police (law and order) Munir Ahmad Khan denied panic has set in among the lower ranks of police force but said there is concern. “There is no fear but yes they are concerned about it. They are concerned as to why they (militants) are doing it,” he said.
A mid-ranking police officer from south Kashmir declined comment, saying he is keeping quiet for the sake of “his life”.
Another DSP level officer said: “Many of our special police officers (SPOS) were threatened and attacked despite announcing that they are leaving their jobs.”
The brother of a police constable working in the armed police said both sides have erred by targeting families of each other. “What will happen now? My mother is so worried,” he said.
“This is madness on part of militants but policemen have been equally foolish to round up the families of militants during the night and ransacking their households,” he said.
“My brother is depressed. He can’t leave the job. He has a wife and a child to take care of,” he said.
The brother said that separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik should intervene to prevent the situation from going out of hand.
The mother of a 34-year-old police constable said she has left it to fate. “What can be done? Life and death is in the hands of God. Our poverty has forced him to do the job. He is ready to leave the job but we don’t have money to sustain us,” she said.
Militants and forces victimising each other’s families is highly condemnable and marks a new low in our situation. Families shouldn’t become casualties and made to suffer... This is a very worrying reflection of the situation in the Valley. What’s worse is the selective outrage — people/ leaders who are so vocal about alleged security force excesses are silent... We are a professional force and don’t believe in harassment... But if any relative or friend of a militant is involved in some illegal activity that will be taken care of by law