Radicalisation at militant funerals on forces’ radar

Police devise strategy to ensure such gatherings don’t become large

NEWDELHI: The Jammu and Kashmir police will act against those who eulogise dead militants in funerals, making provocative speeches which the police believes motivates young people to join militant groups.

“We have devised a strategy to deal with these gatherings,” said state police chief SP Vaid.

Vaid refused to discuss specifics of the strategy but a Srinagarbased official in the security forces said the state police had been asked to identify and act against people making provocative speeches at such gatherings, glorifying the “sacrifices” of the dead militants. The police will also take measures to keep these gatherings from not becoming too large, this person said.

“We have been trying to cut access to the area so that the gathering should not become large. But our success in this endeavour depends on the topography of the area. Sometimes it is difficult to deployaccesscontrolmeasures,” said a J&K police official who asked not to be identified.

The administration will have to tread carefully in this matter, said MY Tarigami,a Communist Party of India (Marxist) member of the J&K assembly.

CONTINUED ON P 10

AP FILE A militant fires in the air at the funeral of ‘commander’ Saddam Padder in Heff village, south of Srinagar, on May 6.