Security forces to devise plan to stop J&K youth from being recruited by terror groups: DGP
DGP Swain said that hundreds of youths have joined terrorist ranks in the Valley over the past decade, especially in south Kashmir’s four districts
Jammu and Kashmir director general of police (DGP) RR Swain has said that the security forces will device plans in all districts to stop he youth from being recruited by terrorist organisations.
He said that hundreds of youths have joined terrorist ranks in the Valley over the past decade, especially in south Kashmir’s four districts. Most of the newly recruited terrorists, who are not even trained to handle the weapons, get killed within months of joining the ranks.
“Each act of recruitment will be treated as an act of terror. People who incite or facilitate a youngster to join terrorist ranks will be equally liable, if not more. There will be sustained action against people who motivate and recruit,” Swain told reporters after the DGP’s public grievance redressal meeting at the police headquarters here.
“Writers who hide behind the freedom of expression” to incite youths will also be proceeded against, he said and added that the aim of security agencies is that there should be no recruitment to terrorist ranks at all.
If anyone has joined terrorist ranks, police try to know about it through their parents, friends and teachers, and also masjid committees, the DGP said.
“It is not the job of police alone. If there is a community effort, lives can be saved. Our effort will be to cut off the handlers sitting on the other side...They use money and incite youngsters to join the (terrorist) ranks. There is a need for a planned and sustained battle against it, and we will do it,” Swain said.
Expressing concern over narcotics smuggling taking place from across the Line of Control (LoC), the DGP said the might of law enforcement agencies will be combined to target the “wholesale” dealers. “We will go after the big fish,” he said.
“We will assimilate the power of all agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax (IT), National Investigation Agency (NIA), state investigation agency (SIA) and district police against these wholesale dealers. We don’t want to create a situation where prosperity of these people lures others. We want to finish this model. They will lose their house and their lands. We are committed to this,” Swain said.
The DGP said anyone found facilitating the drug trade will be dealt with sternly. “Earlier it was charas, which was available locally. It was not as harmful as heroin and brown sugar that is coming from across (the border). It is a poison which is sold and the money earned from it is used to kill people. If anyone is found involved in it, be it from the police establishment or any section of society, we will act very strictly,” he said.
On the meeting with the public, the DGP said it is a new effort towards addressing the grievances of people.
“I was not sure how many people will come and what all issues they will bring. It is an experiment for me also. It has a message value, it’s a connection with the people. There will be substantive results as I will be aware of what kind of things affect the police administration,” he said.
“There are some issues which can be resolved instantly while some need further examination. We will try to refine it with a follow-up system where the complainant can track their grievances. We will tell the complainants about what we could do or could not do about their issues,” Swain added.
Swain said he may not have solutions to all problems but issues related to the police administration will be resolved.
In 2022, 172 terrorists, including 42 foreigners, were killed in more than 90 operations carried out by the security forces across Kashmir and there was a 37% decline in the recruitment of youngsters into terror ranks.
As per police figures, out of total 65 terrorists killed last year, 58 (89%) were neutralised within the first month of their joining. In 2022, 100 fresh recruitments into terrorist ranks were reported.
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