Gun, Violence Will Lead to Social Disorder

At a time when alliance partners of Jammu and Kashmir government are divided on the investigation of the rape and murder of an eight year old Kathua girl , the Jammu and Kashmir police , which is in the ye of storm, has maintained that crime has been committed and justice will be done. The state Police Chief Dr. S.P Vaid in a conversation with The Kashmir Magazine spoke on many issues including the girl’s gruesome rape and murder case. Here are the excerpts

Q : Don’t you think the repeated protests on the investigation of Asifa case is an attempt to dent the image of J&K Police .

Ans : The Crime branch has professionally investigated the case and presented the challan in the Kathua Court . I regret that some people are trying to give it religious and political colour. A crime has been committed with a little child and whosoever is involved, it is the duty of crime branch and the J&K Police to investigate the matter and present it before court which we have done. The court will now decide about the punishment.

Q: Why are some people repeatedly asking for the CBI investigation instead of JKP?

Ans : What will CBI do, which J&K Police is not capable of doing ? If J&K Police can fight with militants, why can’t it hold investigations? People must repose faith in police. JKP is being considered as the best Police in India. So I don’t agree with them.

Q : But despite repeated protests and disruptions, why the police is not taking action against those who obstruct the investigations?

Ans : We have lodged an FIR has been lodged against lawyers who obstructed Crime Branch in filing Chalan in Kathua Court..

Q : When you claim that J&K Police is The Best Force in the country, why should you call NSG for counter-insurgency operations in Valley .?

Ans : NSG is an expert force in room intervention. The idea to bring them in counterinsurgency operations is that to avoid damages to the houses in urban areas particularly in Srinagar City. They will be part of the joint force of J&K Police and CRPF but the overall control and command would be with J&K Police.

Q : The Chief Minster has according to reports recently issued directives to persuade local militants for surrender . Don’t you think, bringing NSG in operations would minimize the chances of surrender?

Ans : They will be called only when the room intervention is required.

Q : After recent Shopian killings , the forces allegedly went inside the college and school campus and hospitals. Don’t you think it would provoke students more and deteriorate the situation further?

Ans : My strict instruction are not to go inside the schools and colleges campus. I will talk to IGP on this issue because children are to be dealt very carefully. Regarding hospital, we had probably information of the presence of an injured militant in the hospital. This is an Unfortunate incident but in this case too, I have issued a detailed instruction as what strategy needs to be adopted under such circumstances.

Q : More Youth are coming out from homes to help militants break the cordon and many are joining the militants ranks. Don’t you think there should an alternate to military approach for an outreach .?

Ans : Yes there must. But everything cannot be done by police and everything should not be left on police. Civil society, mature and intelligent people in the society have to come forward and pave way for an outreach that would minimize the military approach. Gun and violence will bring destruction in society. I appeal to intelligent and mature people of society to come forward and tell these boys that gun will bring nothing but destruction.
Everything can’t be done by police, unfortunately, in Jammu and Kashmir, everything has been left upon police. Police has a limited mandate of investigation and submission of challans. Even fighting ‘terrorism’ is also not our duty, we are caught in it by compulsion because situation has emerged like that. Otherwise this is also not police’s job.
In Kashmir valley, everything should not be left on police, that is why I am telling that good people should introspect and think seriously why our future generation is lost and why parents lose their children.

Q ; Police has been maintaining that ISIS has not presence in Valley. But now you claim to have arrested some supporters of Zakir Musa group. Has your position on ISIS presence in Valley changed?

Ans : Social media reach has gone worldwide. It is not in Kashmir only and anybody can get radicalized anywhere in the world. Ideology of ISIS and Al-Qaida is available on social media which has influenced some people but there is no physical infrastructure which would indicate that ISIS or al-Qaida has established any separate set up in Valley. Yes some youth are affected with that ideology which is not good for Kashmir. And naturally this a path of destruction.

Courtesy: The Kashmir Magazine