After the surrender of a local militant and an overground worker during encounters in the past two days, Kashmir’s top security forces officers today made a joint offer to militants to lay down arms.
“…He (Adil Dar of Shopian) could have been killed by the forces. There was no other way out, but we preferred to give him a chance to come to the mainstream. We wanted that he should join his parents again. That’s why we preferred to catch him, sending out a clear message to others who have been lured into militancy that if they surrender, we will receive them with open arms,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Muneer Khan said during a joint press conference in Srinagar today.
The IGP was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding of the Army’s counter-insurgency unit in south Kashmir, Maj Gen BS Raju, and IG, Operations, CRPF, Kashmir, Zulfiqar Hassan during the press briefing.
The fresh appeal is part of the outreach mission of the security forces to bring peace in the region, which has been on the edge since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani last year.
On September 9 night, Adil, a Lashkar militant, surrendered during a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. Two of his associates were killed in the gunfight.
In Kulgam district, an overground worker, Arif Ahmad Sofi, surrendered during an encounter, in which two militants were killed.
Both Adil and Arif were presented before the media in Srinagar today. They, however, did not talk.
“It is not necessary that militants surrender only during the encounters. They can join the mainstream even now,” the IGP said. He said there was a clear government policy on surrender and the government was keen to rehabilitate militants.
Maj Gen BS Raju made a passionate appeal to the militants to shun the path of violence.
“I am looking at the fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers of those who had joined militancy or are about to join militancy. My appeal to them is to ensure that their children do not take the path of violence because it has not taken the Valley anywhere. It only leads to destruction, miseries to the families and the communities at large,” said Major General Raju. “If anybody wants to surrender we will ensure that he gets a safe passage. That is the assurance we give from all security agencies,” he said.
The CRPF IG, Zulfiqar Hassan, said the biggest incentive in the force was given to the person who ensured surrender.
“Surrender is always considered the biggest achievement. We all feel sad when somebody dies. It doesn’t give happiness to any of us. So, surrender will always be the highest priority, even for our men. If they are able to persuade a militant to surrender, that is the biggest thing they can do and that is the biggest achievement,” Hassan said when asked if there were fewer incentives for arrests unlike killing a militant.
Joint appeal from Army, Police, CRPF to militants to surrender
