SRINAGAR: Reiterating his appeal to Kashmiri youth to shun the path of violence and join mainstream, a senior Army officer on Friday said that of the 49 new militant recruits, 27 have been killed in different encounters with security forces.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Army’s 15 Corps Lt General B S Raju said that it doesn’t give security forces pleasure to kill these boys, but if anyone takes up arms and causes harm to others, needs to be dealt accordingly. “The youth of the valley have much brighter future than joining militancy,” he added.
Meanwhile, J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh also reiterated his appeal to the Kashmiri militants to return the mainstream and assured full support in rehabilitating them.
“Of the 49 new recruits who got enrolled into ranks of militant tanzims, 27 have been neutralised. I would like to say that it doesn’t give us any pleasure to neutralise these boys but if anybody takes up arms and causes harm to others, we’ll do what we’re doing,” Lt Gen Raju, flanked by the J&K DGP and IG CRPF,” told reporters during a press conference here on Friday.
However, he said to stop this process, a large number of steps are being taken. “Before the operations are actually implemented, we are making fervor appeals to militants to surrender. We have had limited success on this front,” he said.
Lt Gen Raju, however, said that security forces have been very successful in preventing new recruitment in militant ranks as well as to identify those people who are at the cusp of recruitment. “So my appeal to all the people in the environment, please look out for any signs of youth wanting to joint militancy,” he added.
Urging people to come to security forces for help, he said they (SFs) will ensure that these youth are appropriately taken care of and rehabilitate them and no harm comes to them. “The youth of Kashmir have much brighter future then joining militant ranks,” he said.
Meanwhile, the J&K DGP, while appealing to their youth the shun militancy, said that killing these youth doesn’t bring job neither to the forces, nor to his family, friends or civil society.
But, he said that the fact that the person with the gun is a threat to everybody and the fact that there have been a very large number of civilian killings, and attack on security forces, we can’t ignore this threat. “We have the take up the required action which we have been taking and we will continue to do that,” he added.
Mr Singh said that he is happy to report that the new recruitment has come down drastically. “It has come down because of a joint effort of by security forces, civil society and parents, besides police officers on the ground who maintain a bond with the people whose wards are likely to drift to away,” he said.
He said police takes preemptive measures, which are not brought to light deliberately just to ensure the security of the youth concerned. “But let me assure you that the number of such youth is quite sizable? who are almost at the brink of joining militancy, but are brought back to the families. That is a great achievement which is hidden from media and general public,” he added. (AGENCIES)
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