• Efforts to keep youth away from terrorism, yielded positive results
• Drop in local recruitment, signals progress
Srinagar, June 08: Director General of Police, RR Swain Saturday said that they are fully committed to maintaining a peaceful and safe environment in the region for the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for September this year.
Talking to reporters during a Public Grievance Redressal program in Pulwama, he said police are dedicated to maintain peace and security in J&K.
“We understand how important it is for people to feel safe and fearless. When there is no fear, people are more likely to vote. That is why we are more focused on ensuring a peaceful and fearless atmosphere for the upcoming Assembly elections,” DGP Swain said.
Regarding the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said there has been a decline in the number of locals joining terrorist activities, and there is a need for firm actions against certain individuals to uphold a peaceful environment.
“We are satisfied with the peaceful conduct of the elections. A conducive atmosphere is imperative for fair elections, allowing citizens to vote freely and candidates to contest without hindrance,” he said.
Regarding efforts of the police force in reducing violence and safeguarding lives in Jammu and Kashmir, he said they are witnessing a shift from local to foreign terrorism. The involvement of local residents in terrorist activities has diminished, DGP added.
“Through collaborative efforts with the community, we endeavor to prevent local recruitment into terrorism. Our primary focus, upon someone joining terrorist ranks, is to understand the underlying causes and implement preventive measures. Our proactive initiatives have effectively curbed violence and saved lives,” DGP Swain said.
The police chief said there is shift in terrorism in J&K has changed, with more involvement from foreign terrorists.
“Our efforts to prevent young people from joining terrorism has yielded positive results. This has prevented many tragedies, like families losing loved ones,” he said.
DGP Swain said that foreign terrorism remains a concern and there are around 70 to 80 foreign armed terrorists have arrived. They even attempted to damage the electricity tower that provides power to people recently, he said.
Earlier, addressing the Public Darbar, the DGP said police were acting tough against few culprits to provide relief to the majority while efforts are on to ensure the policing is based on “truth and justice.”
The DGP Swain said that police have to be for the people and “our endeavour is to work with the people.” “At times, we have to act against the few culprits or accused just to provide relief to the majority,” the DGP said.
He said they are making sure to cover all bases, with officers regularly talking to ensure fair and honest policing.
“Sometimes, mistakes happen, but it is up to the police to fix them,” he added, without pointing to any particular incident.
The DGP pointed out that while governments come and go, the police are always around, visible everywhere in the country. “So, the police are always in touch with the people,” he added.
