Srinagar, Mar 16: Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police (DGP), R R Swain, emphasized the significant change following the abrogation of Article 370, highlighting the necessity to address the underlying causes of terrorism and its entire ecosystem.
Speaking in an interview with a national news channel, DGP Swain stressed the importance of going beyond merely neutralizing the man with the gun, stating, “When we say fighting terror, it should be against the ecosystem.”
“It was always important to fight the men with the gun because it was immediate in nature.As I always say that you will get tired because there is an incessant supply of water, poisonous toxic water. You should go beyond and find out where the supply is, where the source of this toxic water is, unless you disrupt that you will get tired and that is exactly what the enemy was aiming at,” he said.
DGP Swain said the enemy’s strategy was very simple: that they will wear out the Indian state by expanding their base in more areas.
“There was a challenge before abrogation of Article due to interference of political parties as we were not properly able to ask the house owner where terrorists were killed. It is wrong to say that all house owners were not giving shelter to terrorists due to fear and it was not true. The police were unable to investigate other areas in this manner,” he said.
Reacting to a question, whether political parties were acting as a stumbling block preventing police from taking action against the terrorist in the past and now there is no such how do you get involved in this, he said in the past, there was no one to question those who used to glorify terrorism and mostly the youth were trapped due to these reasons.
“As per data, around 20,000 youth were killed in terrorism in the valley and most of them belonged to poor families. No one was investigating who was glorifying the terrorism, who gave them guns and the majority were school dropouts.”
DGP Swain said that there was an entire ecosystem behind the terrorists, including finance, stone pelting and there was no investigation into this.
About involvement of political parties for their vested interests, DGP said “I will be lying to myself. I will be lying to the blood and sweat of more than 1,600 policemen and three times that of other security forces and several tens and thousands of civilians who have lost their lives”.
“I would be lying to myself if I say that this aspect is also not included. who stopped, when did a serious effort take place to stop the violence and to cut the cycle of the violence?” he said adding that there was gap in effort.
“In several subtle and not so subtle ways. That financing, that incentivisation in several hundred ways, you have not disincentivized it. We have tens and hundreds of examples in which the conclusions have to be drawn. It is objective. It even a judicial inquiry can be put to what I am saying. I have reasons to say that any genuine inquiry into this would really bring out very startling and very painful,” he said.
About healing touch of police for youth, DGP said that as a blood police leader, I would certainly keep away from politics because I am duty bound to provide a level playing field, especially when the elections are around.
“I am legally bound and obligated to provide a level playing field for the democracy to unfold in its truest and in its purest form. Having said that,
“I ask myself that, who do I heal? Which wounds to be healed? I cannot have a confused, mixed-up situation where the killer and the killed, the perpetrator and the victim, are to be put on equal pedestal in the same breath,” he said.
“I am asking a question that who is the real victim, who wounds are to be healed. I would be confusing the community, the common man, my fighters and the common citizens. They will lose faith in me. They may not be able to say it because of the overwhelming terror network, but they will know the truth.
DGP Swain said “for example that we know who killed MirwaizFarooqsahab. The same place where victims and preparators are put into the same pedestrian. Somebody has to stand up”.
“I wish the leadership, not only at the security level, but even at the political level, should have the courage and the moral obligation to be able to distinguish between the two. If we don’t do that, I think we are being untruthful, and more importantly, actually will not reach a state of peace and security,” he added.
About the reward policy announced by police, DGP Swain said it is an absolute clarity of thought, they want to make it clear to differentiate common man and bad man.
“When a real patriot gives information, it personally appreciates it,” he said. There is a need to reward and appreciate those risk-taking citizens. It will help to tackle the roots of terrorism in the region.
DGP Swain said there will be no compromise on safety and security of the citizens. No one can say that the sun would stop shining in Jammu and Kashmir, there cannot be any hindrance now. Disruption of peace and create law and order of security cannot be given to handful of people. Certainly not to enemies of the country.
He said during hundreds of conversations with jawans, higher officials etc, they only requested me to end the confusion of a real martyr. If there will be two sides, differentiating each other’s views, how can we fight? You can be nationalist in four walls and publicly other people.
“When this clarity is blurred deliberately, it is a huge pain and set back any law enforcement. If this part of India, then common is saying govern it as the same,” he said.
About change among youth joining security forces ranks, DGP Swain said that commander training school vacancies are falling short as people are coming here to come and join to be fighting soldier, policemen.
“So, the spirit is high and every common Kashmiri given a chance, will be on our side to fight it. So, time will come, they will become soldiers in their own rights and we cannot everybody wearing uniform but would send a message every citizen in J&K is actually a policeman at his own place,” he said.
About upcoming LokSabha elections, DGP said police will have three goals: fearless elections, huge participation of people and a good environment for peace.
“We will not allow anybody ‘s dictation or propaganda. It will be foiled. We are committed to people’s society, he said.
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