Shiv Kumar Padha
While the rescue teams were busy in providing succour to the stranded people through land and by air the youth of the Valley, under the provocation of the anti-social elements, were seen involved in stone pelting targeting the rescue teams, choppers and vehicles engaged in the rescue operations. The stone pelting menace injured many persons including rescue teams, police and army jawans seriously. It is learnt that one of the cops Waseem Ahmed Bhat who was injured in a stone pelting incident at Duck Park Hazratbal in july 2014 succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS Soura Srinagar on 20th Oct.
It was, perhaps the replication of the same stone pelting incidents which took place during the electioneering process for the 16th Parliament elections and in the year 2010-2011 which took one precious innocent life and left 1,500 cops injured during the scuffle between stone pelters and policemen during eight week long turmoil. Under the amnesty scheme for the stone pelters some 1,811 targeted youth were honorably released which was none less than a reward or the reinforcement for the stone pelters in lieu of their nefarious acts which, in the eyes of any law abiding citizen, were considered totally detrimental for the peace and tranquility of the State. As per the recommendations of the amnesty scheme for the honorable release and employment of the stone pelters from the Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir Police force, 1,811 youth involved in stone pelting incidents in Srinagar city were shortlisted. Under the confidence building measure an expert panel mandated by Prime Minister in August 2010 recommended a special employment drive to keep the Kashmiri youth away from pelting stones and agitating for Azadi. As per the recommendations the FIRs of 1,811 stone pelters were withdrawn as a legal requirement for verification for jobs, loans, admission for higher education, passport in future. Under the amnesty policy the shops will be constructed for the stone pelters. Accordingly a multi-pronged approach was adapted in 2011 for the on spot recruitment of stone pelters from Srinagar city. The main objective, as envisaged in the amnesty programme, was to increase representation of the Kashmiri youth hailing from Srinagar city in the constabulary for countering the terrorism and bridging the gap between police and public.There are lakhs of educated youth in Jammu and Kashmir who, in spite of reeling under poverty, want, hunger, un employment and deprivation, would prefer death and starvation to taking up the weapons against their own mother land.
No doubt the policy of rehabilitation and the amnesty for the stone pelters are laudable and appreciable because ‘it is always better late than never’. Meanwhile every right thinking nationalist and security experts are concerned that this policy has the potential to lure the local youth to take to militancy and stone pelting and later to get rehabilitated and employed. The peaceful citizens are skeptic about this reward and incentive policy for the antinational and disruptive forces hell-bent destabilising the peace and tranquility of India. It is the apprehension of the security forces and the intelligence agencies that the local youth will once again start joining militant ranks. The political analysts fear that such policies which ignore the rehabilitation of the West Pakistan, and Pakistan occupied Kashmir refugees and Kashmiri migrants, jobs for the peaceful citizens of the State, employment of lakhs of degree and diploma holders, regularisation of SPOs, daily wagers, tend to sharpen the divide between Jammu and Kashmir regions and can have dangerous fallout in future. This time the voter of Jammu and Kashmir was very hopeful about the formation of the government in the State, especially, the first time partnership of Jammu region in the Coalition Government. People hoped that the Coalition Government will tighten the noose around the anti national elements, responsible for hurling Pakistani and ISIS flags in the Valley, shouting anti national slogans, and teach them lesson. But it all proved a fantasy and reverie. The families which live near the busy roads, railway lines and the market places do not allow their children and old members of the family to cross their outer gates. But it is strange how do the parents allow their children and the aged persons take part in stone pelting. It is the universal apprehension that there is some agency which manages and supplies the paid crowd of stone pelters, grenade throwers and rebounding of teargas shells over the security forces. These agencies are to be identified, caught and put behind the wars otherwise the stone pelting will become means for earning amenities in lieu of ani national activities in future.
(Concluded)
