SPOs are one of the many extra-constitutional structures that state’s policymakers devised during 1995’s gubernatorial regime. They are youth who are engaged at the district level by the SSPs with no hire and fire policy. Poorly equipped but dressed in khaki, they could be traced anywhere between ‘Sahib’s kitchen’ to the congested roads manning traffic or playing second fiddle to soldiers in an encounter. Visibly resembling cops, they lack a provision of leave.
Recently in response to a question in the state assembly, home ministry elaborated the cult of SPO like this. “The basic concept of SPO is to provide auxiliary help to law enforcing agencies in the drive against terrorism and involve local population for their own protection as well as to help J&K Police and security forces on curbing the menace of militancy.
The norms of engagement, therefore, depend on operational and other professional requirements.”
The idea was conceived after a sizable number of militants surrendered before the police and the other security agencies. Since they knew the fugitives and the way they operated, these SPOs could be a goldmine of intelligence and fighters at the same time. This was supposed to be another ‘force multiplier’. Off late, however, it did not remain restricted to the surrendered militants as anybody and everybody could be taken as SPO by the district police heads. Initially they would get Rs 1500 a month. Many thought that they would finally be adjusted as cops so they opted for it.
For a fugitive, an SPO is as good as a cop. Since they lack the training, sometimes, they prove to be sitting ducks. That is perhaps why they are termed police’s very own ‘human shield’. Till October 2, 2010, the state government informed the state legislature that 475 SPOs and 131 VDC members (also falling in SPO category) were killed in J&K.
The discrimination continues even after death. Unlike slain cops whose families get a total of Rs 11 lakhs under various schemes besides a claim for a job and special scholarship for children, SPOs get a compensation of two lakh rupees. Apparently because of the trying non-remunerative job, a number of SPOs deserted police.
Ghulam Nabi Azad helped them change a bit. He nearly doubled their yearly package to Rs 36000. It was only after years of pleading that state police accepted to consider offering a member of the family for a job in the police who have lost an SPO while fighting militancy. The orders were issued in October 2009.
Right now, there are 25965 SPOs who are working in the police. It makes nearly one SPO for every three formal cops. Of them, 3648 have served the police for 10 years.
Their services being temporary in nature, SPOs cannot become employees of the state government after rendering seven years of services as is the case of daily wagers. However, off late, the police would consider 15 per cent of the available vacancies as constables or followers if the candidates have excellent counter-insurgency record or they have taken either of the three top positions in sports or have ITI diplomas. But in both the cases, they have to be less than 37 years of age and must have passed the eighth class.
In the last two years, 151SPOs were absorbed as constables or followers in the police on basis of operational grounds. During this period 3880 SPOs were engaged from across Kashmir.
But the idea of organizing a militia of SPOs is a hit with the police agencies that operate in other conflict spots like the Naxal hit areas. Two years back, a high-level team of the Chattisgarh police visited Srinagar to understand the idea. After being briefed about the phenomenon, they experimented it with the Salwa Judum (‘peace march’ in Gondi language being spoken in Chattisgarh), the anti-Moist militant force that state government has been funding for a long time. Converting them into SPOs and getting them under the control of the police was the idea behind managing their impunity from the law by making it legal. Salwa Judum is the Ikhwan of Chattisgarh and within two years of introducing of the SPOs, Chattisgarh already has created ‘some stars’. Incidentally, most of these Salwa Judum youth were trained in Srinagar.
Surrendered Militias
ince the start of militancy, 4053 militants have surrendered before various security agencies up to August 2010. Of them, 50 militants returned back to militant ranks. Police have so far re-arrested 14 of them and set free them only after they completed their detention periods.
During the last two years, the state government has spent Rs 15,71,095 as monetary incentives under surrender policy, Rs 1,69,914 as monetary incentives for weapons surrendered besides Rs 6,56,435 as a stipend to those who surrendered.
