The J&K Police is the biggest villain for the Central Reserve Personnel Force (CRPF) deployed in the Valley according to a 23-page study – “Role and Functioning of the CRPF”.
The study says that paramilitary personnel believe that the state police use them as a shield and pass on the blame to them while committing human rights violation themselves.
The study conducted by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) – a Defence Ministry funded research – has painted a gloomy picture of the force’s morale. “In several instances, while the firing was done by the local police, the blame was passed on to the CRPF. In some cases, when the CRPF wanted to lodge FIRs, they were not lodged while people’s FIRs against the CRPF were quite easily lodged,” says the study, undertaken after massive protests in the Valley in 2010.
CRPF officials also felt the Centre did not give them the mandate to effectively deal with the problem. The study said the living conditions of paramilitary force were pathetic and they shared living space with a dog squad.
Former J&K DGP Kuldeep Khoda, refused to comment on the report and said: “The state police enjoy excellent relations with the CRPF. We have very smooth coordination. There has been peace in the Valley for long and the credit goes to the police as well as the CRPF.”
The CRPF, whose 326 companies with each company having more than 35 personnel, was blamed for a majority of civilian deaths but the study suggests the force might just be a convenient target.
The study found that there was cohesion between the police and the CRPF in the Jammu region but fissures were visible in Kashmir. “Our main role is to assist police. There could be minor issues but we have otherwise good relations with them,” a CRPF spokesperson said.
An Attack in Srinagar
Shooting spree returned in Srinagar this week when two motorcycle borne assailants fired at a posse of the CRPF in the early hours of morning and left seven of them injured.
About this attack in Rainawari area, IGP Kashmir Zone, S M Sahai said that it was carried out by gunmen who had entered the city from the rural areas. He maintained that militancy isn’t yet over in city, but it is breathing its last. The state police force has been maintaining that there are no militants in Srinagar city and whenever hit and run attacks against the forces occur, these are the handiwork of militants who sneak into the city for the specific purpose of carrying out such attacks.
Pertinently, this attack coincided with the strike call given by the Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani on the third anniversary of the twin rape and murder case of Shopian.
Soon after the attack, condemnation poured from all the state actors who termed it deplorable for the ongoing tourist season. Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal, Additional General Secretary of National Conference (NC) dubbed this attack as the handiwork of agencies.
“Incident like this is the handiwork of people who do not want peace and economic prosperity in Kashmir, these elements are being patronized by PDP and BJP,” Dr Kamaal said.
He added that such attacks are attempts to derail the normalcy of Old Srinagar which has suffered a lot during last two decades.
Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president said violence has no solution to offer and termed this incident to disrupt tourism. “This attack seems to be aimed at disrupting tourism,” she said through her party handout.
J&K Congress chief Prof Saif-u-Din Soz said that attack like this will not only disrupt peace but also disturb the tourist rush to Kashmir.
