Crime
Rate 13 Times More Than Militancy In Jammu And Kashmir
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
13 July, 2007
Countercurrents.org
In
a state where voices seeking withdrawal of security forces from civilian
areas and giving the charge to the state police are being looked upon
with suspicion, official reports of Union Ministry of Home Affairs and
state home department when compared reveal that incidents of normal
crime reported and registered in the year 2006 are 13 times more than
the militancy related incidents.
Ministry of Home Affairs
in its annual report maintains that 1667 militancy related incidents
were reported in the year 2006. Simultaneously, state home department
says that 23, 492 cases of crime were registered during the same year.
Out of these cases, 21,825 cases were related to normal policing, as
claimed by a senior police officer.
The number of cases related
to normal policing is 13 times higher than militancy related incidents.
Further, the reports add that the number was 22,684 during the year
2005 which included 1990 militancy related incidents. Officials say
that the number of cases related to normal policing was 10 times higher
than the militancy related incidents.
The report of ministry of
home affairs further says that when compared with north-east where Naxalite
violence claimed 521 lives of the civilians during the year 2006, the
number has been 389 in Jammu and Kashmir, which is a decrease of 30
percent from the year 2005.
The report of ministry of
home affairs maintains that militancy related incidents have decreased
by 16 percent as compared to the year 2005. It further says that the
number of civilians and security forces killed have decreased by 20
percent. But what the reports have markedly suggested is the fact that
crimes where normal policing is required have soared and have gradually
increased in number than decreasing.
1131 cases of normal crime
have increased since the year 2005. Even Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi
Azad who has been vociferously opposing withdrawal of security forces
admitted in a series of meetings before the recent crisis, which led
to the formation of central review committee, admitted that year 2006
witnessed lowest number of violent incidents in the troubled state since
the last 17 years.
IG (Kashmir) S.M.Sahai while
interacting with media persons a few days ago also accepted that normal
policing needs to be strengthened. He added that normal policing has
started in parts of Kashmir valley where the militancy related incidents
have decreased. Another senior police officer in an interview to an
electronic channel averred that cases of normal crime which include
theft, murder, betting etc. have to be looked into seriously.
However, a senior police
officer on the condition of anonymity said that state police is capable
of fighting militancy but only if the number is increased. He further
said that jawans of the state police have the potential to carry out
the task given to them. "We may say that we are capable, but decisions
like this are always taken at the ministerial level. Presently cases
of normal crime are increasing, our strength must be increased and control
of the civilian areas in the cities be fully restored to us," added
the officer.
He stressed that whenever
the need would arise, help could be sought from army and other central
forces. However, IG (Jammu) Dr.S.P.Vaid said that army has a role in
present scenario which cannot be denied. "We cannot claim that
we can do everything on our own, if there is heavy presence of state
police, then things might sound different but not right now," added
Vaid.
He stated that if equipped
properly and number is also increased, state police can do wonders.
The IGP accepted that state police is returning to normal policing and
it is because of this reason that number of cases of crime being registered
are increasing. "Slowly but steadily, state is limping back to
normalcy, we are also looking after cases of normal policing seriously,"
maintained Vaid.
However, politicians say
that the end to the bloodshed in the state seems as unlikely as it was
at any given point since the dramatic escalation of the militancy in
1989 but they maintain that security forces should be relocated from
the civilian areas and control of the civilian areas be handed back
to the state police.
They say that measures like
the bus link and other CBMs may go a long way in removing some of the
chronic mistrust between people on the two sides of Line of Control
(LOC) but cannot change the internal dynamics, unless political-will
to take brave decisions in favour of the local populace does not prevail
over all the other issues of lesser importance.
Writer is a Journalist, presently associated with Jammu and Kashmir's
highly reputed and largest circulated daily "The Kashmir Times".
He can be contacted at [email protected]
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