The word Police now has become synonymous with Terror, Torture, Corruption, Killings and Intimidation. The once sacred word which upheld the notion of human rights, rule of law and protected life and property is now a much hated word in the Valley. During past they were the enforcers of whims of kings and emperors and now of the State. They were always atrocious on poor kashmiris be it the Dogra soldiers and now the State Police and its various agencies.
Since the partition of the subcontinent and valley’s alignment with India, Police and its agencies always played dubious role which made them infamous and hated in the eyes of masses. From 1947-1953 Police was used to silence and torture the dissent, who wanted either independence or accession to Pakistan. From 1953 the tables turned and yesterday’s rulers were today’s paupers and traitors and police aligned to those at the helm of affairs. Qadir Ganderbali and his Peace Brigade still sends shivers down the spine of dissident Political Activists. After that others from Ganderbali took the reins and continued to torture and heap atrocities especially on political dissidents.
After the inception of armed insurgency, the role of Police became indispensable and we were a witness to induction of renegades(Nabids) in Police which later re-Christianized as Special Task Force(STF) and then Special Operations Group(SOG) which did the job of killing, torture, rape and arson to its fill and whose acts even put Halaku to shame. For this anti-people and Nazi stance, they were heavily awarded by the State and some big guns among them even fought the elections and made it to the assembly like Kuka Parrey while others awarded Padma Shri like Ghulam Muhammad Mir alias Momma Kanna.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 2002 elections on the agenda of disbanding the notorious SOG which they did, but remnants of the same could not be eradicated. With the National Conference (NC) back in power with full support of Centre, the notorious elements in the Police are back once again.
The dubious role of Police came to limelight once again during the Land Row Agitation of 2008 when numerous allegations of Police Killings and high handedness were reported from everywhere and it continued in the year 2009 when the serious allegations of double rape and murder at Shopian were leveled against the Police, who then were allowed to go Scot free by the CBI.
Now Police is back in its renovated notorious role of picking, killing and torturing the youth thus creating the future dissidents and State enemies. The NC led government must understand that like in the past repression and brute force has failed to kill the aspirations and sentiments of people and the tactics of state have failed to cow and break the spirit of resistance, hence instead of Iron Fist, a policy of dialogue, love and peace must be build among the masses and Police who also comprise kashmiri society, but I am afraid that no positive steps have been taken in this direction, instead the policemen involved in Fake encounters and staged killings of innocents civilian are awarded with Bravery medals and cash prizes thus fuelling the anger more and deepening the gulf between masses and police.
I am apprehensive about the future civil war which may break out in the valley if this stance of Police repression continues because in a bid to prove more loyal than the king, police is indulging in wanton killing spree of innocent youth which is presently triggering the violent protests and turning the people against the same and if the process goes on the initial step as a reaction from masses would be social boycott of these Ponde-Police(A traditional name when policemen used to accept bribe in the form of a small coin called Ponde) and then they may even be killed by the youth who can’t take much from the hands of Police.
Hence it is the duty of the State and Police to put an end to this fratricide, exercise restrain while dealing with unrest and show by their deeds that they mean welfare of people, only then can normalcy, peace and fraternity return to the valley.
Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is Writer-Activist and presently student of Masters Program of Political Science at Kashmir University and can be reached at sikandarmushtaq@gmail.com
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