Amid low intensity public protests against the civilian killings in places closer to encounter sites the braid chopping has become a new challenge to police in Jammu & Kashmir state. Almost two months back the braid chopping incidents were reported from the Pir panchal areas of Jammu region but have not surprisingly to some areas of Kashmir which are still in news for high intensity street clashes in the aftermath of encounter between the militants and the government and incidents are dangerously increasing in parts of south Kashmir worst hit by crowd control policing during last year’s civilian unrest. Interestingly the police claims the arrests and killing of the militants allegedly responsible for killings of policemen, paramilitaries and armies in militants within a short span of few days but police has been clueless about the braid chopping incidents both in areas of Jammu and Kashmir region for more than last two months. The failure of the police in laying hands on the culprits responsible for braid chopping incident both in Jammu and Kashmir regions of the state proves it beyond doubt that police tries to focus more on crowd control policing and very less on social policing required badly to curb with a heavy hand the increasing social crimes in all the three regions of the state. Had the police shown interest in responding to social crimes the braid chopping incident won’t occur and re-occur with increasing frequency again and again in areas of both Kashmir and Jammu regions of the state? Interestingly the braid chopping incidents have been haunting both the police and civilian population in muslim majority areas of Jammu region and muslim dominated Kashmir valley.
Unmasking the real culprits of the braid chopping incidents is a very challenge for the police and success of police in unmasking the culprits of braid chopping incidents is an opportunity for the police to script a new success story in social policing and prove the charges of angered populations wrong on this count.
Though braid chopping like crimes are punishable offences in all religions but the people of ill intents irrespective of their religious affiliation often try to instigate religious polarization with the intent of disturb the atmosphere of communal harmony in the state. Police has now established help lines for receiving inputs from the general public about the braid chopping incidents after a public outcry on this count pointed a finger of suspicion on police also. Better late than never but what matters the most is the seriousness of the police in laying hands on the real culprits without harassing the gullible youth already let down by the unpopular decisions of the government on prolonged detentions of hundreds of youth taken into custody on charges of involvement during unrest last year in Kashmir valley. Unmasking the real culprits of the braid chopping incidents is a very challenge for the police and success of police in unmasking the culprits of braid chopping incidents is an opportunity for the police to script a new success story in social policing and prove the charges of angered populations wrong on this count.
