“Will stay in touch with parents, friends, teachers, masjid committees wherever youth join militant groups,
“Endeavour is to keep youth away from handlers sitting across, Catching big-fish to curb narco-militancy in J&K”
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain Saturday said that any step towards militant recruitment will be “treated as an act of terror” while police and other security agencies will ensure ‘misguided youth return back to their homes.”
Talking to a selected group of reporters after holding the first Public Darbar here, DGP Swain said he wasn’t expecting a huge number of people in the event. “I believe it’s a step to connect with the people. It has substantive results. This darbar will help me know the different categories of issues people are confronting,” the DGP said, adding that “some issues can be resolved on the spot while some take time. Our focus will be to ensure a fast-track grievance redressal system.”
Replying to a query about local militant recruitment in the backdrop of five local militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba killed in Samnoo, Kulgam encounter, the DGP said: “Any step towards joining the militant recruitment will be treated as an act of terror. Police along with the other security agencies will reach out to the parents, friends, teachers and masjid committees whenever there are reports of youth joining the militant groups. We will try our best to motivate the misguided youth to join back his family, but if he decides otherwise, he will be liable for the strict action.”
The DGP said that parents should keep a watch on their children and check their phones regularly. “Our effort is to ensure that there is no link between the handlers sitting across the border and the youth here. When there will be no link, recruitment will end completely. That’s what we want. We want zero militant recruitment,” he said, adding that “there will be a community effort to stop local militant recruitment.”
He said that militant recruitment is taking place under the guise of “freedom of expression.” “So a collective community effort is what will help stop it (militant recruitment),” he said .
About narco-militancy, the DGP said that narcotics including Heroine, Cocaine and brown sugar are being infiltrated from across. “Earlier, some people would consume charas here, but the youth and large chunk of the population are hooked on narcotics. Those behind selling narcotics have constructed huge villas. We will be acting against the big fish with all agencies like Police, SIA, NIA and other security agencies on board. Those found involved in narco-trade will lose their homes under the relevant laws,” the DGP said
