Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Aug 31: In a significant development, the police and the army top brass Tuesday reached out to the families of militants in South Kashmir and urged them to bring back their children back into the mainstream.
“GoC 15 Corps and IG Kashmir interacted with families of militants of whole South Kashmir at Shopian. Both officers appealed to families to bring their children back into the mainstream. We shall provide all types of assistance,” the two officers told families, said.
The officials said that the two officers urged the family members of militants to appeal to their children to shun the path of violence and join the mainstream stating that the “police and army would facilitate smooth return of boys.”
GoC 15 Corps D P Pandey told the families that they should tell their children that their surrender would be kept as a secret if the same poses threat to their lives.
“The young boys who have picked up arms should go to any army or police camp whosoever they trust. We assure you that surrenders will be facilitated smoothly,” the GoC told families of militants, as per KNO.
He stated that during early stage youth can return but when they remain active for some time, then they aren’t being allowed as their commander knows “if this person will return back, he will provide all details to police and army which will effect the entire chain.”
The GoC said that joining militant ranks and killing them “is a cycle” but “we all should make efforts to break this cycle as militancy will lead us to nowhere.”
The army officer also assured the families of militants that if their children lay down arms during live encounters, the army will accept their surrender. Pertinently, this is for the first time that top army and police officials have held a face to face interaction with the families of militants in South Kashmir in a bid to ensure bring back young militants back into mainstream.
