From men of subversion to proud jawans of 136 Battalion

Once in the force, these jawans, once renegade militants, who once hated India, now desperately want to dispense with the “militant” tag that has given them a disconcertingly distinct identity.

“Everybody deserves a chance. We know we made a grave mistake but now we want to lead a normal life and be part of the mainstream,” says Nazir Ahmed, a former middle-rung militant of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

Kursheed, who escaped from the clutches of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit last year and surrendered before the forces, admitted he had crossed over to Pakistan several of times and undergone training in Afghanistan.

Seven months into their training, they feel confident that with the support of the “system”, they can take the active militants head-on.

“We don’t fear them now. Even though we realise that they would be baying for our blood, we are not scared. This CRPF battalion will give them difficult moments,” says Gulzar Ahmed, who before surrendering in 1996 was a hardcore Hizbul Mujahideen militant.

But what prompted them to desert their respective groups and take refuge in the forces? Most of them said it was the internecine warfare between various militant groups that made them realise the futility of sticking to the “cause of freedom”. “The groups were busy in killing each others’ members. And when we realised that it is no longer a sacred war, we decided to give up,” said Ghulam Nabi, a former middle-rung member of the Freedom Movement group.

For some, however, it was the fear of death that eventually helped them make up their mind for surrender. “I saw three of my associates craving for medical attention when they were injured in a gun-battle with the security forces. I could visualise myself being one of them while they were struggling for life,” said Mohammad Hussain, another former hardcore Hizbul Mujahideen.

Equally unsurmountable has been the task for the Commandant of this unique battalion, P P Singh, who has to his credit raising two other battalions. But raising the 136 Battalion was different and difficult task. “More than the training, they needed a psychological approach for changing their meaning towards life,” Singh said but added with a sense of satisfaction that the “jawans were coming out well”.