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Journalism of Courage
SRINAGAR, DEC 7: This was the first boring week for him during his four-year posting in Kashmir but he is happy. For Inspector K.B. Singh of the counter-militancy Special Oprations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir police, life in the Valley meant either chasing militants, raiding hideouts, interrogating suspects or waiting for yet another surprise militant attack. The ceasefire has changed it all and now, he and his boys are sitting idle.
“No tension, no risk, no stress and we are happy. We also want some peace of mind. We also want some change,” Singh said while sitting in his office in the SOG headquarters here. “But it is unusual for us. We receive information about militants’ movement, even get to know where they are hiding, but there are no operations. Just seven days ago, if we had got such an input, we would have been busy planning raids and preparing for encounter.”
Inspector Singh ordinarily interrogated 15 suspects a day and then even conduct raids on the basis of information extracted from them. He would venture out of his camp at least twice a day to lead the raid on suspected hideouts and at times, the operation would continue for days together. “It was almost a routine for the past four years. All of us would be on on our toes round the clock,” he said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Operations, Farooq Reshi is a local. “I am very happy, if this ceasefire brings an end to violence,” he said. “We also want our children to attend school normally. We also want to sitand chat over a cup of tea in a restuarant after a day’s work. We also want to live a tension free life”.
He said even his close relatives used to keep a distance from him becuase he was in the SOG. “It is risky and nobody wants to attract any trouble,” he said.
Reshi’s officer, Superintendent of Police, Operations, Sunil Kumar agrees. “During these seven days, we got at least five specific inputs regarding the presence of wanted militants. But we did not respond at all. My sources even saw Dr Nayeem, a top militant from Doda, in downtown city,” he said. “Our bodies are aching. We are not used to this relaxation. But we have given them an opportunity to come overground and talk. So we will do everything to make this ceasefire successful.”
Kumar said the routine work for his men has changed. “Our job is basically operational. We collect information about militants and chase them. But for the past week, we just keep a watch over their activities. We have swtiched over to observational roles. No longer offensive but just preventive.”
Outside Kumar’s office, policemen are sitting in the sun. The mood is relaxed and there is literally no work to do. The SOG headquarters has fallen silent first time after it was raised as a special wing of the J&K Police to tackle militancy. However, the men guarding the campus are still alert. “Though operations are suspended, we still can’t lower our guard. The apprehension of a militant strike is still high,” said apoliceman standing at the entrance bunker.
Inspector Singh, who hails from Akhnoor, Jammu, has another reason to be happy, besides the peace prospect. “Being part of SOG means uncertainity. You are on the razor’s edge,” Singh said. “Even in Jammu, where everybody supports our cause and fight against militancy, nobody wants to marry hisdaughter to a policeman working in the SOG.”
Singh has escaped death five times during his four-year stint in Kashmir. “On five occasions I escaped IED (improvised explosive device) blasts. Only six or seven months ago, I saw 13 of my men being blown up in a mine blast at Tral. It happened right before my eyes,” he said. “Let us hope there is an end to all this”.
