J&K police seek introspection from people on stone-pelting

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have spoken “Mann Ki Baat” on stone-pelting asking the people of strife-torn Kashmir Valley to introspect on the futility of violence.
To achieve this, the police have released posters, which sum up the ills of targeting police, with moral: ‘tit-for-tat.’

The posters, first of its kind since militancy erupted in the Valley, have appeared on the streets of Srinagar and equally on the social media, to candidly convey why was police to be blamed or targeted for the fault of others, be it; resentment against water or power scarcity, demolition of illegal constructions, or posting of obscene remarks on Watsapp.

The poster poses multiple questions to the readers ranging from civic issues to crime. “If your locality has no electricity – police comes under stone pelting.  If City has water scarcity, police comes under stone pelting. If corporation demolishes   illegal constructions, police comes under stone pelting. If someone dies in road mishap, police comes under stone pelting. If someone posts obscene remarks on Watsapp, police comes under stone pelting. If friends kill a friend, police comes under stone pelting,” the police observe.

Subsequently it asks connected-questions like: “Did police snap your power supplies? Did police snap the water supplies, or was police responsible for death in road mishap?”
With the obvious reply to the questions being a big “No”, the police ask another simple question: Then why police alone the victim of public annoyance all the times?
Subsequently, the police ask why be the men-in-Khaki be taken as oppressor when they are left with no options but to contain the protests? “Given the conditions in which police works, why should it be taken as oppressor when, it uses force like lahti charge or teargas shelling on miscreants, only to maintain the law and order,” the police ask adding “Change your outlook, and respect the law.”  “Your police is always with you.”

The online community has largely appreciated the development terming it as “Mann Ki Baat” from the khaki ranks.  “This is really good to make people introspect over stone pelting. Otherwise, also any sane person will take it sinful to target police ,” posted a businessman on his Facebook wall.

It is for the second time within a month, the police has spoken straight to the people of Kashmir. On February 18, the police released a formal advisory which said: Civilians residing within the radius of two Kms of an encounter site should stay inside their homes and make sure their children are indoors too.