Amid plans to lift AFSPA, Army starts training J&K police in counter-terrorism strategies

Srinagar: As discussions swirl around the potential lifting of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Army has initiated joint training sessions with the Jammu and Kashmir police at the White Knight Corps Battle School in Bhalra, Doda - a first-of-its kind exercise.

The development comes amid Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s plans to let the J&K police take the lead role in the Union Territory, while gradually withdrawing central forces, including the Army.

AFSPA was implemented in Kashmir in 1990 at the time of insurgency and unrest in the region. It granted special powers to the armed forces to maintain public order and combat insurgency effectively.

However, the AFSPA has been a contentious issue, with concerns raised about human rights violations and excessive use of force by the security forces. Over the years, there have been debates and demands for its repeal, citing alleged abuses and the need for accountability in conflict zones.

The potential lifting of AFSPA has been a topic of discussion in the context of efforts to restore normalcy and peace in Kashmir.

J&K police chief R R Swain, who is said to be the brain behind the initiative, and General Officer Commanding (GOC) of White Knight Corps, Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva separately visited the Battle School on March 23 and 27, respectively, and reviewed the training of the officers that included 989 newly inducted sub-inspectors.

In the first phase all probationary officers of the police in the ranks of deputy superintendents of police, sub inspectors and constables after completion of their routine training in the Police Training Centres will also be trained in counter-terror operations. Of those undergoing training, 128 are female officers, including 19 Dy SPs and 109 sub-inspectors.

The batches which have already completed training will be gradually trained in the operations to counter terrorism, official sources told DH. The joint training, which commenced on March 18, aims to further coordination and the combined operational capabilities of both the forces.

The training is focused on operational tactics, intelligence sharing, and counter-terrorism strategies, drawing on the Army’s extensive experience in these fields, they added.

According to police, the integrated training programme was aimed at enhancing the coordination and combined operational capabilities of both forces, which for over three decades have combated terrorism side by side.

Such training will go a long way to help police independently take on terrorism in different areas of the UT, they said.

In a recent interview Amit Shah had said they were planning to pull back troops and leave law and order to the J&K police alone.

“We are strengthening the police, who are at the forefront during the encounters. We will definitely consider this proposal (revoke the AFSPA. The situation is being normalised,” he said.

For the people of the UT, the joint training represents a glimmer of hope amidst the shadows of conflict. It signals a commitment to a future where security is not imposed from above but built from within the community itself.