Security agencies to encourage J&K militants to give up arms

To make Jammu and Kashmir terror-free, security agencies have decided to encourage local militants to surrender their arms, in addition to launching major anti-terror operations.

Sources say that security agencies are contemplating rolling out a plan to halt the recruitment of local youth into militancy. They are considering factors such as emotional and psychological influences that drive young individuals to join militant ranks.

Furthermore, strategies to disrupt the social and cultural support for militancy, thereby reducing or ending local recruitment, are under consideration.

The lifespan of militants in Kashmir has significantly shortened in recent years, with 70% of insurgents surviving less than a year after joining militant groups. Factors contributing to this trend include improved coordination among security forces, a robust intelligence network, and inadequately trained militants.

Newly appointed J&K Police chief R R Swain confirmed that the force will ensure that no terrorist recruitment takes place and the lives of people are protected.

“We will also reach out to the misguided youth and motivate them to return. If they return, we will receive them with love and hand them over to their parents,” Swain said but warned that those who have made up their mind not to return or are working for money will face strict action.

Swain, who has earned praise for being tough against the terror-ecosystem, said that police will consider any sort of communication or interaction with Pakistan-based handlers as “a crime.” “We will act very tough against such people,” he warned.

Several years ago, the J&K police and the Army initiated a surrender policy for local youth, where parents of trapped militants were called to encounter sites to persuade them to surrender. In most encounters, local militants are given an opportunity to renounce arms and surrender.

The first surrender policy in Jammu and Kashmir was introduced in 1995 during the peak of militancy. It promised a fixed deposit of Rs 1.5 lakh, a monthly stipend of Rs 1,800, and vocational training for surrendering militants. In 2004, a new policy applicable to both "known militants who surrender with weapons" and "dreaded militants even without weapons" was approved, offering similar incentives.

However, these policies did not yield the desired results, prompting authorities to consider changes in strategies to motivate and prevent local youth from joining militant ranks at the initial stage.