J&K bringing surrender policy to encourage militants to give up arms

The Jammu and Kashmir government in consultation with the Center is soon rolling out a comprehensive surrender policy to encourage local militants to give up arms.

In order to encourage local militants to join the mainstream, the policy provides rehabilitation through different means like the establishment of business units, for those who surrender. The previous rehabilitation policies for surrendered militants offered cash incentives and money in lieu of arms and ammunition

However, this initiative will not cover foreign militants or those found to have been involved in heinous crimes. The policy entails amnesty from prosecution for local militants who surrender and if a surrendered militant gets a job, he wouldn’t be disqualified because of his past.

Sources said the new policy is a revised version of earlier initiatives, but with a fresh focus on socio-economic reintegration. “Top brass of the Army, other security agencies, J&K Police and Intelligence agencies besides all other stakeholders, which were engaged in dealing with anti-militancy operations, have been taken on the board to incorporate their opinion,” they said.

Sources said top officials of the Defence Ministry are in consultations with the Union Home Ministry to give a final touch to the policy, which is likely to be rolled out soon. “Besides local militants, over-ground-workers (OGWs) have also been kept in mind while finalizing the policy. The government plans to wean away not only local militants but their OGWs as well, from the militancy,” they said.

A senior official said even the successful rehabilitation of one hardcore surrendered militant will motivate others to follow suit. “As the views of all major stakeholders, there is not going to be any opposition to the policy like the previous ones. Previous such policies failed as both the Central and State governments failed to provide adequate security to the militants following their surrender,” he said.

“In some cases, the promised benefits were not delivered. These shortcomings not only instilled fear amongst militants regarding threats from terrorist outfits but also jeopardized their and their families’ social and economic situations following their surrender,” the official said and added in the new policy all these issues have been taken care of.

The J&K police and the Army, of late, have started a surrender policy for the local youth, where parents of the trapped militants are called to the encounter site to convince them to surrender. In almost all the encounters, the local militants are being given a chance to give up arms and surrender.

The first surrender policy in Jammu and Kashmir was introduced in 1995 when militancy was at its peak. It promised a fixed deposit of Rs 1.5 lakh, a monthly stipend of Rs 1,800 and some vocational training for the militants who surrendered.

In 2004, a new policy was approved which was applicable to “known militants who surrender with weapons” and “dreaded militants even without weapons”. It also promised a fixed deposit of Rs 1.5 lakh, a monthly stipend of Rs 2,000 and some vocational training.

In 2010, another policy was announced for Kashmiri militants who had gone to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) for arms training between 1989 and 2009 and wanted to return.