At least seven policemen have resigned from the Jammu & Kashmir Police department in south Kashmir after militants abducted and killed three policemen in the wee hours of Friday morning. However, the Home Ministry has rubbished the reports of any policeman resigning in the state, and termed the news as “untrue” and “motivated”.

After the killing of the three policemen, four videos and a photograph of police constables from south Kashmir surfaced on social media—all trying to make it clear that they have resigned from the department.

The seven policemen who have resigned have been identified as:
– Shabir Ahmed Thoker, son of Ghulam Mohhidudin Thoker, from Samoona
– Tajamul Hussain Lone, son of Abdul Wahab Lone, from Batagund
– Nawaz Ahmad Lone from Kulgam
– Irshad Ahmad Baba, son of Muhammad Ashraf Baba, from Shopian
– Umar Bashmir Nengroo, son of Bashmir Ahmad Nengroo, from Kaprin area of Shopian district
– Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Khalik Dar, from Gandibagh
– Fayaz Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Khalik Dar, from Gandibagh area of south Kashmir

Sources in the Jammu & Kashmir Police department told Newslaundry that over 500 police personnel in four districts of south Kashmir have resigned from the department. The department is yet to accept their resignations. However, all the high-ranking police officials approached by Newslaundry rubbished these reports.

Meanwhile, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said the present dispensation’s muscular policy isn’t working in Kashmir. On Twitter, she said, “Clearly, with the rise in kidnapping of police personnel and their families, Centre’s muscular policy is not working at all. Dialogue, the only way forward seems to be a distant dream for now.”

Caught in a bind

A head constable posted in Anantnag district told Newslaundry, on condition of anonymity, that the policemen’s families are never at peace. He said, “When I am on leave at my home, my family cannot even eat in peace. Fear surrounds us as we keep looking at our door [hoping] that no one will knock on it.”

When asked whether he would resign, he said, “I am in a fix. On one side is my family, children and parents. On the other side is my livelihood. I have taken a bank loan for the marriages of my brother and sister. If I resign, how can I repay the loan? My only savings is my General Provident Fund. If I resign, the department is never going to repay the money as there is a proper procedure one has to go through. But I also don’t want to get killed. Who will look after my parents and children?”

One of the seniormost police officers in the department—who is close to the security grid—told Newslaundry, “It has now come down to Kashmiri versus Kashmiri. There are boys under my command who are saying: give us weapons which we can take home so that if anyone comes to our home, we can fight them back. But we cannot do that as we are bound by law.”

The senior officer said the situation in south Kashmir is going to change soon, describing the present situation as the “honeymoon period of militancy”.

He said, “This honeymoon period is going to end soon. There is an undercurrent against the militancy. They (militancy) are losing moral high ground in the Valley in general and in south Kashmir in particular. In coming days, there definitely will be more confrontations between the local populace and police personnel. It will not be a civil war, but definitely a confrontation between the two.”
The killing of police personnel has resulted in fear looming large in the hearts and minds of the people, but resentment is also brewing in south Kashmir.

Threats and conspiracies
In an audio message, Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo—Hizbul Mujahideen’s operational commander, Kashmir—gave an open threat to police personnel in the Valley, saying it’s “New Delhi’s conspiracy to weaken the movement in Kashmir”.

In the audio clip, Naikoo said, “Why doesn’t New Delhi provide jobs to the youth in other departments? What is the need of employing youth in the police force when they (New Delhi) have already stationed 8-10 lakh forces in Kashmir? Why are SPOs given salaries even when they remain at home? There are other departments whose employees are without salary for months together, but the police gets its salary on time.” Newslaundry could not independently verify the audio clip.

Naikoo said SPOs provide information about the movement of militants to government forces. He said, “You do such stuff for promotions only … We request you (policemen) to be at home and leave the department and this job. We appeal to all the mothers: if your sons don’t pay heeds to our request, then don’t blame us for the consequences. Till now we were lenient with [the] police but our policy had a negative impact.”

Impact on Pakistan relations
The situation on the ground was aptly described by senior Valley-based journalist Shams Irfan. He wrote on Facebook, “By involving a militant’s family or by burning their houses during mid-night raids, and harassing their kins on and off, you are only making this conflict more deadly, intimate, and personal. Fight guns with guns. For god-sake leave families on all sides alone (sic).”

The killing of policemen has also directly impacted the relations between India and Pakistan. Union government has said two deeply disturbing developments have taken place in one day, with the killing of Indian security personnel by Pakistan-based entities, and the recent release of a series of 20 postage stamps by Pakistan “glorifying a terrorist and terrorism”. Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said this confirms that Pakistan will not mend its ways. Kumar said, “In view of the changed situation, there will be no meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York.”

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was quick to respond to the falling out of India and Pakistan. She said, “Calling off meeting between India & Pak’s FMs is bad news for J&K. Both countries owe it to people of state & country to carry on dialogue rather than talking through media. In spite of a historic mandate, it is media & not NDA leadership that is setting the agenda (sic).”