Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday asked the top officials of various security agencies “to engage the local boys in various developmental activities to keep them away from joining various militant outfits.
In a three hour long closed-door meeting with top officials of the police, paramilitary forces, and army, in the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre, in Srinagar, Gauba told the officials to work in close coordination while “carrying out anti-militancy operation so that minimum causality takes place on the force’s side.
“The Home Secretary sought feedback from the heads of various security agencies on certain important issues that include infiltration, counter infiltration and militancy,” the official said.
Gauba, according to the official, suggested a slew of steps to keep the young from joining militant outfits. “We will provide full support to all of you in engaging youth in various developmental activities so that they are kept away from militancy,” the official quoted Gauba as having told the meeting.
When he was told by some officials that the tendency among the youth in Kashmir to join militant outfits was only growing day-by-day, Gauba told the meeting that efforts to plug the trend must be intensified so that militancy is not only curbed but youth are exposed to outer world. He was also informed that some social media accounts had handlers in Pakistan the “radicalisation” was pushing the youth towards militancy.
Gauba was also apprised about the steps taken to prevent prisons from becoming places to plan anti-national activities by militants and other subversive elements.
The recent Kupwara encounter was also brought up for discussion and the Home Secretary asked the officers to ensure minimum causalities on the force’s side while fighting militants. The meeting also touched upon attempts by armed men from across the border to infiltrate into this part of Kashmir and how those men if they succeeded in crossing the border could be killed before reaching the hinterland.
The army, according to a source, assured the MHA team that since there was a very robust grid in place but promising zero infiltration wasn’t possible. The meeting was attended by S.P. Vaid, the police chief, besides other top army and paramilitary officers.
The Union Home Secretary also reviewed Prime Minister’s Development Package and directed the officials to expedite its implementation. While expressing satisfaction over certain development schemes he asked the reason for delay in implementing other major schemes.