Police are working to frame a strategy to prevent multiple funerals of local militants who die fighting government forces, citing the passionate religious services lure youth to join militant ranks.
District police chiefs have been directed to study the trend of multiple funerals of the slain militants and then involve influential residents including Moulvis of local mosques for devising a “mechanism” to stem it.
An official communiqué, sent by the additional director general of police Muneer Ahmed Khan to all the senior superintendents of police (SSPs) of Kashmir zone, states it has been observed that a large number of people gathering to offer funeral prayers to the militants killed in encounters with the police, forces where in anti-national slogans are raised besides flags of Pakistan and other anti-national groups.
“These shows lure and motivate the youth for joining the militant outfits and indulge in activities which are prejudicial and detrimental to the security of the State,” the communiqué reads.
“At times, such funeral prayers are held in various rounds. This trend also results in radicalisation of the young generation in particular and has a bearing on the law and order situation in general.”
The ADGP Khan has also asked the district SSPs to submit an action plan within shortest possible time so that a mechanism is devised and adopted to prevent such “occurrences /incidents”.
Khan also directed the SSPs to take “respectable citizens of localities and the Molvies of various masjids” into confidence seeking their point of view so that all aspects are considered while devising the mechanism.
A senior police officer said a few months ago, CID wing of J&K police had in its report cited multiple funerals of local militants as one of the major reasons for pulling Kashmiri youth into militancy.
“Once a proper feedback will be received from the SSPs, a strong strategy will remain in place to ensure multiple funerals don’t take place and there are no gun salutes by the fellow colleagues of slain militants,” the officer said.
At least 87 youth have joined militant ranks in J&K this year, of which 12 have joined militant ranks after imposition of Governor’s rule on 20th of June in the trouble-torn state, according to Union Minister of State (MoS) Home, Hansraj Ahir.
Apart from the multiple funerals, J&K police in its internal report had also cited four other major reasons why Kashmiri youth join militancy that include “peer pressure, neighbourhood impact, social media and passion”.
Another senior police official revealed that while nailing the reasons for local recruitment into armed groups, measures to prevent youth from joining militants and persuading those who have joined to return were taken up and deployed on a fast track basis.
Bodies of local slain militants are handed over to their families while those of “foreign” ones are buried in areas close to the LoC in Baramulla and Kupwara.
Gauntmulla in northern Baramulla district is a known graveyard where majority of “foreign” fighters are given a silent burial. Another exists at Trikanjan in Uri area of Baramulla district.
Until the killing of top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander, Abu Qasim at Kulgam in 2015, the bodies of foreign militants were handed over to the locals for burial.
Qasim’s funeral was attended by tens of thousands of people and even caused a fight between two villages for burial of the slain militant.
At least 60 youth were booked under PSA for participating in Qasim’s funeral including the Imam who led the funeral prayers.
“Qasim’s funeral was analysed threadbare and it was decided the bodies of foreign militants won’t be handed over to local people for burial and instead they would be laid to rest with full respect and religious rights but silently,” a senior police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The only thing we do is that we preserve the DNA samples of all the foreign militants.”