The Jammu & Kashmir police chief on Thursday asked the youth to desist from the practice of storming encounter sites to pelt stones at the security forces during raging gun battles with terrorists. He described the practice as tantamount to committing suicide.
“In the encounter even security forces take cover of bulletproof vehicles or a house. The youth coming to encounter sites are committing suicide,” Director-General of Police SP Vaid told reporters while appealing to the youth to stay at home during encounters.
“A bullet does not see who is coming and who it will hit. So my appeal to all these young men is, as in the past, they should remain in their homes and not come to the site of the encounter. Of course stone pelting is not desirable at all,” Vaid added.
He was addressing reporters here two days after three civilian protesters were killed in central Kashmir’s Chadoora pocket when they indulged in stone pelting during a counter-insurgency operation in a bid to help a holed-up terrorist flee.
More than 60 security personnel were injured in the stone pelting by the youth and at least 30 protesters were hurt in the firing of bullets and pellet guns by the security forces to protect themselves from the enraged mob.
Vaid said the youth were being misled and misused by elements inimical to peace in the Valley for their short-term political gains.
The DGP said the inimical elements were misusing social media to instigate the youth to hurl stones at security forces to help terrorists flee.
“I would say this is misuse of social media by elements inimical to peace in the Valley and to our country. The moment an encounter starts, they activate around 300 WhatsApp groups, each having more than 250 members, and other social networking websites like Facebook, instigating young boys to reach the encounter site and throw stones so that the terrorists escape from the spot,” he said.
The DGP described the stone-pelting as “challenging” but maintained that the security forces would come up with a strategy to handle the emerging situation.
“It is challenging but we keep evolving our strategy and I am sure with our experience of last 25 years, the J&K police and security forces will be able to handle the situation. It is a point of grave provocation,” he said.
“We have been able to minimise collateral damage and civilian casualties. There has been lot of provocation from the other side, instigating young men, misleading them to pelt stones and reach the site of encounter,” Vaid said.
“Some of these accounts have been traced across (the border). It is an attempt of the enemies of India to create problems. All these numbers are being monitored. We will take action against those who are here. But youth must understand they are being used by people for their political gains for their short-term political gains by people who probably want to create mayhem and chaos in the Kashmir Valley,” he said.
The DGP’s advice is in tone with the Army Chief General Bipin Rawat’s statement who last month warned protesters disrupting the anti-terrorist operations. Rawat hinted that the stone-pelters would be treated at par with the terrorists.
However, despite the Army chief’s stern warning and the local administration’s orders to declare encounter sites as prohibited for public ingress, the youths continue to storm the encounter sites giving a tough time to the security forces. At least five protesters have been killed since February during clashes near the encounter sites.