Killing J&K policemen is the easiest way for militants to make headlines

During the past 10 years of insurgency, more than 450 policemen including a Superintendent of Police, 13 deputy superintendents, 14 inspectors, 18 sub inspectors and 24 assistant sub-inspectors (ASI) have been killed.

It might seem illogical, the men of the J&K Police are even deputed to protect top separatist leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference despite so many casualties at the hands of the militants. "It is a contradiction. We have to guard even those who issue the orders of our death," a senior police officer said.

"It is a lavaris fauj (unclaimed army)," a senior police officer said addind, "When they fight the crime, they are condemned for being brutal and when they don’t they are criticised for being lazy and corrupt. And when they are killed on duty, they die unwept, unhonoured and unsung." The officer was referring to Thursday’s incidents. There were no politicians and no one from the civil administration when the bodies of eight policemen killed in the improvised explosive device blast were sent to their villages.

The police in Kashmir is, in fact, functioning between the devil and the deep sea. "Wearing uniform here is a walk on the razor’s edge," said Ghulam Qadir, a selection-grade constable. "If you perform, not only you but your entire family and relations are on the militants’ hit list. And if you hesitate, you are a militant sympathiser," he said.

Ironically, the J&K Police has been victim of security forces as well. In 1993, the entire police force had gone on strike against the killing of a colleague constable Riyaz Ahmad by the Army. Annoyed by the approach of their own officers, the policemen revolted and took over the Police Control Room here. The State Administration had to call in the Army for help.

The militants too launched their terror campaign with the killings of policemen and officers. "The first such killing was of Inspector Saidullah, the Station House officer, Maisuma police station. And then onwards police was targeted continuously," an officer said.

He said whenever the militants felt the need to generate a sensation, they would launch a close-range silencer-fitted pistol assault on the policemen in the city, kill a few and make headlines. "It is easy to kill policemen. There is little chance of a reprisal," an officer said. "And there is also no national outcry like what happened during Kargil war because the body bags don’t go out of the State."

The policemen deputed for the personal security of the politicians and other protected persons have literally been turned into domestic servants. "They (the protected persons) feel it is their right to make use of them as domestic helps, baby-sitters and cooks," a security wing officer said citing a recent letter that a protected person had written to a senior officer of the J&K Police’s security wing.

The PSO (personal security officer) deputed to him was apparently not good at cooking so the politician wrote to the IG seeking a replacement within a week. "My PSO does not know how to cook so please shift him immediately. I can wait for the replacement for a week because my wife is visiting," the letter said.