‘We can never repay their debt’ says CM Mufti as J&K remembers 1,583 'martyrs
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday remembered 1,583 men including 966 officers, 486 SPOs and 131 Village Defence Committee members who laid down their lives during counter-insurgency campaign in the restive Himalayan state in past 25 years.
Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, his predecessor and Opposition National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, his father and party patron Farooq Abdullah and a host of other mainstream leaders, ministers, lawmakers and senior police and other security officials joined in paying tributes to the ‘martyrs’ and their families at the police commemoration day held at Zewan near Srinagar.
J&K policewomen participate in a parade to mark Police Commemoration Day (Photo: PTI)
“The state will always remember those police officers and jawans who have fallen in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives for safeguarding the future of our citizens. We can never repay debt of our police martyrs. We salute our heroes and pray for their eternal peace and highest place in the Heaven,” the Chief Minister said in his keynote address on the occasion.
Mr. Sayeed referred to the ‘supreme sacrifice’ of 10 gallant CRPF jawans at Hot Springs, Ladakh, in 1959 while fighting Chinese aggression-in whose memory Police Commemoration Day is observed every year-and commended J&K Police for exercising restraint and minimising collateral damage on the law-and-order front. “They keep on facing stones and in-turn deal with it meekly. I salute their valour and spirit,” he said.
He, however, while highlighting the scourge of rising drug addiction, violence against women and other crimes taking root in the society asked police also focus on prevention of crime by strengthening prosecution wing so that the criminals do not go scot-free.
J&K police band marching to honour martyrs who laid down their lives fighting militancy on the occasion (Photo: PTI)
The Chief Minister, while laying stress on the noble message of peace preached by Islam, reiterated that guns would never be a solution to any problem. Invoking his old slogan ‘Na Bandook Se Na Goli Se, Baat Banegi Boli Se’, he said that ‘guns and bullets won’t lead us anywhere’. “I feel pain when I see Islam's message of peace being distorted by some people.”
Taking a detour to the events between 1947 and now, the Chief Minister referred to the political space created when Kashmir’s legendary leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah returned to power in the state. “He gave good governance and created much-needed political space for leaders like me,” he said. He also said, “Sheikh Sahib was a tall leader and there is no comparison between him and me.”
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed during Police Commemoration Day (Photo: PTI)
Reflecting upon “certain disturbing incidents” of the past few days, Mr. Sayeed said such acts of intolerance and hate are hitting at India’s core values and posing a grave threat to the country’s plurality and inclusiveness.
He cited the example of Pakistan, which, he said, was still in search of a political model that matches one which has been perfected by India. “I compliment the opposition in piloting a resolution which was unanimously passed by the State Legislature recently and which conveyed message of peace and communal harmony to the rest of the country,” he said. He recalled the events of 1947 when Kashmir “became a torchbearer of peace for the country which was burning in communal frenzy that led to partition”. He described India as ‘epitome of democracy’ and reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was better off with India.
Quoting former Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayees, that “friends can be changed, not neighbours”, the Chief Minister said if India has to become a world power, it will have to maintain friendly relations with all its neighbours. He said uncertainty and violence on borders impacts the local population most and derails the government’s efforts for ushering in a new era of development in the state.
Farooq Abdullah and Ex CM Omar Abdullah during Police Commemoration Day (Photo: PTI)
Earlier, Director General of Police, K. Rajendra Kumar, read out the names of 437 police personnel across the country, including 24 from J&K Police and 15 from CRPF and BSF, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in the past one year.
Paying homage to all martyrs, he made a special mention of SI Altaf Ahmad Dar, who was killed by militants in J&K's northern district of Bandipora recently. The police chief also highlighted various welfare schemes run by J&K Police that provide financial assistance to the families of martyred police personnel, in particular towards their rehabilitation and education of children.
