Unemployed former terrorists pose grave threat to Kashmir

Sumir Kaul
Srinagar, July 25 (PTI) The government of northernmost
Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has sought an urgent
clearance of a proposal to the Centre for rehabilitating
nearly 20,000 former militants who have been without any
income after serving their jail sentences.
The reason -- they become easy fodder for anti-national
elements -- as is evident from the recent arrest of three
youths in Jawahar Nagar in the city who were running the back-
end office for Masarat Alam, an active member of hardline
Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Mohammed Sadiq Lone, a 35-year-old man, was arrested
along with two others and what came out of his interrogation
was disturbing for the police officers.
Lone had become a spokesman for Alam, now absconding, and
used to take instructions from alleged Pakistan-based ISI
handlers of the Hurriyat Conference led by Geelani and issue
press statements and coordinate with stone-pelters in various
areas to enforce strikes and bandhs, officials claimed.
An expert in computers, Lone, a former Hizbul Mujahideen
terrorist, came out of jail last year after serving a seven-
year prison term. He applied for jobs and finally got selected
in the police force.
He cleared the physical and written test but was not
selected because of his negative verification. With a widow
mother and three sisters to look after, Lone approached Alam
whom he had met in jail. He promptly offered him the job with
Rs 5,000 per month as salary.
Today he was not only successfully running his campaign
but also bombarding social networking sites including
Facebook, Twitter and others with secessionist messages.
The state government has been regularly writing to the
Centre for an employment package for these youths whose number
is between 20,000 to 25,000, officials said.
"If there can be an employment scheme for surrendered
militants, then why not for these ex-militants who are
otherwise ready fodder for people like Masarat Alam," a senior
state government official said.
A proposal for their rehabilitation was pending before
the Centre whereby it was advised that they should be trained
in various fields under a special programme and later absorbed
in different Public Sector Undertakings.
Lone, a resident of Kreeri in North Kashmir, was arrested
along with Musaib Alataf Mir and Rayees Ahmed Bhat and police
seized computers, mobile phones and laptops from them. The
other two were paid Rs 3,000 per month. PTI SKL
MRD