Pawan Kumar
CRPF role welcome, but don’t bypass J&K police
No central force, even the CRPF, can function effectively without the support of the local police. Regarding the type of security grid to sustain in Jammu and Kashmir, which was demoted from a full-fledged state to a UT in August 2020, it is far from guaranteed that there is enough clarity at the Center. Early in the 1990s, when militancy was at its height, the J&K Police was a conventional, sluggish, and poorly trained force that was completely unprepared to deal with the threat.
As a result, the only way for J&K state, which at the time also contained Ladakh, to handle the full-fledged crisis was to rely on the forces of the Centre, including the Army, the central paramilitary forces, primarily the BSF (and sporadically the CRPF), and the Intelligence Bureau.
Every indication pointed to the Indian state being at sea. It was asked to handle a situation involving insurgency and terrorism supported by neighbours, but there were no manuals or precedents to go to. But over a period of a few years, things started to get better. On the streets and in the villages, there were more CRPF officers and less BSF and Army.
Over time, the J&K Police evolved into a top-notch organisation. While addressing law and order issues, it could deftly carry out counterterrorism operations in support of the Army as well as on its own, as needed. The state (now UT) police, along with the CRPF, has been the primary carrier of security sector responsibilities in J&K for at least ten years. The Army is called upon in exceptional circumstances, like as in 2016, when widespread unrest broke out following the neutralisation of the jihadist Burhan Wani. Otherwise, the LOC, which is on the outskirts of rural Kashmir, is covered by the Army. Over the years, the Jammu division has seen the most of BSF deployments. The major central force in J&K is the CRPF.
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According to news reports from the Centre published in this newspaper, the CRPF will going forward be officially designated as the main force responsible for maintaining internal security and law and order in J&K. This sort of describes a pre-existing circumstance. Making the deal official, however, would entail relegating the J&K Police to auxiliary status. This has regrettably also happened in the wake of the adjustments made in 2020 and the downgrading of J&K. The AGMUT cadre has been combined with the former state’s police force. Officers from other UTs who have no prior expertise managing the intricacy of J&K and the unique scenario that exists are currently in positions of leadership. It’s detrimental to police morale. The local police, who are familiar with the area and the populace, must support any central force, whether it the CRPF or another, for it to be effective.
J&K now needs to contribute money to the CRPF as well. On this count, the Center owes nearly 5,000 crores of rupees, and this has harmed its reputation. The best case scenario is for the CRPF to provide support while the police force handles the difficult tasks, not the other way around. The Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, a specialised unit, are appropriately focused on counterterrorism.
