R-Day: J&K Police tops gallantry award list

Jammu and Kashmir police will be honoured with 108 gallantry awards, the highest ever for the force, on the Republic Day on Sunday. The CRPF has won 76 awards, the second highest.

The awards come on the heels of arrest of DSP Davinder Singh who was arrested while transporting two Hizbul Mujahideen militants and a lawyer to Jammu in a vehicle.

The police say the awards are a recognition of the services rendered by them.

"It is a tribute to police who have been in the forefront of the fight against militancy," Muneer Khan ADGP, Law and Order and Security, told IANS. "J&K police deserves all the accolades for giving unmatched sacrifices in maintaining law and order in J&K."

He said J&K police deserves all the honours and it is time to congratulate the policemen and the officers adding that J&K police is a professional organisation and second to none in the world.

The J&K police have come a long way since the early years of militancy when its role was restricted only to burial of militants and people killed by militants.

But after the setting up of special operations group (SOG) in 1993, an elite anti militancy wing of police, the J&K police started taking part in counter terror operations. Over the years, the SOG has emerged as formidable force.

"The police is taking part in all the anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir," Farooq Khan, advisor to J&K LT Governor G.C. Murmu told IANS. "Police play an important role in collecting information vital for anti terror operations."

Khan said after 1993, police have started taking a lead role in anti militancy operations and became a force to reckon with.

However, sources say, there is resentment in the J&K police after a government order gave powers to R.R. Bhatnagar, a newly appointed advisor to Lt Governor Murmu, in police transfers of officers.

One senior officer said the force is losing its relevance due to this order. "The micromanagement of the police force will now be done at the highest level. It will be extremely disastrous for the police force," he said.

"It will make police rudderless. How could somebody sitting in Delhi micromanage the things better than an officer on the field," he said.IANS