SrinagarConcerned over the growing trend, the intelligence wing of the state police has asked higher-ups for steps to prevent massive turnouts at militants funerals and the multiple ritual services being increasingly witnessed since the 2016 unrest.
Police intelligence views the new practice as a fertile recruiting opportunity for militant groups, according to a confidential report quoted by the Indian Express.
(The) massive gatherings that are being witnessed in funerals of killed local militants post-2016 unrest is a serious concern which has to be addressed . These gatherings romanticise and glamourise the terrorists and give boost to militancy, the report quoted by the newspaper says.
It has been noticed that soon after burial of killed local militant(s), one or two local boys, who have participated in their funerals, join militancy. By giving regular appearance at funerals to give gun salutes, or to put forth their point of view/ideology, active militants have been successful in glamourising subversive activities. The massive turnout at funerals of killed terrorists is an indicator of the radicalisation level, the report from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the Director General of the Police says.
The report cites several instances of youth joining militant ranks after attending the funeral of a slain militant, and suggests that youth with inclinations towards militancy should be kept away from such gatherings by asking them to report to police stations and keeping them there until after the burial is over.
The process should be initiated while the encounter is going on, it says, adding that militants have been successful in glamourising militancy by appearing at such funerals and offering gun salutes.
After the killing of militant/militants, active militants give a gun salute the miscreants consider it as an act of bravery and this works as an impetus for the local youth to join militancy, it states. Intelligence input should be generated about the exit routes of militants from such places and they should be chased and neutralised.
The report says that after the massive funeral of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abu Qasim in South Kashmir in 2015, five local youths joined militant ranks.
There has been considerable increase in the number of funeral prayers for killed militants in the Valley and gatherings thereof compared to previous years, the report, prepared two months ago, says.
The intelligence wing has suggested making local imams accountable to prevent them from giving charged and hateful speeches at funerals, and taking mohalla and local auqaf committees into confidence so that public address systems at mosques are not used for provocative speeches at funerals.
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