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| 'I held JK Poilce in high esteem' | | Former J&K Guv denies report attributed to him; terms it mischievous |  Jammu, September 23 (Scoop News)-Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt General (Retd) S K Sinha on Sunday expressed surprise over a news report attributed to him, purpotedly saying that 50 per cent J&K Police personnel were sympathasisers of militants.
When asked to elaborate, General Sinha described the report as misleading and malicious, saying that he has been misquoted with mischevous intent.
General Sinha told Jammu based News Agency KIP over phone from New Delhi that being a Policeman by birth and soldier by profession, he would have been the last person to condemn any Police force.
"During my tenure as Governor of J & K, I took various measures to express my appreciation of the work done by J & K Police and always invited to the Raj Bhavan, policemen irrespective of rank, who had earned gallantry and distinguished service awards, along with Army personnel whose services had been similarly recognized. At the end of every Amarnath Yatra I used to invite some civil officials, representative Army and Police personnel in appreciation of the services rendered by them. Army and Police units were also presented cerificates of appreciation and momentos", he added.
Referring to his address at Mangalaytan University in Aligrah on the Genesis of the Kashmir Problem and Solution, the former Governor said that after his hour long address on the subject, someone in the audience asked him whether it was now necessary for AFSPA to continue in Kashmir.
"I replied that AFSPA should remain in force wherever the Army is called to combat insurgency. The Army normally does not have powers of arrest and search which are vested in the Police. AFSPA provides the Army these powers in designated insurgency areas, whether in Kashmir or in the North East", he said adding that the State Police, comprising local people have a difficult task in such operations as some may have sympathy for the insurgent cause.
"Further in certain conditions and within the required time frame it may not be possible for the Army to provide prior information about an operation to the Police. On such occasions, it is necessary for the Army to conduct operations without prior intimation to the Police as information may get leaked to the terrorists and thus jeopardise the operation. Once Army is withdrawn from counter insurgency role, AFSPA can be withdrawn", he said he told the audience.
On human rights, General Sinha told that he had said in his lecture that 'no doubt there have been some cases in which the Army has been guilty of this crime as indeed the Police have been. The record of the Indian Army in this regard has been far superior to that of Pakistan Army in erstwhile East Pakistan and now in Baluchistan, or for that matter the US Army in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. There were about seventy proved cases of major and minor human rights violations by the Army in over twenty years of insurgency in Kashmir in which soldiers were found guilty till 2008, when he left Kashmir after his gubernatorial assignment. The guilty personnel were duly punished by courtmartials. The quantum of punishment was related to the gravity of the crime. In some cases individuals were dismissed and given 14 years rigorous imprisonment. Similarly', Police personnel guilty of human rights violations were duly punished'.
He regretted that from his one hour address the reporter appears to have only mentioned the AFSPA issue and twisted facts in such a mischievous manner only shows a hidden agenda.
On the issue of transfer of land to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the report mentions about the Governor having taken this decision, which speaks of his ignorance about the government functioning. He said Raj Bhavan has no role in taking administrative decisions and clarified that the SASB had requested for the land for creating temporary facilities for the pilgrims and it took the government three years in taking a decision for which the Board was required to pay Rs 1.2 crore for the use of that plot of land. The Government letter specified that the ownership of the land would remain with the State Government and the Board couls could use it only for the purpose of constructing temporary shelters for Amarnath pilgrims.
“That barren land was traditionally being used as base camp for pilgrims going to the Holy Cave. It is covered with snow for eight months in the year and is uninhabitable and unapproachable during that period” he maintained.
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