Two authorities operated in J&K during peak militancy, says former DGP Rashmi Ranjan Swain

Convener News Desk 

Srinagar, Jan 21: Retired Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir, Rashmi Ranjan Swain, said that during the peak years of militancy, Jammu and Kashmir effectively functioned under two parallel authorities, India and Pakistan, while militant influence extended deep into civil administration.

In an interview, Swain stated that the late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani remained in contact with officers in the civil administration, and that officials often obliged him. He said the influence of militant-backed leadership during those years was visible across multiple layers of governance.

Sharing figures related to the prolonged conflict, Swain, as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust, said that over the last 36 years, more than 47,000 people lost their lives in militancy-related violence. He said around 22,000 militants were shot dead, while nearly 12,000 civilians were killed by militants. According to him, over 6,000 personnel from security forces were also killed during this period.

The former police chief described the period between 1999 and 2000 as a turning point in counter-militancy operations. He said political pressure began building up during this time, restricting security agencies from probing the wider militant ecosystem. Swain claimed that while militants were allowed to be neutralised, security forces were not permitted to investigate the sources of their finances, logistics, or those propagating anti-India ideology.

Swain further said that there was no political interference in anti-militancy operations immediately after the formation of an elected government in 1996, but the approach later changed, weakening the ability of agencies to dismantle the support networks behind militancy.

Highlighting the role of forces from the Pir Panjal region, he said Rajouri and Poonch contributed some of the finest personnel to the Special Operations Group, describing them as the cream of the force who fought active militants on the ground.

Commenting on public perception, Swain said the prevailing narrative in Kashmir is such that people do not believe that Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq was killed by militants, alleging that false operations are often flagged to shape public opinion. [KNT]