Another Kashmiri militant gives up militancy on appeal of mother

Many families have appealed their militant sons in videos, which have gone viral on social media, to give up violence and return to their homes.

Image used for representational purpose.

SRINAGAR: Another Kashmiri youth, who had joined militancy, has given up violence in Jammu and Kashmir and returned home on the appeal of his mother.

"Another young boy responding to the appeals of crying mother returned to the fold of family leaving path of violence in the valley," Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid said in a tweet today.

He wished a happy reunion to the family in his tweet.

Another young boy responding to the appeals of crying mother returned to the fold of family leaving path of violence in the valley. I wish the family happy re- union.
— Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) March 2, 2018

However, police has not shared details of the surrendered youth.

“We are keeping his identity secret because of security concerns,” a police officer said.

He said in view of sensitivity of the issue, they won’t be divulging information of the youth.

He also refused to share information to which militant group the youth was affiliated to.

Without giving figures about the Kashmiri militants who have given up violence and returned to their homes, the police official said, “The youth are returning back. It takes lot of involvement and lot of credibility”.

“If we divulge information about them, it would have a repercussion for them,” he said.

He said due to special efforts from police, the Kashmiri militants are returning back.

The police officer said three militants were arrested from the encounter site last year and one of them was arrested in an injured condition and evacuated to the hospital and he survived.

The process of return of Kashmiri militants to their families started after Kashmiri footballer Majid Khan of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district gave up militancy on November 18 last year, a week after joining Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Police officials in south Kashmir, which has turned into stronghold of militants and where many youth have joined militancy, have held counselling session with families of the militants urging them to convince their militant sons to give up militancy and return to mainstream.

Many families have appealed their militant sons in videos, which have gone viral on social media, to give up violence and return to their homes.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti informed the Legislative Assembly last month that four misguided youths shunned the path of violence and returned to the mainstream in Kashmir.

She had said efforts were being made to counsel the families of militants to convince their wards to give up violence.