Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday announced that the Central government had allocated funds for the purchase bulletproof vests and vehicles for the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
I used human shield to save more lives in Jammu and Kashmir: Major Gogoi
"Orders (have been) issued for bulletproof vehicles at all police stations in Jammu and Kashmir. Our jawans should also get bulletproof jackets and fund for this has been released," Singh said during a short meet with CRPF personnel and police officials in Anantnag.
Protecting the protecters
Policemen and other security personnel of the Valley had, in the wake of numerous attacks by stone-pelters and terrorist activities, resorted to variuous means to protect themselves.
They had on one occasion even used a human shield — a civilian tied to a jeep's bonnet — as an extreme measure to deter stone-pelters.
While this incident had drawn a lot of criticism from many, like the human rights commission, the act by Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi was defended by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu.
Once bulletproof vehicles are made available to the cops, the question of the police even contemplating such a measure would not arise.
The vehicles, however, may have come a little too late for a Station House Officer (SHO) and five other policemen, who were killed when Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists attacked their police party in the Achabal area of the Anantnag district on Friday June 16.
The SHO, Feroz Ahmed Dar, had requested a bulletproof vehicle for protection against terrorists in south Kashmir, but was not provided one.
Meanwhile, Singh also announced that the Central government would provide funds to set up trauma centres for the police in Anantnag district.
Singh also called for a peaceful resolution to problems in J&K. "This is my appeal to everyone: If you have any complaint or grievance, approach me freely. I'm willing to hold a dialogue with anyone," he said.
