Police told to prevent massive militant funerals: Report

Srinagar, Feb 27: The intelligence wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police has asked the state police chief to take steps to prevent “massive and multiple” funerals of militants in the Valley, said a media report.
According to the report published in The Indian Express a confidential report sent by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to Director General of Police S P Vaid, reads: “The funerals of killed militants have become a fertile ground for recruiters”.
Quoting police’s confidential communiqué, the reports mentions: “(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 militants and give boost to militancy.”
The reports further states: “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”.
It also states: “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 says. “When foreign terrorist Abu Qasim was killed in October 2015, multiple funerals were offered. Almost 20,000 people participated in his funeral and some militants also gave gun salute”.
“After the killing of Abu Qasim, it was decided to bury killed foreign militants in north Kashmir in order to avoid major law and order problems,” the report mentions the poile’s confidential communiqué.
“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 neutralized,” report quotes the police’s confidential communiqué.
“(The) local auqaf committee should be taken into confidence so that they may not allow the public address systems of masjid to be used for provocative speeches at the funerals,” report further quotes the police’s confidential communiqué.