Mir Arif
Get new I-cards within two days, paste family info with cell numbers on house gates: Army
Baramulla, Feb 01 TKSNN: If you have identification documents certified by the government of India, chances are they may not be of any help in case the army asks for them during search operations.
In a remote village in Baramulla, some 80 kms from Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar, the army on Friday issued a diktat that needs Balahama residents to get new identity cards sealed by the local revenue officer and ward Member. Residents told TKSNN that an army party led by a young officer, Major Sumit, has created fear among them. “In the morning he asked us to assemble at Eidgah and threatened of consequences in case we failed to obtain fresh card,” Wahhed ahmad, a resident said. About 100 people had assembled at the prayer ground in the village. He said when the village headman asked the army officer if people working with government were also required to obtain new identification cards, the major replied: “No other card would work.”
The residents are questioning the credibility of election cards and passports which they have made. If this wasn’t enough that army has asked villagers to paint details of number of people living in a house on the main gate. “We have been asked to identify ourselves with series of numbers. If there are ten people in my house I have been asked to write the number of family members, Peerzada Aijaz, a governmentschool teacher, said. The army, residents say has also asked them to report to the local revenue officer if they are hosting a guest. “We were told to face consequences if the army finds that we didn’t report to the revenue officer (numberdar),” he said.
Residents are appalled at the army’s way of functioning. A resident who wished anonymity says there is no militancy in the area and the officer who has been posted recently has been putting them through unnecessary trouble. The deputy superintendent of police (probationary) who was recently transferred had many confrontations with the army officer and since he has been shifted people have been summoned to the camp. “Young boys are being summoned everyday and the officer moves in Casual clothes during late evening hours which lead to panic,” a top police source told TKSNN Residents said they had a meeting after they were summoned. “We are men working with the government and we have decided not to make identity cards,” they said. Similar diktats by the army have been issued in adjacent villages. Superintendent of Police Abdul Qayoom told TKSNN they have received a complaint and have taken up the matter with the local army unit. “It won’t happen again. I have spoken to army commanders they have assured me that such incidents won’t be repeated,” he said. When contacted army’s 7 sector commander, he told TKSNN that this issue has been brought to his notice by police. I immediately contacted the unit officer directing him not to hassle the local residents unnecessarily.
“There is no such order from army as army is for wellbeing of people of Kashmir and it doesn’t want any kind of unnecessary annoyance to public”, the commander said.