Malik Sajid
Effective policing is the mantra behind safety, security and peace in any part of the world. However, painfully enough, the policing system in Kashmir is being grossly compromised by introducing dangerous culture of fill-gap arrangements in form of the recruitment of the Special Police Officers.
In the name of fighting political dissent, militancy encouraging the SPO Culture is bound to destroy the professional ethics of policing in Kashmir. A professional policeman or officer at the end of day is professional and SPO like phenomenon cannot match them. Recently, the Home Ministry has approved the recruitment of an additional 10,000 Special Police Officers (SPOs) in the State police force.
The order will come into immediate effect. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has given his approval for the engagement of the SPOs, especially for the security related requirements, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.
An SPO will initially draw a salary of Rs5,000 per month, Rs5,300 after completion of one year and Rs6,000 after completion of three years. As a matter of fact, The reimbursement of expenditure to the State Government by the Centre in respect of 10,000 SPOs will be as per existing approved Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Guidelines.
There are 25,000 SPOs already in J&K at present. Activists and pro-freedom polity have maintained that SPOs is nothing but to “revive” the notorious “Ikhwani” culture in the state who in mid-90s had wrecked havoc in Kashmir via relentless human rights abuses.
The need of the hour is to introduce proper police reforms and encourage professional policing and not promote SPO culture .