In the four south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam, around 5000 youth have applied for the job of SPOs even as the region continues to be at the centre of a two-and-a-half-month uprising during which 85 civilians have been killed and over 12,000 injured, many blinded, maimed and handicapped.
Official sources said a total of 2334 applicants had been received from the youth for the post of SPOs in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district for which the physical fitness test would be conducted from September 24 to 27.
“These are good numbers considering the ongoing situation,” said a top official, who is not authorized to talk to the media.
The number of applicants for SPOs in south Kashmir is the highest in Anantnag, the district which also witnessed the highest number of civilian killings at the hands of Police and paramilitary forces during the past 73 days.
In Kulgam district too, a total of 1258 youth applied for the post of SPOs.
DC Kulgam, Showkat Ahmad Bhat said of the 1258 applicants, a large number of youth appeared for the physical fitness tests on Monday.
Outside the DC’s office at Kulgam, these youth were seen hiding their faces akin to 1990s when people turning up to cast their votes in elections in Jammu Kashmir would cover their faces to avoid the stigma associated with voting.
Similar scenes were also witnessed outside the DC’s office at Pulwama where around 800 youth have applied for the past of SPOs as youth struggled hard to hide their faces from the passersby.
Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Muneer-ul-Islam said of the 800 applicants, 300 appeared in the physical fitness test at the DC’s office on Monday.
“The numbers could have been more but for the ‘Pulwama Chalo’ call (given by the separatists) as a result of which only 300 managed to reach today for the physical fitness test but the test will be conducted tomorrow too,” he said.
The apple-rich Shopian district of south Kashmir also received 500 applications.
Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Ghulam Ahmad Dar said 500 is a good number of applicants for a small district like Shopian, which comprises of just a single-tehsil compared to larger districts like Anantnag which comprises of several tehsils and assembly constituencies.
He said the physical fitness test of these applicants would be held from September 21 to 26 and that the government had already made a committee to select the applicants on merit basis.
“The number of applicants, 500, is good considering that people of Shopian are mostly prosperous and the job of SPO is not a big one in terms of salary,” Dar said.
Since January 1, 2016, the salary of Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Kashmir is Rs 6000 per month, doubled from the early wage of Rs 3000 per month.
Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Geelani had last month said the government’s decision to start the recruitment of SPOs was nothing but a measure aimed at reviving the notorious Ikhwan culture in the State.
Presently, 23,200 SPOs are working in the State and the government plans to recruit more by starting a drive in every district.
SPOs are the Special Police Officers recruited in the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army and paramilitary forces for countering militancy.
They work side by side with them in carrying counter insurgency operations throughout the State.
Initially, SPOs were militants who surrendered and started working with the Special Operations Group of the Police.
Later the SOG was disbanded and the SPOs were merged in J&K Police.
In 1995, a surrender policy for the militants was announced for the first time that was to get reward for each weapon surrendered.
Subsequently, the government carried on with the policy, offering amnesty to the militants whose involvement was peripheral.
The policy known as “rehabilitation policy” was adopted in January 2004.
Shun gun and take money and jobs was the mantra.
Having worked as militants, the SPOs used to have a better understanding of the psyche of the militants and know their modus operandi.
It is with their tips that the police, Army and paramilitary forces have been able to crack a number of modules of various militant outfits operational in the state.
A number of SPOs are also killed in gunfights with militants while combating them working in unison with the police and troops.
There have been many incidents in the past when they have turned deserters for J&K Police, Army and paramilitary forces.
Lack of motivation because of working for meager salaries and working under duress may be the reason for their deserting Police and troops.
The trend of militants joining as SPOs started after a surrendered militant-turned-renegade, Muhammad Yousuf Parray alias Kukka Parray started working against the militants.
Besides his group Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen, other groups like Muslim Mujahadeen also started working for Police and troops.
They were often referred in derogatory terms as “renegades”.
Some of them found their place as informers with the Army and also joined J&K Police as SPOs.364