New Delhi: Is Kashmir’s most-used militant ingress route and the border district, perched beside the LoC and with the most pronounced proseparatist sentiments, witnessing a change?
Kupwara, facing PoK capital Muzzaffarabad, has been the scene of most number of encounters between security forces and
militants—numbering between 900 to 1,000—during the last decade, with fatalities running into thousands. Its two thick forests, Rajawar and Kalroos, are known to harbour the maximum number of Pakistani mercenaries. According to a top army commander, even a full division of troops will get lost in the area.
But now, the winds of change seem to be blowing in the area, indicated by the unprecedented response evoked by an army recruitment drive currently on in some areas of the district. In the first of the series of recruitment drives launched in Kupwara and neighbouring areas in 20 years, the response has been overwhelming, an army official said. “For a single vacancy in the force, we are getting 150 aspirants,’’ he said.
The recruitment camps were held in Chhamkote, Chowkibal and Tregham areas. According to official figures, 1,643 people responded and 183 were screened for final selection—a far cry from the height of militancy from 1990 to 2005, when security forces were unable to think of holding any recruitment camps, let along conduct them.
The army ventured to hold its first recruitment drive in 2005, when 1,126 people responded and 127 qualified after the screening. Most of them recruited joined regular army units of the J&K Light Infantry and the J&K Rifles. Army also receiving strong response Baramulla and Srinagar. AGENCIES Army to help jungle warfare school
The army has agreed to help Jharkhand police run a jungle warfare school that would train jawans and officers to tackle the Naxal menace. “The state government is setting up a specialized training centre to combat Maoists in jungles. We requested the army for support and the officials agreed,’’ said chief secretary A K Basu. <<back
