New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has approved a number of non-lethal mechanisms for mob control in the Kashmir valley.
While pellet guns will continue to be in use, additional checks are being put in place before they are used to disperse “a murderous mob” of stone-pelters and rioters, top sources told India Today.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be leading an all-party delegation to Srinagar on September 4, when he is expected to make an announcement as a confidence-building measure.
The Government is preparing to deploy new non-lethal weapons in Kashmir to help control ongoing protests from stone-throwing youths
+4
The Government is preparing to deploy new non-lethal weapons in Kashmir to help control ongoing protests from stone-throwing youths
“The panel set up on the instructions of Home Minister Rajnath Singh recommended the use of chilli-pepper canisters with a soft nose for mob control,” sources privy to the recommendations said.
“As a pilot project, armour-plated water-canons which fire ‘slugs’ of water will also be introduced in the valley.”
Additional restrictions have been placed on the use of pellet guns.
“The pump action guns will not be completely removed but they will be used as almost the last resort. The violent mob will be filmed on camera and then the senior most officer on ground will take a decision on the use of pellet guns. He will then have to justify the use of pellet guns,’’ sources said.
Before a pellet gun is used, chilli-pepper canisters will be fired.
The chilli-pepper canister has a range of approximately 100 metres when fired from a 38 mm gas gun. It works by irritating the target's eyes, skin, and nose.
+4
The chilli-pepper canister has a range of approximately 100 metres when fired from a 38 mm gas gun. It works by irritating the target's eyes, skin, and nose.
“These are non-lethal but effective eye, skin and nose irritants. They will cause the eyes and nose to water and skin to feel itchy. Security Personnel who fire these shells or grenades will wear special clothing and will have a mask to cover their face and eyes in case of change in wind direction,’’ the official said.
The chemical irritant in the chilli-pepper canister severely affects the eyes, respiratory system and mucous membranes of the nose and throat. This leads to instant but temporary disorientation and causes a mob to split up.
The panel also recommended the use of soft, rubber-nose plastic shells. The advantage will be that should the shell directly hit a stone-pelter, the soft rubber nose will prevent any serious injuries to the individual.
Plastic shells will break on impact, and unlike the aluminium canister the mob cannot lift and hurl the canister back at the security forces.
The chilli-pepper canister has a range of approximately 100 metres when fired from a 38 mm gas gun.
There are options for multiple canisters being fired from the top of a riotcontrol vehicle. This mechanism is expected to effectively push back the mob and give breathing space to the security forces to contain the situation. The Centre has also approved the use of water canons in the valley.
“In the narrow lanes of downtown Srinagar or in South Kashmir, big water bowsers cannot be used. Therefore the plan is to mount a water tank on a powerful mid-size truck and instead of firing a jet of water use ‘slugs’ of water. The high-velocity slugs result in the mob being pushed back without causing any fatal injuries,” sources said.
There is also an option to use chilli-pepper chemical water which causes irritation, or pungent-smelling water that will force mobs to disperse. A successful option overseas, it is used with coloured dye in water to identify trouble-makers subsequently.
The CRPF is already experimenting with the long-range acoustic devices in the Valley. Such a device produces a high-pitched sound that forces a person to cover his ears and stop stone-pelting. It temporarily disorients a rioter.
The CRPF and J&K police are analyzing the impact of these acoustic devices. In the US, these devices have been deployed along with laser dazzlers to disorient and disperse mobs.
“However, unlike in the US, the mobs here are far more violent and lethal – occasionally lobbing grenades and using assault rifles. In such a situation when lethal and fatal force is used by the mob or terrorists hiding behind the mob, the forces will be at their discretion to use either pellet guns or assault rifles,’’ sources added.
The security forces including the Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police and CRPF have been reaching out to the youth, their parents and clerics in their respective areas of responsibility advising them to avoid confrontation and loss of life and injuries.
It is hoped the multi-pronged strategy will succeed in preventing a repeat of the tension seen after the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) issued a notice to Dr Syed Naeem Geelani, eldest son of the senior separatist leader and Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, on Monday. It asks him to report for questioning at Shivpora Srinagar, a Hurriyat Conference spokesman said.
The spokesman said that after miserably failing to curb the current mass uprising through its military might, the Indian government is "frustrated" to the extent of being out to frame and arrest separatist leaders and activists.
The Hurriyat said the actions of the NIA would not make any difference to Syed Ali Geelani's commitment to the Kashmiri cause. He said the NIA had been given the task of making up cases against separatist leaders and dragging these cases to Delhi to pressurise the separatist leadership.
Dr Naeem, who is seen accompanying Geelani, studied an MBBS at the Government Medical College in Srinagar, and a post-graduate degree at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science, Islamabad.
In September 2010, Dr Naeem returned to Kashmir after staying in Pakistan for over a decade.
Inspector General of the NIA, SK Singh, who is also its Public Relations Officer, didn’t answer the phone to share details.
According to sources, the top level NIA team has been in Srinagar for the past week to prepare a list of people whose bank accounts have shown “suspicious transactions” over the past few months.
Sources claim that the agency has approached banks and financial institution for assistance to prepare the list to probe the funding of “unlawful activities”.
The NIA officials have previously told reporters that there are some accounts which are under the scanner, and that they would be investigated as the accounts are in the names of people whose earnings don’t warrant such banking transactions.
J&K Police are assisting the NIA team and providing logistic and technical support.
The Hurriyat has hardened its stand after the notice, saying that as in the past, the government will not achieve anything by such an exercise.
The Hurriyat Conference has said that all programmes of the conglomerate should be followed in letter and spirit.
The move against Geelani’s son indicates the Mufti-led government’s tough stand against the separatist leaders.
Syed Ali Geelani has been kept under house arrest, while J&K Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik has been lodged in Srinagar Central Jail since mid July.
(Mail Today)
While pellet guns will continue to be in use, additional checks are being put in place before they are used to disperse “a murderous mob” of stone-pelters and rioters, top sources told India Today.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be leading an all-party delegation to Srinagar on September 4, when he is expected to make an announcement as a confidence-building measure.
The Government is preparing to deploy new non-lethal weapons in Kashmir to help control ongoing protests from stone-throwing youths
+4
The Government is preparing to deploy new non-lethal weapons in Kashmir to help control ongoing protests from stone-throwing youths
“The panel set up on the instructions of Home Minister Rajnath Singh recommended the use of chilli-pepper canisters with a soft nose for mob control,” sources privy to the recommendations said.
“As a pilot project, armour-plated water-canons which fire ‘slugs’ of water will also be introduced in the valley.”
Additional restrictions have been placed on the use of pellet guns.
“The pump action guns will not be completely removed but they will be used as almost the last resort. The violent mob will be filmed on camera and then the senior most officer on ground will take a decision on the use of pellet guns. He will then have to justify the use of pellet guns,’’ sources said.
Before a pellet gun is used, chilli-pepper canisters will be fired.
The chilli-pepper canister has a range of approximately 100 metres when fired from a 38 mm gas gun. It works by irritating the target's eyes, skin, and nose.
+4
The chilli-pepper canister has a range of approximately 100 metres when fired from a 38 mm gas gun. It works by irritating the target's eyes, skin, and nose.
“These are non-lethal but effective eye, skin and nose irritants. They will cause the eyes and nose to water and skin to feel itchy. Security Personnel who fire these shells or grenades will wear special clothing and will have a mask to cover their face and eyes in case of change in wind direction,’’ the official said.
The chemical irritant in the chilli-pepper canister severely affects the eyes, respiratory system and mucous membranes of the nose and throat. This leads to instant but temporary disorientation and causes a mob to split up.
The panel also recommended the use of soft, rubber-nose plastic shells. The advantage will be that should the shell directly hit a stone-pelter, the soft rubber nose will prevent any serious injuries to the individual.
Plastic shells will break on impact, and unlike the aluminium canister the mob cannot lift and hurl the canister back at the security forces.
The chilli-pepper canister has a range of approximately 100 metres when fired from a 38 mm gas gun.
There are options for multiple canisters being fired from the top of a riotcontrol vehicle. This mechanism is expected to effectively push back the mob and give breathing space to the security forces to contain the situation. The Centre has also approved the use of water canons in the valley.
“In the narrow lanes of downtown Srinagar or in South Kashmir, big water bowsers cannot be used. Therefore the plan is to mount a water tank on a powerful mid-size truck and instead of firing a jet of water use ‘slugs’ of water. The high-velocity slugs result in the mob being pushed back without causing any fatal injuries,” sources said.
There is also an option to use chilli-pepper chemical water which causes irritation, or pungent-smelling water that will force mobs to disperse. A successful option overseas, it is used with coloured dye in water to identify trouble-makers subsequently.
The CRPF is already experimenting with the long-range acoustic devices in the Valley. Such a device produces a high-pitched sound that forces a person to cover his ears and stop stone-pelting. It temporarily disorients a rioter.
The CRPF and J&K police are analyzing the impact of these acoustic devices. In the US, these devices have been deployed along with laser dazzlers to disorient and disperse mobs.
“However, unlike in the US, the mobs here are far more violent and lethal – occasionally lobbing grenades and using assault rifles. In such a situation when lethal and fatal force is used by the mob or terrorists hiding behind the mob, the forces will be at their discretion to use either pellet guns or assault rifles,’’ sources added.
The security forces including the Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police and CRPF have been reaching out to the youth, their parents and clerics in their respective areas of responsibility advising them to avoid confrontation and loss of life and injuries.
It is hoped the multi-pronged strategy will succeed in preventing a repeat of the tension seen after the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) issued a notice to Dr Syed Naeem Geelani, eldest son of the senior separatist leader and Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, on Monday. It asks him to report for questioning at Shivpora Srinagar, a Hurriyat Conference spokesman said.
The spokesman said that after miserably failing to curb the current mass uprising through its military might, the Indian government is "frustrated" to the extent of being out to frame and arrest separatist leaders and activists.
The Hurriyat said the actions of the NIA would not make any difference to Syed Ali Geelani's commitment to the Kashmiri cause. He said the NIA had been given the task of making up cases against separatist leaders and dragging these cases to Delhi to pressurise the separatist leadership.
Dr Naeem, who is seen accompanying Geelani, studied an MBBS at the Government Medical College in Srinagar, and a post-graduate degree at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science, Islamabad.
In September 2010, Dr Naeem returned to Kashmir after staying in Pakistan for over a decade.
Inspector General of the NIA, SK Singh, who is also its Public Relations Officer, didn’t answer the phone to share details.
According to sources, the top level NIA team has been in Srinagar for the past week to prepare a list of people whose bank accounts have shown “suspicious transactions” over the past few months.
Sources claim that the agency has approached banks and financial institution for assistance to prepare the list to probe the funding of “unlawful activities”.
The NIA officials have previously told reporters that there are some accounts which are under the scanner, and that they would be investigated as the accounts are in the names of people whose earnings don’t warrant such banking transactions.
J&K Police are assisting the NIA team and providing logistic and technical support.
The Hurriyat has hardened its stand after the notice, saying that as in the past, the government will not achieve anything by such an exercise.
The Hurriyat Conference has said that all programmes of the conglomerate should be followed in letter and spirit.
The move against Geelani’s son indicates the Mufti-led government’s tough stand against the separatist leaders.
Syed Ali Geelani has been kept under house arrest, while J&K Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik has been lodged in Srinagar Central Jail since mid July.
(Mail Today)
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