JAMMU, Jan 1:On Monday, R R Swain, the chief of Jammu and Kashmir Police, stated that although there has been a decrease in terrorism in the region, it has not entirely disappeared. He urged his officers to strive for peace so that candidates and voters can participate in elections without fear. The challenge for 2024, according to Swain’s New Year’s message to law enforcement officials, is to prevent the demolished terror ecosystem from “taking roots or resurfacing even marginally in any form.” The Supreme Court has ordered the Centre to schedule the eagerly awaited Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections by September 30 of this year. The five-year terms of the union territory’s urban local bodies and panchayats are now over.“Where ordinary young men and women without pedigree but committed to transparent governance and the well-being of their electorate feel free to vote as voters and compete with each other to be voted to power as candidates without the fear of the lurking gun of the separatists and the soft separatists used through the hapless terrorists,” the director general of police (DGP) stated in his five-page message. According to him, the creation of jobs, investments, and new businesses all depend on a tranquil environment. “Let me remind everyone that despite the progress made, there is no place for complacency. We continue to face difficulties. Terrorism has decreased but is still present. We simply cannot afford to let our guard down. “The enemy is and will keep attempting to undermine peace through various means. Before such a move gains traction, we must defeat it, according to Swain. “We have to show real empathy and compassion for our fellow peace-loving citizens,” he said, adding that there must be zero tolerance for any action or person endangering the safety of local communities or the nation’s peace and stability.“Till yesterday, the challenge was to dismantle the terror ecosystem in which significant progress has been achieved, and now, the new challenge is not to let it take roots or re-surface even marginally in any form,” he added.
Swain said the force also faces challenges of drug menace and narco-terrorism.
“It is a security threat as well as a social evil. We need to work relentlessly to uproot it. We owe it to the society that J&K police shall keep our future generations free from this menace,” he said.
Swain also talked about the challenge posed by artificial intelligence (AI) warfare and warned that the threat is going to get stronger in the near future.“The goal up until yesterday was to break up the terror ecosystem, and we made a lot of progress in that regard. The new goal is to prevent it from taking hold or from resurfacing even slightly in any capacity,” he continued. According to Swain, the force also has to deal with the drug problem and narcoterrorism. It is both a social evil and a threat to security. In order to remove it, we must work tirelessly. We owe it to society that the J&K police protect the next generation from this threat,” he remarked. Additionally, Swain discussed the difficulty presented by artificial intelligence (AI) warfare and issued a warning that the threat would only grow in the near future.“Therefore, we must urgently continue honing our skills in technology and AI-backed policing, even as we continue to improve upon the traditional methods and practices of maintaining peace and counterterrorism efforts,” he stated. In praising the police force’s role, the DGP stated that during the previous three decades of terrorism, more than 1,600 police officers have given their lives while performing their duties. He declared, “This proud professional force has made enormous sacrifices to ensure an enabling environment for fostering peace and development and to free J&K from the clutches of sponsored terrorism.”
