Rehabilitation plan for youth giving up terrorism: BS Raju

New Delhi: A surrender and rehabilitation scheme will be implemented for the Kashmiri youth, who are willing to give up the path of terrorism, to bring them into the mainstream. The military informed that a proposal has been prepared for this and the defence and home ministries are working on the proposal. Recently, the military officials were successful in convincing one youth, who had wandered onto the path of terrorism, to surrender. The video of the incident also had gone viral. Against this background, a military official shared this information.

The Indian Army is making efforts to get the youth, who have wandered on the path of terrorism, to lay down their arms and surrender. This will rehabilitate them and bring them back into the mainstream. Misled youth pick up arms to become terrorists. The Army does not like to kill these youth. BS Raju pointed out that the Army soldiers put their life at stake to convince such youth to lay down arms and surrender.

Whenever a local youth joins a terrorist group, he is first told to surrender. Lieutenant General BS Raju said that someone clicking a picture with a gun is not reason enough to kill the person. The Army is trying to reach these misled youth, and confidence is being expressed that the Army will be successful in convincing these youth. Government is preparing a surrender and rehabilitation plan. Lieutenant General BS Raju clarified that the defence and home ministries are evaluating the proposal. This year, three such misled youth who had taken up arms, have surrendered. Till date, 50 local terrorists have been arrested.

Meanwhile, one terrorist was killed in an encounter at Larnoo area of the Anantnag district. Officials informed that an AK-47 rifle was recovered from the terrorist. At the same time, the Jammu and Kashmir police destroyed a terrorist hideout at Awantipora in the Pulwama district. A large number of arms and ammunition was seized from there.