Defying hatred and extremism, 67,000 J&K youth apply for jobs in state police department

SRINAGAR: Four days after Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz was abducted and shot by Hizbul Mujahideen militants in Shopian district to serve as a warning to Kashmiri youths aspiring to join the security forces, about 2,000 boys and girls from the Valley lined up at Bakshi Stadium here on Saturday.

All of them had come for the physical endurance test (PET) and physical standard test (PST) for the post of sub-inspectors in Jammu & Kashmir police. Various terrorist groups have repeatedly warned Kashmiri youths against joining the security forces by issuing threatening videos from time to time. However, youths from the Valley not only ignored these threats by lining up for posts in J&K police but they far outnumbered their counterparts from the Jammu region. A total of 67,218 candidates have applied for 698 posts of sub-inspector. Of them, 35,722 are from Kashmir while 31,496 from the Jammu region.

More than 6,000 girls who are graduates are among the aspirants. Several of them took the PET and PST at the Bakshi Stadium on Saturday. With several Kashmiri girls turning up for the J&K police recruitment drive here on Saturday, DGP S P Vaid told TOI: "Dozens of Kashmiri girls broke all the shackles of a conservative society and participated in the recruitment drive."

Nusrat Jan, a candidate from downtown Srinagar, said she wanted to help local women. "I have seen women facing very bad times due to militancy in Kashmir, which needs to be addressed," she added.

Mohammad Rafiq Bhat, a science graduate from old Srinagar, said he was aware that a cop in the Valley had to live under a constant threat from terrorists. "But I am ready to face the menace of militancy. They (militants) are not on the right path and proper treatment is required to treat this disease," he said.

Another aspirant, Rubeena Akthar of Srinagar, said she hoped that a job in J&K police would help her "deal with the vices that are ailing our society..in Kashmir". "I'll be lucky if I get a job in police. One commands respect," said aspirant Farzana.

The first phase of the physical endurance and standard tests started on Saturday with applicants from the Valley, a spokesman of the J&K police said. The exercise will then move to the state's other districts.