Jammu youth shuns violence, returns home

Srinagar(Jammu and Kashmir)[India]Mar 2(ANI): A youth from Jammu and Kashmir who had earlier joined militant ranks, has shun the path of violence and returned home.

"He had joined a militant group in the valley after running away from home, but then decided to leave the path of violence after an emotional appeal from his mother" said SP Vaid, Director General of Police Jammu and Kashmir.

This case joins the ever growing list of young men who have decided to give up militancy and return home and reunite with their families.

In January this year another young militant had surrendered to the police and later returned to his family. Two months before that another militant, 20-year old Majid Khan from Jammu's Anantnag area had also surrendered before the police.

To encourage more such youths to join the mainstream, the state government is formulating a new surrender policy to "get positive results in the near future".

Under the existing one, which was effected in 2004 and changed in 2010, a total of 608 militants had surrendered before security forces between 2004 and March 2015. Nearly Rs 10 crore had been spent on them during the same period, according to local media reports.

Between 2004 and 2008, over 550 militants surrendered. This figure, however, dropped drastically to 57 between 2009 and 2014.

Another 453 former militants returned home via Nepal along with their wives (Pakistani nationals) and children after the new policy was enforced in 2010.(ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI