History made: J&K police take oath under Indian Constitution for the first time

New Delhi, Nov 19: The newly recruited policemen in Jammu and Kashmir took oath under the Constitution of India. This is for the first time that this has happened in history and this was facilitated by the decision to abrogate Article 370.

Prior to the abrogation, J&K had its own Constitution. Following the August 5 decision, this has been abolished.

1,145 policemen who took oath under the Indian Constitution vowed to bring peace in the Valley.

The new batch of policemen also comprises 50 of them who are specially trained to deal with rioting, stone-pelting, and arson. There are also special commandoes in this force who would deal with terror.

During the ceremony, Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Girish Chandra Murmu said that an addition 40,000 personnel would be recruited to the UT police.

The J&K police have played a major role in fighting terrorism. They have aided the Indian Army with logistics and ground level intelligence, which has been top-notch. Sources say that the intelligence has been precise and actionable and this had led to the series of killings of not foot soldiers, but also top commanders, both local and those from Pakistan.

In the past outfits such as the Hizbul Mujahideen have targeted police personnel and threatened them and their families of dire consequences. Posters warning the police personnel has also surfaced several times in the Valley.

The police force will continue to play a very crucial role in J&K. The challenge ahead is immense with terror groups looking to target the Valley.