Police preparing for change as the Center considers the Army’s withdrawal from J&K

A six-week training program for over 1,000 probationary police officers, including 62 Deputy Superintendents of Police, is now underway at the Army’s counterterrorism White Knight Corps fighting school located in the Doda area of Jammu and Kashmir, according to sources.

Commencing on March 19, the comprehensive training program is the first of its type in the Union Territory, which is dealing with nearly thirty years of terrorism supported by Pakistan.

In a recent interview, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government intended to withdraw its soldiers from Jammu and Kashmir and hand over peace and order to the Union Territory’s police.

“We intend to withdraw our forces and turn over law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police exclusively.” The Jammu and Kashmir Police were not trusted in the past, but now they are in charge of the operations,” he had said.

The integrated training program, according to police, was designed to improve the coordination and joint operational skills of the two forces, who have been fighting terrorism together for more than thirty years.

Based on the Indian Army’s vast expertise in these domains, the training is concentrated on operational tactics, information exchange, and counterterrorism techniques. According to a police spokesman, “this joint training demonstrates a sustained commitment to security and the well-being of the region’s residents.”

According to him, it’s a step in the right direction toward a time when J&K’s peace and safety are mostly dependent on the cooperation of the Army and local police.

The preservation of national security has been made possible by the bravery and selflessness of both troops in the face of difficulty. The synthesis attained during training will open the door for Jammu and Kashmir to return to peace and normality. Additionally, this will help the police become a more formidable and skilled force, the source said. He mentioned the strategic containment in Sopore, north Kashmir, which is thought to be a transit point for terrorists attempting to infiltrate, and the successful counterterrorism operations in Pulwama, south Kashmir, which have not only disrupted terrorist activities but also restored law and order, opening the door for peace and stability.

The missions also demonstrate how well the Army and police work together. According to the source, the integrated training program is anticipated to strengthen this collaboration and result in even more successful counterterrorism efforts.

The initiative’s driving force, DGP RR Swain, and White Knight Corps Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, who visited the battle school on March 23 and 27, respectively, to assess the officers’ training—which included 989 recently hired sub-inspectors—were reportedly the brains behind it.

128 female cops, including 19 DSPs, are enrolled in the training program. Lt Gen Sachdeva expressed his confidence that the training will improve mutual understanding and sharing of the two organizations’ best practices, ethos, culture, and strengths.