SRINAGAR: Many young street protesters from 2010, a particularly violent year in Kashmir , have qualified to don the khaki uniform now.

Additional director general of police P L Gupta on Saturday formally inducted 911 Kashmiri men into the police force. These youngsters were selected during a special police recruitment drive held in various areas after the so-called “stone-pelting phenomenon” spread across the Kashmir valley three years ago. The killing of three youths in a fake encounter had brought protesters out on the streets and, ultimately, led to a protest-firing-protest cycle over months. About 100 protesters died in security forces’ firing in that period.

Two weeks ago the new recruits, who trained at Manigam Police Training School in Ganderbal, had protested against being deprived of a passing-out parade ceremony as part of their formal joining of duties. Their mode of protest: throwing stones at the policemen posted inside the school.

A recruit from Maisuma locality of Srinagar said the police authorities had deputed the new appointees on Amarnath Yatra duty till the passing-out parade was held. “But we wanted the parade to be conducted before being assigned our duties,” he said. “The authorities tried to buy time and use us for the time being for Amarnath Yatra duties. This would have delayed our formal appointment and disturbed our seniority in the general pool.”

The police responded with lathis. But tempers were soon brought under control after the intervention of Bhakar Samoon, principal of the training school. Samoon said all recruits were not part of the special recruitment drive in the Kashmir valley — some were from the Jammu region too.

