The Union Home Ministry has advised the Jammu and Kashmir government to provide “economic rehabilitation” to Kashmiri youth who have joined militancy.
A senior official said that to provide an “alternative path” for peace and prosperity to youth who had joined terrorist groups, the State government had been advised to formulate a new “surrender and rehabilitation” policy.
Earlier, the Centre had advised the J&K government to withdraw cases against first-time offenders accused of stone-throwing during the 2016 unrest in the Kashmir Valley.
An official said that 3,685 students and young men got relief under the scheme, and another 9,000 would be covered under the amnesty scheme.
A total of 117 young Kashmiri men joined various militant outfits in 2017.
Incidents of militancy saw a spike after Hizbul Mujahideen “commander” Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8, 2016.
“The policy will provide them [youth in militancy] economic rehabilitation and suitable training to run their own business,” a senior government official said.
