Srinagar, Jan 21: Former Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir, Rashmi Ranjan Swain, has said that during the peak years of militancy the region effectively operated under two parallel authorities—India and Pakistan—while militant influence had penetrated deep into the civil administration.

In an interview, Swain claimed that late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani remained in contact with officials within the civil administration and that many officers often obliged him. According to Swain, the influence of militant-backed leadership during that period was visible across multiple layers of governance.
Citing figures the former police chief said that over the past 36 years, militancy-related violence claimed more than 47,000 lives. He stated that around 22,000 militants were killed, nearly 12,000 civilians lost their lives to militant violence, and over 6,000 security personnel were also killed during the conflict.
Swain described the period between 1999 and 2000 as a turning point in counter-militancy operations. He said political pressure began mounting during this phase, limiting security agencies to neutralising militants while preventing them from probing the broader militant ecosystem, including sources of funding, logistics, and ideological propaganda.
He further said that there was no political interference in anti-militancy operations immediately after the formation of an elected government in 1996, but the approach later changed, weakening efforts to dismantle support networks behind militancy.
Highlighting the contribution of personnel from the Pir Panjal region, Swain said Rajouri and Poonch produced some of the finest officers for the Special Operations Group, describing them as the “cream of the force” who actively engaged militants on the ground.
On public perception, Swain remarked that prevailing narratives in Kashmir have led many to doubt that Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq was killed by militants, alleging that false operations are often projected to shape public opinion.