The state government had ordered to set up a police post here in this village that is abandoned since seven persons belonging to a particular community were massacred by unidentified gunmen in March, 1997. A post was promptly set up ostensibly to prevent any such tragedy in the future besides protecting the property of the families who had fled the village.

But the policemen were not issued weapons. ``We did ask for weapons from our seniors in District Police Lines (DPL), Budgam. But they said there was no such need,'' says a constable on duty.

This constable wears his uniform beneath his phiran (the traditional long robe worn in winter to fight cold) and is probably patrolling with a stick. Another policeman claimed that officers at DPL told them not to worry as they were locals.

Senior Superintendent of Police,Budgam, Dr Srinivasan, who has been recently posted in the district, claims he has already discussed the matter with his officers and hopes that all the men on guard in the district will be issued weapons soon. ``We are also going to relieve all counter-insurgents from guard duties,'' he said.

``The policemen need rifles to save themselves first and then to save civilians,'' another police officer of the district said. Selection grade constable, Ghulam Nabi, who heads a group of seven policemen here, told The Indian Express that ``they feel scared in this abandoned outpost.'' Not only are ``our lives at risk,'' he says, ``we cannot do anything to even save the property of these migrants.''

Another policeman says: ``To be on the safer side, we lock ourselves inside one of the migrant houses every evening.'' The area has a post of the Rashtriya Rifles but it is at least a kilometre away from this police post.

Such a situation has totally taken the local populace by surprise. They feel that the picketshould be equipped with modern guns and have all communication facilities. They bemoan the fact that in the face of a militant attack they will only have to take the bullets rather than think of facing them like true soldiers of the country.