After Afzal hanging, J&K Police counselled its men to stay calm

In the days after the hanging of Afzal Guru, the Jammu and Kashmir Police organised several daily durbars with the lower rungs of the force in order to "avoid any inside trouble", sources told The Sunday Express.

The police brass has been concerned over the possibility of "strong sentiments" being generated within the local constabulary.

The special durbars were held in the police lines of four districts — Srinagar, Anantnag, Awantipore and Kulgam — the sources said. A police constable who attended the durbars in Srinagar told The Sunday Express that there was anger, but they had been asked to keep their emotions in check.

"We were told that we have to sometimes do tasks that we may not agree with," said the constable, who declined to be identified. "Constables are angry. Policemen in general feel upset. It is difficult to ask people to not come out to protest when we agree with them," he said.

Senior police officers declined to speak on the matter on record. An officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said "it is known" that there is a "strong sentiment against the hanging".

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