'Quick, Mudugab is coming!' Kashmiri Stone-pelters use codes like 'female sheep' to identify Indian cops

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While tensions remain high over incidents of stone pelting in Kashmir, those who have been closely monitoring the situation in Valley know that the original stone-pelters of J&K were from Maisuma and Downtown.

It was almost a Friday routine where stone-pelters would throw stones at security forces.

Source said a region like Jama Masjid would never fall short of stones.

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In a chance discovery, Police found that stone-pelters of the area go to fetch stones from as far as Ganderbal, often carrying them in trucks, camouflaged as building material.

The CRPF would let go of the material after inspection, till informers told them of the new tactics. 

This was also confirmed by the CCTV installed in the area. Stone pelting increased manifold in 2016, when nearly 800 stone-pelters were apprehended and booked under PSA and other relevant sections.

The familiarisation also bred contempt with stone-pelters and Jammu Kashmir Police, giving each other nick names.

The stone-pelters chose names of cops inspired from film and cartoon characters. 

An Indian army soldier stands guard near the scene of an attack on a Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy at Panthachowk on the outskirts of Srinagar

While SP of the region is known as 'Doremon', the SDPO is 'Chulbul Pandey', the SHO is known as 'Mudugab' (a female sheep).

Crowds often shout 'gabi aayi', which acts as an alarm when they see the SHO approaching.

A police officer said 'Yes, they have given us names. They yell even while hurling stones at us, calling out our names,' he says with a smile.

The yelling is not limited to stone-pelters alone, the cops have also named the hard-core stone pelters, who have been identified.

For instance, some of them are known as 'Hartal', 'Tiffin', 'Bad dog', 'Kilwich (a football player)'.

It is also the area, where cops and stone-pelters often play hide and seek.

Many run into Jama Masjid at the time of afternoon prayers. Cops considers these as escape routes of the stone-pelters.

'When the Masjid has its sanctity, they call us names or abuse us, but we do not enter the mosque keeping in mind religious sensitivity.

'But, unfortunately, this rule is not applicable to the youth who use the Jama Masjid as a shelter and disappear into the crowds.

'The cops many a times dealing with stone pelters also play role of mentors. Its not that we only throw tear gas or use pellet. We catch them and tutor them.

'Many of these children tell parents that they are going to play cricket but in turn come to street covering faces pelting stones.

'With some of them we pull up their ear, and take them to their parents pleading them to keep an eye on young ones. But there are many who are almost incorrigible.'