Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 26: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Bipin Rawat today called for neutralizing terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir through clean and people friendly operations and stressed for maintaining human rights for which the Indian Army is known at all costs and circumstances.
Gen Rawat was in Nagrota, the headquarters of 16 Corps to address eleventh biennial conference of the Rashtriya Rifles, an event which he chaired himself and was attended among others by Northern Command chief Lt Gen D Anbu, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 Corps Lt Gen Saranjeet Singh and GOC Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen AK Bhatt. Director General Rashtriya Rifles was also present. All GOCs of counter-insurgency forces are attending the conference.
“The Army chief outlined the present and future focus of operations aimed towards neutralized the terrorists through clean and people friendly operations in Jammu and Kashmir, where the troops have launched ‘Operation All Out’ and had eliminated all-time high over 200 militants last year and this year also they have achieved good successes by killing good number of ultras including some top commanders,” sources said.
Gen Rawat emphasized the need for avoiding collateral damage during the anti-militancy operations and ensuring dignity and human rights of the people at all the times.
His statement on human rights assumed significance as Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has repeatedly been calling upon the security personnel to avoid collateral damage during the operation against militants in Kashmir and maintain human rights violations.
In his address, the Chief of Army Staff lauded the stellar role being played by the Rashtriya Rifles in restoring and preserving peace in Jammu and Kashmir and extolled its contribution towards inclusive development of the State and in nation building.
The Rashtriya Rifles has been deployed in various militancy-infested areas of Jammu and Kashmir, where it was in forefront in leading the operations against militants and eliminating number of them. The Rashtriya Rifles has been playing major role in anti-militancy operations in the State for quite a long time now.
The Rashtriya Rifles was not only involved in anti-militancy operations but has also assisted the locals from inaccessible and far flung areas of the State by providing assistance in diverse fields and has given an impetus to development, growth, education, women empowerment, skill development and communal harmony through its multifarious enabling civil action programmes.
The Army chief was reported to have inter-acted with top Army Commanders, present in the meeting who included the Northern Command chief Lt Gen Devraj Anbu, GOC Nagrota-based 16 Corps Lt Gen Saranjeet Singh and GOC Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen AK Bhatt besides the Director General Rashtriya Rifles.
Top Army Commanders have been cautioning about increase in number of infiltration attempts this years in Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan through the Line of Control (LoC) in view of less snow this winter, which would melt early, thus, opening up the passes, which could be exploited by the militants to sneak into this side.
“In view of this, the Army has been maintaining very high alert all along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir while the BSF was on heightened alert along the International Border (IB) to ensure that the militants, aided and abetted by Pakistani troops, didn’t manage to succeed in their plot of infiltration,” sources said, adding that the troops were ready to foil the designs of the infiltrators.
Troops could undertake some pro-active measures, if required, to thwart infiltration attempts by the militants, sources said.
The eleventh Rashtriya Rifles Biennial Conference is being conducted at Nagrota for two days on March 26 and 27. The event chaired by Chief of the Army Staff has been attended by Army Commander Northern Command, Director General Rashtriya Rifles, Corps Commander 15 and 16 Corps and all General Officers Commanding Counter Insurgency Forces.
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