Sir,
I am on holidays with my family in J&K for last few days and experiencing horrifying situation. I could not get answer to a question yet as to who started off the firing on the border?. My heart goes out for innocent civilians who are usually targetted by Pakistani forces. The villagers along the IB and LoC are fleeing and irony is, Independent India is proposing to have bunkers for the civilian residing on the borders. I am told 120mm have a range of 8.5km and 82mm motors used by Pakistan have a range of 5 km. Though I have right to information, I am unaware of civilian casualties on the other side. Being Indian I do not feel pride in killing innocent civilians on the other side too. Who holds the rein at the present disturbing situation? Are they choosing the right security solution?
A common citizen with normal intellect reads the present situation as creation of failed diplomacy, strategy or tactics. Excuses like dislodge NSA level talks, push in more infiltrators before onset of winters and desperation of ISI to send more non-state actors from the terrorist camps to India are not saving lives of innocent civilian on the border in tit for tat tactical response by security forces. Who is responsible to provide secured environment for the border population in J&K? Army, BSF or now it has to be handled by VDC volunteers? Have the villages on both sides of borders become registered targets of Artillery? Are both the nations trying to internationalise Kashmir issue?.
Every time defence minister makes standard statement “we are retaliating appropriately” is leading to nowhere. Fire assault from both the sides will only result in civilian casualties and animosity. On 15 August Independence day, we lost lives of innocent civilians and probably Pakistan also lost few on 14 August on their side. Many feel these happenings are just a roadmap of a game plan being followed which we common man do not understand. Who gains? God knows.
Yours etc…..
Lt Cdr T Jose (Retd) Indian Navy
Jammu
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