Sir,
The statement by the Indian Army Chief that those persons who obstruct the army personal from carrying out counter-terrorist operations will be dealt with as per the appropriate army procedure. The statement is welcome. Holding demonstrations, throwing stones, raising anti-national slogans and acting as human shields during army operations at the encounter sites is detrimental to country’s interests. It not only distracts the army personal during search operation but the fear of collateral damage prevents them from launching maximum fire power. It helps in breaking the cordon and augments in the escape of militants. This has a demoralising impact on the forces involved in these operations. This active pro-militant strategy of the native Kashmiri at the encounter site announces the arrival of new phenomenon. Militants may not have operational mass support across generations among the Kashmiris. But the support is obvious among the youth during these encounters who try to save the militants. The behaviour of these pro-militant youth displays their mindset. A rise in jihadi mindset has been observed globally among youth. Civil society in the Valley always laments about a particular figure of deaths among youth in the Valley after 1990. Why don’t they introspect what is the genesis of this destruction? The army presence has always been there in the Valley since 1947. Army didn’t commence terrorism in the Valley. The terrible trauma of death and destruction started only after eruption of militancy in late eighties.
Why there are no pellet injuries at present? Why there should be provocation for army and paramilitary forces unless and until you engage them in confrontation? Death of a youth in his prime and productive years on either side is catastrophic for their families and is not acceptable in the same world. It is surprising why the intelligentsia in the Valley cannot understand this and denounce militancy ? Violence is insanity. Violence halts prosperity. Whether militant support remains covertly within the confines of four walls or is being displayed overtly on the streets in whatever form tantamounts to anti-nationalism. Successive Central Governments and leadership has always claimed that all the Kashmiris are our own people. This includes local militants and their supporters. There is no denial in accepting this fact. Despite the frequent appeals to its own people for laying down the arms, shunning the violence and joining the mainstream politics there is still unrest. What do you then call your own people who are either militants or supporters of militancy ?
A political problem requires a political solution. But an armed, violent problem can’t be solved with political approach only. Channels for dialogue with all the quarters should always remain open.
Yours etc…
S N Raina
Jammu
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