Nothing could have been more ridiculous or laughable than a wired statement by a senior National Conference (NC) leader accusing the Indian Army and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of trying to engineer a clandestine plan to as he said “secede so called Azad Kashmir from Pakistan” and also denounced what he described as Indian Army’s meddling in politics.
Now this is a comment hardly deserving a response or a reaction not only because it is absurd but also because the entire world community is familiar with India’s position on so called “Azad” Kashmir which it recognises as Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK). Nevertheless, the NC leader’s comment cannot be outrightly ignored because it is not as innocent as it sounds and may smack of a mischievous political motive to seek mileage among Kashmiri’s separatist constituency by using the name of Indian Army which happens to be a “soft” target for secessionists and militants alike.
The theme of this column today is not what a certain National Conference leader said or did not say about the Indian Army. It cannot be! Because to comment on the credentials of Indian Army is beyond the competence or prerogative of a disgruntled politician and to comment on a politician who does so is below the dignity of this column.
The issue, however, is too serious to be left to a politician or even a columnist alone. For, sooner than later, the nation will be called to define how it wishes to treat its Army so that it can serve as an Army.
It is a tragedy that in a State like Jammu and Kashmir where the Chief Minister enjoys the highest category of personal security with National Security Guards (NSGs) et al and where the Chief Minister’s family members including his uncle enjoy protection from India’s Armed forces, the most hurtful insinuations against Indian Army are shot at from the CM household…sometimes in the name of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), some times in the name of Army’s alleged meddling in politics.
What is conveniently forgotten by these Army baiters belonging to the ruling polity in Jammu and Kashmir is that it is precisely because of the Indian Army that these over-rated worthiest have been able to stay put in the seat of power, generation after generation, perpetuating their dynastic rule. In other words, the ‘Dynasty” in Kashmir owes its monrachy partly to the Indian Army and partly to another ”Dynasty” in New Delhi, If they are so skeptical about the designs of Army, why don’t they honourably surrender the armed protection enjoyed by them and then survive to prove the point they are trying to make ?
It is high time to call the bluff of self-styled Army baiters! If this is not done, the Army personnel may tomorrow feel morbidly frustrated in receiving orders to provide ill-deserved protection to such separatist or semi-separatist protagonists who wish to have the cake and eat it too by simultaneously using and abusing the Indian Army. Nothing can be more tragic than to come across recurrent news stories relating to a certain Army solider who escaped unhurt from war front and then chose to kill himself with a suicide bullet. Poet echoes his predicament, “Main Bach Bhi Jaun To Tanhai Maar Dalegi…” And Umapathy pleads on his behalf “Call the bluff of Army baiters !’’
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