The verdict of Court Martial in which seven soldiers including the Commanding Officer of 4th Rajput Regiment have been sentenced to life imprisonment is a proof that our Army is a disciplined force and any irregularity committed by it after due inquiry will be punished according to the law. Three Kashmiri youth were killed by Army in what is now called fake encounter in the year 2010. Now, stakeholders including the Chief Minister of the State say that they are satisfied that law has taken its course and the culprits of the tragic incident have been brought to book. The indicted people have the right to appeal. The verdict delivered within a short time repudiates the allegations of civilians and others that Army does not do justice to their actions on the ground. Now, that lifer has been given to seven soldiers including officers, it should convince one and all that the Indian Army is a disciplined force where soldiers have to act within the limits of law.
We appreciate the Army playing fair in the case of this fake encounter. But at the same time, we would like to ask whether Kashmir leaders have ever protested against the armed insurgents killing innocent civilians for political reasons? Have the Kashmir leaders ever condemned innocent killing of ordinary people by the militants? Why are they silent on those killings and why don’t they demand action against them. Most of the armed insurgents, who have committed crimes against civil society, are safely put in prisons and provided all facilities of enjoying a peaceful and undisturbed life. Why does not Kashmir leadership demand that they are tried in a court of law and punished according to the law of the land? It is because these leaders have two yardsticks for adjudging crimes of similar nature; one for the security forces and one for the terrorists and armed goons.
Insurgency has not died down in Kashmir. Sporadic incidents of terrorists opening fire on army convoys are coming in regularly. Security forces cannot lower the guard and have to be vigilant. It is the duty of civilian population not to do anything that would arouse the suspicion of the security forces and force them to open fire in self defence. It is in the interests of the civilian to cooperate with the security forces in checking the movement of armed insurgents from one place to another.
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