I salute General Rawat for his stand against Kashmiri militants by Ashali Varma

February 20, 2017, 10:54 AM IST 

It is high time we Indians called spade a spade. For too long apologists have been trying to say that militancy in Kashmir is because of lack of jobs or politics. Amnesty International and other NGOs backed by dubious foreign funding, talk about the human rights of stone-pelters without ever taking into consideration what our security forces go through.

I know how I would react if a thousand angry men attacked me with stones. My first reaction would be self-defence and to shoot them and it would not be with a pellet gun. To ask the security agencies in Kashmir to use maximum restraint is to invite flash mobs of stone-throwers who come in the way of the Army and police who are trying to eliminate terrorists. Such people not only harbour terrorists but also help them escape.

This is simply not acceptable and General Rawat is right as the Chief of the Army to say that such people who deliberately come in the line of fire will face harsh action. We cannot compromise on the safety of our soldiers. We cannot accept the death of six soldiers because they went after terrorists who were shielded by the locals. Such locals obviously have their sympathies with militants who are against our nation. This is not condonable.

As Major Gaurav Arya wrote after General Bipin Rawat’s words were taken out of context by a reporter of an English daily:

“For the last 24 hours, a section of the Indian media has been in an uproar. The centre of attention this time is Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army. And all because the general took umbrage to separatists in Kashmir valley directly interfering in anti-terror operations, hence aiding and abetting terrorists, and also a section of the population waving ISIS and Pakistan flags.”

Major Arya added: “There are youth who shout slogans against India in Kashmir. India’s democracy gives them this right. It gives the same right to left-wing liberals in JNU and weavers of candy floss at Jadavpur University. There can be a vociferous counter-argument.

The Kashmir issue must be debated within the ambit of the Constitution of India, because when a solution comes forth, and come forth it will, it will come from within the pages of our Constitution. But it cannot be debated with the evil and compromised old blood-sucking leeches of the Hurriyat Conference. As for the men who fly the Pakistan flag, and throw stones to compromise anti-terror operations, they must immediately find themselves at the wrong end of a 7.62 mm full metal jacket round. I am willing to talk, compromise and bend over backward to accommodate people. But if you insult the symbols of Mother India, I will wish death upon you.

I am an ultra-hardliner nationalist. For me your religion, caste, color, creed, political affiliation and ideology count for nothing. I don’t care. But India is not just a nation with an ancient culture and a billion people. It is manifestation of living and breathing divinity. When I say “Jai Hind” or “Vande Mataram” I am not being patriotic. I am worshipping at the feet of my Mother.

Major Dahiya lay bleeding with multiple gunshot wounds (GSWs). During evacuation, locals stoned Army vehicles carrying the injured officer. They also created enough confusion so that terrorists could slip away, because the Army refused to fire on civilians.”

I am appalled that a brave soldier lost his life because the local mobs would not let the vehicle, in which he was being taken to hospital, proceed. I am shocked that a reporter would analyze and deliberately misinterpret what the Army Chief said instead of looking at how the mobs behaved! What is the reporter trying to do?

I totally agree with Major Arya’s retort to the vicious article published by the reporter in an English daily:

He says, “Bleeding heart liberals and separatists eulogise stone throwers saying that they have no fear of the Indian Army. This is a pure lie. The fact is that stone throwers have had very little exposure to the Indian Army. And the amount of restraint that CRPF and J&K police have shown, all I can say is that I am amazed. I have seen videos of CRPF jawans being chased and beaten by these stone throwers. Those jawans mostly had a lathi in their hands, and sometimes a pellet gun. Give the jawan an AK 47 and a free hand. I promise you today, all these “brave” stone throwers will vanish like snowflakes in May.”

I hope the reporter gets a chance to read Major Arya’s retort because such reports are against our security forces and I am sure it helps all the vicious state and non-state actors who are against India.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

(Source- TOI)