Nothing has changed with the Indian Army during the last thirty years of armed uprising in Kashmir but words have changed the perception about Indian army in Kashmir. In yesteryears the helmsmen both in the government and the army would regret alleged excesses but now the top helmsmen both in the army and the government defend the alleged excesses of the army and paramilitaries against the civilians. It is shameful that helmsmen both in the army and government not only defend the tying of a civilian to a bonnet after casting his vote on an election day in central Kashmir’s Budgam district during recent by elections in Srinagar parliamentary constituency but also hail the commendation of the army major who tied the said civilian to the bonnet of the jeep.Lately army chiefs remark “sadak ka goonda” which “means goon of the road” triggered condemnation from many political parties. The helmsmen both in the government and the army have no concern for the damage caused by such highly objectionable and irresponsible utterances made by highly responsible public functionaries. The irresponsible remarks by people occupying highly responsible positions can be hailed by few motivated individuals to meet a narrow political agenda of some political parties who have risen in short time only on the plank of religious polarization and politics of ethnic divides. The concerned citizens of India including the likes of Kuldip Nayar and Prem Shankar Jha muster the courage to ask that what permits these people to take liberties to defend the alleged excesses of the army and the paramilitaries instead of expressing regrets.
The army is run on professional lines but not guided by political affiliation of one or the other political party and wants to keep itself away from the challenges of the daily existence of the civilians and this is the role which the army has to be given even in a conflict zone like Jammu & Kashmir.
The concerned citizens of the country reserve the right to ask the hawks defending disproportionate use of force in crowd control policing in Kashmir that what message is being given to the outside world by the war monger defending indefensible actions of the army, paramilitaries and police in crowd control policing in restive parts of Jammu & Kashmir. To respect the civil liberties in Kashmir it has become imperative for the Modi government in Delhi to stop all guessing discussions on TV channels that are anchored by motivated individuals but not the professional anchors. In the larger interests of the peace and stability in Jammu & Kashmir the freedom of guessing discussion given to TV news channels in New Delhi needs to be curtailed immediately. The helmsmen in Delhi have to demonstrate political wisdom matching the standards of peace and reconciliation in Jammu & Kashmir and tell the Modi government that Indian Army has to be apolitical and stay in the barracks to allow peace makers to further the causes of peace and reconciliation in Jammu & Kashmir. In a democratic country like India army has not to come out of the barracks to seek a political role in a conflict zone like Jammu & Kashmir. The army is run on professional lines but not guided by political affiliation of one or the other political party and wants to keep itself away from the challenges of the daily existence of the civilians and this is the role which the army has to be given even in a conflict zone like Jammu & Kashmir.
