The army chief General Bipin Rawat’s statement “Azadi won’t happen, Kashmir youth can’t fight Indian army” was by all standards of understandabilities a huge provocation to youth engaged in armed conflict with the government forces in Jammu & Kashmir and unfortunately the statement of the army chief came hours after the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti call an all party meeting to discuss the prevailing situation in Kashmir valley . Such provocative statements are always received with contempt by the people in any conflict zone and people of Kashmir as expected received with contempt the latest provocative remark of the army Chief. General Bipin Rawat may not find critics over his latest provocative statement in other parts of the country but fact of the matter is that political reconciliation and immediate reach out to angered populations particularly the youth who give up research and teaching in universities to join militancy. General Rawat’s remark shows his intents of turning a blind eye to the ground situation in Kashmir which demands a political response but not a military discourse. Army Chief of one of biggest armies of the world throwing a challenge to few hundred or may be few thousand militants shows the gravity of challenges Indian army is facing in Kashmir. Even naives can understand that defeating few hundred or even few thousand militants is not a big challenge for the Indian army but wining a war of political emotions in Kashmir is a challenge which demands a political and not a military response. By all standards of understandabilities it is not all about winning a war against militants in Kashmir but it is all about settling contentious issues that stand at the core of difficulties in India Pakistan relations and Jammu & Kashmir’s relations with the Union of India in it’s post 1947 political scenario.
Though it is a fact that India is facing a challenge on the military front for last more than two decades in Kashmir but ultimately a political response acceptable to the people pursuing the ideology of youth engaged in militancy would probably end India’s journey of resistance to present discourse in Kashmir.
Responding to the youth taking to militancy is not the job of army chief but the responsibility of an elected government commanding a brute majority in the Indian parliament. Though it is a fact that India is facing a challenge on the military front for last more than two decades in Kashmir but ultimately a political response acceptable to the people pursuing the ideology of youth engaged in militancy would probably end India’s journey of India’s resistance to present discourse in Kashmir. The latest provocative statement from the army chief can only increase the intensity of anger among youth in Kashmir but it can’t generate a debate about the broader agenda of resolving issues through a process of political engagement. Wisdom demands that army chief himself remains silent and allows his political masters to take a call on the present challenges Jammu & Kashmir.
