| It's 'proxy war' in J&K, not 'insurgency' | | 250 terrorists neutralized in 2018 | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 3: What has been happening in J&K since 1987 is, according to war experts, not a classic insurgency but a proxy war and, hence, collateral damages.
"What has been happening in J&K since 1987 is not a classic insurgency that the Indian Army faced in Nagaland, Manipur and elsewhere, where the insurgents operated mostly in jungles where there was no risk of any collateral damage. In J&K, it is a proxy war, waged by Pakistan, with no holds barred. Terrorists take shelter in houses in villages and towns, which increases the risk of collateral damage," they say, adding that it is for the people to ensure that no one goes near the places where the counter-terror operations are going on. "The best way to avoid collateral damage is to avoid encounter sites," top war experts say, adding that a soldier is taught the principle of shoot to kill.
There is a difference between a soldier and a policeman, they say, adding that while a soldier fires for effect, policeman fire to disperse. In 2018, security forces liquidated 250 terrorists.
"In his conventional training for war, a soldier is taught the principle of 'shoot to kill'. While deployed to control domestic disturbances, this principle gets modified to 'shoot to incapacitate'. Even this shooting is below the waist, using minimum force. In either case, the soldier always 'fires for effect'. And this is what distinguishes the Army from the police forces that routinely have to fire in the air to disperse unlawful crowds," some top war experts, including former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt General Raj Kadyan (Retd), has said while reflecting on the situation in J&K.
The upshot of their whole argument is that the solution to the problem lies with the people. "They need to dissuade their wards and the youth from joining or supporting terrorists. Government can only provide material help and resources to maintain law and order. But the attitude of people can be changed by themselves alone," they have said. In other words, the war experts have said that the ball is in the court of the people. |
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