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| Akash martyrdom stresses rethink | | |
A valiant son of soil, Major Akash Singh’s martyrdom in Mendhar area of Poonch district while battling militants has once again brought in focus the importance of Army in Jammu and Kashmir, while a target of not only bullets but also adverse political while defending the nation’s boundaries and protecting its people. Akshay’s loss is irreparable not only for his family but also for the Indian Army which lost many of his colleagues on the job he was on. There are strong arguments for withdrawal, downsizing or relocation of troops in Jammu and Kashmir and some of these arguments have often been supported in these columns too. There has to be fair balance in understanding of issues and their solutions. Army is here because an external involvement is here in challenging the national integrity and public security. Even if the militant violence is down, as it has been for few years now, Army just cant be thrown out or bundled in barracks as the threats, like the one which Major Akshay confronted before offering sacrifice of his life, continue to exist with an element of surprise. There have been some aberrations and well established cases of violations of human rights but at the same time contributions made by the Army can not be undermined or wished away. There is hardly any one who would like continuation of militancy and the related violence. However, on the hindsight, one unintended dividend of the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir has been the arrival of lakhs of the troops of Indian Army in the state. They have not only supported the economy at micro and macro level in many manners but have also contributed to communal harmony. Unfortunately and regretfully the terrorists’ atrocities on civilians in Kashmir get unnoticed as a handful of separatists remain always on toes to malign the forces for human rights violations. Army’s human rights record is far excellent than other armies tackling similar situations. The example here can be that of Iraq and Wazirstan where heavy arms like helicopter gunships were used to meet the situation. In Jammu and Kashmir, however complaints of violations against the Army and other forces are immediately looked into and action taken against guilty. Taking cognizance of various complaints, several personnel were sentenced, some of them getting imprisonment from two to 14 years. This is highest form of transparent system. It may be mentioned here that Dr Charles Tannock, Co-President, Friends of India, who said that during their meeting with the Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi it was stated that the Army is seriously taking every complaint on human rights front. There may be some cases of human rights violations and excessive use of force here again there is the same old question of hen and egg: who came first –Army strength or the militant gun. With the agenda of respect to human rights at the top of its mind, the Army should maintain its number and strengthen its structure as long the enemy gun exists.
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