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| General Singh again snubs critics of AFSPA | | | NEHA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Feb 16: Chief of the Army Staff General V K Singh on Tuesday again snubbed those in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country who have been demanding withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). He snubbed them in Jammu itself, thus sending a clear message that he is one person who would never mince words and that he would take a line that is in the best interest of the country, that doesn't demoralize the troops involved in anti-insurgency operations and are guarding our borders, and that promotes and protects the country's sovereign interests. Ever since his appointment as the Army Chief, he has been consistently saying that the AFSPA is needed to provide safeguards to the troops fighting against the enemy and that he would not allow the vested interests to implicate the troops in false and fabricated cases. He is man working on the ground and he knows what defence preparedness.
General Singh took the same stand on Tuesday while commenting on the proposal to "withdraw the AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir." He said: "The matter was under Government consideration…The Army had not done anything wrong…There has been a lot of discussion on the issue. Right now, it is with the Government and I would not like to say much on it except that it (AFSPA) was enforced with some objective. I would like to tell you that those people opposing it do it for their personal interest. It is only 3.7 per cent things, which have been taken into consideration. And the whole investigation is done and many times it is done to give a bad name to the Army. And its the speciality of our Army that we don't do anything wrong."
He did not name anybody. Nor did he indicate any dilution in his stand. He made it quite clear that the Army would need the AFSPA in case they are asked to help the civil administration to restore law and order. In other words, he said the Army would take charge only if a particular area is declared as a disturbed area and if it is asked to discharge such a responsibility in the said disturbed area, it would need some definite safeguards and the AFSPA does provide for such safeguards. He put the ball in the court of the civil administration. If the failed and inefficient civil administration wants to avail of the services of the Army, then the latter has to be given a freehand.
His candid statement that "those people opposing it do it for their personal interest" and that "many times" (the vested interests level false charges only) "to give a bad name to the Army" should clinch the whole issue. It should clear all the cobwebs of confusion and establish that those who demand withdrawal of the AFSPA or who attack the institution of Army are the ones who desperately seek to divert the attention of the people away from their wrongdoings and from their failures.
The upshot of the whole argument of General Singh was that the politicians should not do anything that politicize and communalize the institution of the Army and the things related to national security should not be discussed in public domain. All right-thinking people and all the concerned citizens would endorse the General's stand considering the fact that the situation in Kashmir and other parts of India is quite volatile, with Pakistan and its agents in Kashmir doing all that they could to create disturbances and foment communal troubles.
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