[Reader-list] Army chief on Kashmir: Our gains went waste

[Aditya Raj Baul]

Army chief on Kashmir

‘K gains went waste’
http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24932&Itemid=1

Agencies
New Delhi, July 11: The basic reason behind the flare up in the
Kashmir Valley is the failure to build on the gains that had been made
by the security forces in the troubled state, Indian Army Chief
General V K Singh said Sunday.

"The Kashmir situation has been tense for quite some time and the
reasons are many. The basic reason being that we have not been able to
build on the gains that have been made," the army chief told to a TV
channel.

Singh said the army had brought the situation under control to a
certain level from where other steps should have been taken to carry
forward the process and bring peace in the Valley.

"So far as the army is concerned, I think as security forces, a lot of
work has been done. The situation has been brought to a particular
level when other initiatives should have started to make way for
betterment," he said.

Elaborating on the steps required to contain the volatile situation,
he said: "First of all, there has to be concerted efforts to identify
the miscreants behind the violent protests."

"There are few. There are people who are passing instructions on
phone. They have to be identified. There are people financing the
protests. They must be identified," Singh said.

He said it was for the local administration and elected
representatives to win the confidence of the common man and convince
him to stay away from the protests.

"How do we connect with the common man and build confidence in him so
that he can stay away from all this? This is both an administrative
measure as well as it depends on the elected leaders out there at
various levels," the general said.

He said the army was deployed in parts of the Valley as a deterrent to
curb the violence that has rocked Kashmir since June 11.

"I think there was a sort of loss of confidence and they thought that
army should be seen more prominently. We said yes, as we are as much
concerned as anyone else," he said.

Meanwhile, army chief said that the special powers act was necessary
in special situations.
Asked about his view on the demand on the dilution or withdrawal of
AFSPA, Gen Singh said, “I think this subject has been discussed for a
long time. There are a large number of views on it. The Army has got a
very simple outlook and that is like this: all the special situations
require special treatment. When you are operating like a normal police
man, he is protected by the CrPC. Certain assistance that is given.
Similarly if you are putting armed forces into a situation like this,
a certain legal protection will be given and that is all there is
given. I think at times we get too carried away.
“ I think we need to be careful, but I think a great amount of care is
taken that we do not...our troops have got strict instructions. Well,
in somewhat manner aberrations may have occurred, but that doesn't
means that act has been misused,” he said.