Says stone-throwing to continue in foreseeable future, Army’s approach balanced
The Army’s topmost officer in Kashmir Lt Gen JS Sandhu has said the approach of the Army in Kashmir was balanced, making it clear that the Army would act if people resorted to stone-throwing during anti-militancy operations.
This comes days after Army Chief General Bipin Rawat issued a stern warning to the stone-throwers in Kashmir.
“The approach of the Army has largely been very balanced and mature over a period of time. We will continue focusing on our job of (taking on militants) but, simultaneously, we don’t want to antagonise the people. At times, we may have to get into conflict with people at places, where they may get into a stone-throwing situation with mob violence against us. Then we will have to act. So there is no doubt about it,” the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt General Sandhu, said in his first interview after taking over in November last year.
The Corps Commander said there was anxiety in the security grid over the situation this year.
“There is anxiety but it (the situation) is not too worrisome…. There is a sense among the security forces that we can handle it. There is a confidence that in case the turbulence increases, we will be able to handle it. Though last year it (the situation) escalated a lot, the security forces finally found means and ways to control it. And, it took two months may be. So, some confidence is there keeping in view the last year’s protests,” he said, adding that a large section of people are fed up with protests and would not want it to happen during the 2017 summer.
There have been continuous incidents of protests and stone-throwing by locals during anti-militancy operations in the Valley.
Sources said that during 80 per cent of the anti-militancy operations this year, in which 19 militants have been killed, forces had faced a law and order situation, resulting in the escape of over a dozen militants, including a topmost commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Lt General Sandhu, who is also the security adviser to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, is of the view that stone-throwing will continue in Kashmir in foreseeable future.
“I know for certain that it (stone-throwing) is not something that I can just close. Stone-throwing will happen. But, we can control the magnitude. But as long as the violence levels are kept down, the situation should be okay,” Lt General Sandhu said.
Making it clear that all anti-militancy operations in the Valley have not been hampered by protesters, the Corps Commander said various ‘localised’ measures were in place to avoid interference of people during the anti-militancy operations.
“Two or three things have been done so far. The civil administration and the police have issued advisories to the people not to gather near the encounter sites. They have imposed Section 144 around encounter sites and people are also being counselled. Now, if it still happens and people act violently, the security forces will react and if the situation doesn’t come under control, they may have to increase the quantum of reaction against stone-throwers,” the Army officer said.
The 15 Corps Commander, however, said that each and every situation had its own dynamics and was handled as per the local requirement.
“…Every situation has a different reaction and that is what the security agencies have largely worked out. There is no single solution to the problem and we will keep handling the situation as per the local conditions,” he said.
The Corps Commander of the most challenging and sensitive Corps of the Army said the forces were launching “targeted specific operations” to flush out the militants and reduce their numbers in Kashmir.
“We are not going in for large-scale operations. We just go straight to the place and act against the terrorists. Our focus is on terrorists who are moving around here,” he said.
