The Hindu : Other States / Madhya Pradesh News : Army has world's best human rights record: Vij

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Wednesday, Dec 15, 2004

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Army has world's best human rights record: Vij

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, DEC. 14. The Army Chief, General N.C. Vij, yesterday said the Indian Army had the best human rights record in the world.

Gen. Vij, who attended the Sudharshan Chakra Corps Commanders' Reunion here today, was speaking to newspersons. Giving full marks to the Army on human rights , he said the Army was 1.1 million strong and there could be some aberrations. Citing the case of Major Rehman, allegedly involved in the incident at Kupwara, Gen. Vij said the accused had been suspended immediately and put under arrest.

Within the next seven or eight days he would be court martialled. This would send out a clear message that acts of crime committed during operations would not be tolerated, he said.

Infiltration continuing

Gen. Vij said infiltration was still continuing in Jammu and Kashmir. While emphasising that infiltration was now at its lowest, he said it would take time to end that menace. When asked about the U.S. decision to supply F-16 fighter aircraft to Pakistan, the Army Chief said the Defence Minister had already given his views in the matter.

General Vij said there was no increase in terrorist activities in Kashmir . The terrorists are only picking soft targets to convey the message that they are still surviving, he said .

Gen. Vij said India was doing "marvelously well" when it came to indigenous research and development in the sphere of networking technology that was essential for modern-day warfare. India is a leading country in this field, he said.

Everybody knew that 30 per cent of the scientists working at the National Aeronautical and Space Administration in the U.S. were from India, he added.

Solemn ceremony

At a solemn ceremony led by the Governor of Chhattisgarh, Lt. Gen. K.M. Seth, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, Lt. Gen. B.S. Takhar, other former corps commanders and officers and men of the Sudarshan Chakra Corps paid homage to the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.

The finale of the Reunion was the inauguration of the Sudarshan Chakra Corps' most prestigious project, the remodelled Sultania Vale Nature Park, Sports and Training Complex. The outstanding feature of the project is the complete greening of the area, renovation of Defence Services Officers Institute (DSOI), training and sporting facilities, including angling, boating, squash, tennis, an 18-hole golf course, gymnasium and multi-purpose sports ground. It also had a field-craft training area spread over 300 acres, comprising man-made lakes, ponds, deep woods, glades and nature trails.

Speaking on the occasion, the Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. Aditya Singh, welcomed Gen. Vij and the former corps commanders and gave details of the project. He also thanked the Formation Commanders for their assistance in re-modelling of the Nature Park.

This park would serve as a "Green lung" for Bhopal and would be one of the best in the country, he added. On Sunday, the former corps commanders attended the special function: "Down Memory Lane," and recalled their efforts in shaping the Corps into a "first class fighting machine."

This was followed by a visit to Dronachal (erstwhile Neon Hills) where the visitors were briefed about plans for the development of the permanent Corps Headquarters.

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Army has world's best human rights record: Vij