NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt. Gen. (retd.) S.K. Sinha on Saturday ruled out demilitarisation in the State even if normality returns.

He also defended the human rights record of the Army in counter-insurgency operations, and felt it operated with greater restraint than the armies in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan (Baluchistan).

Gen. Sinha said Islamabad's demand for self-rule and withdrawal of security forces from the State was misplaced.

The Army was the mainstay of relief operations during natural calamities such as the October 2005 earthquake and the recent floods in Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley.

"Wherever I went after the earthquake, people wanted relief to be routed through the Army. In this context, its presence is essential," he said at the launch of a book, Solving Kashmir," written by Lt. Gen. M.C. Bhandari.

Other reasons

There were other reasons too for continuing with its presence in the State. "How can you expect demilitarisation when the State's borders have been violated four times by Pakistan and once by China? And the threat continues."

In case peace returns to the State, the Army must go back to the barracks, "which it will be glad to do." But still there could be no demilitarisation, as the borders would have to be guarded.

Gen. Sinha saw a deliberate plan behind the vilification of security forces on the human rights front. For 16 years, the Army had not used heavy weapons, such as artillery or helicopter gunships, in combating militancy.

On the contrary, other armies had no compunction in taking recourse to them.

Some aberrations

While there could be some aberrations, the Army had taken strong action, including dismissal from service and rigorous imprisonment up to 14 years, against 70 personnel so far.

"I assure you that most of the allegations are, by and large false or highly exaggerated. The Indian Army's record is much better than of other armies fighting insurgencies elsewhere in the world."

Situation in Pakistan

He cited examples of Indian and Pakistani officers charged with similar offences to buttress his point. In Handwara, the Army immediately suspended a Major after a woman complained of rape. Forensic tests cleared the officer but he was dismissed because of unbecoming conduct after it was established that he had visited the woman's home at night.

On the other hand, no case was registered against a Pakistani accused of raping a woman doctor in Quetta. The traumatised family had to finally migrate to Canada. When Gen. Musharraf was asked about the case he had remarked, "Get raped, take money," an observation that led to widespread condemnation.

The former Governor, Jagmohan, said he favoured a limited incursion to destroy terrorist camps, immediately after Parliament was attacked in 2001 because "at that time international opinion was in our favour." In the present situation, however, it would "not be easy" to adopt a similar course. "We have to set our house in order," he said and advocated following America's example, which had not suffered a single major terrorist incident after September 11.

Favours free hand

Along with sustained ideological warfare, the Army must be given a free hand for a long enough period, he said.

"The jehadis have become multi-millionaires. Where has that money come from? How do they have an inexhaustible supply of sophisticated weapons? Who is training them to carry out attacks with military precision? Why has the Pakistani Army not been able to intercept a single militant on their side of the line of control? All these issues must be addressed in an integrated way."

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail