Kerala   

Insurgency will be tackled with an iron fist: Army chief

Staff Reporter

`Motivation level of Defence personnel should be kept high'

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief of Army Staff Gen. J. J. Singh said here on Saturday that the armed forces were pursuing an "an iron fist in a velvet glove" policy in the troubled areas of the North East and Jammu and Kashmir. The "iron fist" was reserved for misguided elements and the "velvet glove" for innocent civilians caught in the "crossfire," he said.

Interacting with students at Sainik School, the General said he was seeking the best possible compensation and perks for Defence personnel so as to keep their motivation level high.

He said the Army took pride in being a secular, apolitical and professional organisation. "When we go into battle, we are brothers in arms. When we fight together, no soldier asks the comrade standing next to him where he hails from."

He said the Army's fight was against divisive forces threatening the country. "Our cause is just and we fight to win. In war, there is only the winner. Unlike in sports, there is no silver medal for the runner's-up place," he said.

The Army was a way of life, which offered challenges of combat leadership and scope for adventure. "It is not a 10-to-5 white-collar job. When you are an officer leading men, you are always on call," he said. The element of surprise was key to success in combat and personal life. He called upon students to shun "the stereotyped, routine and the usual" and stock pleasant surprises for their loved ones. He said discipline in personal life helped students meet taxing deadlines and ensured quality output. The General arrived at the school in an Army helicopter with his wife, Anupama Singh. He paid homage to Col. Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair, an alumnus of the Sainik School and recipient of the Keerthi Chakra and the Ashok Chakra who died fighting insurgents in Nagaland on December 20, 1993.

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

Stories in this Section

Insurgency will be tackled with an iron fist: Army chief
Baby's call to courts
Provide legal aid to the poor: CJI
New paddy varieties give record production
Youth told to strive for strengthening relationships
Court panel ups the ante
Audio dictionaries for the blind
Power highway must for solving shortage: Balan
Corporation for medicine purchase
`New generation losing interest in science'
Sabarimala temple closed
Next issue
Briefly

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu