NEW DELHI – Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday asserted thatthe political initiative and military operations must go hand in hand inJammu & Kashmir to usher in an era of peace in the state. “The politicalinitiative and all the other initiatives must go simultaneouslyhand-in-hand and only if all of us function in synergy, we can bringlasting peace in Kashmir.
It has to be a politico-military approach that we have to adopt,” saidGeneral Rawat.
The chief expressed that there is room for ramping up pressure onPakistan to cut the flow of cross-border terror activities. The statementcomes just a week after the US President Donald Trump threatened to suspendthe multi-million dollar financial aid to Pakistan for providing safehavens to terror groups.
The COAS, in an interview with news agency PTI, said that the conditions inKashmir have ‘marginally’improved since he took over the reins of the Armyfrom General Dalbir Singh Suhag. “I am only seeing a marginal change insituation for the better. I do not think it is time to becomeover-confident and start assuming that the situation has been brought undercontrol because infiltration from across the borders willcontinue,” General Rawat said.
The Army has pursued an aggressive push to flush out terrorists and curbthe insurgency in the state under Operation All Out.
The Army chief in his annual press conference held on the eve of Army Dayhad also mentioned that the focus will now be shifted to North Kashmir fromSouth Kashmir in the new year.
Talking about the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma as an interlocutor in thestate to initiate dialogue, the COAS said, “When the government appointedan interlocutor, it is with that purpose.
He is the government’s representative to reach out to the people of Kashmirand see what their grievances are so that those can then be addressed at apolitical level.”
Meanwhile, General Rawat did not fail to mention the continuous need of thearmed forces to formulate fresh strategies and device new tactics to dealwith the situation on borders. Gen Rawat, who has followed a hard-lineapproach in tackling terrorism, said the armed forces operating in thestate cannot be “status quoist” and must evolve new strategies and tacticsto deal with the situation.
Facing flak over his statement saying the education system in Kashmir hadcorrupted and the youth are being radicalised, General Rawat reiteratedthat some youths continue to be radicalised and are joining militancy.
The Army has been trying to maintain pressure on terror groups, he said,adding that the Army’s aim is to ensure that it continues to maintain thepressure on the terrorists and those fomenting trouble there.