ISLAMABAD – An award-winning Indian journalist, in a series of questions,blamed the country’s army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane for theslaughter of soldiers at the hand of the Chinese army while demanding hisresignation at a time when pressure is mounting on both political andmilitary leaderships over the brutal killing during the standoff in Ladakh.
“Our soldiers are not cannon fodder, they cannot be butchered fordiplomatic gains. As crazy as it may sound, more than the Chinese military,it is you [General Manoj] that we are warier of.
Your policies, your directives and so ever evident step-motherly treatmentto your very own is what concerns us more,” Ambreen Zaidi said in an openletter to the Indian army chief.
She said that the members of the Indian armed forces were not in thehighest of spirits, because of General Manoj’s interventions to a largeextent. “The Ladakh disaster made it more than evident how the variousHeadquarters of the Indian army across the hierarchy stood clipped of alltheir powers, because of your constant interference. We lost our men in anunsoldierly manner and there are major cover-ups after cover-ups to hidethe ground reality,” she added.
Ambreen expressed her annoyance over the “cover-up” by the Indianpoliticians, seeking an explanation from the army’s top brass in series ofquestion:
Read Top Stories
– How did we suffer so many casualties, including that of a Commanding Officer, if there were no intrusions by China? – Not only were our soldiers barbarically killed, their bodies were mutilated. Why? – Did they enter the enemy territory on their own (as claimed by China) and got attacked in defence? – Why is there a new spin to the Ladakh disaster, every day? – Will we ever know the truth? – – Did our soldiers fell into the trap laid by their own?
In her letter, the journalist even urged General Manoj to resign on moralground. “Ever considered putting your foot firmly on the ground for yourboys fighting it out and getting killed in sub-zero temperatures with noteven adequate protective gear. Yes, then go ahead do it, we stand insolidarity with you. No? What about resigning on moral grounds, then,” sheadded.
*The article originally published in The Times of Indialink*
