Army commander asks militants to shun violence
Srinagar: General officer Commanding of army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lieutenant General B S Raju Tuesday while reaching out to the new militant recruits said that posing for a photograph with a gun and releasing a video won’t make them a militant and they can still come back and join their families.
“I have a message for the newly recruited militants that posing for a photograph holding a gun in hands and releasing a video won’t make you a militant. You can still come back and join your families. There has been progress in this direction recently and we are hopeful of more on this front,” GoC Raju told a selected group of newsmen at 15 Corps headquarters in Srinagar on the occasion of Infantry Day.
He said that recently four cases of surrenders by militants came to fore but there are many such cases.
“We are ready to receive the gun-wielding youth back,” he said.
On his message for the youth of Kashmir, he said: “Situation has improved (in Kashmir) youth should encash it. Young ones should focus on studies. Those who have completed must work on finding opportunities in entrepreneurship, others should try for government jobs or starting their own ventures.”
About Infantry Day, the GoC 15 Corps said that Infantry is an important name and soldier from the Infantry Division have a potential to work with other agencies too like air-force and Navy.
“Infantry is playing a great role in every battle. I want to put it on record that we are able to take any kind of task,” he said.
Meanwhile, General officer Commanding (GoC) of Baramulla based army’s 19 Infantry division Major General Virender Vats said that since past few weeks, there has been a reduction in violence and CFVs along the LoC in Kashmir.
Talking to media men at north Kashmir’s Baramulla district he said that Pakistan has failed in helping militants to infiltrate in Jammu and Kashmir.
“As far as the reduction in violence along the LoC, whether it’s a change of mindset by Pakistan, it would be too early to judge. We don’t know how long the same situation will last,” Vats said.
He said that the army has a fair amount of control on the LoC situation. “The resources we have at the LoC are quite adequate and infiltration has been largely plugged this year,” the GoC 19 Infantry Division said.
Asked whether the China situation has resulted in some issues on the LoC, he said that there has been no let-up in the vigil of the army despite the China situation.
To a query whether drugs and weapon smuggling has from across LoC has been stopped, the army officer said that there had been efforts by the neighbour to transport weapons and drugs using drones etc “in plain areas of LoC.”
“We strengthened our mechanism and today I can say that no weapon or drug consignment is coming from across the LoC,” he said.
About October 27, 1947, Major General Vats said that the day is observed as Infantry Day by the army as on this day, tributes are paid to soldiers who fought Pakistani invaders, who had reached “Baramulla and were killing people.” (KNO)
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