Top national security official says India will exercise ‘complete restraint’ in Kashmir with peaceful citizens, but show ‘no mercy’ to terrorists -
One of the most senior figures in the national security establishment has told Mail Today that India will play strictly by the book in Kashmir, exercising the utmost restraint in dealing with peaceful citizens – but showing no mercy to those using violence against the State.
“Every stratum of security has been asked to exercise complete restraint in dealing with citizens. But terrorists will not be spared. In fact, the desperation of separatists is triggered by systematic elimination of terrorists in the Valley. Action against terror will continue, and in that, security forces have a free hand,” he said, requesting anonymity.
Admitting that infiltration from across the border has risen, he said the elimination of terrorists has also increased.
The central and state governments have started quietly reaching out to people from all sections of Kashmiri civil society to calm their nerves, he said.
This comes at a time when parts of Kashmir have erupted with protests and violent clashes after security forces killed local Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in a shootout.
So far, 55 people including two CRPF men have died in the ensuing turmoil.
Non-lethal guns
Some have started comparing the situation with the bloody and turbulent 1990s, when militancy reached its peak and Pandits were cleansed from the Valley.
“This is not even remotely close to what happened in the ’90s,” said the senior government official. “But even supposing it were so, should we be intimidated? Has any group or individual achieved anything in independent India through violence?”
He said: “The basic right of every organism, individual, and even a nation is the right to self-preservation. India has the right to act in self-preservation against terrorists sent or sponsored by Pakistan, and we will do it.”
Will the State stop using the much-vilified pellets guns?
“We are perhaps the only country which uses non-lethal weapons against mobs using stones, guns and grenades. Imagine the casualty if we had used bullets instead of pellets,” he said.
State Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti came in for praise. Taking considerable political risks, Mufti has been doing more than any other J&K chief minister would do to defuse the situation, he said.
The security source ruled out speaking to separatists.
“It is pointless speaking with people who have no power to take decisions, who have a gun held to their heads by Pakistan.”
The senior official said the media needed to stop either being hyper-nationalistic or taking the separatists’ line.
“In our jingoism, we often pit India against Kashmiris. We forget they are our own people, and only a very small section is working in Pakistan’s interest. Such coverage deepens faultlines and places citizens against citizens.”
According to the official, incidents of violence have been reported in nine of the state’s 22 districts and recruitment for terror is happening in five or six districts, mainly in south Kashmir.
“An overwhelming majority of Kashmiris is disgusted by all this. Many of them – some of them local imams – are being bullied by terrorists at gunpoint to join protests,” he said. “We need to empower this majority.”
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