JAMMU: How can war against terrorism be fought in Jammu and Kashmir epicenter of Pak lackeys and radicalised bigots-gun totting Jihadis and gun-supporting soft-Jihadis-be won when the brave-hearts are exposed to vulnerabilities of terror and crime, apart from pressures from the hierarchy and the seniors?
Those working against odds in the most hostile conditions never know whether they will attain martyrdom or land in jails. Laying lives means getting eulogized as martyrs and a slight ‘judgemental error’ in fighting enemies entails FIRs and harsh punishments. Generally, the excuse of judgemental error is made out after the so-called human rights outcry or political pressures.
Brave-hearts in Kashmir find themselves in the devil and the deep sea. Illustrations are numerous but two specific cases of Major Gogoi and Maj Aditya Kumar reflects the vulnerabilities of the security forces in the Valley and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Demonised over innovative way of averting catastrophe at the hands of the crazy mobs, motivated by Jihadis, Major Leetul Gogoi, who adopted an innovative way to save his men from lynching mob during 2017 Lok Sabha by-elections by using a human shield on his military jeep against stone-pelters in Budgam district. Despite strong public outrage on Major Gogoi’s action, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had awarded him the COAS commendation card for the act. Both using human shield and the commendation letter had sealed his fate, as the political hierarchy in the Kashmir centric politics, together with a proactive tirade terror friendly separatist camp, had opened a front against him. Rest is history, which revolved around an 18-year-old Kashmiri girl, who he was friendly with and caught by the police in a Srinagar hotel. Despite the girl stating that she had gone out with Major Gogoi of her own will, besides disclosing that she had become a friend of the Army officer through his Facebook profile, Major Gogoi was found guilty of ‘fraternising’ with a local in violation of official orders on the subject and for “being away from the place of duty while in operational area”. The court martial followed the recording of a summary of evidence against the officer after the Army Court of Inquiry (CoI) had recommended disciplinary action against Major Gogoi for the Srinagar hotel incident.
On the contrary, most of accused in the infamous Srinagar Sex Scandal, including top and influential politicians and bureaucrats, got acquitted despite chilling evidences and sequence of events, which the prosecution failed to establish during the judicial disposition. As the Sex Scandal involved politicians and bureaucrats (unlike in Major Gogoi case) the law took reverse course as far as the investigating agencies and prosecution was concerned.
Another example of heroes becoming zeros revolves around Maj Aditya Kumar, 10 Garhwal Rifles, who was named in the FIR filed against his unit after the army firing on protesters left three people dead in Shopian. He was accused of murder, attempt to murder and endangering lives. Due to political pressure and public perception, nobody from the hierarchy came to the rescue of the Major. Ultimately, his father had to move to the Supreme Court, demanding that the FIR registered against his son by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the shooting deaths of three civilians be quashed. The father pleaded that his son was just doing his duty. The father, retired lieutenant colonel Karamveer Singh said in his petition that the intention of Maj Aditya was to save army personnel and property.
The petitioner had also sought guidelines to protect the rights of soldiers and adequate compensation so that no personnel were harassed by criminal proceedings for exercising their duty. The FIR against Maj Aditya had created political furore in Jammu and Kashmir but the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had refused to budge, saying that her government will take the FIR to logical conclusion.
The two instances being case studies as to how and in which circumstances the brave-hearts are working in the hostile atmosphere, getting brickbats from the hostile terror-supporters. The political maneuvering finally makes them succumb under the hierarchical pressures.
This is the harsh truth of Kashmir where fighting terror is a risk, both in terms of tackling terrorists on ground zero and fighting pressures, sometimes from the power corridors. When the maneuvering and resistance flows down from the seat of power, especially from the political executives, the seniors in the services become conduits rather than saviours. This is how national heroes end up as villains.