At a time when Kashmiris are alienated from the mainstream India, the latest remark by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will go a long way in building bridges between the security forces and civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Army is not against the Kashmiris. We understand that all Kashmiris are not involved in the so-called militancy. There are few ones who indulge in terror and violence. Our job is to separate the terrorists from the Kashmiri people and target the terrorists,” General Rawat said.
The Army Chief’s comment has come at a time when the security forces are busy in counter-insurgency operations in the Valley in the wake of several terror strikes in the state.
General Rawat also rejected claims that the Army has returned to the Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) in the Valley as a part of its counter-insurgency strategy in the state.
Recent reports state that the Army would perform more CASO in Kashmir after security personnel conducted a CASO in 15 villages in Shopian district recently. Around 4,000 soldiers of the Rashtriya Rifles were involved in the operation.
“We are not returning to classical CASO in Kashmir as we know that they cause hardships to the local people. These are area search operations. It is not even a cordon,” General Rawat added.
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