Tuesday, 19 July 2016

J&K Unrest and Ecessive Force

When will the politicians stop playing games in J&K at the cost of national security. On the one  hand they condemn the violent protesters as Pakistan’s agents and stooges as they rampage through the valley killing members of security forces, torching police stations, throwing  their vehicles and occupants into the river . Yet when security forces act mainly in self-defence the rioters whine shamelessly  about use of excessive force. I see no reason for the Centre to be apologetic about use of force as force at rising levels is precisely the basis on which local police, central para-military units and finally the army are called in.
It is laughable that we spend crores on training security forces to use force and then when the need for force arises we go all soft and ask the jawans to use minimum force ! As for the army we spend crores on honing their killing skills and then exploit them by using them as transport agents, medical attendants, construction workers and so on. When they are called upon to maintain order and subdue violence by the use of force they are asked to exercise restraint. Why ? When they are called in they are facing frenzied, murderous mobs who aim to kill the jawans. They indulge in arson and ransack armouries. What do the government think they do with the weapons they carry away ? Do ayudha puja ?
Political considerations supersede even national security and those in power and the opposition should be ashamed of themselves and their pussy-footing. Excessive and minimum force are a matter of discretion which should be left to the force commander. I am partly relieved that this fact was recognised by Jaitley in the Rajya Sabha. Violence should be subdued by force and if it costs lives I would rather that that cost  is borne by the rioters than the jawans.


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