Need innovation to fight dirty war in J&K: army chief

Gen Rawat defends human-shield use

The Indian Army is facing a “dirty war” in Jammu and Kashmir,  which has to be fought through “innovative” ways, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said.

“This is a proxy war, and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagement are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations,” Rawat said, in what were the General’s most comprehensive comments yet to the media on the issue.

He stoutly defended the use of a Kashmiri youth as a human shield by an officer. Rawat said the main objective behind giving  an award to Major Leetul Gogoi, when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy-infested state.

Gogoi was rewarded with the Army Chief’s Commendation medal for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations.

The Major had tied a man to an army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone throwers last month, an act criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and a few retired army generals. A video of the incident had triggered a row, with many condemning it.

“People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there,” Gen Rawat said.

Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones.

“In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do),” he said.