By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
New Delhi: Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations (CDRO), a coalition of civil and democratic rights organizations from across India, condemned Army Chief statement of asking citizens to pick up arms instead of stones and termed it as a means to facilitate Indian army to use ‘equal’ and ‘proportionate’ force while exercising self defense which otherwise will be prohibited by International Law.
“General Bipin Rawat’s remarks as mocking the ‘Democratic process’, which the Indian army, and as its chief, he is expected to defend and uphold,” said CDRO.
The rights organization termed remarks in total disregard for Rules of War as well as utter contempt for the Rule of Law, authorizing violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, and amounts to normalising lawless war, which is already unleashed by army on the people.
“One fact which even the army chief knows is that Kashmiris have lost their fear and awe of Indian army. Their memory of what army is capable of doing is a constant reminder etched on their lives. So the army is not feared, they are simply disliked if not hated for all the pain and loss caused to the native Kashmiri Muslims. In such a situation to privilege military solution is like pouring oil on fire,” said CDRO.
The rights group have alleged that the Army has been given a free hand under present dispensation. “Army which had come to acquire a veto power over repeal of AFSPA under the UPA Government now is being allowed to pursue its own course of war in Kashmir, because BJP prefers soldiers to resolve problems, it does not have the political stomach to resolve.”
CDRO believes that BJP has no Kashmir policy other than a brutal suppression to erase the idea of ‘Azaadi in Kashmir’.
“Kashmiri’s are considered as ‘anti-nationals’, whether they throw stones, shout slogans, waive flags, stage sit ins, hold meetings, simply by virtue of a concocted understanding of the situation. For another it means that leadership of the Indian army, while grossly misreading the situation in Kashmir, remains innocent of the deleterious impact rapid expansion of Hindu right wing vigilantism has on developments in Kashmir,” the organisation said.
The rights group said that BJP government which on the one hand promotes and patronises Hindu vigilantism in India and especially Jammu and on the other side an Indian army which speaks of a military solution in Kashmir is a double whammy on Kashmir.
CDRO further said that constitution nowhere, even in its list of duties, demands the citizens to fear and obey the army. “Such outrageous interpolations, therefore, serves as a reminder that the even the most disciplined army can get hollowed out by a long drawn out engagement in wars against our own people,” hte organisation added.