Zero tolerance on rights violations: Army Chief on J&K civilian deaths

After a militant attack on an Army convoy on December 21 in which four soldiers were killed, the security forces had picked up at least nine civilians for questioning from Topa Pir village in Poonch. Of these, three men — Safeer Ahmed, Shabir Ahmed and Mohammad Showkat — were allegedly tortured to death during questioning. Some of the others were admitted to hospital with injuries.

The Army Chief also said that the security situation in the Rajouri-Poonch belt was a cause for concern.

On the ongoing military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, he said the Army’s primary aim is to go back to status quo ante which existed mid-2020, before planning a de-escalation of troops in the region.

Referring to the current situation in the Northeast, he said the Army is keeping a close watch on possible attempts by insurgent groups to cross over to India from Myanmar, in the wake of the situation there.

The Army Chief’s comments on the situation in the Rajouri-Poonch belt come in the wake of multiple terror attacks in the area last year. “With the situation in the Valley getting normal, this is one area our adversaries have been active in, in terms of abetting terrorism, encouraging proxy tanzeems to operate,” he said.

He said terrorism was wiped out from the area in 2003, and the region saw peace till 2017-18. But, in the last three years, while seven soldiers were killed in Kashmir, 20 were killed in ambushes in the Rajouri-Poonch belt.

During this period, 45 terrorists were killed in the belt lying south of the Pir Panjal range, he said. This includes 14 in the hinterland and six others who were killed during infiltration bids. A total of 71 terrorists were killed in J&K in 2023, including 52 in the Valley, he said.

He said the Army’s focus was on strengthening the existing intelligence network, including human and technical intelligence, in coordination with other agencies, and outreach to the local population.

The Army has increased deployment in these areas and reoriented some units which were operating there, he said, adding that the organisation is drawing certain tactical lessons which will be incorporated, including the use of technology.

On the civilian deaths last month, the Army Chief said while an internal inquiry is underway, the Army has already taken follow-up action. “The ‘affected’ village has been adopted by the Indian Army,” he said, referring to the village from where the civilians were picked up for questioning. He added that the Army is regularly interacting with the local community.

On December 27, the Army Chief had accompanied Defence Minister Rajnath Singh when he visited Rajouri and met the families of the civilians. Addressing troops the same day, Singh had said that while the aim was to eliminate terrorists, “our bigger aim shall be to win the hearts of our people”.

Last week, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had also said that those involved in the incident “will not be spared”.

Referring to the LAC, the Army Chief said the situation was stable but sensitive, and both countries were continuing talks at the military and diplomatic level. The Army’s first aim is to continue the agenda-based talks with China so as to go back to the status quo ante of mid-2020, he said. “Then we can look at the larger issues of troop reduction,” he added.

On infrastructure development along the LAC, the Army Chief listed construction of roads and tunnels, underground storage, helipads, plans for 4G connectivity in 355 Army posts, power connection to 105 forward posts, and habitat for about 50,000 personnel.

Regarding the situation in Manipur, he said the troops deployed there had exhibited restraint. Saying that the issue of missing weapons was a major challenge, he said: “Only 30% of the weapons at large have been recovered. Attempts to recover the remaining weapons are underway.”

Gen Pande also expressed concern over the volatile security situation in Myanmar, adding that besides the influx of civilians, 416 Myanmar Army personnel had crossed over to India earlier. “Because of the situation, we have some insurgent groups which are feeling the pressure and have attempted to cross over to Manipur. That’s something we are keeping a close watch on,” he said.

He said the Army has strengthened its position along the India-Myanmar border and 20 Assam Rifles battalions are currently deployed there.

Saying that India and Bhutan share common security concerns, the Army Chief said India was keeping a close watch on the ongoing boundary talks between China and Bhutan. “We are interacting with friends in Bhutan in a transparent (manner) and on a regular basis,” he said.

The Army Chief also said that 120 women officers have been promoted to selection grade rank of Colonels, and posted as Commanding Officers, both at peace locations as well as challenging areas like Baramulla. He said the Army is currently working on a common promotion policy to underline the selection criteria for women officers.