Bullet Less, Blood Less, Harm Less, Stone Less Strategy

Jammu and Kashmir problem had started ever since  India was partitioned into two parts by the British on the basis of religions – Islam and Hinduism – at the time of giving Independence to India on August 1947.  Pakistan declared itself as Muslim Country, while India preferred to be a Secular Country accommodating Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Parisis, Anglo-Indians etc. with the same status and nondiscriminatory.  Unfortunately and due to wrong political maneuvers, Jammu and Kashmir at the time of partition was given a special autonomous status under Article 370 of our Constitution – the article originally drafted by the secessionist mindset Sheikh Abdullah and finalized by Gopalasami Iyyangar  and brought into our constitution thereby complete accession to the Indian Union thwarted then. This legacy of Abdullah was truthfully taken up till date by his son, grand son with the active and tacit support of all anti-national elements in the Valley and beyond our borders.

This lacuna of complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union of India was the main reason for agitations of some Muslims in the Kashmir valley to raise slogans of ‘Azadi’ which are being encouraged with Muslim terrorists across the Pakistan Border duly assisted by Pakistan Government and even some Local Muslims including students being the  part of this misguided hatred towards India and Hindus and they had become stone pelters targeting Army and Police apart from other heinous terrorists’ activities.  Hence it becomes a herculean tasks to maintain law and order in the valley and more so in the background of the Army being advised not to use pellets guns – leaving the army personnel to the mercy of stone throwers.

 On April 9, 2017, by-elections were underway for the Srinigar-Budgam constituency and election staff and Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel had sought the help of Army for escort, as around 400 to 500 people in Gundipora were pelting stones. The emergency call was attended by Major Leetul Gogoi who promptly rushed to the spot with his small contingent of  military personnel. The crowd was swelling  further, as the Mosque nearby had instigated the mob through loudspeakers to attack the election staff, army and police. Leetul Gogoi, on assessing the situations, had come out with an innovative out of box idea that made him to tie Farooq Ahmed Dar, a Kashmir Muslim Tailor and Stone pelter, on the bonnet of the army escort jeep as a shield to prevent the mob from stone pelting and it worked. 

The tactical  prudence of Gogoi had resulted in safe passage of election personnel of about 19 people without firing a bullet or beating any one. It is an ingenious method adopted under  very critical circumstances ending successfully with bloodless, bullet less, harm less and stone less scenario.

It may be termed as unusual and unethical and even unlawful by Main Stream Media and Armchair Critics and Pro-Pakistani Elements. It may be even argued that the use of a civilian as a hostage or human shield was a violation of the right to life and liberty enshrined in the Indian constitution and also a violation of international law – viz the Geneva Conventions of 1949.   Conventions apart, call of duty to protect life and property by the army under such trying circumstances gains paramount importance and such deviations need to be looked into the broader perspective of orders of restrictive retaliatory powers to the army in the valley. If this innovative method was not employed, there would loss of election officials, police and army personnel including its chief – Gogoi.

It is really gratifying to know Army Chief Bipin Rawat had weighed all aspects in this incident and had  taken a very bold decision and awarded Gogoi a commendation card for sustained efforts on counter-insurgency – even knowing fully well, Jammu and Kashmir police had filed a FIR on the incident.  

Army Chief was quite vocal in airing his anger on those who criticized the action of Gogoi. Rawat, defending use of a human shield in Kashmir, had expressed thus: “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. Army is facing a dirty war in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought in innovative ways. This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face to face and fights with you. That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations. Adversaries must of afraid of you, and at the same time, your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly Army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us. At the same time, maximum restraint was shown while handling the situation in the valley.” 

 27 year old Farooq Ahmad Dar – who was a human shield in this case – had complained that he was not a stone pelter, but a voter and that he was badly treated and his hands were tied behind. Actually, he was proved that he did not cast his vote, as there was no ink mark on his finger. There was no injury on his body or on his hand and his hands were not tied, as revealed from the photo published. Hence, he lied to the media for obvious reasons. There was only a cloth bondage around his palm, when a reporter interviewed him. A white shield also was put on his chest so that the ropes were not to hurt him and such is the precautions taken by the army.  The action of the army officer may not be legal – but, the circumstances had forced him to resort to this strategy to save the personnel from stone pelters.

 Allow army to use the guns – pellet guns or any other substitutes to avoid such unnecessary strategic innovative methods.

Jai Gogoi! Jai Jawan!