Soumitra
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The gloves are off: Hardliner Gen Rawat fights Kashmir insurgency, with government's backing
On the topic of Jammu and Kashmiri youth picking up arms to join terrorist organisations, Rawat said, "I only want to stress that all this [joining militancy] is futile, nothing is going to be achieved by them. You can't fight the army".
Rawat also spoke about the civilian casualties that have taken place during clashes with security forces. "We don't enjoy it [the civilian deaths and injuries]," Rawat said. "But if you want to fight us, then we will fight you with all our force."
The army chief went on to assert that his force has not been "so brutal". "Look at Syria and Pakistan. They use tanks and air power in similar situations. Our troops have been trying their level best to avoid any civilian casualty despite huge provocation," Rawat added.
General Rawat, in his interview, seemed to accept that the army has taken on a more hard-line approach to dealing with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. "The Army did try a soft approach too," Rawat commented before saying that the large-scale violence seen after the killing of Hizbul's Burhan Wani in an encounter turned "everything upside down".
"I am still trying to understand where did all that anger [seen after the Wani encounter] come from. The youth have gotten themselves in Pakistan's trap. They are being consistently incited to attack us".
Rounding off his interview with the Express, General Rawat said that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir does not have a military solution and that the army wants politicians to hold parleys with the civilian population.
However, that can only happen once there is "calm". "And we are hopeful that people will soon realize that all this is futile and start thinking differently," Rawat said.