Indian PM plays down trouble in army camp in J&K

[Windjammer]

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday downplayed the reported trouble involving jawans and officers in an army unit in Samba sector in Jammu and Kashmir saying a "small incident" was being blown out of proportion.

Singh's response came in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour after CPI-M members referred to Wednesday's incident saying there was breach of discipline in the military camp in the border district after a soldier had committed suicide.

The members were talking about the reported slogan-shouting by the jawans against officers after the suicide.

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said, "It's a serious matter. Let the defence minister respond."

As defence minister A K Antony was not present, the Prime Minister rose to respond and said, "I request the House not to have a discussion on the subject...This is a very small incident. This is a small incident, which is being blown out of proportion. It is not good for the morale of our armed forces."

The members relented after the Prime Minister spoke. The incident was reportedly triggered when the jawan, Arun V, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, shot himself with his service rifle in the camp of the 16th Light Cavalry at Samba in the morning. He died on the spot.

PM plays down trouble in army camp in J&K - The Times of India

 

[ajtr]

I*s this the incident above report referring too.????


Jawan ends life, tension in Army’s Samba unit
Three months after a scuffle broke out between Army officers and jawans at Nyoma in Ladakh, there was yet another stand off on Wednesday between officers and jawans at a unit in border Samba district over alleged suicide by a soldier.

Identified as 30-year-old Swaran Arun V from Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, the deceased was posted with 16 Cavalry in Samba. The jawan, who was reportedly on guard duty along with another colleague on Wednesday morning, had earlier received a phone call at around 6.45 am.

Giving details, sources said after receiving the phone call, Swaran went to the guard room and shot himself dead with his INSAS rifle. Hearing the gunshot, other jawans rushed to the room and found his body lying in a pool of blood.

The death raised tempers at the unit as a number of jawans hailing from Thiruvananthapuram and other parts of Kerala held seniors responsible for the death. Pointing out that the deceased had been deployed on sentry duty despite his posting in the computer section, they accused the officers of ill treating the jawans.

A Subedar who tried to pacify them was manhandled. Sensing the gravity of the situation, the Commanding Officer and his second in command did not turn up. There was a ruckus in the unit, with jawans leaving their guard duties to join the protest which continued till afternoon.

The Brigade Commander rushed there and tried to pacify the jawans. Later, General Officer Commanding of 9 Corps, Lt General A K Bhalla, too reached the spot and ordered a Court of Inquiry into the incident.

Senior Army officers, who did not want to be named, however, denied any stand-off between officers and jawans at the unit. “It is a simple case of suicide by a jawan who had come from home after availing leave on July 29,” they claimed.

Israr Khan, Senior Superindent of Police, Samba, who visited the unit after the suicide, said the police had registered a case and started inquest proceedings in the matter under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Suicide by soldier triggers protests by colleagues
Army Denies Protest, Says CoI Ordered

Jammu, Aug 8: In one of the rear cases, army personnel at a camp in Samba district turned hostile and staged protest demonstrations against the higher authorities following suicide by one of their colleagues during duty hours, near here on Wednesday morning.
Trouble erupted after a soldier of 16 Light Cavlari Regiment ended his life by shooting himself with his service rifle near Mehsar area of district Samba. Sources said that Swaran Arun V, resident of Kerala, a solider of 16 Light Cavlari Regiment camped at Mesar, Samba was on guard duty since last night. “He was about to be relieved when he went inside his barrack after receiving a phone call,” sources said.
They further said that Swaran said to his colleague Sanntri Rajeev that he was going to wrap up his bedding. “After minutes a gun shot was heard and when Rajeev went inside he found Swaran in a pool of blood. The soldier had shot himself from his service rifle and within minutes he succumbed”, sources said.
It was reliably learnt immediately after the incident, other soldiers posted in the camp came out of their barracks and protested against their senior officers, who according to them were responsible for the death of their colleague, who had sought leave in view of some urgency at his home.
The soldiers even locked some of the army officers inside the office while some other officers locked themselves in the officers’ mess, unofficial sources claimed.
The matter was resolved after senior army officers negotiated with the protesting soldiers ensuring them that the matter would be enquired in depth.
Though army has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the reason behind the suicide, it denied the reports of any protest within the camp. “I am not aware about any such protest”, Defence PRO Jammu said.
Station House Officer (SHO) Samba Rajinder Khajuria said that the matter was being investigated. “As per preliminary investigation the deceased had returned after spending vacation in June this year and there is no possibility of conflict over leave issue,” he said.

 

[Windjammer]

Yes my dear it seems to be the same incident, but it's rather shameful how the senior see and remark on the incident.

Senior Army officers, who did not want to be named, however, denied any stand-off between officers and jawans at the unit. “It is a simple case of suicide by a jawan who had come from home after availing leave on July 29,” they claimed.