The uniformed soldier is unequipped, vulnerable and living in the Jurassic age as far as modern society is concerned. The serving officers and Jawans hardly get any idea whatsoever about deep functioning of the civil society from their fortified uniformed lives. A young man joining the services at the helm of his youth, even before undergoing the grinds of our civil society and understanding its prevailing undercurrents, becomes a Soldier. One got retired in the year 2012. It took me three years in the civil society to learn its ‘normal ways’. I think, up to some extent, every ex-serviceman will agree with me.
Question: Why does the counter redicalisation strategy necessitate deployment of Ex-servicemen?
Answer: A retired Fauji with his 15 to 20 years’ service to the Nation in ‘the Indian Armed Forces’ equipped with some years of post-retirement experience in our unforgiving civil society is our best bet for securing our backyard. (The other left out blocks).
Why only ex-servicemen? Other nationalistic groups too are in the foray.
Answer:
During their tenures in uniform and off it, the Ex-servicemen have demonstrated their true Indian Colours. They have proven their mettle during every natural calamity, every civil unrest and every war that this nation has fought. If we take the risk of deploying the rhetoric savvy Nationalistic groups, too early into the valley. It will not be a wise decision.
The Ex-servicemen are well versed with the policies and functioning of the Armed Forces thus the question of blue to blue kill doesn’t arise.
Ex-servicemen, because they know when to stop being aggressive, because we do not want to create another monster to curb a monster in the very beautiful valley of Kashmir.
Earlier Successful Examples of strategy of Placing of ex-servicemen to secure social and physical security
I shall be reminding ourselves and the government with some scintillating yet simple examples, how we have been securing our backyards:
After 1962 war with China and subsequent 1965 war with Pakistan made the Union government realise that there is an urgent need to address a strategic concern to secure and populate frontier areas with patriots. So as to put a stop to infiltration, aggression, espionage and other anti-national activities at borders. For the purpose, the government began running a scheme for rehabilitation of Ex-servicemen in the year 1969 under which 330-odd Ex-servicemen and their families were settled on the great Nicobar island of Campbell Bay.
The militarily sensitive and strategically important, Rann of Kutch which has seen aggressive Pakistani forays as a prelude to the war, is a barren region bordering Pakistan with human population less than that of cattle, the then Gujarat government had devised a strategic policy and invited ex-servicemen from Punjab and Haryana, largely Sikhs, to settle down here in the aftermath of the 1965 war with Pakistan.
Despite of the severe hardships and natural disasters such as earth quakes and tsunami, it is the ex-servicemen who have provided the necessary show of presence and intelligence in sparsely populated, sensitive and dangerous conflict zones as well as remote border areas and kept the Nationalistic favor high on agenda.
It was said at the height of militancy in Punjab, ‘you can only contain terror, but cannot stamp it out. The perpetuators of terror exploited fault lines of the society in Punjab as well as in Kashmir. Religion was used as a tool to motivate the alienated youth to self-destruct. Eventually, the secessionist movement in Punjab ran aground because it could not find support from the majority of the masses of which ex-servicemen were a large majority.
For my research on Kargil War I interviewed some war veterans each veteran uttered nearly the same words during the interview: “It pains so much, after the war that you are alive but have lost your brethren who have fought along with you.” “I wish, could have fought on and gave my life instead allowing them to evacuate me after I got injured.” “My kids are grown up and settled now, I once again wish to pledge my life to the nation.” I would also like to quote martyred Sepoy Aurangzeb’s father, Veteran Mohammad Hanif, “I am ready to die to unfurl Indian Flag in Kashmir Valley.”
The Indian Armed Forces are in themselves like a big neighborhood village where people from different walks of life are recruited and casted into patriotic mold. The forces have recruited foot soldiers, technocrats, engineers, teachers, religious preachers from Maulavi to Priest and the Pujari. They all retire at a very young age and become ex-servicemen. Why don’t we unleash these ex-servicemen as our extreme nationalist weapons against the religious extremists, separatists, Stone palters and the Jihadist perpetuators against whom the armed forces have no jurisdiction, by settling them in the five terror prone districts of the valley. The Kashmir riddle can be brought near solution once we are able to counter Jihadist and separatist propaganda with nationalist propaganda.
At present the only narrative coming out of the valley of Kashmir is the Pakistani propaganda narrative. The proxies of Pakistan are successful in selling the Azadi and Jihad to the world and the media. Pakistan is able to exert so much control over our people and our lands that we are seen in docks every now and then. The UNHRC reports, western media and Indian Liberals are playing the music Pakistan wants them to.
The ex-servicemen hold advantage in the situation as they have previous experience of the functions of the Indian Armed Forces and can carry out social balancing acts in tandem with the will and wish of the Government and the military. They hold the key to stability and safety of India from rouge adversaries and the enemies within. While fighting the terrorists in the Kashmir valley, we have left the social flank unguarded. The Pakistan proxies successfully made the Kashmiri Pandits leave the valley and thus succeeded in isolating the society, affiliated to the people of single religion, Islam.
The entry of ex-servicemen in the valley will definitely see resistance by the wahabi fanatics, there will be violent clashes and there will be deaths. Nevertheless, the battle hardened Retired Soldiers have time and again proven their mettle while in uniform and off it too. Mass migration of veterans in the five terrorism infested districts of the state of J& K can lead us towards bringing a permanent solution to the riddle of Kashmir. For a complete decontamination of the citadel of Kashmir from radical Islam and Azadi gang, These soldiers must be drafted into every organization of the state, every office, every private company, every newspaper, television channel, every government office panchayat everywhere. The 28 lakh strong belligerent ex-Army of soldiers will definitely bring back the heavens in Kashmir.
There are reports that Russians are using their ex-servicemen in Syria too.
The surgical strikes and Operation all out of the present Modi regime are considered as milestones in India’s modern Kashmir policy. The Modi government has shown the political will and therefore, there is no reason for Kashmir issue to linger on beyond next five years. It is just a matter of time before the ‘chakravyuha’ will be breached and smashed.
Jai Hind.
