Kashmiris tired of terrorism, realise no option other than India: Rawat

'Bringing back radilcalised youth will end terrorism'

JAMMU: Asserting that people in Kashmir have understood that it is very difficult to secede from India, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that those in Valley are now tired of terrorism as they have realised that it cannot give them what they want.
General Rawat also said that a larger section in Kashmir wants to join mainstream while bringing back those who have been radicalised holds the key to end the era of terror in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Army chief also said that repeated incidents of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control speaks for Pakistan's nefarious attempts at revive insurgency.
"The people of Kashmir in general, I think, are getting tired of terrorism. They have seen it for too long and they have realised that it hasn't given them what they had desired for," Gen Rawat said.
"Let me tell you, with a country like India, to seek independence from a nation where we have strong armed forces,
very strong democracy and very strong government... you cannot secede away from India.
"This is what people have realised and while of course some of them have gotten radicalised into joining terrorism and maybe it gives them a macho image or whatever happens, I do feel that most of them want to join the mainstream," the CASO said.
"Some of them who have got radicalized, I think we need to address those people and carry out with our deradicalisation campaign. If that works, I think we can succeed in putting an end to terrorism," he said.
The Army chief was responding to a question on Facebook Live, posted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), one of the organisers of the multi-lateral 'Raisina Dialogue'.
On ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), he said Pakistan is trying to make an attempt to revive insurgency.
"The LoC is live because of infiltration taking place from across the border. There are terrorist bases very much inside Pakistan, attempt is being made to revive insurgency in Kashmir because people feel there is some semblance of peace that is returning in the Valley and we realise large scale infiltration taking place in coming few months," he said.
"That is why border is being kept active and alive by the Pakistani troops to support terrorists and support them in infiltration across LoC."
The Army chief said that as long as Pakistan keeps attempting to send terrorists across the border, India will keep taking action.
Asked about his comments on Pakistan's "nuclear bluff", he said though it is a weapon of deterrence, it may not completely deter war.
"Nuclear weapons are strategic weapons and their use is not easy. It is decided that the highest level in any establishment. To talk about use of nuclear weapons in the conventional domain, I don't think it is right form of use.
"If they are a weapon of deterrence, it does not imply it will completely deter countries from going in conflict, specially if political masters in any country decide to push you into combat because of the political aims that they have for themselves...
"In case you are asked to take an action against an adversary, I don't think just because a nation has nuclear weapons, you are going to get deterred by that," he said.
In response to another question on concerns over radicalisation among the Rohingyas and the threat arising out of it on the northeastern borders, he said anybody who is radicalised is identified in a timely manner.
"We don't want to go after particular communities," he insisted.
"Our intelligence operations are carried out in a very coordinated manner. All the agencies are operating together. We are able to identify elements who have been radicalised," the Army chief added.