letter to Editor

Sir ,
There was a news item that some outraged experts and rightist activists as will as Mr E N Rammohan former chief of BSF have strongly advocated use of Use of non lethal techniques to control J & K protesters .

If the so called experts have become "outraged " I would say they are no experts at all and they have not analysed the developments in J & K in correct perspective.
Rightists and the so called intellectuals , most of the times , unfortunately , are backing the wrong cause . And so it is in this instance as well .
However when former chief of BSF with his experience also says that same thing I am really surprised and must say that even he has mis read the situation . It must be accepted that things today are totally different from what they were in 1990s . That was the time situation in J & K was changing for the better and returning towards normalcy .

Today situation is radically different . If I recollect correctly , the present unrest was trigerred when bodies of two girls were found and the security forces were blamed for the rape & murder . Inquiry is still on but the anti national elements used it as a handle to foment trouble . A very effective pattern to provoke the forces was evolved and used time and again . At least on TWO occasions violence was instigated after youths were drowned while running away from the security forces . Then again the death of another girl was used to create unrest . In these and some other instances , where was the use of lethal methods for escalation of trouble . Review of these developments clearly indicates that the anti national elements were determined and hell bent to foment unrest , violence and disruption of normal life in J & K . They would have made sure of that even if use of non lethal techniques were adopted for trying the crowd control..

Trouble makers must be made to realise that when the C M says that in case violation of curfew orders " the results will be serious and tragic " the Govt maens it .So I feel that instead of pussy footing around and adopting soft options every means including the lethal techniques , after due warnings , must be enforced strictly .

PM Velankar