Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday reminded soldiers of their duties towards countrymen, emphasising that their obligation was not just to defend the nation but also to win the hearts of the people.
The remarks came amidst outrage against the killings of three Poonch residents, who were allegedly tortured to death by the army to avenge the militant ambush that killed four soldiers and injured three more.
The defence minister on Wednesday visited Rajouri district of Jammu to meet soldiers and the families of the three slain civilians.
“I want to make a very special request to all of you that the responsibility of defending the country is on all of you, but along with the country’s security, winning the hearts of your countrymen is also a very big responsibility on your shoulders,” Rajnath told the soldiers at Rajouri’s 25 division headquarters of the army.
The defence minister’s terse reminder to soldiers is unprecedented as the killings risk earning the backlash of the Muslim Gujjar community, which had played a key role in wiping out militancy from the area two decades ago by providing the forces with key information and sometimes participating in the action.
The three dead men — Safeer Hussain, 37, Showkat Hussain, 26, and Shabir Ahmed, 32 — were Gujjars.
The BJP-led government has been trying hard to woo the Gujjars as it seeks to achieve its goal of installing a Hindu chief minister in Jammu and Kashmir. Though Gujjars have been supportive of some of the army’s actions, the BJP has largely failed so far in cultivating a significant vote-bank among the community, which forms around 8 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s population.
Rajnath said he knows that soldiers always try to win the hearts of people but there should be no lapse that harms the country.
“The nation you are safeguarding, you should be firmly connected with the citizens of that nation. You have to win their confidence, increase understanding. You can play a great role in it, which you are already doing. But there is a need to do so more seriously,” he said.
Rajnath asked the soldiers to frequently meet countrymen and enquire about their well-being and sufferings.
“I believe where our resolve is to win war, wipe out terrorists, our bigger resolve should be to win the hearts of the countrymen,” the defence minister said.
The families of the Poonch victims were brought to Rajouri, some 35km apart, in official vehicles to meet the minister.
Mohammad Sidiq, the panch of Mastandara village and uncle of Showkat Hussain, one of the three Poonch victims, said Rajnath gave a patient hearing to them.
“We interacted for 10 minutes and told him that all we need is justice. We want the people who did this brutality with us to be punished. I also told him that the army camp involved in the killings should be removed,” Sidiq told The Telegraph.
“Minister sahab promised us that those who did this will be punished.”
During his address to the army earlier, the defence minister also lavished praise on soldiers and expressed grief over the death of their four colleagues.
“Every soldier is very important to us; each of them is like our family member…. The entire country feels the same and we cannot tolerate it if someone casts an evil eye on you,” Rajnath said.
The defence minister spoke of a "major incident", apparently referring to the militant ambush. He said there was no dearth of funds for the security and intelligence agencies to help avoid such incidents from recurring.
“Such incidents cannot be taken for granted. We need to be more vigilant,” Rajnath said.
He said the martyrdom of a soldier cannot be compensated as that loss can never be made up, assuring the troops that the government stands behind them.
Rajanth was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha as he met the families of the deceased at the Government Dak Bungalow in Rajouri. He later paid a visit to the hospital to meet the injured.
The army has already removed a brigadier and three other officers of the unit that is under glare for alleged custodial killings, in an apparent bid to placate locals and pave the way for a smooth investigation.
An official spokesman said the minister made a first-hand assessment of the prevailing situation as well as the counter-terror operations in the area. He was accompanied by Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen. Upendra Dwivedi.
