‘Whole of nation approach worked in J&K’

The Tribune Interview Lt-Gen KJS Dhillon

Arun Joshi

Lt-Gen KJS Dhillon, Corps Commander of 15 Corps, whose tenure in Kashmir was marked by many events, some of them unprecedented in nature with new and tough challenges, said he was an extremely satisfied commander as he leaves the Valley for his next assignment.

In an e-mail interview with The Tribune, Lt-Gen Dhillon reflected on the challenges thrown up by attacks like Pulwama and the situation that had to be handled after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year. Excerpts from the interview

What have been the challenges for the Army after the revocation of Article 370?

The Indian Army, in conjunction with other security forces, has a two-fold mandate. One is on the Line of Control (LoC) and the other is counter-infiltration operations against the terrorists which are being supported by the Pakistan army and pushed through the LoC. In the hinterland, the Indian Army is working in synchronisation with other security forces for counter-terrorist operations wherein most of the terrorist leadership of various “tanzeems” (organisations) has been neutralised in the past year. There is a sense of security and peace prevailing in the Valley, which is visible in business, tourism, BDC elections, recent board examinations and the day-to-day routine life of a normal Kashmiri. The morale of the forces, including the administrative and logistic support, has been of very high standard and we continue to maintain it.

What is the ‘Whole of Nation’ approach to maintain peace in Kashmir?

After August 5 last year, the strategy to maintain peace and calm in the Valley was based on well-synergised, coordinated and integrated actions involving all stakeholders, including security forces, JKPF, CAPFs and, most importantly, the civil administration. In addition, other societal stakeholders like opinion-makers, elders of society, mediapersons and professionals from government organisations were also consulted regularly to arrive at the most suitable and appropriate methodology to deal with the situation and ground-level feedback.

In a nutshell, I can say, it was a “Whole of nation” approach. I am very satisfied with the way calm and peace have prevailed in the Valley. In spite of best efforts of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, minimal loss of civilian life and security forces has been the hallmark of efforts of all stakeholders for the maintenance of peace in Kashmir. There are no restrictions whatsoever other than mobile Internet beyond 2G and some apps. Markets are open, business is booming, tourists are arriving and winter sports are being organised on a grand scale.

What has been the Army’s responsibility to strengthen relations with people after the revocation of Article 370?

In addition to our conventional role and mandated job, we have a responsibility towards the “awam” (public) of Kashmir whom we treat as our “humsaya’. Various initiatives of the Army to support aspirations and daily needs, especially of women and youth, are being pursued in a very organised and proactive manner. There are at least 28 Army Goodwill Schools (AGSs), 10,000 students, and not a single student has become terrorist, with 100 per cent result in most of the AGS exams. Our initiative of “Operation MAA”, an appeal to mothers of local boys who have gone astray, has been highly successful in generating a positive atmosphere for the “return” of local youths who have joined terrorist organisations. We have been successful in the “return” of more than 50 such boys.

What has been the impact of Internet shutdowns on anti-militancy operations?

Counter-terrorist operations are based on inputs from various intelligence sources, including human intelligence, with technical intelligence being only one of them. Hence, the blocking of the Internet and mobile services temporarily did not have any major impact on counter-terrorist operations.

What have been the challenges after the Pulwama attack?

We are trained for facing challenging situations and we take considered and most appropriate decisions to deal with any emerging situation. The perpetrators of the Pulwama attack were brought to justice within 100 hours by the efforts of all security forces, intelligence agencies and civil administration in a very integrated manner. Terrorist threats are being neutralised almost daily, in one way or the other. All agencies dealing with counter-terrorist operations continue to be on work 24 x 7 to ensure peace in the Kashmir Valley.

What is AFSPA shield?

The AFSPA is an act of Parliament and we (Army) in India, being a mature democracy, are governed by the legislations passed by Parliament.

Your comments on stone-throwing incidents and challenges of upcoming summer in Kashmir.

Pakistan-sponsored proxies who are instigating and indulging in stone throwing have failed in their attempts and these incidents have come down to negligible in recent months. The recruitment of local youths in terrorist groups has also reduced by more than 45 per cent from 2018 to 2019. Besides the “Whole of nation” approach, we have plans (for 2020 summer season in Kashmir) in place to thwart any attempts by Pakistan to disrupt the prevailing peace and cause damage to life and property of Kashmiris. All stakeholders are very much part of the plan.

Have you been a satisfied commander?

As a professional, all my assignments through my career, spanning approximately 37 years, have had their fair share of adventure, challenge and, most importantly, professional satisfaction at the end of each tenure, having accomplished the job assigned to me in a most professional and ethical manner in keeping with the traditions and ethos of the great Indian Army. A major hallmark of my tenure as the Corps Commander, 15 Corps, was the tremendous synergy achieved amongst various security forces, intelligence agencies and civil administration, with the singular aim of maintenance of peace in the Kashmir Valley. We have been able to touch the lives of the common Kashmiris, particularly those who ‘returned’ from the clutches of terrorism back to their families, due to the efforts of all stakeholders, especially under “Operation MAA”. I am an extremely satisfied commander.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.