After facing a barrage of criticism for its alleged role in fake encounters, the Army is all set to spruce up its image in Kashmir with its top general saying “heart” will be its main weapon in restoring stability in the Valley.
Lt. Gen. S.A. Hasnain, the second Muslim Army officer to be made corps commander of the strategic 15 Corps which looks after Line of Control (LoC) in the Valley, said that during his tenure a humane approach will be adopted.
“My approach is entirely humane and nothing more than that. I think my force should not be seen as a force with arms everywhere,” Lt. Gen. Hasnain, who served as major general of Kilo Force in north Kashmir, told reporters on Thursday on the sidelines of a function here.
Earlier, Lt. Gen. M.A. Zaki was the first Muslim officer to become Corps commander of 15 Corps from 1988 to 1990. He was later made security advisor to the then state governor Jagmohan.
Lt. Gen. Hasnain said he was looking at a long-term perspective where the Army can assist the state administration in reaching out to the people. “Our main weapon is our heart and that is the main weapon we carry around in all our efforts to ensure that we bring stability to the state all over again,” he said. His comments come at a time when some Army officers in the Valley faced charges of indulging in fake encounters including the one in Machil which sparked of the summer unrest in Kashmir.
Gen. Hasnain said his main emphasis at the moment was to study the situation here. “My emphasis at the moment is to study the situation here...I think the internal situation here is seeking my attention,” he said. Referring to the recent summer unrest, in which more than 100 civilians were killed, he said “I may say that the situation was extremely well-handled while it was a situation. The Army was in the background advising and assisting wherever it could.”
“We are very much integrated with every effort of the state government and I am also a security adviser to the chief minister. I always look forward to putting forward our advice. This is a kind of system that has existed in a very successful way in the state and I hope it will carry on,” he said.
—PTI