The author's self-description is: "A veteran and a hardcore nationalist." (Ref.: <https://twitter.com/yatenkr>.) That speaks for itself. An ex-soldier - of high rank, by all means, belonging to the ultra-nationalist crowd. That makes the letter all the more interesting and significant.
The (facsimile of the) letter, dtd. Feb. 19 2019, in PDF format, is available at < https://drive.google.com/file/d/11yDBhr-n9Ue9OFBwwZnQk7sngnDFnud-/view>. (Its Marathi version is published online at < https://egnews.in/marathi-news/letter-to-pm-modi-by-colonel-kashmir-pulwama/>. This one includes also the facsimile of the author's earlier letter dtd. Feb. 13 2018.) It's, understandably, a D.O. (demi-official) letter. A copy is marked to the Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister). And, also, to the Chief of the Army Staff. The letter essentially underlines the utterly cynical nature of the politics pursued by Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of the land. *While Modi is now wildly waving the flag of hardline militarist nationalism and asking all and sundry to pay complete obeisance to the armed forces of the country, the letter categorically holds him responsible for the monumental security lapse in the form of allowing an explosive-laden SUV to travel on the same road while a long CRPF convoy was passing, making the dastardly and tragic suicide blast, claiming around forty unfortunate lives, possible.The author alleges that the lapse is directly linked to the way the Army had been publicly humiliated, by the Prime Minister in an unprecedented manner with an eye on the forthcoming state poll, for shooting down two unarmed civilians travelling in a vehicle for ignoring the signals to stop at army checkpoints, in Nov. 2014.* *One doesn't have to share the author's view/assessment on how to handle the Kashmir situation in order to acknowledge the validity of the essential points brought out as regards the gross cynicism and partisan shortsightedness that drives Modi's policies, in complete and callous disregard of the interest of the people of the country that he happens to be leading at the moment, in starkest possible contrast with his customary rhetoric.* *It also shows up how blatantly the government interferes with and manipulates the internal affairs of the armed forces.The implications would, obviously, have a bearing on all the state institutions and are, therefore, too worrisome.* At the very least, the issues raised here need be seriously looked into. Reproduced below is the (main) text of the letter. Sukla 1. On 14th of Feb 2019, our country witnessed the worst ever terrorist attack in J&K in which a suicide bomber belonging to ISI-controlled jihadi outfit Jaish-e Mohammad rammed an explosive laden Scorpio SUV into a bus carrying CRPF personnel, killing at least 42 and injuring many. Expectedly, the nation is outraged at this dastardly and gruesome attack. 2. As per the preliminary analysis, allowing civilian vehicles during the movement of the convoy proved disastrous. This reminded me of an incidence which took place on 03 Nov 14 in Budgam, in J&K, wherein Army soldiers deployed at a checkpoint were forced to fire on a Maruti car which had sped through three consecutive check points, in spite of being signalled to stop. Two teenagers were killed in the incidence. 3. Before, I come to the events which took place in the aftermath of this incidence, I would like to briefly elaborate on certain important related aspects. Mr Prime Minister, it doesn't need reiteration that in the last few decades J&K has been literally turned into a battle zone. Terrorists who operate there are not ordinary criminals; they are highly trained and armed to the teeth. Often in an encounter between the soldiers and terrorists, the odds of survival are dependent on who pulls the trigger first. Such situations do not offer the soldiers the luxury of a detailed analysis of the situation. To enable the soldiers to swiftly deal with such situation, certain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been put in place by the Army. Apparently, these soldiers were following one such SOP, as part of their bonafide duties, at the time of this incidence. 4. I had highlighted this incidence, and the subsequent events, in one of my letters written to you. Copy of this letter dated 13th Feb 2018 is enclosed; however, for your convenience I am reproducing the relevant paragraph here. *Quote* – “4. However, what is of greater concern is your own personal stance taken during the J&K assembly elections, on the issue of an encounter death that took place around that time, at an Army check post. In a public rally, while campaigning for your party in J&K, keeping in view the prevailing sentiments in Kashmir valley, you had publicly claimed credit for ordering action against soldiers involved in that encounter, without caring for its effect on the morale of the soldiers at large. In my personal knowledge, this was the first instance when any Prime Minister had taken such a credit in a public rally." *Unquote*. 5. As highlighted above, at that time campaigning happened to be underway for the assembly elections in J&K. Obviously, under pressure of the electoral politics, to please the constituency of the Kashmir valley, *Army Commander Northern Command was made to apologise publicly for this incidence.* According to a NDTV news report dated 27th Nov 2014, copy enclosed, “the senior most commanding officer in Jammu and Kashmir (obvious reference is to the Army Commander, Northern Command) had been asked by the political establishment in Delhi to visit the families of the two boys, apologise, and offer compensation.” Further, according to the news report, “in one of its shortest ever enquiries (obviously under political pressure) the Army found nine of its soldiers guilty of killing two teenagers when they opened fire on a car in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam on Nov 3." 6. At whose behest all these actions took place is evident from one of your own election speeches in Srinagar, around that time. The video clip of the relevant portions of your speech on NDTV Srinagar, is widely available on social media. However, for your convenience, I am reproducing the transcript of the relevant portion of this speech. In your trademark, emphatic style, you said: *Quote* – *“pehli baar, tees saal mein pehli baar, ye Modi Sarkar ki kamal dekhiye. Pehli baar sena ne press conference kar ke kaha ki jo do nau-jawan maare gaye the, ye sena ki galti thi. Aur sena ne apni galti maani – enquiry commission baitha aur jin logon ne goli chalayi thi un par case darz kar diya gaya hai. Ye mere nek iraadon ka sabot hai mere bhaiyon behno. Tees saal mein nahin hua hai...tees saal mein nahin hua hai. Aur isliye Kashmir ke mere bhaiyon-behno mein aapko nyay dilane ke liye aaya hoon."* *Unquote. * 7. You were absolutely right Mr Prime Minister, when you said *“Tees saal mein nahin hua hai...tees saal mein nahin hua hai”*, because *before you no Prime Minister had ever let down his soldiers in this manner and humiliated them publicly by forcing their top Commander to apologise in public for the bonafide duty, as directed by the Central Govt., being performed by these soldiers.* They have no 'personal enmities. The soldiers have been fighting this bloody battle and shedding their blood and laying down their lives almost on daily basis for the last few decades, only to uphold the dignity of the Indian flag and maintain the territorial integrity of this great country. As I type this letter, media is replete with the news of martyrdom of four soldiers and a policeman, who were martyred while avenging the Pulwama bombing. 8. *It is needless to say, your actions hugely demoralised the soldiers. *However, Mr Prime Minister, the more sinister long-term fallout of your actions, unfolded itself in the suicide attack using ‘vehicle-borne improvised explosive device' in Pulwama, which has brought the country to the brink of war. The norms for security convoy movement in J&K had been relaxed earlier at the behest of the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-Congress coalition government. The actions in the aftermath of the Budgam incidence, led to further reductions in checks for vehicles entering the highway during the movement of the military/para-military convoys. I have no hesitation in saying that with such political interference in the security drills of the forces, incidence like the Pulwama attack was waiting to happen anytime soon. Mr Prime Minister, if you reflect back on the above series of actions, you will be able to hear its resonance in the Pulwama attack, provided you want to. Jai Hind -- Peace Is Doable -- Peace Is Doable -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
