Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has welcomed the army chief’s decision to honour a major, who had allegedly tied a Kashmiri man to a jeep to use him as a human shield, as upholding the highest traditions of the army.
The Congress chief minister has lashed out at those asking for the officer’s court martial, saying they clearly had no inkling of the way the army works and the traditions which continue to make it a unique institution rooted in a distinctive culture of valour and courage.
Responding to media reports on the army chief’s decision, Amarinder, in a statement, said the officer had exemplified a high level of presence of mind and daring, two important attributes of a good army officer. “It is good that the army has stood by the young officer despite criticism in certain quarters of his action. You cannot let the army deal with such stone pelting mobs with one hand tied behind their backs,” said the chief minister, who was the first to call for an award for the daring officer.
The CM said it was important to send out a strong signal in support of the major to show that the Indian Army was neither weak nor were our officers underdogs. He reiterated that to ensure peace and stability in Kashmir, and, in fact, at the border, it was necessary to give the Indian Army a free hand. “The Army cannot be expected to negotiate peace without first getting an upper hand against terrorists and other elements bent upon disrupting India’s stability,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The CM said it was important to send out a strong signal in support of the major to show that the Indian Army was neither weak nor were our officers underdogs. He reiterated that to ensure peace and stability in Kashmir, and, in fact, at the border, it was necessary to give the Indian Army a free hand. “The Army cannot be expected to negotiate peace without first getting an upper hand against terrorists and other elements bent upon disrupting India’s stability,” he added.
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