General Bipin Rawat’s remarks trigger protest in J&K Assembly

The Opposition National Conference on Monday staged a walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, demanding a statement from the BJP-PDP state coalition government over Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat’s recent remarks on Kashmir.

Advocating a “politico-military” approach in dealing with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Gen. Rawat on Sunday called for political initiative to go hand-in-hand with military operations in the state.

Gen. Rawat on Friday had said that social media and government schools in Jammu and Kashmir were spreading a “disinformation campaign,” resulting in radicalisation of youth. He had also claimed and called for “some control” over mosques and madrasas in the state. Gen. Rawat had also said each classroom in government schools in Jammu and Kashmir had a separate map of the state besides that of India which sowed the seeds of thought of some kind of "separate identity" among the children.

Earlier, the state’s Education Minister had slammed Gen. Rawat over his remarks, accusing him of “meddling with state affairs.”

“Any non academician commenting on the education system of the state isn’t acceptable to us. Let him (Army chief) do his own job, I am doing mine and if the borders are protected, the incidents of violence will come down... perhaps they are not doing their job properly because of which we are suffering," Minister for Education Syed Altaf Bukhari told the media, adding that India is a democratic country and the Army cannot have control over everything.

“The fact of the matter, in terms of Kashmir, is that it is in conflict. All issues can be resolved if the conflict is resolved. This includes, of course, education. So, if peace, prosperity and educational outcomes are to be arrived at, then conflict resolution must be a priority. However, this is something that the General is unable to appreciate,” read an editorial in the Kashmir Reader.

Senior Congress leaders Saif-ud-Din Soz today said the statement of Gen. Rawat has evoked considerable alarm in Kashmir. “It is an imperative for Government of India to discuss the General’s suggestions and then come forward to take a position on this extremely provocative statement on Kashmir. I will be asking the state’s CM, for the first time, to tell Kashmiris what she thinks about the General’s statement which is potentially and dangerously political,” Soz was quoted as saying by Greater Kashmir.