New Delhi, Apr 15: Army chief General Bipin Rawat today said the “radicalised youth of the Valley” would soon “realise” that the gun was not the solution to their problem as neither the Army nor the militants would achieve their goals through it.
Peace, he said, was the only way to improve the situation in Kashmir that had been witnessing militancy for about three decades now.
“There is hope that the situation in Kashmir will improve…it’s not gone wrong. There are some youths in Kashmir who have strayed and have been radicalised. They think they can achieve their goal through guns.
“But the time is not far when even they will be convinced that neither the forces nor the militants will be able to achieve their goal. We have to together find a way for peace and we will be successful in that,” Rawat said.
The Army chief was speaking at the 70th foundation day of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment.
He said although a section of “people in the valley had strayed” but that was a “very small” number and majority of people desired peace and believed that they were Indians.
“It is wrong to say that situation in Kashmir has deteriorated. The atmosphere is vitiated but the situation has not deteriorated,” he said.
Rawat, who served extensively in Kashmir through his tenure, said the concept of ‘Kashmiryat’ had to be brought back and the process initiated from the University of Kashmir.
He noted that ‘Unity in Diversity’ was the real essence of Kashmiriyat and it is important to inform the youth about it.
“To revive that Kashmiriyat, we need to get our act together. It is not difficult. We have to get our act together, sit down together, work together and make sure that we all get united and bring about peace,” he added.
