लल्ला पुराण 125

 Major Retd Pravin Singh I didn't say that army as such is rapist. I just said that in so-called disturbed areas some army men commit offences like rape and fake encounters and most of them go unpunished. There are over 2000 such cases are lying in home ministry for approval. Thousands are "disappeared" in Kashmir who were picked up by army. There have been stage-managed terrorist attacks that have been well publicized, one does not know what happened to the officers responsible. There have been fake encounters. I am just saying that army men are as vulnerable to corruption as any one else. Majority of those join army do so for a dignified job. I have so many friends who are/were in army. I used to often visit defense club at dhaula kuan. I am not talking about 1970s but of now. You must have read about rape and murder  of 2 young women in Shopian couple of years back. We had gone in a fact finding in Kashmir 2 years ago in a  Human Rights organization team consisting of a prominent lawyer, 2 Professors Emeritus, 1 retired diplomat, a former BBC correspondent, an UNI journalist and myself. It is Army occupied zone which they do not conceal as the first banner you read after getting out airport is "Indian Army welcomes you in the valley". I never said army is rapist. On a post "Panun Kashmir" an RSS outfit that eulogized Army men, I just asked whats about those who rape and kill innocent Major Sahib took it as as personal and launched a personal offensive. I stand by what I have written. I never renegade army as such. I do not block any one for disagreement but for casting baseless personal aspersions and nonsensical abusive language. With disagreements and even personal aspersions like calling me a sick person, I have not blocked you. I block only those(very few), engagement with whom is wastage of time.   @ Dharmendra Gupta:  For serving country joining army is not the only way. We have met once, though very briefly, but as an intelligent person must have got some idea about how democratic or despotic I am. I am a Professor, I cant speak for all the professors. There are any duffers and lumpens, also there have been cases of sexual harassment against some of them. I only said that army personnel haven't come from any special planet, they too are vulnerable to corruption, so many of them are charged in scams and corruption, particularly in defense deals. One Colonel has been charged with training Hindutva terrorist group. General VK Singh had created a secret fund to stabilize government in Kashmir and claimed in a public meeting with Modi that army has always been doing that.  I am simply saying that just by joining army  one does not become sacrosanct. When we were in Allahabad many friends unable to make in PCS/IAS tried SSC and got in army. Had they got their prior preferences, would they be different? Well they are trained not to critically apply their mind and just take the commands and do not know who their enemy is but arte told by the governments, headed by corrupt politicians. Just imagine this part of world becoming like Europe -- Visa free travel b/w the countries -- how much resources-- material and human- would be saved in these poor countries facing the basic problems of education and food. As I said above that their critical thinking faculties are blunted during their training and socialization. army should engage with armed "enemies" of "enemy" country not with unarmed citizens, particularly women and children. Has ever any army officer questioned the order of being deputed to kill our own people in civilian areas?  Look at American/NATO  forces with cowardly Drone attacks bombarding schools and hospitals, civilian localities, raping and naming in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, you must be aware with leaks by Wiki-leaks. How can you say that army of those countries are different than that of these countries? You must be aware about inhuman atrocities committed by Pakistani army on civilians during various army rules there. The character of the army everywhere is the same. Well I conclude this comment with a slogan I coined in an anti-war demonstration at the time of American invasion in Afghanistan.  जंग चाहता जंगखोर ताकि राज कर सके हरामखोर.