Let’s give peace and talks a chance: Army Chief
‘Infiltration can be controlled, but cycle of recruitment of local youth cannot…’
Srinagar, Jun 12: Army chief General Bipin Rawat has favored New Delhi’s dialogue offer in Kashmir, saying “peace should be given a chance in Kashmir”.
He made the remarks during an exclusive conversation with ‘The Economic Times’.
Gen Rawat said he was in favour of dialogue to “break the cycle of militant groups recruiting more Kashmiri youth.”
“Talks must happen. The issue is that a lot of locals are joining militancy. We kill them and more would join. Infiltration can be controlled, but this cycle of recruitment of local youth can go on and on. So…let’s give peace a chance and see,” ET quoted Gen Rawat as saying.
In April this year, the Army chief Army chief had 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 had 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,” Rawat said.
“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,” he had said.
