Srinagar, May 10: Talking tough, the Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat, in a message to Kashmiri youth, has said that ‘Azadi’ (freedom) is not possible and that the army will always fight those who seek Azadi.

In an interview reported by the ‘Indian Express’, Rawat said the forces haven’t been “so brutal” and asked the Kashmiri youth to look at Syria and Pakistan and see “how they are using tanks and air power in similar situations.”

Gen Rawat, according to the report, expressed concern over Kashmiri youth “picking up the gun” and said they were being misled to believe “this path will bring Azadi”.

“I want to tell Kashmiri youth that Azadi isn’t possible. It won’t happen. Don’t get carried away unnecessarily. Why are you picking up weapons? We will always fight those who seek Azadi, those who want to secede. (Azadi) is not going to happen, never,” he said.

On the number of militants being killed in the gunfights, he said: “These numbers don’t matter to me because I know this cycle will continue. There are fresh recruitments happening. I only want to stress that all this is futile, nothing is going to be achieved by them. You can’t fight the army.”

Gen Rawat also said that he too is perturbed by the killings. “We don’t enjoy it. But if you want to fight us, then we will fight you with all our force. Kashmiris have to understand that the SFs (security forces) haven’t been so brutal — look at Syria and Pakistan. They use tanks and air power in similar situations. Our troops have been trying their level best to avoid any civilian casualty despite huge provocation,’’ he said.

“I don’t understand why people are coming out in huge numbers to disrupt our operations. Who is inciting them? If they want that the militants aren’t killed, they should go and tell them to come out without their weapons so that nobody is killed,” he said.

“Let anyone of them say — mein le kay aata hun (I will bring him out). We will halt our operation.”

He said that the youth by pelting them with stones are “inciting security forces to become more aggressive.”

General Rawat also said that he understands that “there isn’t a military solution to this issue”.

“This is why we want politicians, political representatives to go into villages especially in south Kashmir to talk to people. But they are scared that they will be attacked,” he said.

“It will happen once there is calm. And we are hopeful that people will soon realize that all this is futile and start thinking differently,” he said.

In an apparent reference to the proposal of unilateral ceasefire mooted by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti after yesterday’s all party meeting here, General Rawat said he is “ready to suspend” military operations to avoid civilian casualties”, but went on to add “.. but who will guarantee that there won’t be fire at our men, at our vehicles? Who will guarantee that policemen, political workers, our men returning home on leave aren’t attacked, aren’t killed?”

Army chief remarks illogical: Malik

Military approach will only make issue more chronic: Mirwaiz

Srinagar, May 10: Terming Army chief General Bipin Rawat’s remarks that ‘Azadi’ isn’t possible as “illogical”, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik on Thursday said he “needs to revisit basic historical facts before issuing such threats”.

In a statement issued here, a JKLF spokesperson quoting Malik said: “General Rawat needs to revisit basic historical facts before issuing such threats to a nation that has resolved to achieve freedom.”

“…from boasting about Indian military might to talking about trains, fruit business and tourism, General Rawat wants Kashmiris to surrender before Indian might without even realizing that many generals before him failed to achieve this…,” he said.

“…today the so-called biggest democracy called India is using its military, police and forces have choked every little space on peaceful political activities, pushed our youth to the wall by torturing them and humiliating their families in police stations and camps and hence leaving no other option for them but to go for an ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, spokesperson said Kashmiris have resolved to free their nation and pledged not to surrender. “Our reply to General Rawat is same that was given by Gandhi-ji to a British envoy who had posed same type of question to him that how can poor Indian fight British military might and survive as an independent state without British help — Gandhi had replied that he would prefer a non-competent poor independent country over a competent and wealthy illegal occupation and slavery,” statement quoted Malik, who continues to be under detention, as saying.

Reacting to the General Rawat’s remarks, Hurriyat-M chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the desire of people to be “masters of their fate is far stronger than every military power”.

In a statement issued here, a spokesperson of the party, said that the British like the Indian forces today had all the means and methods to keep India occupied.

“But they had to abdicate because the will and desire of the people to be free to choose their destiny and be masters of their fate is far stronger than every military power,” statement quoted Mirwaiz as saying.

Terming Kashmir as “real political and humanitarian problem”, he said it needs to be addressed politically. “Military solution will only make it more chronic,” Mirwaiz said.