A soldier in Kashmir is also human, lest we forget

The rest of the country has conveniently chosen to forget that underneath the uniform and the bravery that comes with it, is a human being, with emotions and feelings like the rest.

A lot has been said in the last month or so about the role of the Army in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Most of it has surrounded allegations of violation of human rights of the people of the Valley by the armed forces.

Though the topic has been debated for decades, it was the incident of Major Leetul Gogoi using a Kashmiri as a 'human shield' that brought the issue back into the spotlight.

Most sides have had their say on the matter by now. These include politicians from either side of the fence, the media with leanings towards the Left, Right and the Centre, Kashmiris, human rights activists, senior army officers, both past and present, and the government.

And these groups have either lambasted Major Gogoi's actions or backed them to the hilt. The debate was charged with emotions, and strong feelings were obvious in the arguments that were made.

All this talk though has very conveniently managed to bypass the side of the debate which may matter the most but is by training and convention not allowed to talk about its emotions and feelings.

This is the voice of the soldier fighting a battle that he was not supposed to but does for the good of the country. While the rest of the nation has chosen to forget that underneath the uniform and the bravery that comes with it is a human being who feels exactly what all the others do, yet goes above and beyond what the rest are expected to.

In return, no demands are made, at least not more, and probably less, than by any civilian. Even though a soldier's life is uncomparable to those who do not have to pick up arms and sacrifice themselves for their country and its people.

In case such a life was not hard enough, the conditions and posting in Kashmir have just made it tougher. As if facing bullets from enemies across the border was not tough enough, they now have to face threats like stones, bullets, bombs from their own countrymen, and including abuse from those around the country on how they try to protect others and themselves.

Kashmir

In an ideal situation, an army is not to be deployed in a civilian setting. But based on the reality on the ground, those in power have chosen for it to be so when it comes to Kashmir. While the merits of such a decision can be debated, the point that the soldiers did not ask for it and are still working with bravery and at the cost of their lives cannot be forgotten.

Especially given that the tough conditions in the Valley, are unlike the border areas where they are ideally to be posted, throws up multiple problems that soldiers of only a few other armies in the world have to face.

Not only is the army posted on the line dividing the country from a hostile neighbour, but in a division that is not a conventional border and is instead a Line of Control, which is also not clearly demarcated and is porous in nature due to the terrain. Such details have made the army the main security force manning the LoC instead of the Border Security Force which has the duty to guard the other borders with neighbours.

In addition to an already complicated situation, the facts that terrorists supported by Pakistan, are also the cause of violence, and problems of unrest, well inside an Indian state, have deemed it necessary for soldiers to operate in it.

And this has lead to a situation where the soldier, instead of facing a known and visible opponent, have to battle an enemy who moves in the shadows and in the midst of the general public. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that such terrorists also enjoy support among the sections of the public.

How else can last years protests, following the killing of well-known terrorist Burhan Wani, the commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen by the security forces, have been able to push the Valley to a point of turmoil unseen in decades.

Despite all this and the fact that they had no say in the matter, they continue to work in an environment that they were not initially meant or trained to. And it should not be forgotten that for all the problems that they face on the ground, they continue to do so to the best of their abilities.

The soldier in Kashmir

For all the hopes that the rest of the world may have about soldiers being like machines who have no emotions or feel no pain, this is not true. And the Indian soldier is no different. Underneath all the bravado, sweat, blood and wounds, they are also humans who have the same strengths and weaknesses like all the rest.

Yet they mask all vulnerabilities and move on doing things and committing actions that only a soldier can while forgetting or at least burying, thoughts of his family and friends at home, about responsibilities towards them, his own needs, working at all times while faced with a real and constant threat to life.

And in Kashmir, this is as much, if not more, a reality as any place on the planet. As the stones and bullets thrown and fired at them from all sides, the attempt to judge who did so is near impossible compared to an open battlefield. And unlike other agencies of the government, they do not have the luxury to find out who in the mob are the enemy and who are not.

Such conditions make the threat to not only their duty but their life ever present. And this unconventional nature of the situation made the Army Chief describe it as a "dirty war." Not only is it a dirty war but also one fought on a daily basis.

In addition to these, even the simple fact that while during conventional wars, like those with Pakistan in the past, the people of the country would openly support the army and its soldiers, in Kashmir the same mob instead of cheering it, is part of increasing the danger for those trying to save lives and protect them.

Should they be absolved of all judgment

None of this though should mean that all actions of the soldiers should be absolved of any judgment. Even though to hold them accountable has been made difficult due to the imposition of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which gives soldiers immunity from criminal prosecution in civilian courts, was deemed necessary as without it an army would not be able to achieve any of its goals in a state like Jammu and Kashmir.

But this difficulty should not lead to all soldiers being painted with the same brush. To do so would be an act of illicit generalisation which would only make the situation worse for those trying to do their duty with all honesty.

Mistakes will be made in the heat of battle, but they will still be fewer than those made by the general civilian population in their daily lives. Along with mistakes made in all honesty, there will also be soldiers who break laws on purpose, and instead of generalising it should be made sure that they are brought to justice according to the procedure set up.

Though they should be judged it is wrong to think they can be scrutinised by the media, by activists, by politicians, on the same scales as others. And it would be a bigger mistake if it is thought that if the law makes it tough for soldiers to be brought to justice, it is right to do so on TV or through column inches in newspapers were little thought is given to the morale and conditions of the foot soldier and end up demonising every soldier.

As this would be as unfair to the man guarding the country as it would be to eulogise all of them including those who have allegedly committed a crime would be on those who suffer from such mistakes.

An army would not exist if the world was an ideal place. But it is not, and the soldiers are those who fight and make sure that it remains a place where civilisations can survive and flourish, by doing the dirty work that others choose to believe does not even exist.

The soldier did not ask for any of it yet he performs it every day without worrying about himself or those who care for him. The least that the rest can do is not demonise all of them while trying to discuss a policy whose implementation the soldier on the ground had little, if any, say in.

OneIndia News