Kashmir: Connection of the Kashmiri Youth with the Indian Armed Forces.

Indian Army operations in Jammu and Kashmir have been going on since 1990 and include security operations such as Operation Rakshak (Protector) and Operation Sarp Vinash. Other operations include humanitarian missions such as Operation Megh Rahat and operations with a social aim such as Operation Goodwill and Operation Calm Down.

In this span of 30 years, the Indian armed forces have carried out various combat operations since 1990 and have been successful in reducing the number of active militants operating in the valley. During these operations, civilians are affected through a number of ways- They suffer PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) just as the soldiers, their day to day life gets affected as in many instances, curfews are imposed in a locality when its cordoned for search operations if intel suggests presence of militants. Accusations of violations of human rights at the hands of security forces have also been a big topic of discussion lately. One may ask himself/herself if this is the whole truth about Indian armed forces' presence in the valley or is their more? Generally, the image portrayed by the media with Left-leaning, communist ideology and so-Called 'Secular' agenda is complete rubbish and false. The News media outlets like Wire, BBC, Print, Scroll, HuffPost, Washington Post and many more have played the propaganda game to shame and dishonor the forces and give fire to an Anti-India narrative in the valley but whats the complete truth? Does the connection of Kashmiri youth with Indian armed forces go just as far as to protests, shouting Azadi slogans, stone pelting and usage of pellet guns or is their more to it?

The Jammu and Kashmir light Infantry also known as the JAKLI is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regimental center is in Srinagar's Airport Complex at Awantipora with a winter setup near Jammu. Its regimental insignia consists of a pair of crossed rifles. The regiment mostly consists of volunteers from the state of Jammu & Kashmir. 50% of the regiment's troops are Muslims while the rest represent other ethnic groups from the state.The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is considered to be a well decorated regiment of the Indian army having won 1 Param Veer Chakra and 3 Ashok Chakra. Naib Subedar Chuni Lal of the 8th battalion Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is one of the most decorated personnel of this regiment. On Dec 7, 2019, over 400 freshly-trained youths from Jammu and Kashmir were on Saturday recruited into the Army at a passing-out-parade This was first such parade of the force after the erstwhile state became a Union territory. The passing-out-parade of the soldiers, belonging to different areas of Jammu and Kashmir, was conducted at the regimental center of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) at Rangreth in the outskirts of the city. Considering the fact that Indian army is world's largest voluntary army and that each and every soldier that joins the army does so by his own choice, we can say that none of the youth to have joined the JAKLI did so after being forced or without their own will.

Time and again the Indian Army has been accused of being nonsecular and biased. To address this issue, we can take the example of the POP (Passing out parade) of the JAKLI.

New recruits of The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment (JAKLI) prepare to be blessed by priests (L) representing the three main faiths of India - Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism as they take part in a passing out parade in Srinagar, March 8, 2014. AFP PHOTO/Sajjad HUSSAIN (Photo credit should read SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

The recruits take oath of their religious scriptures during their passing out parade at Rangreth in a garrison on March 8, 2014 in the outskirts of Srinagar. 256 Kashmiri men took oath during their passing out parade after successfully completing 49 weeks of arduous training which involved, weapons handling, map reading and counter-insurgency operations. The recruits will join Indian Army Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment (JAK LI) to fight militants in Kashmir.

The commanding officer of a unit is responsible for the religious and the spiritual well-being of his jawans. Depending on the class composition, a unit can have a mandir, gurudwara, church or a mosque, or all of these together. In mixed units, rather than having separate religious places, a sarva dharma sthal (a common prayer hall) may be provided, where all troops meet for various religious functions. Army life is totally secular. Army jawans are taught to respect all religions and there is nothing unusual to find a Muslim or Christian visiting the unit temple or Gurudwara. Every officer, JCO and jawan irrespective of his religion, attends and takes active part in the festivals of all religions represented in a unit. A unit pandit, granthi, priest or maulvi are specially trained, so that they can impart religious teaching with due respect to all religions. These religious teachers maintain unit’s religious institutes and conduct various rituals and functions.

This puts to rest the allegations of Indian army being Un-secular, biased and Islamophobic.

A new strategy, J&K police disguise themselves as stone pelters and catch the actual culprits while in action. An undercover cop (left) hurling stones at police and the same policeman arresting a stone pelter (right), in Srinagar, Friday, Sept 7, 2018.

The Widely believed narrative that vast majority of Kashmiri people want freedom from India is completely false as totally opposite to this, Kashmir is in fact full of Kashmiri people with Pro-India and Pro-Government sentiments who want peace and normalcy to usher in the valley. The problem starts with concentration of radicalized youth being trained and brainwashed in South Kashmir by militants and insurgents from Pakistan. Since 1947, Pakistani agenda has always been to take Kashmir by Book or Crook and turn it into a new Islamic state. A total of 213 militants were killed under anoperation by the Indian security forces in 2017. The security forces were able to persuade 82 youth to abandon militancy and come back. 78 security personnel were also killed in militant related violence.

India Today, after conducting an investigative operation in the Valley, has reported that some stone-pelters are paid for protesting by separatist forces. India Today interviewed five protesters from Baramulla district who confessed on camera that they are paid an amount of Rs 5,000-Rs 7,000 a month and are also provided with clothes and shoes. One of them also said that separate funds are given for making petrol bombs. They refused to disclose the identity of the financiers. In April 2017, a report by Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) has stated that the Pakistan's intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) supplied Rs 800 crore to Kashmiri separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Asiya Andrabi to fuel unrest in the Valley. As per the report, the funds supplied by the ISI were used to pay off stone-pelters and petrol bomb throwers, and also to propagate anti-India and anti-security forces sentiments in the Valley.

While talking about Kashmiri Youth and India, one should never forget that youngsters that bear arms for this beautiful country and take oath to keep the nation before their own lives are also a part of this same community!