The house razed during a gunfight between militants and security forces in Pulwama district on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Amin War

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 7

Three militants were killed in a four-hour-long gunfight in Pulwama district this morning. The killings triggered protests at many places, leaving nearly a dozen persons injured.The protests prompted the authorities to suspend train services between Baramulla and Banihal and snap internet and mobile services in south Kashmir.The gunfight erupted at Panzgam in Awantipora around 2 am when a joint team of the police, Army and CRPF cordoned off three houses in the village, nearly 35 km from Srinagar, after receiving an input that militants were hiding in the area.“As a search of houses suspected of sheltering them started, the militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight. Three militants were killed in the gunfight,” said Shridhar Patil, Superintendent of Police, Awantipora.Three AK rifles were recovered from the encounter site. The slain militants were identified as Ishfaq Baba of Tahab, Ishfaq Dar of Dogripora and Haseeb Palla of Brao Badan.While Baba and Dar were associated with the Hizbul Mujahideen, Palla was a member of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The house where the militants were hiding was razed during the gunfight.The two Hizb men, both “category A” militants, had been active since 2014 and were involved in many incidents of violence. Patil said one Hizb militant was an accused in two cases of murder.They were close associates of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who had been spearheading the social media campaign of young militants. Palla had joined militancy last year.As news about the killing of militants spread, villagers thronged the encounter site. A 17-year-old boy was wounded after an unexploded grenade went off at the site. He was rushed to a hospital.Clashes broke out in Tahab as people came out on the streets, throwing stones at police and CRPF personnel. Youths threw stones at the CRPF camp and the clashes continued for almost three hours.The police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Nearly a dozen civilians and policemen were injured in the clashes. A shutdown was observed in the district.Before the encounter in Pulwama today, a total of 34 militants had been killed by security forces in various anti-militancy operations.

Teen hurt in blast

• As news about the killing of militants in Panzgam village of Pulwama spread, villagers thronged the encounter site. A 17-year-old boy was wounded after an unexploded grenade went off at the site. He was rushed to a hospital
• Two of the slain militants belonged to the hizbul Mujahideen and the third to the Lashkar

Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry

Islamabad, May 7

Pakistan today said the “trust deficit” needs to be removed for better relations with India even as it voiced support for any effort to restart the stalled bilateral dialogue between the two nations.On resumption of talks with India, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said Pakistan would support any effort to restart the dialogue process. Chaudhry said there was a “trust deficit” which needs to be removed for better ties between the two nations. “Whenever there will be talks between Pakistan and India, Kashmir will remain on top of the agenda,” he added. He also talked about the arrest of alleged Indian spy Kulbushan Yadav, and termed it as proof of “Indian involvement” in Pakistan’s internal affairs.India has acknowledged Yadav is a retired Indian Navy officer but denied the allegation that he was connected to the government. — PTI

Six students of the Army Public School in Udhampur participated in the Indian International Model United Nation in Jammu. A Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 5

Six students of Army Public School, Udhampur, participated in the Indian International Model United Nation (IIMUN) held at Jammu recently.The aim of conducting the academic event was to bring awareness among the students about the functioning of the United Nations.Students from various schools participated in mock UN Assembly, according to the country allotted to them. Each delegate debated on the issues related to their countries and probable solutions were charted out at the end. About 300 delegates participated from across the state.Angad Chatha from Class XI bagged the best delegate award, Vasupriya Awasthi from Class XI got the special mention award while Shrishti Jha, Umang Randhawa, Harman Deol and Anish Sundram got the verbal mention award.Applauding the efforts of the delegates and that of their mentor Rajeshwari Rajmohan, school Principal Sanjeev Kumar appreciated the participants for bringing laurels to the school.

File photo of AW101 helicopter

New Delhi, May 5

In an attempt to crack suspects’ code names and the alleged kickbacks paid in the VVIP choppers deal, the Enforcement Directorate has sought information from the Defence Ministry, Income Tax department and FIU to share details about officials and other individuals figuring in the case.

Officials said the agency has sought property details on 10 serving and retired officials of the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Air Force who had handled the procurement process of the AgustaWestland choppers at some point of their service.

It has also sought details from the IT department and the Financial Intelligence Unit to provide details of personal finances, transactions and investments made by some people suspected to have some connection to the case.

They said the references have been made in the light of a hand-written note by the alleged middlemen in the case, a document also brought on record by a Milan court that had sentenced Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanica’s former chief Giuseppe Orsi and the former CEO of the firm Bruno Spagnolini for corruption in the sale of a dozen AgustaWestland helicopters to India for VVIP purposes.

Sources indicate ED investigators have made some “analysis” of the probable identity of these code names and hence want to investigate the flow of funds and the “proceeds of crime” and possible kickbacks made in the procurement of these choppers.

With the help of data from the tax department and FIU, some evidence can be established, they said.

ED has also sought details of wealth of some officials in the Defence Ministry.

“This service-maintained data will be matched with current data being provided by the IT and FIU,” they said adding some officials of the MoD are in top positions now.

Widening its probe in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, the ED has also begun a trail of “cash” that is suspected to have been paid as alleged kickbacks for the purchase of these helicopters from UK-based AgustaWestland.

The financial probe agency has set the ball rolling with the second round of questioning of witnesses and accused in connection with the scam.

Ex IAF chief Tyagi questioned

Former IAF chief SP Tyagi was questioned by the ED on Thursday.

Tyagi arrived at the zonal office of the agency here just before 11 am and agency sources said he will be questioned and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ex-IAF chief was questioned in the same case by CBI for the last three days.This is the first time that the ex-Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate.

Agency sources had earlier indicated that Tyagi’s questioning was necessary in the light of a recent judgement of a Milan (Italy) court which had sentenced Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanica’s former chief Giuseppe Orsi and the former CEO of the firm Bruno Spagnolini on corruption charges in the sale of a dozen AgustaWestland helicopters to India for VVIP purposes.

CBI quizzes former IAF vice-chief, Khaitan

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began questioning former Air Vice-Marshal NV Tyagi and advocate and former board member of Aeromatrix Gautam Khaitan on Thursday in connection with the controversial Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper deal.

The CBI on Wednesday grilled former IAF Chief S.P. Tyagi for the third consecutive day, and also questioned Khaitan.

SP Tyagi allegedly admitted to having financial interest in three companies: Banshi, Anuras and Shavan.

CBI sources said they were looking into links among Tyagi, his brothers, Khaitan and company and middleman, through whom the bribe was routed to India.

The CBI is also looking into Tyagi’s international visits after his retirement and his bank accounts and assets.

Khaitan claimed that during questioning he admitted to having set up IDS Tunisia, which sources say is a subsidiary of IDS India, one of the companies through which the alleged bribe was routed by AgustaWestland middlemen to other countries.

Khaitan was confronted with records of the companies that he allegedly had set-up before 2010.

Meanwhile, the CBI conducted raids at Tyagi’s Gurgaon residence on Wednesday.

CBI sleuths also conducted searches in 12 places in Delhi, Gurgaon and Chandigarh in connection with the alleged scam.

Satish Bagrodia, the brother of former union minister Santosh Bagrodia, has also been named in the FIR.

The CBI team had registered a preliminary enquiry on the basis of some important documents that it had obtained from Italian probe agencies in connection with the alleged payment of kickbacks by AgustaWestland to bag the chopper deal. A complete case would be registered once sufficient evidence is procured.

The Defence Ministry had earlier threatened to cancel the chopper deal and sought a CBI probe after the CEO of AgustaWestland’s parent company, Finmeccanica, Giuseppe Orsi, was arrested in Italy for his role in paying bribes.

The CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen.

Tyagi’s name cropped at various points in the said judgement.

The allegation against the former Air chief is that he allegedly reduced the height of the VVIP helicopters so that AgustaWestland could be included in the bids.

He took over as the Indian Air Force chief on December 31, 2005, and retired from service in 2007.

The ED had registered a PMLA case in this regard in 2014 and named 21 people including Tyagi in its money laundering FIR.

It had also arrested Khaitan and had also filed a charge sheet last year.

The ED had earlier submitted that Khaitan was on the board of Chandigarh-based company Aeromatrix which was allegedly a front firm for the financial dealings in the chopper deal.

Tyagi, however, has denied any wrongdoing on his part.

On January 1, 2014, India cancelled the contract with Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force (IAF) over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.

The central agency has also issued Letters Rogatory (judicial requests) to ten countries in this case. — Agencies

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 3

The Army established a centre for women empowerment at Loran in Mandi tehsil of Poonch district today.It was inaugurated by senior Army officers in the presence of a large number of villagers from Loran and adjoining areas.The Army donated four sewing machines to the centre to empower and support women to take up sewing, stitching and embroidery work and enable them earn an income. The step is also aimed at generating profit for the women by selling the finished products at shopping complexes and markets in Rajouri, Poonch and Jammu, said a defence spokesperson.Members of the civil society in Loran applauded the Army’s noble work and conveyed gratitude for the selfless service.

In this photograph taken on February 18, 2015, a Rafale multi-role combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation of France takes off at Yelahanka Airforce Station in Bangalore. AFP file photo

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 3Even as the Ministry of Defence has agreed to the pricing of the 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation France, the Ministry of Law and Justice has made certain observations that are being incorporated in under-negotiation Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and France.The price as accepted by India is expected to be 7.89 Billion Euros or Rs 60,000 crore and that has been largely agreed upon. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the Rajya Sabha in written reply on Tuesday: “Ministry of Law & Justice have made certain observations and the same will be adequately taken into account while finalizing the IGA, which is still under negotiations”.An Indian negotiating team has been constituted to negotiate the terms and conditions of the procurement of 36 Rafale jets and recommend a draft agreement. The meetings of the Indian negotiations team with the French side are underway, Parrikar’s reply said.As per the India-France Joint statement issued by the two countries during the Prime Minister’s visit to France in April last year, Government of India conveyed to the Government of France that in view of the critical operational necessity to have more fighter jets for the IAF.Both the sides have agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for supply of the aircraft.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1

Armoured Corps Day was observed by the Headquarters Western Command at Chandimandir today. This marks the mechanisation of Indian cavalry regiments. It was on May 1, 1938, when the Scinde Horse became the first regiment to shed its horses and re-equipped with Vickers light tanks and Chevrolet armoured cars.A solemn wreath laying ceremony was held at the Veer Smriti war memorial where Maj Gen AK Sanyal paid floral tributes to the martyrs on behalf of all ranks of the Command. The Corps has acquitted itself with distinction in all wars. The deployment of armour on Zojila Pass in the 1947 Indo-Pakistan War proved to be decisive and the turning point in the conflict. The Indian Armoured Corps gave a sterling performance in the 1965 Indo-Pak War where the sophisticated and advanced Patton Tanks of the Pakistan Army were decimated to form the famous graveyard, “Patton Nagar” near Khemkaran in Punjab. The Corps proved its mettle yet again gloriously in the 1971 war, wherein tanks were at the forefront of action on both western and eastern fronts.

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Armour Day is celebrated on May 1 every year to commemorate the commencement of mechanisation of the Indian cavalry regiments. On this date in 1938, the Scinde Horse became the first regiment to shed their horses and to be equipped with tanks. The first such equipment comprised Vickers light tanks and Chevrolet armoured cars.

The Indian Armoured Corps was equipped with comparatively modern Sherman tanks (M4) of American origin in 1943. Regiments so equipped formed the spearhead of the 14th Army during its pursuit of the defeated Japanese in the liberation of Burma. Post-independence, Indian armour lost one third of its units and training establishments to Pakistan with the Indian share being only twelve regiments. It was these regiments which nurtured the Corps and helped expand to the force that it has evolved into today.

Expansion and modernisation of the Armoured Corps was initiated post independence with Centurions Mark VII and AMX-13 light tanks. Since then, the Armoured Corps has operated the indigenous Vijayanta tanks, the Russian T-54 and T-55, T-72 and T-90 tanks and indigenous MBT Arjun.

An ideal man-machine interface led to a sterling performance in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 when the sophisticated Pakistani Patton tanks were decimated by own Centurian tanks to form the famous ‘Patton Graveyard, near Khemkaran in Punjab. Lt Col AB Tarapore of ‘The Poona Horse’ was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra for his gallant action in the Shakargarh Bulge. The Corps proved its mettle yet again gloriously in the 1971 war with Pakistan wherein tanks were at the forefront of action in the plains sector on the Western and Eastern fronts. 2nd Lt Arun Khetrapal fought gallantly and made the supreme sacrifice in the Battle of Basantar River earning for his regiment ‘The Poona Horse’, yet another Param Vir Chakra.

The core ethos of displaying exemplary courage in the face of fearful odds is amply demonstrated by the award of two Param Vir Chakras, 15 Maha Vir Chakras and 60 Vir Chakras amongst a large number of gallantry and distinguished service awards bestowed upon officers and men of the Armoured Corps.

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Celebration of Armoured Corps Day begins at Western Command Hqs

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 1: The 3-day celebration of Armoured Corps Day to commemorate 77 years of the mechanization of Indian Cavalry Regiments begins today at Headquarters of Western Command.
It was on May 1, 1938 that the Scinde Horse became the first Regiment to shed its horses and was equipped with Vickers Light Tanks and Chevrolet Armoured Cars. This was the beginning of a new era of valour and sacrifice by the tankmen.
Dignity and nostalgia marked the celebrations of the Armoured Corps Day at Headquarters Western Command. First of all a solemn wreath laying ceremony was held this morning at the “Veer Smriti” where Lt Gen KJ Singh Army Commander, Western Command laid the wreath to pay homage to the gallant martyrs who laid down their lives defending the Nation.
The event was also attended by the select veterans from the Armoured Corps including Brig NS Sandhu, MVC (Retired), the war hero of 1971 India Pakistan War.
The Armoured Corps has acquitted itself with distinction in all wars. The deployment of armour on the Zojila Pass in the 1947 Indo Pakistan War proved to be decisive and the turning point of the conflict. The Indian Armoured Corps gave a sterling performance in the 1965 war, wherein the sophisticated and advanced Patton tanks of Pakistan Army were decimated to form the famous graveyard, “Patton Nagar” near Khemkaran in Punjab.
The Corps proved its mettle yet again gloriously in the 1971 war wherein tanks were at the forefront of action on the both Western and Eastern front and infact spearheaded the offensive of ground forces into Dhaka.
Apart from proving its mettle in the domain of conventional operations, the Armoured Corps has contributed substantially and significantly to the Counter Insurgency Operations in J&K and North East. The Corps is also contributing a contingent at United Nation’s mission in Lebanon, apart from individual representations.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Jalandhar, May 1

Jalandhar teenager Gurmehar Kaur was just two when she lost her father, Captain Mandeep Singh, who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1999 Kargil war. Now, she is telling her story through a four-minute video on YouTube, but without uttering a word. She simply holds up a succession of placards revealing her experiences and conveying her powerful message for peace between India and Pakistan.The video has been produced and shared by Ram Subramanian, the Mumbai-based founder of #ProfileForPeace, a hashtag campaign that has gone viral on social media.In a style reminiscent of silent movies, Gurmehar recalls “how much I hated Pakistan and Pakistanis because they killed my dad. I used to hate Muslims too, because I thought that all Muslims are Pakistanis”.She remembers, “When I was six, I tried to stab a lady in a burqa because for some strange reason I thought she was responsible for my father’s death. My mother (posted as an ETO) held me back and made me understand that Pakistan did not kill my dad, war killed him. It took me a while to know, but today I do, I have learnt to let go of my hate.”Gurmehar goes on to boldly question “the calibre of the leadership of both nations”.”We cannot dream of becoming a first-world country with a third-world leadership. Please pull your socks up, talk to each other and get the job done,” she asserts in a no-nonsense way. The 19-year-old signs off with a wish to live in a world where there are no Gurmehar Kaurs who miss their dads. While Gurmehar, who is a tennis player, is pursuing Plus Two in Commerce, her sister Bani, who was just five months old at the time of Capt Mandeep’s martyrdom, is 17. Lovingly called Gulgul at home, Gurmehar, says her uncle Prof Davinderdeep Singh, who teaches English literature at Nakodar’s DAV College, “is among the rare creed of children who are mature beyond years”.As Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti put it, if Iran and the US can learn to live in peace, why not India and Pakistan? Gurmehar would agree.

For ‘Muslim haters’, Kargil martyr Capt Mandeep’s daughter shares powerful video

Gurmehar Kaur, daughter of Capt Mandeep has made a video pleading peace between India and Pakistan

Jalandhar: If you too belong to the long list of ‘Muslim Haters’, then a ‘powerful but silent’ video made by the young daughter of a Kargil martyr Capt Mandeep Singh should definitely be watched.

Gurmehar Kaur, the 19-year old daughter of the slain officer hailing from Jalandhar has made a silent but 4 minute video, where she was holding placards with her heart felt emotions on hate against Muslims and war between India and Pakistan. The video made by Ram Subramaniam was widely being shared on the social media platform.

In the video, Gurmehar has strongly highlighted that how she used to hate ‘Muslims’ considering them solely responsible for killing her father in the 1999 Kargil war. The young girl shared that how her thoughts changed for the Muslims, when none other than her mother, Rajwinder Kaur changed her perspective.

Rajwinder Kaur, the widow of Capt Mandeep, Rajwinder Kaur was currently posted as Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer at Ludhiana. At present, Rajwinder was staying with her two daughters at Jalandhar. Capt Mandeep was married for just five years, when the tragedy struck.

Gurmehar was mere two years old, when she lost her father in the Kargil war, which snatched many precious lives of the Indian soldiers. The then Deputy Director District Sainik Board, Col Manmohan Singh (retd) said that Capt Mandeep of 49 Armoured Division Regiment was killed in Kupwara (Jammu and Kashmir) on August 6, 1999 when the terrorists stormed an Army Camp of 4 Rashtriya Rifles.

The message of Gurmehar reads, “This is my Dad Capt Mandeep Singh. My name is Gurmehar Kaur, I am from Jalandhar India. He was killed in the 1999 Kargil war I was two years old, when he died. I have very few memories of him. I have more memories of how it feels to ‘Not have a father’. I also remember how much I used to hate Pakistan and Pakistanis because they killed my dad. I used to hate Muslims too because I thought all Muslims were Pakistanis. When I was six years old, I tried to stab a lady in Burkha because for some strange reason, I thought she was responsible for my father’s death. My mother held me back and made me understand that Pakistan did not kill my dad, war killed him. It took me a while to know but today I do have learnt to let go of my hate. It was not easy but it’s difficult. If I can do it, so can you. Today, I am a soldier too just like my dad. I fight for peace between India and Pakistan because if there was no war between us, my father would still be here.”

Gurmehar has further shared, “I am making this video because I want the government of both the countries to stop pretending and solve the problem. If France and Germany can become friends after two World Wars, if Japan and USA can put their past behind and work towards progress, then why cant we? Majority of regular Indians and Pakistanis want peace, not war. I am questioning the caliber of leadership of both the nations. We cannot dream of becoming a first world country with third world leadership.”

“Enough people have died on both sides of the border. Enough is Enough. I wish to live on a world where there are no Gurmehar Kaurs who miss their dad. I am not alone there are many like me. Profile for peace”, her messages read. Surely, a soul stirring message for Muslim haters and those seeking wars between India and Pakistan!

Lt-Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain
“Holding the periphery” is what the Army has to do in Jammu & Kashmir, without being obstructive; it has to be a facilitator in the closing stages of conflict stabilisation. Only then will it lead to a transformation that will afford the situation to quietly slip into conflict resolution.

Incidents like the firing in Handwara are manipulated to create the flawed impression that the Army’s presence in J&K instigates. REUTERS

SMART strategic leaders always plan for contingencies so that they do not find the proverbial pull of the rug under their feet. No better place to apply this maxim than Jammu and Kashmir. Currently everyone there is focused on the sudden increase in infiltration and gun battles; the military space is truly active. The hinterland semi-urban areas have rumours to discuss about Sainik Colonies and exclusive dwelling areas for Kashmiri Pandits. It is the vintage Kashmir situation encountered almost every other year. What surprises me is the ease with which rumours go viral and young people are willing to be led and manipulated. What is even more surprising is the inability of leaders, administrators and stakeholders to directly interact with the people, or through print and particularly social media to quell the rumours. Not doing so is like playing the street’s strength and the state’s weakness. The above is in the realm of expectation but surely the Central and state governments, Intelligence agencies and the Army can’t be misled by the still comparatively low-key situation they face. Jammu and Kashmir’s sponsored proxy internal conflict has seen more than its share of dynamic “ups and downs” for the stakeholders not to be considering where the future pitfalls lie.  Apply the mind and it starts from Afghanistan; everything there makes a difference here. Reports indicate weakening of the Taliban and the unlikelihood of a full-weight summer offensive; that is a breather for Pakistan too although it has been the Taliban’s all-weather friend. Conjectures now are all pointing to Pakistan’s hand in the killing of Mullah Mansoor to get the Taliban under its control and play to the US Congress, which has the F-16 issue like a pistol to its head. Internally within Pakistan, things aren’t too bad and Raheel Sharif, if he wishes to be a gentleman, will demit office in November 2016; perhaps he may wish to go on a high; the perception of that remains his choice. Between now and November 2016 is a big gap. If Afghanistan is quiet and internally things are in control in Pakistan where does the attention of Pakistan’s Deep State travel? No prizes for guessing. On the face of it there is a range of issues on which the Deep State and separatists can play together. These could be, limiting pilgrims for the Shri Amarnath Yatra, various human rights issues, including the manipulated Handwara case and the ongoing Sainik Colonies issue. However, none of these will throw up passions in the street in a lasting way. There are perhaps two other issues which can emerge triggers and both also have tacit support of shades of opinion within the nation which makes them even more vitriolic for effect. The first is the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA (1990) and second is the dilution and eventual withdrawal of the Army’s presence in the hinterland areas of the Valley. The AFSPA issue is a bigger ticket and will require a separate piece to address holistically. There has never been an intellectual application of mind to it by any quarter; neither by the detractors nor the supporters.The Nexus is in search of a contentious issue which could spark the streets and wreck the coalition that forms the state government.  The latter has thus far been mature in relegating contentious issues to the back-burner and is concentrating on establishing a base for the furtherance of its governance platform. It has been a brave effort thus far. However, in J&K’s bleak security landscape, “stabilisation” is a dirty word. The Nexus cannot afford to allow that to crystalise beyond a point. AFSPA offers scope to upset the applecart and will need deft handling on the part of our stakeholders to keep it from becoming a big ticket. That is what we need to prepare for, knowing that the current political constituents of the government themselves have differences about it. Avoiding this through smart legal work and finding middle ground acceptable to the political elements within Jammu and Kashmir, and actually within the nation, holds the key. The demand for dilution of the Army’s presence has often come from within mainstream media and political opinion. Some years ago, a senior editor, Shekhar Gupta, argued that a portion of the “victory dividend” be given back to the people. This triggered a discussion among veteran senior Army officers, again with shades of opinion. Mine was that firstly there is no such thing as victory against your own people. Secondly, the situation was tenuous and identifiable as being at the initial stages of conflict stabilisation. That situation has to be held if the next stage has to be achieved. There is an apparently flawed notion that the Army’s presence instigates rather than stabilises. It is incidents of the Handwara type which create this perception. Tourists returning  from the Valley often have a query for me on the need for such a large presence of the Army. These are people with short-term memories and no backdrop information about what the Valley went through. The Army’s presence, which I agree can be made less visible, affords the national footprint to be more effective, protects military assets and avoids a free hand to the Nexus. What some elements of the political leadership, at different levels, and media analysts fail to grasp is the opportunity the Army’s robust presence brings.  It affords the ability to take positive political messaging to the grassroots; engage there and deliver on the deliverables — the development issues, the daily life issues which have been on the backburner for long because of militancy. The Army itself needs to encourage this and facilitate the administration and politicians to engage the grassroot. “Holding the periphery” is what the Army has to do, without being obstructive; it has to be a facilitator in the closing stages of conflict stabilisation. The Army has rarely, if ever, viewed its own role from this angle because it is mostly placed on the defensive by the multiple fingers which are pointed at it in a situation which could be rightly called the “public order to law and order” transition. The Army could do without the unprofessional diatribe within its own ranks by people who have never applied mind to the true role of soldiers in transiting stages of militancy.  It can certainly afford to get more intellectually robust to thwart the efforts of the Nexus, which will force the situation covertly through the ranks of those within mainstream India itself. The sooner the leadership at all levels understands this, the faster will resolution of internal conflict emerge.The writer, a former GoC of 15 Corps, is with Vivekananda Foundation and the Delhi Policy Group.