Srinagar
The former Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Hooda on Monday said that there is anger, alienation and growing radicalization in the Kashmir valley and we need an empathetic approach towards the population and a clearly defined political objective, media reports said.
“Very often we had a separate political and military strategy towards Kashmir and that is why very often we hear that military has brought the security situation under control in Kashmir but politics has not followed. We need a combined and comprehensive politico-military strategy based on a political objective… I think we have not been able to give a well-crafted narrative to the people in the valley that we care,” The Hindu quoted Hooda as saying on the sidelines of a seminar organized by the Observer Research Foundation on the National Security Strategy document that he made for the Congress party.
In this regard, he said the internal situation in Kashmir and cross border militancy “need to be tackled with equal emphasis.” He stated that one surgical strike will not change Pakistan’s behaviour and it needs a long term strategy, the report said.
Speaking at the seminar, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram said that that if India wants to change Pakistan’s behaviour towards India, then “we must examine our behaviour to Pakistan as well.” “The answer to the biggest external challenge to India, not only in terms of security but other ways, is to find a way to normalize India-Pakistan relations,” The Hindu quoted P Chidambaram as saying.