Says curbs on social media are necessary to control militancy
New Delhi: rmy Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the threat of nuclear and chemical weapons falling into the hands of terrorists could spell disaster for humanity. General Rawat was speaking during an interaction at Raisina Dialogue, currently underway at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national capital.
“Terrorists are using systems which are highly technology enabled and transcending international borders. We need to disrupt militants and their sponsors. We need to identify nations who are sponsors,” the Army said, adding that there was a need to put some checks and curbs on Internet as well as social media, that militants organisations resort to. He said, acknowledging that in a democratic country people would not like it, but they have to take a call on whether they want a safe and secure environment and whether they were willing to accept curbs temporarily so terrorism can be dealt with.
On Kashmir, the Army Chief claimed that the people have realised that what they desired for cannot be achieved. “People of Kashmir in general are getting tired of militancy . It has not given them what they desired for. You cannot cede away from India. People have realised that. Some have got radicalised… I feel most of them want to join the mainstream,” General Rawat said, adding that the deradicalisation campaign needs to continue. “If that continues, we will soon be able to put an end to militancy in Kashmir.”
When asked what the Army needs on priority, the Army Chief said the most important for the armed forces was surveillance equipment. General Rawat said the modernisation process for the infantry was long overdue and the on-going modernisation process would help boost the Army’s capabilities to operate in adverse conditions as well as at night. He also said that good assault rifles, ballistic helmets and bullet-proof jackets would help empower the Indian soldier.
Chief Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that it is necessary to put some curbs on access to the internet in Jammu and Kashmir, as militants often use social media for their activities, ANI reported.
“In a democratic country, people will not like it [a ban on social media],” Rawat said. “But we have to take a call on whether we want a safe and secure environment, where we are willing to accept curbs on the internet temporarily so that terrorism can be dealt with.”
The chief of army staff said militants were using high technology systems which “transcend international borders.” “We need to disrupt terrorists and their sponsors,” he added. “We need to identify the nations which sponsor terror.”
“Nuclear and chemical weapons falling into the hands of terrorists can be a disaster for humanity,” he said.
On Sunday, Rawat had said that he favoured “ramping up” the military offensive to increase pressure on Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism. The Army chief said political initiatives for peace must go hand-in-hand with military operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
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