COMMENTS/REPLY

I am so excited - I received my first ever mail from an anonymous, presumably a gentleman, who thinks we are “bitches having a cool time while our pig eating husband are raping innocent Kashmiri women”. The “pig eating” and the “Kashmiri” bit was a give away!Do I want to comment on this? So many of you may think the same way.

Rapists are rapists every where, not just in India or in Indian military.

Frankly, I haven’t come across this variety, in the last 15 years that I have been in the army .If I did I certainly won’t hold them in high esteem. Fortunately for us the military judicial system takes an extreme view and insular (and substantiated) cases which have come to light have been dealt with and individuals have received exemplary punishment.
Please remember we have a 1.2 million strong standing army today. Of the nearly thousand rape incidents that have allegedly taken place in Kashmir I have found out that around 50 could be substantiated and attributed to army personnels all of who have met with exemplary disciplinary action. Not once do I condone the enormity of such thoughtless behaviour on part of a handful who I believe are really an aberration than a rule. Or frankly they could be a symbol of a decadent time overtaking the entire world. I take hope and pride in the fact there are a million more in the Army, singularly dedicated to the cause of this nation

On the flip side what makes me think is why is this phenomenon on the rise… whether it is the serfs in West Punjab, women of South Africa, innocent victims back home in India and in general all vulnerable women across the world – we need to be more aware and weary of this. We cannot protect ourselves in isolation. The society has to institutionalise safeguards for all.