CDS Advocates De-radicalisation Camps for Kashmir Kids

He made the remark while addressing the Raisina Dialogue, a conclave of global affairs being co-hosted by External Affairs Ministry.

The General said, “Radicalisation can be countered. We saw it happening in Kashmir…
Rawat said children as young as 10-12 years are being radicalised in Kashmir. They need to be identified and then we need to put them in de-radicalisation camps, News18 reported on Friday.

Advocating a hardline approach to deal with unrest in Kashmir, Rawat said security forces cannot be blamed for injuries caused due to pellet guns, adding the radicalised stone pelters are “more dangerous” than the pellet guns. Defending the security forces for using pellet guns for crowd control, Rawat said, “The pellet guns are non-lethal weapons which are now used very rarely and only aimed below the legs.”

He said those throwing stones face action. “Stones can cause death. Now we cannot be throwing stones back at them. Pellet guns are non lethal weapons and are fired at the legs,” he said.

Explaining the most likely cause of injuries suffered in the face, Rawat claimed that most of the eye injuries are caused because those pelting stones bend to the ground to pick up stones and because pellet guns are fired at the legs they get hit them in the eyes.

Gen Bipin Rawat also called for a US-style approach to tackle terrorism, like they did after the 9/11 attacks.

“Terrorism is here to stay as long as there are states which use terror as policy and till there are proxies who provide weapons. We have to bring an end to terrorism and that can only happen the way Americans started after the 9/11 terror attacks.”

“They said let’s go on a spree on global war on terror.

To do that you have to isolate the terrorists and anybody who is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task,” he added.