General Rupert Smith, in his book The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World, argues that in future conflicts the military will fight ‘amongst the people, not on the battlefield’. These are the exact scenes that are playing out in the Kashmir valley today.
Stone-pelting crowds surround security forces, even as the latter are engaged in operations to neutralise active terrorists. There are injuries on both sides and some deaths, as happened at Chadoora. Massive funeral processions and provocative statements by separatists fuel anger and a continuing cycle of violence. The security forces are also not immune to frustration and anger. They have the right to defend themselves and their comrades from violent mobs and if guns have to be fired, so be it.
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