‘We Have to Do As The Americans Did After 9/11’: CDS on Terrorism

Rawat said future of wars on terror will involve man-to-man combat, threat cannot be banished with diplomatic talks.

Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat speaking on future of terrorism at Raisina Dialogue 2020 in New Delhi.

(Photo: PTI)

In an address at the Raisina Dialogue, Chief Of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat said on Thursday, 16 January, that the only way to end terrorism is to follow America’s plan after 9/11: “go on a spree on global war on terror.”

Rawat pitched for global action against terrorism, saying the future of wars on terrorism will involve man-to-man combat and that the threat of terrorism could not be banished with just diplomatic talks.

“Terrorism is here to stay so long as there are going to be states that are going to sponsor terrorism and they are going to use terrorists as proxies, make weapons available to them, make funding for them – then we can't control terrorism,” said Rawat.

“Anybody who is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task.”

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff

Rawat further added that the blacklisting of countries by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and diplomatic isolation is a start when it comes to holding countries sponsoring terrorism to account.

“Denial of terrorism, to say that they are not denying it and they themselves are victims of terrorism cannot continue on and on... We have to get the bull by the horns and take them to task.”

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff

‘Give up the Weapon of Terror’: CDS on Taliban Peace Deal

Asked whether he supports the Taliban Peace Deal, Rawat said that a negotiated peace is the only path forward but they (Taliban) need to give up their weapon of terror, which has not been the case in the peace deal.

“You have to change the ideology of the people who are residing in the area, the ideology behind Taliban and only then can you have lasting peace in the region.”

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff

On containing radicalisation, the Chief of Defence Staff said it could be checked if the right persons are targeted, adding there was a need to confront the "ideology of radicalisation".

‘Security Forces Can’t Be Blamed For Pellet Gun Injuries’: Rawat

When asked if security forces are heavy-handed, with the example given of injuries caused by pellet guns, Rawat said that these tactics are non-lethal and are meant only to be aimed below the leg.

“If we start saying that security forces also start using stones against stone pelters, that is not the way security forces are meant to act,” he said.

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff

He added that the pellets are being used sparingly in the Kashmir Valley and other means of non-lethal tactics are being used.

The Quint in August 2019 investigated several reports of pellet gun injuries with local accounts in stark contrast to the official narrative. On 8 September 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir police tweeted a press release attributed to the Chief Secretary and DGP of Jammu and Kashmir which claimed they “have not fired a single bullet in six days” and that “the situation is calm”.