Jammu and Kashmir youths joining militancy disturbing: Lt Gen Subrata Saha

RANGRETH: A senior army officer today said a number of educated youth joining militancy in Jammu and Kashmir was "disturbing" and a matter of concern but the force was taking initiatives to engage them meaningfully.

"I would submit that any youth joining militancy is disturbing. And if educated youth are joining, it is more disturbing. To that extent yes, it certainly causes concern to us. It certainly encourages us to take initiatives to keep the youth more meaningfully engaged," Corps Commander of the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha, told reporters here in Budgam district of Central Kashmir.

Lt Gen Saha said checking infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC) was an important factor in ensuring secure conditions for the upcoming assembly elections.

"Because of the improvement and robustness of the counter- infiltration posture, we are able to prevent infiltration from happening and that I think is the important factor in ensuring the secure conditions for the people to be able to exercise their franchise during the elections," he said.

The army commander said there was no increase in infiltration attempts from across the LoC and "the trends and pattern in infiltration are quite similar to what they were in the previous years."

He said the effective counter-infiltration grid on the LoC is helping in securing the situation in the Valley, but "if people and the jawans are not together, then situation will never get better".