Stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir happening only due to false information being spread by propaganda machinery: General Rawat

New Delhi, July 4: Stone-pelting incidents in the Kashmir valley are happening only due to a lot of false information being spread to the people of the restive region, especially the youth, through propaganda machinery. This was said by Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday into a question from a school student from Chhattisgarh during an interactive session at the South Block in New Delhi. 

General Bipin Rawat said, "Lot of false information, misinformation is being fed to people in Kashmir, especially the youth, like Kashmir is an independent nation, or that the Army has forcefully occupied the Valley, it is a separate nation, separate entity or that India is an anti-Muslim country."

He further added that the propaganda is being spread that Kashmir must gain ‘independence’ from India. Talking on dealing with stone-pelting issues in Kashmir, he said, "There are two ways to deal with stone-pelting issues, one is a harsh way, to take action and the other is to make them understand that such acts are not good for the person doing it or for the state itself."

The Army Chief also noted that the Kashmiris are being that if they want peace in the Valley, then terrorist activities and terrorism must be eradicated. "We conduct national integration tour, and when youth from Kashmir come to Delhi, they see no bunkers, no jawans patrolling the streets. And, they get the message that if peace comes in the Valley, the bunkers and the patrol units will disappear and life would be normal," General Rawat added.

During his address, Rawat also asked students to work hard and not get disheartened by failures and further urged them to join the Army to serve the nation. "You folks are already wearing green jackets, and after your class 12, I hope many of you will apply to join the army," he concluded.

As many as twenty students including 17 boys and three girls of DPS, Raigarh, from class 6-12, interacted with General Rawat as part of a school tour aimed to understand the Army life better.