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9 December 2014

Northern Army Commander Lt General DS Hooda writes to troops after sulphurous social media outpouring on Uri attack

December 8, 2014 

Northern Army Commander Lt General DS Hooda on Sunday wrote to officers and men of the army's largest command, asking them to follow 'a nuanced approach' which 'balances local aspirations' to fight a proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lt General Hooda's demi-official (DO) letter is being seen as a response to an anonymous WhatsApp message that spread like wildfire through army circles on December 6, a day after six Pakistani infiltrators attacked an army unit in Uri. Eight army personnel including a Lt Colonel and three policemen were killed in the pre-dawn attack on an army unit.

The message, purportedly written by junior officers, berated the Army Commander and the 15 Corps Commander for terming 'a mistake' the November 4 killing of two civilians including a 14-year-old boy by the Army in Anantnag; Lt General Hooda's statement 'had given a wrong message to commanders down the line'. 'And the result is what happened at Uri, the other day. Should not the Army Cdr and Corps cdr consider resigning for this goof up.'

Lt General Hooda's asks his commanders to change operations in sync with the conditions, focus on 'training and education of officers and men to drive home the circumstances and the conditions in which we operate and our code of conduct.'

He warned against falling prey to 'print, electronic and social media 'which sway not only public opinion but also the sentiments of our own officers and men'. The only way to counter this is by our own courage of conviction that what we are doing is professionally correct and honorable.

Earlier, the December 6 message was countered by another anonymous WhatsApp message which blamed the unit for failing to stop the terrorists. 'To link this failure with the caution put in place after the shooting of youngsters at roadcheck in Budgam is far fetched and mischievious. The two failures cannot be linked to gain mileage and malign senior leadership of the Army in the garb of venting of anger by young officers' the message said. 
Full text of Lt General DS Hooda's letter

1. I am writing this DO letter to all GsOC to convey some important issues, which need further dissemination down to the units. Today, all of us in Northern Command are confronted with unique challenges, and the manner in which we face them will determine not only how the Nation views its Army, but more importantly, how we view ourselves.

2. With immense courage and sacrifice, our officers and men have brought the proxy war in J&K under control. However, this peace remains fragile. The situation today is more demanding than the past when terrorist kills were the most important indicator in gauging our achievements. A more nuanced approach, which balances local aspirations with controlling terrorist violence, is to be adopted. While in theory this aspect is largely understood, its application on ground needs further refinement. Conduct/ prosecution of ops needs to change in sync with the environment prevailing. Unfortunately, our metrics for determining success in CI ops have not kept pace with the changing environment, and this too has contributed to some confusion in our minds. I will request all GsOC to focus on training and education of officers and men to drive home the circumstances and the conditions in which we operate and our code of conduct. I can't be too specific as each unit has its own distinct area and requirements, but you all are senior and experienced enough to know and adopt the correct approach.

3. The print, electronic and social media are powerful tools which sway not only public opinion but also the sentiments of our own officers and men. Let us not fall prey to them. The only way to counter this is by our own courage of conviction that what we are doing is professionally correct and honourable. The Army is deployed in J&K to do a job and we will do it to the best of our ability. Mistakes will happen. Let me assure you that I have a clear understanding of the difficulties under which we operate and that nobody will be unfairly harmed. This clear message must go out to all units.

4. Our Army's ethic and values, backed up by a strong military justice system, are the best in the world. These will serve to guide us and also protect us. You and your men are doing an outstanding job in the most exacting of circumstances and your well being is uppermost in my mind.

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