To another question about casualties among high-ranked officers of the army during the anti-militancy encounters, lt Gen Saha said it was because Indian army officers always led from the front.
"Clearly because traditionally and as per our ethos, Indian army officers always led from the front and it is a matter of pride for us that we have officers of such calibre and such commitment who, even at the rank of the commanding officer, very senior rank, chose to fight from the front with their men at all times," he said.
Saha also said the army would always give an opportunity to the militants to surrender wherever such a situation comes up.
"We have been giving this opportunity wherever the parents or relations do come up to try and say that they would like to ask their son or relation to surrender. So in all fairness, we try to give them this opportunity and I would not try to add any further motives to that," he said.
Praising Rai, Saha said, "he was always in the frontline, leading his men to deliver exceedingly well. Even in the operation yesterday, soon after the cordon was established, the commanding officer was in-charge right in the front when he was approached by the father of one of the slain terrorist that his son would like to surrender.
"He asked him to go ahead and get him to surrender. At the same time, the terrorist's brother also approached and under these circumstances, both the terrorists rushed out of the house that they were hiding in and fired rampantly," he said.
The army commander said it was to the credit of the very quick response and very quick thinking of Col Rai that he retaliated immediately and in a very brief and intense gunbattle, the two militants were killed.
"If it were not for his quick response, quite clearly, there could have been causalities on the civilians who were there in the vicinity along with his brother and others.
"So, it is the very swift response of Col Rai and the men under his command, that the terrorists – one of them a district commander and the other one quite a young recruit – both were eliminated," he said.
He said pro-active actions are being taken by the army to ensure that the security conditions remain stable and to ensure that the mandate which has been given by the people comes in a situation of high security stability.
"I have always maintained the way to keep the local youth away from militancy is to have them proactively engaged, to have them positively engaged.
"You are perhaps aware of the number of initiatives taken, especially sports activities, to keep them positively and proactively engaged but really it is a collective responsibility and every agency has to come together to be sure that the youth do not stray into the ranks of militancy," he said.
Saha said the families of both Col Rai and head constable Singh "were uppermost our prayers today. We stand by them in this hour of grief and all times to come."
Col Rai's body is being flown to Delhi today and it will be kept at the Delhi cantonment crematorium.
His last rites will take place tomorrow.
Top officers of the army and other security agencies were present here to pay tributes to the slain officer.
Col Rai, a native of Ghazipur area of Uttar Pradesh, is survived by wife, a son and two daughters.