Sir — The image of a young man being tied to the bonnet of an Army jeep as a human shield in Kashmir has made for very disturbing viewing. No country, governed by the rule of law, can countenance such a blatant violation of human rights.
The announcement by the Army that “paththar bazon ka yeh haal hoga” (this will be the fate of the stone-pelters) has caused immense consternation among all right-thinking people. It turned out that the victim was innocent of any crime or wrongdoing. The video capturing the unacceptable behaviour of the Army men goes to lend legitimacy to the perception that the Army is an occupation force and the battle in the valley is between the Army and the people.
The rights and wrongs of the conflict in Jammu & Kashmir or the difficult circumstances in which the Army works cannot be cited in justification of the use of the human shield. The Army should stick to its brief; it cannot be given the freedom to act in manner to bring a diminution of moral authority.
