General officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C) of the army’s Udhampur based Northern Command Yogesh Kumar Joshi addressed newly recruited militants, saying those willing to accept mistake and return will be welcomed with open arms.
Addressing a function at Mansabal Lake Park in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, the GoC-in-C said that today, the army’s is observing the 23rd anniversary of the homecoming of 23 boys who were forced to pick up arms but were rescued by the army in the Gurez sector and handed over to their families later.
“Today, I am glad that these 23 men are living a happy life back home with their families,” news agency KNO quoted the officer as having said.
He further said, “We will facilitate their surrender even in the midst of intense counter militancy operations,” the army officer said. “We are here to save lives and not to take lives. Administration along with the army will not only facilitate the surrender but also ensure the boys who lay their weapons are well integrated within the society”.
The army commander said that over the last few months, they are seeing families of young and newly recruited militants making fervent appeals to their loved ones pleading them to leave “gun culture and cycle of violence.” “This is really heartbreaking. We make all efforts to ensure and seek surrenders. We want youth to live a peaceful life by returning to the mainstream.”