Army Chief urged to raise ‘Gujjar regiment’ to fight militancy

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 27

BJP leader Ishfaq-ur-Rehman Poswal met Army Chief General Bipin Rawat in New Delhi today and urged him to organise a special recruitment drive for Gujjar and Bakerwal youths in the country and raise a ‘Gujjar regiment’ to fight Pakistan-backed militants and anti-India extremist forces, particularly in J&K.

“In absence of jobs, these youths who are living close to the border are vulnerable to traps of militants who have been luring and engaging them as their over-ground workers (OGWs) to create disturbance, drug trafficking or narco-terrorism in the country,” Poswal said in a letter written to the Army Chief.

“Last month, the police established Pakistan’s role in spreading ‘narco-terrorism’ in the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir after six persons were caught transporting drugs valued at millions of rupees from across the border in Kupwara district,” he said. Powal urged the Army Chief to organise a special recruitment drive in the Army for Gujjar youths for a ‘Gujjar regiment’ so that youths of this ignored community could be offered a chance to fight militants and anti-India forces.

The BJP leader said a large population of people living in remote areas had not participated in any violent activity, such as stone-throwing or anti-India protests, in the two decades of turmoil in the state.

“However, most of these people do not have any permanent source of income and also lack other means of sustenance. In such a scenario, I submit to you that a general recruitment drive in the Army should be organised in these specified areas to engage a large number of educated but jobless youths in the Army so that their youthful energy can be utilised in a positive way,” he said.

Poswal, who is national executive member of party’s ST Morcha, said the educational qualification for ST youths in the Army recruitment should be middle pass and for the general category, it should be matriculation.

“A large number of Gujjar and Bakerwal youths in Poonch, Rajouri and Doda districts should be offered an opportunity to try their luck in armed forces, particularly the Army,” he said.