verything has happened with cooperation and involvement of local youth: GoC SahaIn an exclusive interview with Kashmir Monitor GoC XIV Corps Lt. General Subrata Saha hails the effort of local youth in rescue efforts while denying any allegations of rescue being selective.KM:Army has done commendable job during floods when it comes to rescue and relief .But there is a sense in some sections of media that publicity Army got is bit of an over kill. What would you say to that?GoC:I can speak for my organization, I can speak for my people. Whether it is on camera whether it is off camera whether it is in private or in official capacity .Let me tell you one thing that all my people have acknowledgedthe kind of the assistance that they got from local people particularly youth. Every other boat which we have launched was accompanied by volunteers .Many people have talked to me about this,and if it was not for the local youth or local voulatiners we would not have reached to the kind of places we did .Besides that we have efforts of our own JKLI boys who are locals who understand the local language .It was collective effort, what others have put it across they have to comment on that.KM:Another allegation that is making rounds is lot of rescue was selective .It may not be true but allegations are doing rounds. What would you say to that?GoC:See for any such boat rescue operation, there is a particular technique and particular procedure. What happens you try and reach places that are farthest than work backwards with a priority. Wherever the life threatening possibilities are more they are picked out. Somebody was old, infirm, small child would certainly get first priority over person who is more able .So in that sense first seen doesn’t necessarily mean first to be rescued. So when you follow the set procedure like that some people feel I was there but I wasn’t picked up.So everybody should understand that we have a method to go with .We divide the areas in several sectors. First we started the operationsin northern side than we moved it to southern side, from Rambagh, Tengpora then we startedoperations in HMT side that is on west. That is how the whole thing was launched. Rescue operation was launched in multiple directions.KM: Do you think some of the air operations were chaotic?GoC: As far as armed forces are concerned there were two helipads which were tied up. Oneof the helipad was at Nehru guest house than other one was Golf Course. Who is to board who is not to board was not our concern at that time. We just put number of people in choppers and dropped them to roadside. It was not our duty to choose should be lifted or who shouldn’t.KM:While throughout the flood Army’s role has been very appreciative but the role of the localyouth who innovated, who thought out of the box,their role has been left untouched. How true it is.Why do you thing that has happened?GoC:Well from my point of view it is the collective view of my entire organization that the efforts of the youth whether it is in Srinagar whether it is in south Kashmir, Anantnag, Bijbehra, Khanbal,Ganderbal Sumbal everywhere the local youth, locals have been involved in a big big way.I can’t imagine to carry out this operation without guidance and efforts of local people. There were all volunteers and when the boat rescue operationsgot over. The emergency relief we have distributed. It has happened because locals from Mohalla committees have come up and we have people from masjid committees coming out to helps us out. Everything has happened with cooperation and involvement of local youth.KM: Did you feel resistance from some quarters?GoC:Isolated incidents were there where there was some kind of hindrance wasbeing put and to that extent our understanding of that is most of it was perpetrated by people who were unaffected by it like bystanders , Tamashbeen,then passing remarks ,not that this disrupted our operations but in certain cases we have hadto delay our operations.KM:What you think was it organized or spontaneous?GoC:It is difficult to answer that part so earlybecause we haven’t quite analyzed these isolated incidents. But the way it happened butin some cases it seems it was organized.KM: Do you understand that people were angry.There were few reports that there was stone pelting incidents on army choppers .How do you deal with such reportsGoC:Firstly there was an incident of stone pelting at air force chopper. On army chopper we don’t have an incident of stone pelting. My past experiences having that dealt with these situations,it is anger driven by anxieties .In onecase, we were in boat and we stopped at one place and from far we can see agitation and when I spoke with them they described their angry. There was one lady when I spoke to her and said you got the food now what is the problem she said what will happen to 12thclass examinations. So what was troubling her was the future of her child. Another person’s response was that what will happen to my money in bank.Let me tell you one thing this is the point we briefed our men to deal with this situation with great understanding and maturity. You should have even noticed the kind of response if you would have spoken to them on ground. They were all very clear that they have to understand the situation.KM: How one can rebuild the kind of loss people faced here?GoC: First thing we are worried that people have lost their houses. They have to prepare for the winter as much as in Srinagar and other parts. Specially for the rural areas although government machinery has been put in place and all relief material is being distributed but in rural areas where government has not reached we are helping and giving assistance to people.KM: Will 15 Corps chipping in for the rehabilitation?GoC:Wherever we find that arrangement are not good enough. People need enough without reacting at that time we will make arrangements for that. Next thing is that we have to take lessons from floods and take measures to minimize their risks in future.KM: Was your own communication network working during floods ?Goc: The state government in that period functioned from our mobile, satellite phones. We provided all the assistance whosoever needed that time.KM: Were you not bothered by the angry at ground?GoC:No no...There is no way which we could have been bothered. If we have been bothered how we could have reached our target.KM: On the rescue point when you met people who were being evacuated. What was the scene there at the rescue point?GoC:Let me give you one personal account .It was in the evening of one of the days when we were running boat operations .There was one old lady I went there spoke to her and she hugged me in such a manner not uttering a single word and not letting me go. I said to myself what is she going through. It is a range of emotions. It is so difficult to describe such kind of a feeling.KM:In this tragedy, what was the most heart breaking moment for you?GoC:You know from the GB Pant hospital for example, there were whole lot of children, four days to seventeen days old who were evacuated. Majority of them could not be saved, that time I felt that they didn’t have togo through.KM: Was the virtual absence of civil government from the ground a big problem?GoC:As far as our mechanism is concerned the CM held first revive meeting in the evening of 7 and 7 people attended, as the time went along you can see the Govt. machinery started going out getting on to its feet but it took a while to recover from the effects.KM: Could they have moved quickly to assist you in relief and rescue?GoC: From our side initial relief and rescue started with local people and volunteers and then we moved to sensitive areas where we got assistance of Police, and from airliforce side we have got our own team who controlled. It was a progressive process that worked.KM: There was a lot of chaos when relief starting coming in? Why did chaos happen as Army has clear chain of command? What happened to relief thing when distribution process started?GoC: Well Army was not involved in the distribution of relief. But the emergency reliefthrough boats came through us
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 04:27:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015