There is a palpable feeling of confusion and anxiousness over the contradicting claims regarding the operation being carried out by the Indian security forces in the state as a retaliatory step against the deadly ambush on 6 Dogra regiment by a joint group of proscribed armed parties on June 4 where 18 army personnel were killed and many others injured. The order for the operation to flush out the militants from the state was issued from the highest office, with the Chief of army being sent to the state to oversee the situation. While the army claimed the destruction of various training camps and killing of a large number of militants in the ensuing operation, various proscribed groups have alleged that the claims by the army is baseless and false, and that the Indian army personnel have shown their true colour by fleeing from an armed encounter with another group a few days after the army made its claim. Another aspect of this development is the claims of human rights abuse and unjustified use of excessive force by the Indian army as made by various social organizations over and above the unconfirmed reports of missing villagers from the area where the combing operation is being carried out. And as if to add to the unease, the army has prevented the media from accessing these areas and presenting a true picture to the rest of the state and the nation. Moreover, various national news channels have been repeating only the news that has been fed to them without bothering to have them verified. That amounts to being used as propaganda machinery, by all account. The army is also on an overdrive to portray the offensive operation as one being carried out with text book precision and clarity with no undue force or violation of rights of anyone-a claim yet to be verified to give it the credibility it deserves. The logical question which follows is- why is the army hell bent on keeping the media away from reporting the truth? What is it trying to cover up if its claim of keeping the whole operation within the prescribed limits and under the laws governing such activities is true? The public need to know the truth and the media has the moral obligation to present the facts without distortion or taking sides. Preventing the media from portraying the real picture is a very serious violation and needs to be addressed as such. Engineering confusion and withholding information will only create more distrust and foment trouble.
