Defence expert lauds Kashmiri youth, army bonhomie

Lauding the rescue efforts of Kashmiri youth who had helped distressed Indian Army personnel when their truck turned turtle in Lasjan near Srinagar, defence expert Ranjit Rai on Monday said the incident reflected the bonhomie between local residents and the army. "Now, what more examples could it be of love of the people for the army, of course, surgical strike has had some effect on this, but always in the past, the military has received great love and affection. Men and women in Punjab, Kashmir and Rajasthan have brought tea, parathas, biscuits and mathiis, distributed in trains for jawans," Rai told ANI. He asserted that now, the Kashmiris, who are living for the last 70 years in the valley, are realizing that Kashmir is part of India. "Some of them have become rich and this is a very good sign and it is a lovely example of the bond between Kashmiri youth in that particular area and the army," Rai told ANI. Despite growing strife between security forces and people of the Kashmir valley in recent times, locals on Sunday rescued 12 soldiers after the truck they were travelling in overturned Lasjan near here. The soldiers, who were on their way to B.B. Cantt, were helped by the locals, who evacuated them from the truck by lining up a tipper near the army truck. "The Indian Army thanked the locals, who helped and rescued them, especially women," said army sources. (ANI)