The Army would do well to bring its considerable expertise in psychiatric medicine to bear to determine possible linkages in the deviant behaviour of the officer who gained worldwide notoriety for the “human shield” incident in Srinagar in 2017, and the same man flouting prescribed regulations by entering into a questionable relationship with a young Kashmiri woman a year ago. For in public perception it was being awarded a Commendation Card by the Chief of the Army Staff for a blatant violation of basic human rights and the military’s strict code of conduct that encouraged Major Letul Gogoi to play the Cassanova role: at no stage has there been any suggestion of the officer being “honey trapped”. On the contrary, he and his driver (also an Army man) tried to muscle their way into a room in a local hotel, and might have done so had the hotel staff not made an issue of it. The police were called in, they held no crime had been committed but informed the Army. The latter proceeded against Gogoi for breaching the rule about relations with the civil populace in a conflict zone, and being away from designated work spots. The woman was let off after a statement that she was meeting the officer voluntarily ~ but he had used a fake identity when they “met” on social media. Gogoi and his driver have recenty been held guilty by a Court Martial. In normal course an officer’s loss of six month’s seniority would have gone unnoticed but Major Gogoi had attracted international attention, and the Army Chief had promised stringent action when he was in the news again.

At a point in time when any questioning of the military is deemed anti-national, it has to be asked if the penalty being imposed on Gogoi “fits” the crime. All indications are that law and order will be under severe strain during the coming elections, the Army will have onerous duties to perform. Yet the military and paramilitary leadership must consider themselves duty-bound to prevent the use of excessive force from compromising the sanctity of the democratic process. Another “human shield” would be a disaster. The world will be watching how the polling is handled. The larger issue goes beyond election duties and Jammu and Kashmir.

The “commendation” of Gogoi willy-nilly sent out the message that dissent would be crushed with force ~ the origin of the trouble was a protest during a by-poll to the Lok Sabha from Srinagar. Gen Bipin Rawat has frequently suggested there are military solutions to most disputes, including electoral ones. By commending what Major Gogoi did the Chief of the Army Staff vote for intolerance. The Election Commission must be on a special alert, and wary of premature praise.