Dear Editor,
The Army Chief is justified in awarding Major Gogoi the Commendation Card. He has received it for ‘sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations’. This implies that the officer has been recognised for work done by him over a period of time. The Army Headquarters would have considered all factors, including notable performance, overall emerging indicators of the Court of Inquiry and the morale of the forces in the strife-torn Valley, where the Army is fighting with its hands tied at the back. The human shield incident appears to have been blown out of proportion. The officer merely acted on the spur of the moment, using minimal force to save lives. The humiliation suffered by the victim is certainly ignominious. The army authorities should have regretted the action and given an assurance that such acts were not a practice but one of its kind.
Col Pritpal S Dhillon (Retd),
Chandigarh
