China-India face-off: Indian soldiers not in high spirits, Gen Bipin told

ISLAMABAD: An Indian journalist on Saturday wrote an open letter to her country’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat on the military casualties in the Galwan Valley in a faceoff with China.

In her letter, published in a foreign media outlet, Ambreen Zaidi said that the families of soldiers needed to know about what happened in the Galwan Valley.

“I do understand there are reasons why strategic decisions or outcomes are not shared in the public domain. But with a super active social media, so many contradicting statements and horrifying photographs are doing the rounds, where do we go, whom do we trust?”

She also posed some harsh questions:

– How did we suffer so many casualties, including that of a Commanding Officer, if there were no intrusions by China?

– Not only were our soldiers barbarically killed, their bodies were mutilated. Why?

– Did they enter the enemy territory on their own (as claimed by China) and got attacked in defence?

– Why is there a new spin to the Ladakh Disaster, everyday?

– Will we ever know the truth?

– Did our soldiers fell into the trap laid by their own?

She told the Indian chief of defence staff that soldiers cannot be butchered for diplomatic gains. “As crazy as it may sound, more than the Chinese military, it is you that we are warier of. Your policies, your directives and so ever evident step-motherly treatment to your very own is what concerns us more.”

She told Gen Bipin that Indian soldiers are not in the highest of their spirits, because of his interventions to a large extent.

“The Ladakh disaster made it more than evident how various headquarters of the Indian Army across the hierarchy stood clipped of all their powers, because of your constant interference.”

She said the forces’ men were lost in an unsoldierly manner and there are major cover-ups after cover-ups to hide the ground reality.