Indian Army works in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, the Indian Army chief said.
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Bipin Rawat on Saturday said that the Indian Armed Forces have the utmost respect for human rights laws as they're driven by 'Insaniyat' (humanity) and 'Sharafat' (decency).
The Indian Army chief was speaking on the topic 'Preserving Human Rights in Times of War and Prisoners of War' at an event of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), organised at the Manav Adhikar Bhawan in New Delhi. General Rawat said, "Indian Armed Forces are much disciplined and have the utmost respect for human rights laws and International Human Rights conventions." He also added by saying that the armed forces are, in fact, extremely secular. "The driving ethos of the Indian Armed Forces is 'Insaniyat' and 'Sharafat'," the Indian Army chief said, "The challenge is the changing warfare tactics with the advent of technology."
General Rawat highlighted that the Indian Army makes sure that only are the human rights of the people of the country ensured, but also the armed forces take into consideration the protection of human rights of the personnel fighting on the side of the adversaries and the prisoners of war. This is in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, he added.
For context, the Indian Army has at times been accused by national and international activists of rampant abuse of human rights of civilians in areas of counter-insurgency operations, especially in Jammu & Kashmir and the North-East. Several human rights groups have said that the Indian military and paramilitary personnel use human rights abuses as a tool of political repression. The Indian state, however, has denied such allegations and highlighted the workings of the Human Rights Cell within the Indian Army to monitor all alleged excesses and provide an appropriate response so that a correct picture emerges of the army's actions.
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 "Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat")
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