The lesson from the Machhil encounter (editorial, Dec. 27) is a classic example of a few black sheep in uniform tainting the image of an institution. Perhaps, the institutions that train officers need to have the subject of human rights as a part of their curriculum. There is also a need to look into the policy of evaluating Army units based on “militant kills.”
Rishesh Singh Sikarwar,
Roorkee, Uttarakhand
Unfortunately, incidents involving Army men in the past have taken away some of the sheen and respect people had for the Army. One recalls the case of an officer who faked his claim for a gallantry medal after a court-martial found some in the unit guilty of splashing tomato ketchup on civilians to make them appear to be “dead” rebels killed in a gun battle.
A. Prabaharan,
Tiruchi
The indictment of the Army personnel will boost the doctrine of Winning Hearts and Minds (WHAM) adopted by the Indian Army since 2009. It must also ponder over the need to selectively lift the AFSPA from Kashmir.
Rohit Vyas,
Ghaziabad
