‘Unfairly blaming or disrespecting our soldiers is wrong’: Army veterans criticise remarks on soldiers made by tourist in viral video from Ladakh

NEW DELHI: Former Army officers have strongly criticised the remarks made by a tourist in a viral video from Minamarg in Ladakh.

A viral social media post shared a video purportedly showing a woman confronting security personnel after being stopped at a barricade in Minamarg and claiming that Gen Z would not tolerate alleged mistreatment.

In the video, the woman is heard questioning why tourists were being stopped and comparing the restrictions with those faced by people in Kashmir. She is also heard saying, “We are Gen Z, we’ll not tolerate this nonsense”.

Mizoram Governor and former Army Chief General VK Singh (Retd) on Thursday criticised the remarks made by the person, saying soldiers guarding the nation should not be unfairly blamed or disrespected amid the “Gen Z” rhetoric surrounding the incident.

In a post on X, Singh said, “India’s armed forces stand between our nation and those who seek to harm it. The Minamarg incident is a stark reminder of the courage, sacrifice and vigilance of our soldiers”.

India’s armed forces stand between our nation and those who seek to harm it. The Minamarg incident is a stark reminder of the courage, sacrifice and vigilance of our soldiers. Whatever the circumstances, unfairly blaming or disrespecting our soldiers is wrong. Criticism should be…

— Gen VK Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) August 20, 2026

“Whatever the circumstances, unfairly blaming or disrespecting our soldiers is wrong. Criticism should be based on facts, not emotion or sweeping accusations. We stand with those who serve and sacrifice for India,” he added.

Former Chinar Corps Commander, Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon (Retd) also reacted to the incident in a post on X, defending the soldiers deployed in the area. “My dear lady, Soldiers pay their taxes in advance, even before they get their pay. You can go for vacation to such areas bcoz our soldiers are guarding it day & night, even at the cost of their lives”.

My dear lady,
Soldiers pay their taxes in advance, even before they get their pay.
You can go for vacation to such areas bcoz our soldiers are guarding it day & night, even at the cost of their lives.
Your Language is the reflection of good parenting & schooling. Be respectful…

— KJS DHILLON (@TinyDhillon) August 19, 2026

He further said, “Your Language is the reflection of good parenting & schooling. Be respectful always. Learn to be a good law abiding citizen before asking for entitlement”. “And lastly …. ‘Get Well Soon’ Jai Hind,” Dhillon added.

Another former Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Satish Dua (retd) said the comments made by the person in the video was a degredation of the sacrifice of soldiers.

“Army salaries are paid from our taxes,” said a female tourist in Ladakh where traffic was being regulated.
Don’t know more details but this comment is a degradation of the soldiers sacrifice.
Army personnel also pay taxes.
Being border area, Ladakh has security sensitivities. pic.twitter.com/GqQuSqbJq7

— Lt Gen Satish Dua (@TheSatishDua) August 19, 2026

“Army salaries are paid from our taxes,” said a female tourist in Ladakh where traffic was being regulated. Don’t know more details but this comment is a degradation of the soldiers sacrifice. Army personnel also pay taxes. Being border area, Ladakh has security sensitivities,” he posted on X.

On Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticised what he described as the growing use of “Gen Z” as a threat in response to perceived affronts, saying such rhetoric could undermine the goodwill associated with the younger generation.

Reacting to a social media post claiming that members of Gen Z would not tolerate alleged mistreatment of Kashmiris and tourists, Abdullah said the phrase “we are Gen Z” was increasingly being used in a threatening manner. “This ‘we are Gen Z’ has become the new ‘jaantay nahin ho mera baap kaun hai ‘”,” Abdullah said in a post on social media.

He said using the identity of a generation as a threat whenever someone feels slighted was counterproductive and could damage the positive perception of Gen Z. “The quickest way to erode any Gen Z goodwill is to start using it as a threat at the slightest perceived affront,” Abdullah said.

Minamarg is located along the Srinagar-Leh highway near Zoji La in Kargil district, Ladakh, where security checkpoints are in place. The Zoji La stretch is also known for narrow roads, rockfalls, landslides and sudden weather changes, with traffic sometimes being regulated through controlled movement windows depending on conditions. (ANI)