Army veterans hit out at woman’s viral ‘We’re Gen Z’ outburst in Ladakh: ‘Disrespecting soldiers is wrong’

Several Army veterans have come out in support of soldiers after a video showing a woman allegedly creating a ruckus at the Minimarg checkpoint in Kargil, Ladakh, went viral on social media.

Mizoram Governor and former Army chief General VK Singh (Retd) said criticism of the armed forces should be based on facts rather than emotion or sweeping allegations. He described the incident as a reminder of the courage, sacrifice and vigilance of soldiers and said they should not be unfairly blamed or disrespected.

“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,” Singh wrote on X.

“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.

Singh’s remarks came after a video purportedly showing a woman arguing with security personnel at the Minimarg checkpoint went viral. The woman was among tourists waiting to cross a barricaded area.

Former Chinar Corps commander Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon (Retd) also defended the soldiers. Reacting to the woman’s alleged remark that “our taxes pay their salaries”, Dhillon said soldiers pay taxes even before receiving their salaries.

“Soldiers pay their taxes in advance, even before they get their pay. You can go for vacation to such areas because our soldiers are guarding it day and night, even at the cost of their lives,” he wrote on X.

Dhillon also urged the woman to respect the law and the personnel deployed in the area, adding, “Your language is the reflection of good parenting & schooling. Be respectful always. Learn to be a good law abiding citizen before asking for entitlement.”

Another former Chinar Corps commander, Lieutenant General Satish Dua (Retd), also criticised the remark, saying it diminished the sacrifices made by soldiers.

“Army salaries are paid from our taxes,” a female tourist was heard saying in the video while traffic was being regulated in Ladakh. Dua said the comment was a “degradation of the soldiers’ sacrifice”, adding that Army personnel also pay taxes and that Ladakh, being a border region, has security sensitivities.

The video has triggered widespread criticism on social media, with political leaders and users condemning the woman’s remarks.

What happened at the Minimarg checkpoint?

A video of the woman arguing with authorities at the Minimarg checkpoint went viral on Wednesday. According to a Times of India report citing sources, the incident took place on July 25, when the movement of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Army chief along the Zojila-Gumri route resulted in traffic restrictions.

The report said the two officials were initially scheduled to travel by air, but bad weather forced them to fly by helicopter to Gumri before travelling by road towards Kargil.

In the video, the woman can be heard complaining that tourists travel long distances and spend significant amounts of money on their trips, only to face restrictions. She also appeared to argue with security personnel and said tourists should not be subjected to such treatment.

“We are Gen Zs… we will not tolerate this nonsense,” she was heard saying.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also reacted to the video, taking a swipe at the repeated use of the phrase “We are Gen Z”.

In a post on X, Abdullah compared using the phrase as a threat to the old-school line, “Jaante nahin ho mera baap kaun hai?” He warned that turning “We are Gen Z” into a threat over every perceived slight could quickly undermine the goodwill associated with the generation.