Sanjha Morcha

Army men prepare for battle in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Dearth of firing ranges in J&K forcing movement since Jan 2015

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 14

The Army continues to send its men and cannons to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in a bid to keep its men ready for battle after the Defence Ministry flagging the issue of dearth of field firing ranges in Jammu and Kashmir due to non-renewal of lease by the state government.“The cumbersome process of sending troops and artillery to Bobina and Mahajan field firing ranges in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, respectively, is still on,” said Army sources.The sources said the practice of moving troops and arms and ammunition, including cannons, to field firing ranges in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan has not only put an avoidable burden on the state exchequer, but hampered operational preparedness and counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir as well.“After the state government refused to renew lease of field firing ranges, the Army has been sending troops and canons via train to Bobina and Mahajan ranges since January 2015,” they added.Under such circumstances, the Army had no option but to send men and machinery outside the state for perfecting artillery fire and other warfare tactics, the sources said.Jammu and Kashmir shares its borders with China and Pakistan, the two countries which have fought wars with India. “Firing ranges are an indispensable requirement of the Army to keep its men ready. The Northern Command has been time and again flagging the issue before the Defence Ministry,” said a defence source.“Even the Defence Ministry has said restrictions imposed by successive state governments vis-à-vis firing ranges have compounded problems of the Army. There are no such restrictions for our adversary on the other side of the western border,” the source added.On February 12, the Northern Command chief, Lt Gen DS Hooda, said the Garhi field firing range was notified to the Army and he was hopeful of getting Kalith and Hirangar ranges soon. He had hoped for forward movement on ranges in Ladakh and wished that things moved faster in Kashmir as well.A rider by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on May 28 last year of a 10-km safety zone around field firing ranges had made things difficult for the Army in re-notification of 10 firing ranges.A fleet of over 25 multi-axle vehicles of the Army moved from Punjab into the Jammu region on Friday night to relocate tanks in the border state.