Monthly Archives: August 2018

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Srinagar, July 1

Breaking yet another glass ceiling a special contingent of about 500 women CRPF personnel has been brought to Kashmir Valley for regular security duties and tackle the unruly crowds and stone-pelters, a senior officer of the paramilitary force said.The women personnel, largely in constable ranks, are based at Central Reserve Police Force recruit training centre in Humhama in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir and are being trained in counter-riot and anti-militancy operations.“This is the newest theatre of operations where women personnel have been brought in. This is the maiden team of women personnel in the Kashmir Valley. A few years back, the CRPF women troops were inducted into the anti-naxal operations grid in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand,” the officer told PTI.He said the women, after their 45-day induction training and combat-stress inoculation, will be deployed in the Valley to tackle stone-pelters and protesters, including women.It was believed that the special anti-riot wing of the paramilitary force — the RAF — could be brought into the Valley to tackle violent protests by civilians and stone-pelting incidents but that was not found feasible, he said.“It was then decided why not induct women to tackle these situations faced by CRPF units in the Valley on a regular basis. These 500 women personnel will be deployed in downtown Srinagar and other parts of the Valley very soon,” he said.The women, according to their training officer Manju K, were now familiarising with the topography of the Valley, Srinagar town and are being trained to handle “less-lethal” ammunition and weapons such as rubber bullets, pellet guns, pump-action guns and tear gas shells and PAVA shells, chilli-based non-lethal munitions.They will also be armed with regular assault and lethal weapons such as the AK-series rifles and the INSAS so that in case of a terrorist attack they can retaliate, take the opponent down and defend themselves, the training officer said.A fresh lot of body protectors and bullet-proof armour is also being procured for the special women squad inducted for operations in the Valley for the first time, the officer said.It was thought, the official said, by CRPF commanders that with instances of women and girls undertaking pitched battles with security forces and targeting them with stones, it will be wise to deploy women personnel to counter them.“There are women personnel in regular CRPF and Rapid Action Force units in all parts of the country so why not in Kashmir? The women were inducted into these combat forces with the belief that they are as good as their male counterparts,” the officer said.Constable Nita K, who is a part of this squad, told PTI she and her colleagues are taking special training sessions to understand the security situation and the response mechanism.“The focus of the training is to ensure that there is no collateral damage during action from our side and that force is used rationally as those whom we face are our countrymen and youngsters who are misled. Tacking stone-pelters and protestors, both men and women, will be a special task for us,” the trooper from Jharkhand said.The training officer said the force has started building accommodation and other infrastructure for the women personnel at its camps in the Valley and they will be deployed in combination with regular CRPF units working there for decades.Mobile toilets and troop carriers are also being brought in to aid the female troopers, he said.The CRPF, India’s largest paramilitary force with about 3 lakh personnel, has about 60 battalions deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for law and order and counter-militancy operations. — PTI

Army fake encounters: Lieutenant Colonel Dharamvir Singh submitted the affidavit, a copy of which is with indianexpress.com, in connection with a Habeas Corpus petition filed by his wife Ranju Singh claiming her husband had been wrongfully detained.

A Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army’s 3 Corps Intelligence Unit has in an affidavit filed in the High Court of Manipur alleged that an army team perpetrated extortion and killing of innocent people in the state. Lieutenant Colonel Dharamvir Singh submitted the affidavit, a copy of which is with indianexpress.com, in connection with a Habeas Corpus petition filed by his wife Ranju Singh claiming her husband had been wrongfully detained. The High Court has directed the Army to file their counter affidavit before August 1.

The affidavit alleged that Singh was taken away from his quarters in Imphal by armed jawans led by Lieutenant Colonel Nanda and Major Rathore on July 1 morning and kept under house arrest till the court directed his release five days later. The Army had refuted the claims as baseless and said the officer was sent for posting. Singh is currently on leave and staying with his family in Imphal.

In the affidavit, Singh alleged that he was the victim of an organised campaign by some senior officers who turned vindictive after he reported their wrongdoings. The affidavit claimed that on September 9, 2016, Singh wrote a complaint against the extortion and fake encounter killings of innocent boys from Manipur who were picked up from Dimapur in Nagaland and murdered in the nearby Rangapahar Cantonment. However, the affidavit alleged, he withdrew the letter following pressure from top and after assurances that suitable action will be taken against the erring personnel.

Singh, in the affidavit, also claimed a serious threat to him and family.

The affidavit alleges three alleged fake encounters and an extortion case perpetrated by a single team of the 3 Corps Intelligence Unit between 2010 and 2011. Singh also sought the court’s permission to submit the 13-page official letter he had prepared on September 9, 2016.

Singh’s affidavit alleged that on March 10, 2010, three Manipuri youth — identified as Phijam Naobi, RK Ronel and Th. Prem — were abducted from a rented house in Dimapur by 3 Corps Intelligence Unit and killed behind the Mess. As per media reports, bodies were found in the Lakhijan area under Bokajan police station in Karbi Anglong of Assam on March 17, 2010, it said.

A case is pending in Gauhati High Court and Major T. Ravi Kiran was the first one who wrote a letter to the then General Officer Commanding (GOC) on March 12, 2010, stating that three Manipur youths were abducted by the Army’s intelligence surveillance wing and shot dead after torture.

In a similar incident, the affidavit claimed, ST Dominic College student Satish from Manipur and his friend were picked up from Shillong by the same team on February 5, 2010 and both were killed in the jungles of Masimpur. Satish’s parents lodged a formal missing complaint to DGP Manipur on February 23, but till now no efforts have been made, the affidavit claimed.

On August 18, the affidavit alleged, PLA militant G Jiteshwar Sharma alias Gypsy and a friend were picked up from a rented room near SM College in Dimapur and killed. The bodies of both were buried behind the unit mess and few unit persons know the exact location, the affidavit claimed.

The affidavit also alleged that the same unit was behind the kidnapping of a woman and her child from Dimapur and released them after taking a ransom of Rs 1 crore from her family.

The local Army PRO said he was not authorised to comment as the matter was sub judice.

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M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 27

A first-of-its-kind cultural festival is being organised next month in the Nubra valley’s Turtuk area — known as the last village along the Line of Control (LoC).The fest is aimed at connecting the divided families of the ethnic Balti community living in the Ladakh region and highlighting their unique art, literature and culture.Once known as the gateway to the ancient Silk Road, Turtuk had come out of Pakistan’s occupation after the 1971 war. Through the fest, the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) wants to introduce the Balti literature to the rest of the world.“This is our first initiative and it’s huge. It took us a year to finalise the programmes for the ‘Balti Literary and Cultural Festival’ that will be held on August 3 and 4. After the 1971 war, the Balti community got divided and we want to connect the families living in Leh and Kargil. We also want to promote their unique art, culture and literature,” deputy secretary (culture) Nazir Hussain told The Tribune.He said the fest would also give an opportunity to the people of the Balti community to give vent to their sorrows. “They are divided and they went through a lot after the 1971 war…. some have relatives living on the other side of the LoC…. we want to bring those living in Ladakh to one place where they can narrate their woes. We also want to make it a yearly event,” he added.Stating that the villagers of Turtuk were upbeat over the festival and had given full support to the JKAACL, Hussain said the main attractions of the event would be cultural programmes, paper-reading sessions, mehfil-e-mushaira and traditional horse polo matches, among others.JKAACL secretary Aziz Hajini said the academy had earlier held an event in Zanskar and such festivals were being held to promote the rich art, culture and literature of ethnic communities of the state, especially the lesser-known ones of the Ladakh region.

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat’s reachout to jawans through WhatsApp has eroded the long-established norms

Brig Indrajeet S Gakhal retd

Having attended the evening company roll call as a young Lieutenant (in 1975), I and Subedar Karam Singh, senior JCO, Alfa Company, were walking to the dining hall when he said: “Saab, 426 Sher Singh da ik gharelu jhagra hai teh uh tuhanu milna chaunda hai (No 426 Sepoy Sher Singh has a domestic conflict and he wants your audience).”  “Theek hai Saab, usnu tay usday Platoon Commander nu bula lao (Ok, call him and his Platoon Commander),” I said.After a while Naib Subedar Rawail Singh and Sepoy Sher Singh stood before me after the customary “Sat Sri Akal sahib bahadur”.  Naib Subedar Rawail Singh then explained the Sepoy’s problem. Next morning, armed with a letter to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Bathinda, Sher Singh was on his way home on a seven-day leave. The crux is that the aggrieved jawan through his Section NCO and Platoon Havildar approached the Platoon Commander who in turn reported to the senior JCO and to me. The chain of grievance redressal follows the chain of command. At no stage, Sepoy Sher Singh needed to jump the line to go directly to the Company Commander or the Commanding Officer. In another incident, when I was at the Brigade Headquarters, an anonymous letter came through the complaint box. It purported that the JCO Quarter Master was pilfering ration. A surprise check of the ration store found some discrepancies and the JCO was dealt with under the law. Once a jawan reported to the Subedar Major that he wished to be relieved of buddy (Sewadar/Sahayak) duties as he was treated rudely. The Subedar Major reported to the Commanding Officer who, investigated discreetly and had posted the jawan as his officer runner. Yet again at the Unit Sanik Sammelan (Durbar) after the points received from the companies and points by the Commanding Officer were passed, the Commanding Officer invariably said. “Meri taraf se aur koi point nahi hai; agar kisi jawan ya NCO ko koi point yaad aaya hai to woh abhi keh sakta hai (I have no more points to render, if any jawan/NCO has any point to make, he is free to do so).”Once during such a meet, a jawan rose, saluted and said: “No… Sepoy… Shriman mera point yeh hai ki working party 5 baje ke baad nahi honi chahiya kyun ki baad main nahane ko pani nahi milta (Sir, there should be no working party after 5 pm as then there is no water for bathing thereafter).” The Commanding Officer addressed the issue instantly and passed executive orders. In short, the existing grievance redressal system has worked well for three odd decades. The system exists in all Army units — combat arms, support arms or services. However, its systematic enforcement is more effective in Combat Arms and Support Arms. This is borne out by empirical data on the grievance correspondence initiated from the Services.Army Chief General Bipin Rawat’s reachout to jawans through WhatsApp has eroded the long-established norms. He has launched a WhatsApp number through which any soldier can post his/her grievances. This practice will undermine the existing chain of command that is critical in operations. The announcement has also fanned an anti-officer sentiment. I think this will prove disastrous for the command and control structure and challenge the future leadership.That is not to say that all is hunky-dory in the leadership, which needs introspection and bridging the growing gap between the Commander and his Command.

Ambala, July 15

A 46-year-old man was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his farmhouse in Janaitpur village of Ambala here on Sunday.The body was in a decomposed condition and it appeared that it was there for nearly 10 days. The deceased has been identified as Jeet Mahender Singh. He was the son of Colonel Sucha Singh (retd), a resident of Defence Colony.As per information, Jeet was a divorcee and was living alone there. He last met his father on July 2.Investigating Officer Surender said, “The father of the deceased said that on Sunday, he went to a gurdwara to pay obeisance. There is a shop near the gurdwara from where his son used to purchase groceries. He inquired about his son and the shopkeeper informed that he hadn’t seen him for the past several days. Then, he went to the farm house and found his son dead.”Station House Officer of Panjokhra police station said, “The cause of death will become clear after post-mortem examination.” — TNS

The recent violence has brought the Punjabi Colony in Shillong into the limelight and it remains that way because of the incalcitrant attitude of a small section among the majority Khasi population. The small enclave in Shillong has housed Punjabis, mostly Sikhs, for two centuries and counting. After the violence against the Sikhs, the state was expected to provide succour and assurance about their safety. The Meghalaya Government, however, is sending adverse signals about its intention by dusting out a 15-year-old plan to relocate the Sikh families that live there. The last thing that a minority community that has been at the receiving end of violence should have to fear is dislocation from homes. The National Commission for Minorities’ direction to maintain status quo is thus a positive development that gives a breather and allows various parties concerned to find ways to promote communal amity.The state’s urban department puts the number of inhabitants at around 6,000 Sikhs and 4,000 Hindus. Even if the number is less, a minority needs to be treated with extra empathy. However, the local administration and the residents operate on different wavelengths. If the Sikhs are resisting their relocation, people living in places where the population is supposed to be relocated are also up in arms. A small incident had triggered the earlier violence, and it is clear that the security forces will have to continue to play a role in protecting the minority community.It is noteworthy that there has been no loss of life unlike during  the distressing progroms witnessed against the Bengalis, Nepalis and Biharis. But the communal colour which the clash took has similarities with the earlier targeting of minorities. It is sad that Khasis, themselves in a minority outside Meghalaya, did not show the required sensitivity in dealing with another minority community in their midst. The tribal and religious loyalties need to be subsumed under the requirements of justice, the rule of law and the administrative dharma. Those who live in the Punjabi Colony are as much a part of Meghalaya as anyone else. They must be treated and made to feel as such.

Rifleman Aurangzeb of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) posted with 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) was killed by terrorists on 14 Jun 2018 after he was abducted at gunpoint near Shopian in south Kashmir. The 25-year-old Gujjar Muslim from Poonch was part of the operation which neutralised Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) leader Sameer Tiger and was on the terrorist outfit’s hit list along with his company commander Major Shukla who was then convalescing in a hospital due to a bullet wound.

Aurangzeb was abducted soon after he stepped out of his 44 Rashtriya Rifle company post near Shadimarg in Shopian and hailed a private car to Shopian town in order to take another cab to Poonch, his hometown, to reach home for Eid-ul-Fitr, the festival depicting the end of the 30-day period of fasting (Ramzan). Many other JAKLI soldiers from the Valley would have done the same to reach their homes.

Now, fresh versions of the killing have revealed that a local woman who Aurangzeb had befriended could have been forced by the terrorists to part with information about his travel plans. Since mobile communication is now freely available in Rashtriya Rifles camps, Aurangzeb did not need to physically meet her often, as would have been the case in earlier years; information exchange would have taken place through the airwaves.

The involvement of a local woman adds to the many questions that people less aware of the ways of soldiers in the Valley are already asking, such as: what was a JAKLI soldier doing with an RR unit affiliated to the Rajput Regiment; why was he sporting a beard and long hair against normal army practice of proper grooming; why was he allowed to proceed alone on leave against the established practice of catching an organised convoy from Srinagar and traveling under escort; isn’t the security of individual soldiers the responsibility of the Indian Army? These need answers and some additional explanations to restore the full professional confidence which Indians have in the Indian Army.

From a generic point of view, it must be known that there is no consistent pattern of terror activity in the Valley. The 44 Rashtriya Rifles has long been deployed in Shopian, one of the hotbeds of terrorism in Kashmir. The RR units have a personnel relief system wherein almost half the manpower turnover every year but most units stay where they are adding to the continuity in intelligence gathering and familiarisation with the operating environment. So, every soldier does two years and a little more as a tour of duty.

Operations are like adrenaline to soldiers and they can take tremendous stress and strain. Many a time small team operations are launched to set up larger operations; the formers are much more stressful. An inherent system of adherence to SOPs exists at all times but is contingent upon the environment and certain freedoms and leeways are always permitted. That is because these are not conventional operations and need much more individual and team guile, local knowledge of history, culture, personalities, ability to cultivate sources and to merge with the environment when necessary. Aurangzeb’s work was just that — the enhancement of local contact and liaison; a dangerous work at any time.

A successful high profile operation against Sameer Tiger had exposed him somewhat. It was a practice by higher commanders in earlier years wherein they preferred to ease out those officers and men who were exposed or had a personal threat focused against them. Yet, that is not always necessary if the unit is confident of adhering to the time-tested basic SOPs with everything else being flexible.

So, Aurangzeb was with the 44 Rashtriya Rifles like many other local soldiers for the purpose of liaison, language and for a better understanding of local conditions. Growing hair and beard in an operational environment is no big deal as this helps hide the ‘fauji‘ in the soldier. It is a risky business, thus it’s necessary to ensure that full precautions are taken at all times.

In the heat of operations, as successful as those of 44 Rashtriya Rifles (I still consider it as one of the best units under my command), it’s easy to get carried away with the over-confidence, the nonchalance and the romance of small team operations. That is where the senior hierarchy comes in. An experienced senior commander especially one who has experienced similar environment will, on the one hand, encourage innovation, guile, and fearlessness, he will also quietly ensure that the basics are never forgotten.

Many a commander I have known at brigade and division level institute a system of their staff resorting to taking turns to ensure that limited micromanagement for security is always in place through reminders to appropriate appointments in units. A system many soldiers have followed adheres to nightly calls to high-risk units on the Line of Control (LOC) and the counter-terror grid to speak to officers, men motivating them and appreciating their achievements but also equally rendering advice on precautions and drills which in moments of elation must not be forgotten; adding own experience to this is always good as many senior officers these days are those who have been actively involved in such operations at junior levels. This system adds to written advisories which sometimes take time to permeate lower down.

A lapse must not be allowed to label the Rashtriya Rifles units as unprofessional and insensitive; they hardly function in a zero-error environment. Yet, such lapses are highly avoidable as the risk for operational effectiveness may still be taken but not for individual safety. The security of soldiers is very much a collective responsibility. Gladiatorial type-casting is the other phenomenon to avoid as it gives a false sense of bravado in this unpredictable environment.

Lastly, the Rashtriya Rifles has been the best thing which happened to the Indian Army, it’s the boldest experiment in years. For the Indian Army, it is worth debating whether some additional turnover of units, from high risk to lower intensity environment and vice versa, will be in order. No doubt the continuity of the units despite a 50 percent turnover of personnel has held out well, but some units continue to remain in risk-prone areas far too long hogging all the glory while others receive little such chance.

A befitting tribute to late Rifleman Aurangzeb will be the absence of any further isolated killing of a soldier through the best adherence to drills and orders without losing full operational control.

The author is a retired lieutenant general and former general officer commanding 15 and 21 Corps