Monthly Archives: August 2018

Book by former IAF Officer today advocated a sustainable campaign for augmenting the technological power of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to maintain its edge over the People’s Liberation Air Force (PLAF) of China. During discussion on the book ‘The Chinese Air Threat’ authored by Group Captain (Retd) Ravinder Chatwal at the ongoing Military Literature Festival at Lake Club, in which former Fighter Pilot Sameer Joshi also took part, it was opined that the Chinese had started  flexing their muscles in air power after the Gulf war. It was told that the Chinese were helped by the various experts from the former Soviet Union. They said that Chinese had effectively laid thrust on churning out large number of fourth generation aircraft that was effective for combatting US Air Force or any other technologically advanced country.It was opined that though there was a general notion that Chinese had huge Air Force and Army but as a fact of matter PLAF was not ten feet tall for India. It was told that though China have got 1700 aircraft but most of their airfields were on Russian or eastern coast side due to which it was difficult for China to make any solid air attack on India. It was informed that Air campaign against India was slightly difficult as they do not have enough airfields in Tibet.The experts said that PLAF suffers limitation against IAF adding that J-20’stealth aircraft was an asset for Chinese but Rafale aircrafts would be a big asset for India. They said that India has to maintain technological lead against the PLAF to safeguard its airspace in better manner. They said that India was far better equipped to combat the PLAF but this needs to be maintained in future.

As part of the Military Literature Festival which started today, a book discussion on ‘The Bugle Calls- A life in the Indian Army’ threw light on the emotions of an officer on joining the forces besides bringing up other aspects related to the army way of life.The discussion included panelists Lt. Col (Retd) Naresh Rastogi, Kiran Doshi (Both Authors of the book) and Lt. Gen. (Retd) Harbhajan Singh. The discussion was moderated by Lt. Gen. (Retd) Vijay Oberoi.Recounting his days as a cadet and an officer in the Army, Lt. Col Rastogi said that the first part deals with his sentiments while serving in the Army while the second part deals with the India of the 1950s and 1960s era which was different from what it is today. Airing his views, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Harbhajan Singh said that the most important of the book pertains to the battle of Asal Uttar in 1965 war which the author was part of besides the 1971 war. He also recounted how the Pakistani armour offensive was blunted during the course of that battle.Highlighting another aspect, Lt. Gen. Harbhajan Singh said that the regimental system is the way of life in the Army and is the backbone of the institution with slight aberrations which need to be sorted out.

A special session on the book ‘China’s Strategic Deterrence’ took place here today at lake club as part of the Military Literature Festival which got underway today. The panelists comprised of the author of the book Colonel Anshuman Narang and Major General Amarjit Singh. The discussion was moderated by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) P.K. Singh.The author Colonel Anshuman Narang said that the book covers the Global Territorial Expansion ideology being followed by China to increase its hegemony around the world by building up its deterrence capability to a dangerous extent. He gave a comprehensive overview of the type of deterrence the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) possesses.Colonel Narang further said that China is passionately following the philosophy of Sun Tzu regarding subduing the enemy without a fight and that explains China encircling India by developing friendly relations with Pakistan by helping the latter built up its navy to an extent that Pakistan Navy has become Chinese Navy. Not stopping at this, the Chinese have also given 303 T-59 Tanks to Bangladesh, another country neighbouring India.

Colonel Narang also divulged that sometime ago, Chinese didn’t had the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capability but the scenario has changed radically now. He also added that adhering to the dictum of the former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger sprucing up one’s own capability, China is increasing surveillance in South China Sea.Elaborating about the territorial ambitions of China, Colonel Narang  said that by laying claims on North Eastern Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh besides having eyes on Taiwan and Phillipines, China has clearly demonstrated its intentions of dominating the regions. The increasing economic clout of China is also prompting it to go for following expansionist policies.Coming to another significant aspect, Colonel Narang said that in China, the loyalty towards the Communist party matters more than loyalty towards the country.Another panelist, Major General Amarjit Singh aired his view that the chinese are dreaming of world domination by 2049 apart from vying for strategic space around mainland China which explains why it is laying claims with regard to territories outside the mainland.Moderating the session, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) P.K. Singh said that although following expansionist designs, China still remembers the reverses of 1967 and 1986-87.

Governor of Punjab VP Singh Badnore today said that the mighty force led by Akbar didn’t get anything else from the historic battle of Haldighati except an elephant named Ramaprasad.Kicking off the discussion on topic ‘Who was the victor of battle of Haldighati’ here at the Military Literature Festival, the Governor, who was joined by Lieutenant General KJ Singh, Major General Ranbeer and Prof Abhimanyu, said that Mewar was one eighth of the total terrain of erstwhile Rajputana whereas the Mughal Emperor Akbar had tremendous resources at his disposal. He said that due to fierce resistance given by Maharana Pratap and his army the Mughal emperor was never able to win Mewar and even the battle of Haldighati was a fatal blow to the emperor. Citing examples to prove his point, Mr Badnore said that Rajput King Maan Singh and Bakshi Asif Ali who were part of expedition were banished from Emperor’s court and were never given any Mansabdari. Likewise, the Governor said that there were no celebrations for the victory by the Mughals adding that even Maharana Pratap constructed a huge temple at place where his horse Chetak had died during the battle, which reflected that even after the battle he was the king or the victor. He said that as a fact of matter Mewar always enjoyed independence and even when others had accepted the suzerainty Akbar MEwar stood against it. Mr Badnore said that it was a matter of great pride and satisfaction that Maharana Pratap imbibed a legacy of resistance and spirit of standing up against the might amongst the countrymen.Meanwhile, the speakers unanimously agreed that the battle of Haldighati was a clash of Titans and a decisive battle which was turning point in the history of medieval history. They said that Maharana knew that he was flag bearers of Mewar pride as his grandfather Rana Sangha too had given bitter taste to Babur, the grandfather of Akbar. They said that so Maharana Pratap choose guirella warfare due to which Rajasthan exhibited sole example of resisting the mighty Mughal empire. They said that it was a fact that after the battle of Haldighati, Maharana Pratap won 32 other forts in the region which reflected his valour and sharp acumen. They said that even the people of Mewar never believed that they have lost the battle due to which Mughal superiority was never accepted. Lieutenant General (Retd) Bhopinder Singh was moderator of the session.

The book on Kashmir the Untold Story declassified written by eminent writer Maroof  Raza aptly showcases the reasons which have aggravated the Kashmir problem in the country.During the discussions on the book during the second day of Military Literature Festival, Resident Editor of Hindustan Times Mr Ramesh Vinayak, General (Retd) Jagatbir Singh and Mr Maroof  Raza, a former officer of Indian Army and an eminent analyst,  threw light on how the Kashmir became a major problem for the country after independence. These experts dwelled on the role of British in fanning the anti-India sentiment in Kashmir immediately after independence. It was informed that Kashmir was strategically very important as it has an influence of Persian, Russian and Chinese civilisation.It was pointed out that for the first time flag of Pakistan was hoisted in Kashmir on October 31 in 1947 that too under the leadership of a British officer, who got a coveted Pakistani award in later years for this contribution. Even it was revealed that the invasion in Kashmir by infiltrators after independence was also a handiwork of British Army officers who had asked the Officers of Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir to vacate the state for ensuring no resistanceafter independence as a part of this game plan. They said that unfortunately the political leadership of Kashmir played multiple games for their own vested interests thereby enhancing the magnitude of this problem.The experts said that the current turmoil in Kashmir was also result of Delhi’s failure as it gave Pakistan a chance for its intervention. They said that Kashmir got into situation where people got affiliated with pampered politicians of India for their vested gains. They also said that apart from Pakistan , the China also played a major role in further enhancing the Kashmir problem.They said that as a fact of matter Pakistan was a proxy of China in Kashmir matters as China eyed major gains from the fresh waters of Jammu and Kashmir by making Silicon chips to Satellites. They said that it was also on record that Pakistan was a proxy of China in Kashmir and Jihadis were proxy of Pakistan.On the occasion Brigadier (Retd) Pradeep Sharma acted as moderator.

Rejecting Military solution as the only way out for the resolution of the vexed Kashmir issue, war experts here today called for including all stakeholders especially the local residents to ensure its lasting solution.Taking part in a panel discussion here on the first day of MLF on the issue of ‘The Taliban and ISIK in Kashmir’, former chief of RAW Mr. AS Dulat made startling revelation that most of the people in India don’t know about the real problem of the Kashmir. He said that Kashmir issue is not the Military issue alone and army alone can not solve the problem.How the problem of Kashmir became so complex and what are the possible solutions to ease out the tension and terror from Kashmir

He said that though the army has been holding the ground in Kashmir since long and the situation have improved manifold even then the real solution of the Kashmir problem is not to be solved by army. Apart from terrorism Kashmir has emotive and social angle which has to be taken into account.Pointing out that means of warfare have undergone considerable change, Mr. Dulat said that it was America who earlier supported the militant groups around the world even in Kashmir they call the separatists as freedom fighters. He said the stand of the America changed after 9/11. Then the Americans sensed the real danger posed by the terrorism in the face of humanity. After  9/11 America waged the war against terrorism and overnight freedom fighters turned into terrorists.

Earlier the discussion was started by the moderator Lt. Gen Ata Hasnain with the background of threat posed by  the various modules of terrorism at the face of the humanity. He evoked the curiousity of the audience by asking what is the full form of ISIK which was the main agenda of today’s discussion.He elaborated that one should not confuse the ISIK with ISIS as full form of ISIK is Islamic State in Kashmir. The localise Militants operating in Kashmir which are posing great danger to the sovereignty of Indian State .He said that in Kashmir we are fighting hybrid war with the militants which is totally opposite to the conventional war. He said the hybrid war is fought with the assistance of the government and we have to stop all channels of support to the miltant groups like emotional support of people and finances. But the conventional war is fought by the army.The other panelist Mr. RK Kaushik IAS while taking part in the discussion said that 72 years of history told us the ground realties of our neighbouring countries such as their defence, Internal peace , finance and security are controlled by the deep state. He said that the presence of ISIS has not been denied , they have sources in Kashmir and to engage our youth we have to create large number of employment for them through industrialization. He said that we recently witnessed that 10000 youngsters were coming for recruitment for BSF and Kashmir Police.

A panel discussion on the book ‘The POW who saved Kashmir-Unsung Saga of Sher Bacha Brigadier Pritam Singh’ written by Brigadier Jasbir Singh was held here today on the second day of the Military Literature festival. A first copy of the book was also delivered to the author of the book.During the panel discussion the various aspects and bravery of Pritam Singh and how his honour could be restored was discussed. The panellists included author of the book Brigadier Jasbir Singh, the publisher and co-author Pankaj P. Singh and Major General Ravi Arora CEO and Chief Editor ‘Indian Military Review’.The panellist felt that the Brigadier Pritam’s contribution to India’s first conflict post independence needs to be understood in its totality.Heroic saga of Brigadier Pritam Singh, who saved Poonch. He earned the sobriquet when the town was under siege by the Pakistani army, beefed up by ‘Razakars’ (raiders), for one year from November 22, 1947 to November 21, 1948.  Trouble began with the influx of almost 40,000 refugees from across the newly-demarcated border, swelling up the town’s population to around 50,000. Due to the scarcity of food and warm clothing and the enemy knocking on the doors, people suffered endlessly. At this juncture, the Brigadier emerged as the saviour of Poonch, and was called ‘Sher Bachcha’ by the elders of the town for his outstanding leadership during the siege.The subsequently year long siege described in this book needs to recognised for what it was. It perhaps suffices to remember that if Pritam had not done what he did the fate of not just Poonch but even Srinagar would have been a hundred times worse. They said that it was due to the bravery of Brigadier Pritam and his battalion that Poonch was saved. But soon after, the story of the saviour of Poonch took a U- turn. The Brigadier Pritam was court-martialed on false grounds by those with clear vested interests.The panelists said that even now, nearly after seven decades it’s time to look into this grave injustice of history and recognise a valiant son for having stood firm and having done his duty.

The three stages of battle of Kohima fought during the Second World War was disccused on first day of the Military Literatue Festival. The panelists explained the consequences and reasons behind the battle of Kohima wherein Japan attempted to invade India but the Japenese were forced to retreat.Lieutenant General J.S. Bajwa explained about the battle step by step with photographs of the maps using a projector during the discussion. He said that the battle of Kohima was turning point of the Japenese U-Go (code-name) offensive during the Second World War. The battle was fought in three stages from April-4 to June-22 in 1944 in Kohima wherein Japenese tried to capture Kohima ridge.He said that Japenese intended a spoiling attack against the British IV Corps at Imphal in Manipur but failed due to multiple reasons including lack of proper coordination between Japenese officers. Squadron Leader Rana Chhina moderated the discussion.Colonel Dr Robert Lyman threw light upon the strategy, topography and political aspects of the battle. He said that it was a very fierce battle fought between the Indian-British and Japenese troops. From 18 April to 13 May, British and Indian reinforcements counter-attacked to drive the Japenese from the positions they had captured. Later the Japenese abandoned the ridge but continue to block the Kohima-Imphal road. From May-16 to June-22, both the British and Indian troops pursued the retreating Japenese and got the road re-opened. The battle ended on 22 June by ending the siege of Imphal.Brigadier Allan Mallinson talked about the Indian and British Army’s unique relationship in fighting against the Japenese. He talked about the execution of the plan of attack and thinking of the then chief of British army in London. He also talked about the skillful execution of the attack due to the secrecy of the plan by the Britishers. Sharing the details about the presence of British and Indian forces in Kohima, he said the condition of the Indian-British army changed dramatically from 1942 to 1944 because this location was earlier ignored by the authorities. But later viewing the strategic location they planned to caputre the area. He also talked about the poor relationship between senior army officers of Japan whose lack of coordination resulted in Japenese defeat.Historian Yaiphaba Meetai Kangjam shared the local details and conditions of battle in those days. He said that initially the Japenese adopted the strategy of cordial relationship with the local residents and later started exploiting the locals. He also revealed about the strategic routes of Imphal and Kohima which lead both the armies to fight.