Monthly Archives: August 2018

Sixteen years later, the Indian Army has finally shrugged off the bogey of the PLA and is staring down at the Chinese at Ladakh with the sole objective of restoring status quo ante at all friction points along the line of actual control.

NJ Ravi Chander

My maternal grandfather, Lt M Dharmalingam, who served in the Madras Sappers, had an array of military stories in his repertoire. He fought in World War II not only in the lush, tropical jungles of Burma, but also in the searing sands of the Middle East. The war came at a terrible cost, with millions of casualties on both sides.

Grandfather was engaged in war duty in places as distant as Rangoon, Peshawar and Cairo. Away from home for interminable periods, his family had no clue about his whereabouts. With strict protocols in place, the regiment never disclosed the fate of the men until the war ended.

The North African Campaign beckoned him. Two battleships sailed out from the Madras port towards the Suez Canal. A bomber belonging to the Axis forces swept overhead and sank one battleship. On hearing the news, the alarmed relatives flocked to the Records Office of the Madras Regiment in Bengaluru, seeking details of the dead. But they returned empty-handed, given the strict disclosure norms in place. Grandfather’s fate remained unknown too, but he got to Cairo in one piece. During a fierce hand-to-hand combat, a captured Axis soldier had his head severed, the grisly trophy kicked around before adorning a pole in the middle of a street circle.

A hero’s welcome greeted the soldiers after their return home following the war. Regimental bands played ceremonial music, and eager friends and relatives thronged the railway station to garland them. There were scenes of jubilation, but one saw distraught faces too — reason: missing kin killed in battle or taken Prisoner of War (PoW). Thousands of Indian soldiers, taken PoW during the war and held in various parts of the world, arrived back home later and were presented letters of commendation by the government.

Grandfather and his family moved into the spacious regimental accommodation in Jalahalli, after his transfer to Bengaluru — close to the tent camps housing Italian PoWs. A Subedar Major pressed the prisoners into levelling pathways, digging trenches, building barracks, laying bridges, tracks, roads and airfields, and even for extricating venomous reptiles. Besides, they tended to the kitchen, garden, pigs and sheep. The football matches at the Garrison Ground, where Italian prisoners clad in boots locked horns against barefoot locals, attracted a full house. The authorities repatriated them after the hostilities ceased.

War-weary, grandpa put in his papers at age 45, but he was called back to aid the Army in quelling disturbances that broke out post-Independence. He served out the emergency period of a year before calling it a day.

A paternal uncle, Major Sampangi Raju, who also fought in WWII, took pride in showing off ‘marks of war’ on his body. Once, when he and a fellow soldier were riding atop an armoured tank with its hatch open, they came under heavy enemy fire. He dived head first into the mouth of the container. He escaped with a bullet in the calf muscle. His mate jumped in leg first and was shot in the head.

For us, these military stories are priceless.

Maj Gen Partap Narwal (retd)

The coming week was to be the busiest for us. As I went to bed, only my body lay down and rested; my mind remained occupied — thinking, imagining, planning. Suddenly I got up — how can the helicopter land there!

In 2012, I commanded the Horse Breeding Farm, Babugarh, a 200-year-old sole Army unit next to Hapur. The acres of land and the number of horses are in thousands here; and the syces from generations work in hundreds. The farm boasts of a pristine ambience, for which the Commandant and his team has no eyes, as their sight was fixed on getting more and more fodder for mares and foals for the Army — the latter being harder.

The mares in wild are prolific breeders, but in husbandry surroundings, they find the process burdensome. The Commandant faces umpteen challenges daily. The problems begin with the breeding season in February, as mares don’t show their amatory overtures. After days of efforts, when they are roped in for encounter with the stallion, the process is often repeated the following month. Still, after holding the pregnancy, they may lose it anytime. The losses are attributed to even frivolous reasons which may sound convincing only when read in textbooks. Considering such uncertainties, the Army Headquarters (AHQ) has set a target of getting 60 per cent mares gravid yearly by autumn. The past record of 15 years then showed the highest figure attained at the farm was 65 per cent.

Earlier that day, I had received a message from the AHQ that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) would visit us next week. He was to reach from Delhi by helicopter. I had thought of an open ground for landing, but lying in bed, I realised that the ground was close to mares’ paddocks and my memory flashed a textbook line: low flying aircraft can cause abortion in mares. How many pregnant mares out of hundreds may stick to this prophecy!

There was no other suitable landing site as the landscape was covered with trees, crops and electricity poles. The next morning, when I conveyed my apprehension, the AHQ also found it convincing. I suggested changing the mode of journey to the land route. But by evening, it was reported that the mode remained unchanged. When we contacted the flying staff, they reluctantly agreed to consider a crop-field for the landing site. Our search narrowed to an oat-field in the farthest corner, which was harvested for fodder. Ridges and furrows were levelled. The flying staff approved the site.

The dust storm from landing sent us scurrying behind staff cars. The visit went off as per the plan. Though the helicopter noise from that distance could not have threatened the mares, the thought of likely losses haunted us. When an AHQ-deputed team began checking each mare for pregnancy in November, we anxiously awaited the result. The team declared above 72 per cent mares in foal. The syces chortled, ‘We never heard of such results here… not even from our ancestors!’

Lt Gen GS Sihota (retd)

The chief ingredients in the composition of those qualities that gain esteem and praise are good nature, truth, good sense and good breeding. — Joseph Addison

INDIA lost a soldier-statesman in Major Jaswant Singh on September 27. After passing out from the Indian Military Academy in 1957, he joined the Central India Horse and served in the Army for 10 years. Jaswant Singh found his calling in public life after he first joined the Swatantra Party, later the Janata Party and then the BJP. He was one of the longest-serving parliamentarians. Atal Bihari Vajpayee utilised his talent by giving him the vital portfolios of Defence, Finance and External Affairs.

I came in contact with him as the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) when he was the Defence Minister. A man with impeccable manners, he was able to put everyone at ease in his presence and accorded them equal respect. Once I was to accompany him to an all-party meeting regarding a militant attack at the Jammu railway station. I was humbled and touched when he came out of his Parliament office to receive me. I could see that his secretary had been instructed to inform him of my arrival. This lesson in courtesy remained with me forever. He was highly articulate and had an expression for every occasion. His notings were a reader’s delight.

The defence forces will remain indebted to him for introducing and sanctioning schemes for the welfare of serving soldiers and veterans, including their families. His personal equation with the Prime Minister brought in quick sanctions and implementation. The Ex-serviceman’s Contributory Health Scheme gave a new lease of life to the retired community. The introduction of Married Accommodation projects provided much-needed homes to the families in peace stations. It was a great morale-booster!

He was an active participant in military discussions for re-energising strategies and tactics in the battlefield. His inputs to the Army after his discussions with eminent leaders abroad proved to be extremely useful.

He sowed the seeds of the much-needed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) by sanctioning the raising of the Integrated Defence Staff, the Andaman & Nicobar Command and the Strategic Force Command.

Major Jaswant Singh was a man of many parts. Though politics took up most of his day, he found time for horse-riding, which was his passion. He also found time to write. He left an indelible mark on the Indian defence forces and all those who knew him. As an Irving Berlin classic goes, ‘The song is ended, but the melody lingers on’.

Jammu, September 29

The Pakistan army violated ceasefire by resorting to heavy firing and mortar shelling in forward areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Tuesday, a defence spokesman said.

The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, he said.

“At about 0430 hours today, the Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Mankote sector,” the spokesman said.

The Pakistan army has violated the ceasefire 45 times this month.

An Army personnel was killed and two others, including an officer, injured as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by using heavy fire and mortar shells along the Line of Control in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district a fortnight ago, officials said.

On September 2, a JCO was killed in ceasefire violation by the Pakistan army along LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri. PTI

New Delhi, September 28

The defence ministry on Monday approved the procurement of arms and military equipment worth Rs 2,290 crore, including around 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the US for troops guarding the borders with China and Pakistan, officials said.

The proposals were approved at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the defence ministry’s highest decision-making body on procurement of arms and other equipment for the country’s armed forces.

Besides clearing the proposal to buy assault rifles, the other significant acquisitions approved by the DAC include procurement of smart anti-airfield weapon (SAAW) systems for the Navy and the Indian Air Force at an approximate cost of Rs 970, the officials said.

“The DAC headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accorded approval for various arms and equipment worth Rs 2,290 crore,” the defence ministry said.

The cost of procurement of the Sig Sauer assault rifles for the frontline troops of the Indian Army will be Rs 780 crore, officials said.

The Army is implementing a mega infantry modernisation programme under which a large number of light machine guns, battle carbines and assault rifles are being purchased to replace its ageing and obsolete weapons.

In October, 2017, the Indian Army began the process to acquire around seven lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines.

The world’s second largest standing Army has been pushing for fast-tracking the procurement of various weapons systems considering the evolving security challenges along India’s borders with Pakistan and China.

Officials said the government is fast-tracking procurement of 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the US, adding the weapons will be used by troops guarding the borders with China and Pakistan.

The government has accorded priority to the modernisation of the armed forces and the infantry modernisation has been initiated as part of the larger process to further enhance combat capability of the Army.

The officials said the DAC also approved the procurement of Static HF Tans-receiver sets under the buy Indian category at a cost of Rs 540 crore. The HF radio sets will enable seamless communication for the field units of the Army and the Air Force.

The military equipment are being procured at a time Indian Army is locked in a bitter border row with China in eastern Ladakh. — PTI

New Delhi, September 29

The present security scenario along our northern frontiers is at an uneasy “no war no peace” status, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said on Tuesday, referring to the prolonged border row with China in eastern Ladakh.

In an address at a conference, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said the Indian Air Force had responded to the situation with rapidity and was fully resolved to counter any “misadventure” in the region.

“The present security scenario along our northern frontiers is at an uneasy no war no peace status. Our defence forces are prepared for any eventuality as you are aware,” the Chief of Air Staff said.

Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said the recent induction of Rafale jets along with previous acquisitions of C-17 Globemaster aircraft as well as Chinook and Apache helicopters had provided the IAF with substantial tactical and strategic capability enhancement.

“Airpower will be a crucial enabler in our victory in any future conflict. It is, therefore, imperative that IAF obtains and maintains a technological edge over our adversaries,” he said at the conference on energising the Indian aerospace industry.

Five French-made multi-role Rafale fighter jets were inducted into the IAF on September 10.

The fleet has been carrying out sorties in eastern Ladakh in the last couple of weeks.

The IAF chief also said that the raising of two squadrons of light combat aircraft Tejas and integration of some indigenous weapons on Su-30 MKI combat jets in a very reduced time frame had been the “most promising” development, reflecting the country’s capabilities to develop indigenous military hardware. PTI

Arun Joshi

Pakistan’s geopolitics revolves around Kashmir. It was obvious from Pakistan premier Imran Khan’s address at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday. He devoted 15 minutes to Kashmir, spotlighting his delusional narrative on Kashmir, and exhausted all his vocabulary of name calling for India. This was the same old story that Islamabad and its leaders have been telling over the decades.

Imran Khan, whom the opposition parties identified as selected PM by the establishment (army) , sought to further the suicidal notion that Kashmiris wanted to be part of Pakistan. This unrealistic view of Kashmir and its people could prove suicidal for Pakistan. Its persistence that Kashmir is a “dispute” that had to be settled under the United Nations Security Council resolutions can pose an existential threat to it. This is the natural consequence of living with and perpetuating delusions.

The time is not far when Pakistanis would be asking serious questions to its leaders and army as to what happened about the narrative of “Kashmir banega Pakistan”. In fact, the public there has already started asking what is the Kashmir policy, and to what end it is being pursued and at what cost?

A seasoned diplomat of Pakistan Ashraf Jehangir has warned Islamabad that there are grave risks involved in its Kashmir policy and also highlighted the high costs involved in this directionless misadventure.

No one in Pakistan knows how to wriggle out of the difficult situation in which it has landed due to its unending obsession with Kashmir.

Kashmiris know the reality of Pakistan better than Pakistanis would ever admit. They know how Partition migrants are treated with contempt and called “mohajirs”.

Pakistan also keeps harping on obsolete swan song that it “stands in solidarity with the people of Kashmir”. Imran Khan played this song yet against at the UNGA. It needs to answer how it has shown “solidarity” with Kashmiris. The answer is simple – by radicalising youth and giving them guns and grenades to spill blood and expand graveyards. It is a mockery of its claim that it has been in the frontline of fighting terrorism. In reality, it is in the frontline of nurturing and exporting terrorism and now is on a suicide mission of self-destruction.