Today’s military leadership is better trained with vast professional experience comprising counter-insurgency operations and high-altitude warfare. The Army has trained with world armies and UN peace-keeping missions. So to say the Army cannot conceive a conventional war is a figment of the imagination.

Soldiers of the Indian Army fire a Bofors gun during Exercise Sarvatra Prahar at Army’s School of Artillery in Devlali, Maharashtra. AFP

On February 15, in these pages, Pravin Sawhney had argued (‘The Army is not war ready’) that the Indian Army was distracted from its ideal readiness for war. Lt-Gen(retd) RS Sujlana gives a contrary view.A vast array of factors combine to ensure that an army is ready for war, but the tenacity of men and women who make up the force, their wherewithal and the will of the nation to war are the three main factors. Mr Sawhney has agreed that as the Army has not fought a conventional war after 1971 and has been involved in counter-insurgency operations (CI ops) for nearly a quarter century, the senior leadership of the Army cannot conceive the concept of  conventional war. In addition, having erected a fence along the Line of Control (LC) to limit infiltration, the Army has developed an inbuilt Maginot Line, or defensive mentality which today denotes the physical, mental and psychological limit of war-fighting! He questions whether the Army wishes to be a glorified Para-Military Force (PMF). If this was not enough the article goes on to state, “that the people of India do not know what the Army is supposed to do”. When the word Army is used it is a direct reflection on the officers, JCOs and other ranks of the entire force. Thus, a brief examination of how the Army (and its’ men) have stood and will stand for the nation and the issues raised to assess how wrong the starting premise is follows. The post-Independence military history bears testimony to the multi-tasking capability and true grit of the Army in handling crisis after crisis. Four months into freedom and the Army had a war at hand, the Indo-Pak War, 1947-48. The Army at that time was still reorganising itself, experience and numbers of military leaders were at a premium, but still the Army went forth to drive out the Pak intruders with tremendous credit. However, contrary to advice, the political leadership hurried into a ceasefire under the aegis of the UN, eluding a total victory. The political leadership still did not feel the necessity of strengthening the armed forces (opining that the nation could well do with just a police force). A laissez-faire attitude continued and as it cuddled up to China, no effort was made to rejuvenate the armed forces. This flawed policy saw the heart-breaking outcome of the 1962 War with China. The Army was ordered to throw out the Chinese. With what? No one could answer. Even the Air Force was kept out of action. But still, the Army fought resiliently and valiantly with archaic weapons, limited ammunition sans winter clothing to name a few; the war was lost but the enemy could not break the spirit of the Army. After this debacle, the Army started to expand in 1963. The Army’s tryst with counter-insurgency operations had already begun in Nagaland. In the midst of this expansion and training of new units, the Army (and the Air Force) fought the Indo-Pak War of 1965, defeating a Pakistan Army equipped with latest weapons (like the famous Patton tanks and Sabre Jets) and drove them to dust. However, the political leadership was again found wanting and all captured areas were returned to Pak without weighing their strategic significance. Something similar seems to be brewing up now with calls of pulling back from an expensive battleground — the Siachen Glacier. Guess, some people will never understand strategic concerns. In the ensuing six years, the Army’s involvement in CI in the North-East had increased manifold but come the 1971 War, the Army amazed the world with their blitzkrieg historic victory. The political leadership again failed to garner any leverage; over 90,000 Pak prisoners were returned without resolving any issue; rather the enemy played truant and retained 54 of our prisoners who never returned home. Today, they are totally forgotten by the nation. In construing the traits of the present lot of senior officers, it hints that they lack the offensive spirit. Far from the truth as this obviously implies that the resilience, offensive spirit, camaraderie and the will to fight and win is not required in battling at the highest battlefield in the world at Siachen (since 1984) and CI ops, as this is where the Army has fought continuously post- the 1971 War. How very wrong can they be, inherent in such ops are not only these traits but much more. If this was not so, Col Gurung, Commanding Officer, 19 Madras, with the unstinted support of his seniors, would not have personally directed the super-human effort to pull out his 10 men from below tonnes of snow at the staggering height of 20,000 feet. This included one still alive, the now-legendary Hanumanthappa. Does anything more need to be said about the required traits which made this happen and the officer-man relationship in the Army? Forgotten, perhaps, is also the victory in the 1998 Kargil War, where it was all blood, guts and offensive actions. Ironically, here too, the soldiers carried the day and fought with “whatever they had” in the words of General Ved Malik, the then Army Chief. Are the LC Fence and the Maginot line the same? Definitely no, their aims are/were poles apart. Let not the LC Fence be confused to be a part of the conventional defensive concept. Moreover, wherever there is an obstacle (like a minefield or wire obstacle) offensive plans exist to strike the enemy. So has this created a defensive mindset? The answer is again, “no.” Needless to say, the cost-effectiveness of the fence is indeed debatable.  Yes, without doubt there are large deficiencies in arms and equipment and these continue to grow by the day. These telling deficiencies are likely to continue in the near future, with the defence budget at an abysmal 1.74 of the GDP, almost at the same level as it was prior to the 1962 conflict.  The political leadership has to come out of the proverbial ostrich syndrome and show predilection for the armed forces and provide them not only the required wherewithal, but ensure their rightful status, dignity, pay and allowances. The Army can well do without being involved in CI ops, but to say that the Army is only training for CI ops is remissness. Regular and appropriate time is being spent on conventional roles, rather even in Jammu and Kashmir, the troops deployed along the LC on defensive positions remain acquainted with their conventional role which does have its’ fair share of offensive action plans. With regard to offensive actions like hitting terrorist camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, it is for the government to decide and direct the Army to implement. Will the Government’s real politik allow this? It is not for the Army to decide. Criticism is important but when someone decides to outrightly condemn the Army or any other organisation, there is a need to balance out views. At the risk of being branded intolerant, some censorship is warranted. The Army is physically, mentally and psychologically prepared to fulfil its roles and offensive soldiering is their forte’! Let there be no doubt about their fighting competence. The writer is a former Commandant, the IMA and former Chairman of the PPSC.

Tribune News Service,Jammu, January 30

The Army today rescued two of the three boys stuck in an avalanche in the higher reaches of T Santwari, 11 km from Macchil tehsil in Kupwara district. Of the three boys, one succumbed to his injuries.Mehraj Khan, 16, a resident of Katwar village, Javed Khan, 16, a resident of Thalli village, and Qaiser Ahmed, 14, a resident of T Suntbala village, were crossing an avalanche-prone area when they were caught in an avalanche.The Army deployed at T Sant sprung into action to rescue the boys caught in the avalanche this afternoon, an Army spokesman said.Undeterred by the blizzard, 15-20 feet of snow and avalanche warnings, the Army’s avalanche rescue team was sent to rescue the boys. The team was equipped with an avalanche victim detector with the help of which contact was quickly established with the boys, the Army spokesman said.The team found the boys buried under 10 feet of snow, in a state of shock and physical exhaustion and administered them first aid at the site itself, he further said.The rescue mission was able to successfully evacuate Javed and Qaisar. However, third boy Mehraj succumbed to his injuries, the spokesman added.

Snow, showers bring cheer to farmers

Tourists’ delight: Tourists have a gala time at Kufri near Shimla on Saturday. Photo: Amit Kanwar

Tribune News service

Shimla, January 30

Tribal areas and higher reaches of the state witnessed fresh snowfall while mid and lower hills received widespread rain, bringing cheer to farmers.Shimla and its surrounding areas were lashed by hailstorm last night while Kalpa and Keylong received 12 cm of fresh snow while Rohtang, Kunzam and Saach passes and Churdhar ranges in Sirmaur and Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra district had another spell of heavy snowfall.The rain and snow broke the five-week dry spell and rain deficit in January was reduced to 79 per cent from 91 per cent.The rain is a boon for Rabi crop and the continuous dry spell was causing anxiety to farmers.Bhuntar and Bajaura in Mandi district received 35 mm and 33mm of rain while Kotkhai and Sarahan received 26 mm and 25 mm rain, followed by Seobagh 23 mm, Gohar 21 mm and Kufri and Jogindernagar 19 mm.Shimla, Banjar and Sunnibajji had 17 mm rain, followed by Kumarsain 16 mm, Sujanpur Tira, Manali and Rohru 15 mm and Jhandutta, Nadaun and Mandi 14 mm. The MeT office has predicted rain or snow at isolated places in higher hills tomorrow and dry weather in rest of the state till February 5.The maximum temperatures rose marginally and Una was the hottest with 23.3 degree C, followed by Solan 22 degree, Sundernagar 21.6 degree, Nahan 20.8 degree, Bhuntar 17.2 degree, Dharamsala 13.8 degree, Shimla 13.6 degree, Manali 9.2 degree and Kalpa 8.6 degree C. Keylong recorded the minimum temperature at minus 5.6 degree while Kalpa and Manali recorded a low of minus 0.8 degree and 0.2 degree, followed by Shimla 4 degree, Bhuntar 6.2 degree, Solan and Palampur 7 degree, Dharamsala 7.2 degree, Sundernagar 8.0 degree, Una and Nahan 10.2 degree C.

Mortal remains of Sepoy Mustaq Ahmed who lost his live in Siachen avalanche brought to Hyderabad on Monday. — ANI photo

New Delhi, February 15

Remains of the nine soldiers buried alive in Siachen recently were flown back to their home states on Monday.

The Indian Army paid their respects to the soldiers at Delhi’s Palam Technical Airport. Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha were among those who attended it.

One of the nine who died waas Subedar Nagesha TT — a highly motivated Junior Commissioned Officer nicknamed ‘Rambo. Nagesha spent 12 of 22 years of his service in difficult areas and was of ‘Operation Parakaram’ and Operation Rakshak — a counter insurgency operation — at Mendhar in Jammu and Kashmir for two years. He volunteered to serve with Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir for two years.

Nagesha also volunteered to serve as Commando in the National Security Guard for three years and later, he went to North East from 2009 to 2012 to take part in ‘Operation Rhino’ where he was part of several successful operations against the militants as the ghatak platoon JCO, they said.

His colleagues remember him as ‘Rambo’, who would carry their weapons and his own. He was highly adventurous and also did a para-motor course with outstanding grading. He is survived by wife Asha and two sons Amit TN and Preetham TN aged six and four respectively.

Havildar Elumalai M, a non-commissioned officer (NCO) who always took initiative and was always willing to carry out any task assigned to him, was also among the dead.

He joined 19th Battalion The Madras Regiment on October 28, 1996 and ever since he became an inseparable part of the battalion. The NCO had always displayed high degree of courage and had conducted several successful small team operations against terrorists in both Jammu and Kashmir and North East during his nine years of field service, the officials said.

Because of his ability to motivate his juniors and lead them from front the NCO was selected to be part of Sonam Post which required men with nerves of steel and high level of physical fitness.

He attained Instructor grading in Weapon Course at Infantry School, Mhow and was posted as Instructor at The Madras Regimental Centre, Wellington where he trained several recruits and his work was praised by his superiors. He was also part of the Unit Training Team prior to induction of the unit to Siachen Glacier. — PTI

Soldiers search for survivors after an avalanche on the Siachen Glacier. Afp file photo

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service,Jammu, February 13

On the 11th day since a big avalanche wiped out an Army post on the Siachen Glacier at a height of 19,600 on February 3, mortal remains of nine soldiers were brought down to the Siachen base camp this morning and then taken to the Military Hospital at Hunder where their embalming was done.“Mortal remains of all the nine soldiers were brought down to the Siachen base camp this morning and taken to the Military Hospital at Hunder, near Parthapur, where embalming and other procedures were performed,” said a senior Army officer.Army Aviation copters, in a daring act, brought down all the nine bodies to the base camp, despite bad weather, he added.Helicopters are now kept on a standby to further transport the mortal remains to Leh tomorrow where 14 Corps (Fire and Fury Corps) and Lt Gen SK Patyal shall be laying wreaths on them at a brief ceremony before they are further transported in an IAF plane to New Delhi, he added.Though the weather between the Siachen base camp and Leh is not fit for air operations so far, but the weatherman has forecast a clear weather tomorrow.“At New Delhi, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and political establishments shall be laying wreaths at another ceremony before the mortal remains are flown to cities close to their respective villages,” he said.A soldier, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, buried under 25 feet of snow was found alive in a critical condition six days after avalanche hit the Sonam post on February 3. Nine other soldiers, however, were found dead under snow.The rescued soldier, Lance Naik Hanamanthapa, also succumbed to hypothermia among other ailments at Research and Referral Hospital at New Delhi on Thursday morning.The nine deceased soldiers have been identified as Subedar Nagesha TT of Tejur village in Hassan district of Karnataka, Havildar Elumalai M of Dukkam Parai village of Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, Lance Havildar S Kumar of Kumanan Thozhu village in Teni district of Tamil Nadu, Lance Naik Sudheesh B of Monroethuruth village in Kollam district of Kerala, Sepoy Mahesha PN of HD Kote village in Mysore district of Karnataka, Sepoy Ganesan G of Chokkathevan Patti village in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, Sepoy Rama Moorthy N of Gudisatana Palli village in Krishna Giri district of Tamil Nadu, Sepoy Mustaq Ahmed S of Parnapalle village of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and Sepoy (Nursing Assistant) Suryawanshi SV of Maskarwadi village in Satara district of Maharashtra.Among the 10 soldiers died, four were from Tamil Nadu, three from Karnataka (including Lance Naik Hanamanthappa) and one each from Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Bodies of soldiers killed in Siachen flown to base camp

The global economy has been shaken in recent days by an

unprecedented fall in oil prices. This is particularly so in our oil-rich Persian Gulf neighbourhood, from where a substantial share of global oil exports emanates. The economies of other major oil exporting countries like Russia and Venezuela have also been shaken by falling revenues from oil exports.  Saudi Arabia, which hosts two million Indian workers and was till recently, our largest supplier of oil, has played a dominant role in determining global oil prices. Its economic growth has fallen from 7 per cent to 3.4 per cent in 2015. It is set to fall to 2.3 per cent in 2016. With half its population aged below 25 years, youth unemployment in Saudi Arabia is unacceptably high. Moreover, with 75 per cent of its budget met from oil revenues, Saudi Arabia has been forced to take harsh measures, which will spiral inflation, even as its foreign exchange reserves fall steadily. Other neighbouring oil-rich Arab Gulf States will face similar challenges.There are signs of domestic discontent in Saudi Arabia, amidst this difficult economic situation. The Shia population located in the kingdom’s oil-rich areas has been infuriated by the recent beheading of the influential Shia cleric, Sheikh Baqir al-Nimr. Worse still, the kingdom is now embroiled in an unpopular military intervention in neighbouring Yemen, to restore a former president to office. Saudi Arabia is being assisted by Sunni Arab States like Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Qatar, in this military intervention. It has mounted relentless air strikes in Yemen, resulting in the displacement of 2.5 million Yemenis. As much as 78 per cent of the Yemeni population is in desperate need of water, food and medical assistance. To add fuel to fire, American defence companies have reportedly supplied weapons and equipment to Saudi Arabia, at an estimated cost $1.29 billion, for precision bombing.Iran has been blamed for supporting the opposition to the Saudis mounted by Yemeni Shia Houthis. Iran has partnered Shia-dominated Iraq, the Bashar al-Assad-led Shia-dominated government in Syria and the Shia Hezbollah in Lebanon, to challenge the Sunni armed opposition in Syria, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. These developments have followed the American invasion and ouster of Saddam Hussein’s Sunni-dominated government in neighbouring Iraq and its replacement by the Shia-dominated regime of Nouri al-Maliki. The Maliki dispensation disempowered Sunnis, triggering a civil war and the emergence of the ISIL. Moreover, ill-advised American support for the effort to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria  has led to the exodus of millions of Syrians from their homes. It has also triggered a refugee exodus into the heart of the European Union. The ISIL has, meanwhile, emerged as a potent force, creating prospects for strife across the Islamic world, which threatens regional and global security.Washington may believe that this situation will end by crushing the ISIL militarily in Iraq and Syria, which it may well be able to achieve, in a year or more. But the “Jihadi Johns” from Europe and their jihadi comrades, who have come from fellow Arab/Islamic countries, to make common cause with the ISIL, will disperse to havens in Libya and elsewhere, including in their own countries. The flow of ISIL supporters to Libya, which was torn apart by American-French-British military intervention, will inevitably result in efforts to destabilise Saudi Arabia and many of its Arab partners. In his last “State of the Union Address”, President Barack Obama presented a bleak picture of the prevailing situation in the Islamic World, extending from Pakistan and Afghanistan, to Turkey. He proclaimed: “Instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world, in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in tracts of Central Asia. Some of these places may become safe havens for new terrorist networks; others would fall victim to ethnic conflict, or famine, feeding the next wave.” Interestingly, these developments have led to tacit alliance between Saudi Arabia and Israel. One sincerely hopes that Iran will not return to the rhetoric of the years on President Ahmadinejad, who spoke of “wiping Israel off the map”. With the end of sanctions on Iran, the US would try to become more evenhanded on Saudi-Iranian rivalry. But the Saudi-Israeli partnership will carry considerable clout in Washington. Saudi efforts to forge an alliance of 34 Sunni Islamic countries, ostensibly to deal with the challenges posed by the ISIL and Iran, have, in the meantime, not succeeded in getting firm commitments of military support from its members. Pakistan has two defence agreements with Saudi Arabia, signed in 1982 and 2005, to provide Riyadh with military assistance, if its security is threatened. Nawaz Sharif has, however, endeavoured to be seen to be even-handed in conflicts between his two “Muslim brothers”, in his recent visits to Riyadh and Tehran. With nuclear sanctions against Iran ended, the entire region is now the subject of global attention, with Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran. The Emir of Qatar, which hosts the US central command, has visited Moscow, primarily to discuss the Syrian crisis. With President Obama determined to showcase the normalisation of relations with Iran as a major achievement, the unease in Riyadh and Doha is palpable. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia have made it clear that they see China as their primary market for increased oil exports. India will have to move dexterously in meeting these challenges in its western neighbourhood.  While moving ahead with strengthening its close relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel — the major powers in West Asia — New Delhi will have to prepare for contingencies affecting the safety of its nationals living in the region.  With falling oil prices, India’s partners in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council will be unable to increase recruitment of expatriates from India. The flow of remittances from Indians abroad would not increase, as in the past. While the end of sanctions against Iran will lead to an increase in its oil revenues, the main beneficiaries of increased interaction with Iran will initially be China and European powers. We share common interests with Iran on Taliban extremism in Afghanistan, and transit to Afghanistan and Central Asia. It would serve our interests well if the Prime Minister visited Saudi Arabia, Iran and Oman, whose leadership has been consistently friendly to us this year.

Monday 25 January 2016 15.45 GMTLast modified on Monday 25 January 201615.46 GMT

Ajay Banerjee,Tribune News Service,New Delhi, February 11

An Indian Army officer, Capt Shikhar Deep, of Sikh Light Regiment, has gone missing under mysterious circumstances after boarding a train in Bihar.He was travelling on train Mahananda Express from Katihar to Delhi during the intervening night of February 6 and 7.The officer did not reach his destination and went missing during transit.His father Lt Col Anant Kumar has told the Army that his son had spoken to him from onboard the train on February 6 at 10.40 am.Sikhar Deep (25) has told his family that two persons who did not have confirmed tickets were in his compartment.The Captain’s relative arrived at Delhi station and did not find him but his belongings were in the train, this included shoes clothes and an empty wallet.The phone of the Captain was last at a location at a hotel in Bihar Sharief in Bihar in the morning on February 7 before being switched off.

The growing trust deficit and one-upmanship not only amongst the security agencies but also individuals responsible for security-related matters is a matter of concern. A cursory analysis of the two recent anti-terrorist operations in Punjab drives home this point.

A typical post-terrorist strike scenario is re-enacted time and again in our country. The attack on the Air Force Base (AFB), Pathankot, despite available prior intelligence  brings to the fore the same weather-beaten shortcomings; poor intelligence sharing, lack of coordination and standing operating procedures between security agencies, command-and-control problems, inadequate and inappropriate equipment etc. Availability of early and actionable intelligence is the start point for effective counter actions but has seldom been provided by intelligence agencies. In the case of Pathankot air base, prior intelligence was available but timely dissemination to  security agencies concerned was definitely not done. A clear indicator was the confused planning and inappropriate response. At what stage the BSF was provided (or not provided) this information/ intelligence is not clear. Now to expect them to admit and pinpoint undetected infiltration is very unlikely and mere conjecture.The terrain along the International Border (IB), especially the stretches of the riverine terrain, is vulnerable. The shortcomings have long been assessed and requisite counter-measures should have been in place. We repeatedly shut the stable gate with moth-eaten wood, thereby providing a recipe for reoccurrence sooner rather than later. The Air Force and the Army were also clearly out of the dissemination loop. Nothing could be more telling than the fact that the terrorists managed to breach the perimeter of the AFB and the Defence Service Corps personnel were caught napping, busy with their daily chores. The early induction of the NSG and late arrival of the Army on the scene is clearly indicative that the latter had no initial information. The delay in dissemination of real-time information available with the Punjab Police (PP) to the military is unpardonable. The flaws at Gurdaspur were distinct; complete lack of intelligence enabled the terrorists to reconnoitre and ensconce themselves in a building before the police reacted. The Army was requisitioned by the civil authorities but strangely they were not permitted to get into action. as evidently the DGP, PP wanted to prove his credentials and that of his force in handling such situations. This one-upmanship took toll of precious time and human loss as the DGP drove down from whereever he was and the Army columns just stood by twiddling their thumbs. Post the operation, amidst much bravado by the police SWAT personnel and the din of loud cheers, the poor conduct of the operation and the wasteful act of not utilising the Army were forgotten. Also, since the state did not allow the National Intelligence Agency to investigate, opportunity was lost to take remedial measures. At Pathankot, a high-ranking police officer was kidnapped under mysterious circumstances. As he yelled blue murder, no heed was paid to him for almost 14 hours. Was it sheer disbelief or trust deficit within the police force (affected by the past nefarious conduct of the police officer in question) or an effort to cover up some tracks? Post this operation, the Deputy Chief Minister’s statement that there is a need to strengthen the deployment of the BSF along the India-Pak border in the state and the intention to make Punjab Police a second line of defence carries merit. However, for this to fructify while the onus of upgrading the BSF troops is on the Home Ministry, for Punjab Police to change tack lies with the state government. The foremost need is to make a dramatic shift in the present work culture of the state’s police — from a “Politicians’ Police” to a “Peoples’ Police”. They need to reorient their intelligence grid (upwards from the village level) in close coordination with the Army and BSF intelligence setups and neutralise the drug nexus (reportedly involving politicians, central and state police forces personnel, rich businessmen and the smugglers’ cartel). This requires additional manpower, which is readily available if the politicians are willing to reduce the number of police personnel on their protection duty (which basically fulfils their desire for personal aggrandisement) and the red, blue and orange lights culture! Availability of manpower will allow the police to train better and perform wholeheratedly their duties, particularly patrolling and traffic control. The problem of command and control between various security agencies is perennial. The BSF, or for that matter all CAPFs and even a paramilitary force like the Assam Rifles, officered by Army officers, function under the Home Ministry. These seldom agree to function under the Army and are always looking back towards their line of command rather than operational requirements. Repeated display of one-upmanship in handling such situations at the Centre’s  level definitely shows a trust deficit in the Army. Like in Mumbai 26/11, also in Pathankot, the National Secuirty Adviser (NSA) took the call to send in the NSG ahead of the Army. The NSA has an advisory role but he seems to be moving to an executive role against all norms. The roles of the Army vis-a vis the NSG, are clear and criss-crossing of turfs only adds to confusion. Nothing could be more flawed then remote controlling a situation like this, sitting at Delhi without any knowledge of ground realities. In calling in the NSG, no lessons seem to have been learnt after Mumbai 26/11, where vital hours were lost in getting the NSG into the act. No attempt was made to requisition the trained Infantry battalion located close by at Colaba or for that matter, to drive in infantry troops from Pune. At Pathankot it was a repeat. Again time was lost in flying in the NSG; whereas the immediate call should have been to rush in troops from the large trained force of infantry available close at hand; or, to fly in the crack special troops at Nahan. Forgotten was the fact that all Infantry battalions are well trained and capable of handling varied terrorist-related situations. Even in peace stations, especially in the vicinity of the International Border in sensitive areas like the Pathankot corridor, the vulnerable areas or points are identified, operations planned and rehearsed with quick-reaction teams on standby. An enhanced surveillance grid can be established in a very short time. The AFB, Pathankot, without doubt is an important vulnerable area, so keeping the Army out of the loop made no sense. One-upmanship showed up between ministries too. The Home Ministry was at the forefront, with the Ministry of Defence visibly on the backfoot. While the Defence Minister blows hot, the Home Minister shows a carrot.  Handling of grave situations cannot be done in such a lop-sided way or to prove a point. There is no shortcut to unity in security matters. For comprehensive national security, turf wars and parochialism has to be shed, issues of command and control have to be resolved without delay. A must is NSG must be headed by an Army officer and immediate intelligence sharing with those who have to act on it. Requirements of hi-tech equipment have to be met. For this, the post of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has to be created. We need to move from trust deficit and one-upmanship to mutual trust and unity. The writer is former Commandant, IMA & ex-Chairman, PPSC.

Col Ramesh Davesar (retd)

The country needs more Muslims in armed forces

Let us for a moment set aside the politico-religious aspects and purely focus on the socio-economic aspirations of Muslims. Due to various factors, Muslims are devoid of requisite employment opportunities. This needs to be addressed on priority.

In the backdrop of the socio-political scenario and to counter developments to destabilise the communal equilibrium for myopic interests, one finds that so-called “minority-welfare initiatives” launched are counter-productive. The net result is, let alone improve the socio-economic status of Muslims, it has made them easy prey to politicians and, to some extent, also to the fundamentalists.Explore job opportunities for  approximately the 10 crore Muslim youth not only to enhance their mainstream presence but also keep them away from being exploited by vested lobbies is a crucial issue. I often wonder, while all other employment avenues are discussed, why  are the armed forces, which provide equitable opportunities to all sections, are ignored and  not promoted amongst the Muslim youth by their own leaders? The result is that the representation of Muslims in the armed forces is woefully low. Therefore, we need to discuss the genesis of  poor representation and explore the remedial measures to facilitate their entry into the armed forces. This would assist in mitigating their socio-economic inequalities and incentivise their participation in nation building. Before proceeding further,  it is imperative to understand the recruitment modalities.  After Independence, keeping in mind our multi-ethnic society, and in order to provide equal opportunity to all citizens (particularly the under-represented sections), in 1949, the erstwhile British legacy of “Fixed Class Composition” was replaced with the indigenised policy of “All India All Class Composition,” thus implying that the units would have “mixed class culture”. In order to ensure equality to all, it was further streamlined during the 1970s, whereby the states were allotted the recruitment quota based on their “Recruitable Male Population” (RMP).To sum up, the current procedure provides equal opportunities to all Indian subjects, irrespective of religious affiliations. Thus it makes it all the more incumbent on Muslims to explore a military career.  It is prudent to highlight the contributions of Muslims in the armed forces. A majority of us, including Muslims themselves, are unaware of their sacrifice in defending the nation, which irrespective of numbers, has been on a par with others. Brigadier Usman and his brother Brigadier Gufran, in spite of professional luring from Pakistan, chose to stay back with the Indian Army. The former, known as “Saviour of Jhangar”  laid down his life and was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC). Later, Havaldar Abdul Hamid was awarded the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) in the 1965 war. His martyrdom is an embodiment of a supreme sacrifice for the nation. Contributions in military hierarchy have been equally commendable. So far, we have had one Air Chief, two Army Commanders and a host of two and three-star generals. Brigadier Sharif, known for his administrative skills, was picked up to to set up  the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA),  Mussoorie.They have carved out an indelible niche in academics and defence research. The present Vice Chancellor of Aligarh University is a retired three-star general. A leading defence analyst is also an Army veteran and a retired Lt-General commendably commanded the Corps in the Valley and is a voracious writer on security matters. Iconic sacrifices and services must be utilised by Muslims to motivate their youth to join the armed forces. Why should Muslims, with a 14.3  per cent population share, just account for 2 per cent in the armed forces. In striking contrast, despite mass-scale immigration and attractive employment options, the Sikhs, another minority with a paltry 1.72 per cent population share, have 15 and 20 per cent share in other ranks and officers’ categories, respectively. Similarly, the Christians, with 2.3 per cent population share, have matching representation in the armed forces. Of late, there is welcome increase of Muslims’ intake in the civil services and the IPS by over 3 per cent and is presently pegged at 3.31 and 3.66 per cent, respectively. Similarly, there is a perceptible increase in  the states’ police  and the Central Armed Police Forces. Why has the option for the armed forces been stagnant?Primarily, it is parents, society and academics who play important role in shaping and motivating the youth to select  a career. All Punjabis, (including those in West Punjab) in general and Sikhs in particular, have imbibed family and community support, motivation by the educational and religious institutions to channel youth to opt for a military career. Rightly so, the Punjabis not only enjoy a sizeable presence in India but also dominate the military in Pakistan. As a Punjabi, I vividly recall my formative years and the preaching of elders highlighting the nobility of an Army career during various social,  family and the religious congregations calling upon youth to join the armed forces. With great pain, one finds these aspects are inexplicably missing amongst Muslims. Apart from the national effort, which undoubtedly must speed up, it is the “in-house” initiatives which must provide initial grooming and motivation. First of all, the parents, who, by citing the contributions made by their community both during the pre and post-Independence epoch, must encourage and motivate their wards to choose an Army career. Educational institutions, most importantly the “community-run” institutions must take over to further channel the youth towards a military career. In order to achieve the desired recruitment trajectory, Muslim military veterans must get together to plan long-term strategy and  organise seminars, workshops and conduct lectures as also hold “Defence Exhibitions” to motivate youth at school, college and university levels. Further, to promote “inclusive community participation”, the services of Muslim political as well as religious leaders who are looked up to and heeded with reverence must be solicited. Their influence on the youth must be utilised to shed diffidence and opt for a career in the Army. The writer is a veteran.