A recent order by defence minister Nirmala Sitaram, to open up cantonment road for general public has created an uproar. While the general public seems to be rejoicing the decision as this has genuinely lessened some of it’s pain in commute but the armed forces community seems to be disheartened and is still assessing the issues that can be because of this decision.

Irrespective of who is right, one thing for sure has happened and has happened for the first time and that is both communities seem to be against each other. Kudos to Nirmala Sitaraman on achieving this.

Some of the concerns which have been voiced are mainly arising out of safety and security of highly sensitive areas, which also falls under the preview of these cantonments.

Concerns related to the safety of families who generally stay alone, as men would be posted far from their homes for duty, serving the nation has also been raised.

But there is one moot point which somehow seems to be missing.

Why do you think that such a mechanism was created, why did we create a secluded society which has its own area marked with no access/restricted access to general public / civilians? Why do they have their own schools/colleges, shopping malls(Canteens), their own mess for wining and dining and their own temple/mosque/gurudwara (all clubbed in one)? Their own police, their own courts? And then also ensuring that no one settles in any specific location by enforcing frequent transfers.

Why was such a setup created, a very secluded, kind of a cocoon? A world of its own. A society of its own type?

Army’s ability to function as the most reliable agency for the State comes from this very secluded nature of the institution. Why do police fail in controlling riots? Well, one of the reasons says – because they start associating themselves with rioters and instead of controlling, they start participating with them. The rioter could be his next door neighbour, the stone palter could be neighbor’s son, and so on and so forth. And even if the policemen want to remain unbiased he still carries the risk, as he has to go back to those same people, the same society which won’t be easy as you were tough on them.

That’s where army comes in. It is these same men who are staying in those cantonment, secluded, untouched, unrelated and unbiased to the outside world who come and finally help control situations like strikes and riots……leave terrorism aside, I am not even going there! They could do this only because for them everyone is same, everyone is unknown and no relation with anyone whatsoever. No religion, no caste, a totally pure unbiased approach to the situation. They just follow what State desires.

The strength and character of the institution derives lot of power from this very protective and secluded setup that has been created for them. The institution has successfully remained apolitical and secular even in these times where so much of negativity is flying.

The similar restrictions are put even on social media, where these men have been asked asked officially not to be part of any social media. No mingling at all.

If we want at least one agency to be able to work without any biases and deliver when all odds are against you, then please don’t touch this very basic setup. Understand this, the restriction is not on civilians, although it may look like, but the truth is that all these restrictions are placed on these men and their families.

There was no intention to trouble civil population, in fact for this reason, the cantonments are setup out of the town, it’s just that these towns have overgrown themselves beyond the cantonment areas leading to some trouble to public.

If required, Army should agree to uproot and setup a base outside the town but not accept this dictum. This is detrimental to the fabric of the institution, mark my word.

The blast occurred between Sugan and Chillipora area. ANI

Srinagar, May 28

Three soldiers were on Monday injured in an IED blast triggered by militants in Shopian area of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.

Another IED was detected near the scene of the incident soon after.

“Militants in the wee hours of Monday blasted an IED when an Army vehicle was passing from the area on Turkwangan road near Zainpora in Shopian district,” a police spokesman said.

He said militants had planted the IED near the water tank which was set off early morning when an Army vehicle was passing through the area.

The vehicle suffered damage due to the blast and the three jawans inside the vehicle were injured. The injured were rushed to hospital, the spokesman said.

“It is learnt that militants after triggering the blast escaped from the spot. Bomb disposal squad deployed at the site of the blast recovered a second IED from the site,” he said.

The spokesman said sanitisation of the area is underway to clear the track for vehicular movement. PTI

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24

Lt Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi (retd), one of India’s most highly decorated generals, is no more. He passed away in New Delhi at of 97.Fondly known as “Zoru” by friends, Lt Gen Bakshi was decorated for gallantry with the Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Mention-in-Despatches, besides being awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service. Those who knew him said he was a strict disciplinarian who remained an icon and a source of inspiration to the past and present generations of officers.Gen Bakshi hailed from Gulyana village near Rawalpindi in Pakistan, where he was born in 1921. His father Bahadur Bakshi Lal Chand served with the erstwhile British Indian Army and was decorated with the Order of British India.After graduating from Rawalpindi’s Gordon College in 1942, he was commissioned into the Baloch Regiment 1943. His first major engagement was against the Japanese in Burma in World War II, where he was Mentioned-in-Despatches for overcoming a heavily-fortified Japanese position.After the liberation of Burma, he participated in the operations to liberate Malaysia from Japanese control, earning a fast-track promotion to the rank of a Major for his role. After Partition in 1947, he was transferred to 5th Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army and soon after saw action during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1947-1948, where he was awarded the Vir Chakra in July 1948. In 1949, he received the MacGregor Medal, awarded to Indian armed forces personnel for valuable reconnaissance.In the 1965 war, he was instrumental in the capture of the strategic Haji Pir Pass in the Uri Sector from Pakistan forces, for which he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. He was commanding a brigade given the difficult task of capturing Basali, Haji Pir and Kahuta, which was vital for the Uri-Poonch link-up. His citation states that throughout this operation, Brigadier Bakshi remained in the forefront and displayed a high standard of planning and tactical skill, combined with outstanding leadership, determination and camaraderie in sharing the hardships of his troops.In the early 1960s, he led his battalion in a United Nations operation in Congo. In 1969-1970, he took part in counter-insurgency operations in the North-East. During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, he oversaw operations in the crucial Chicken’s Neck area in the Sialkot sector, capturing territory from enemy control. During his 36-year service, he commanded the Second Battalion of 5 GR, 68 Infantry Brigade, 8 and 26 Mountain Divisions and the C Corps at Chandimandir, before retiring in 1979. He also served as the Military Secretary at Army Headquarters.

Our Correspondent

KULLU, MAY 21

The parents of Lieutenant Commander Pratibha Jamwal belonging to Mohal village of this district, who has brought laurels to the valley by circumnavigating the globe as part of an all-women Navy crew, are proud of their daughter, who returned back on Monday after the successful voyage.“Being among the chosen six was a rare honour for our daughter who has always been very brave and fearless since her childhood,” says Ravi Jamwal, her father.Pratibha got her primary education in Mohal and did her plus two from a private school. She completed her B Tech in communication and electronic engineering from a private engineering college in Baddi.During her last year of engineering course, she cleared the SSB and joined the Indian Navy in 2011.Pratibha’s father stated that his daughter was a brilliant student and had been securing scholarship since Class X.He said he was very proud to have a daughter like Pratibha. He said that the state government should recognize such historic achievement so that more girls of the hill state were motivated towards serving the country by joining the armed forces.He said the crew members were welcomed back by the Defence Minister and they will meet the Prime Minister on Tuesday.

Pune, May 22

Soldier Chandu Babulal Chavan, who had “inadvertently” strayed across the Line of Control (LoC) in 2016 after the surgical strikes and spent nearly four months in captivity in Pakistan, has sought premature retirement.Chavan, 24, who was admitted to the psychiatry ward in Military Hospital at Kirkee here, has written a letter to his seniors requesting them to relieve him from service, saying he is “disturbed”.The soldier, from 37 Rashtriya Rifles, had gone missing on September 29, 2016 after he “inadvertently” crossed the LoC, following which the Pakistan Army had taken him into custody. He was handed over to the Indian Army four months later.After returning, Chavan, who hails from Dhule district, faced a sentence for leaving his post without informing his seniors and was later transferred to the Armed Corps Centre at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. Chavan, who was discharged from the hospital yesterday, said he was seeking retirement as he was “disturbed after whatever happened to him in the last two years”. “I have written to my seniors and requested them to prematurely discharge me from my duties and give me pension,” he told PTI.Chavan said the Army provided him all possible help and he had no complaints.A Southern Command officer, however, said they have not received any letter from Chavan.”We are yet to know the fact as no letter from him has been received so far,” the officer said.Indian Army Special Forces had conducted a Surgical Strikes along LoC on September 29, 2016, and had caused severe damage on Pakistani Terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT). PTI 

Inter-Services Public Relations DG Asif Ghafoor’s offer of the Pak army’s willingness to engage with India in talks could open up vast avenues for peace in the subcontinent.

Pravin Sawhney

Editor, FORCE

The conditional ceasefire announced by the Central government in Jammu and Kashmir during the month of Ramzan should hold longer than expected by most. Not because the Modi government has had a change of heart on its Kashmir policy, but because the Pakistan army is likely to give enough time to the international community (the US, China and Russia) to persuade India to move towards conflict resolution, however, slowly.Interestingly, the director-general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate, Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor, while recently interacting with visiting Indian journalists, said the Pakistan army is willing to join its civilian leadership in talks with India. This development, a first, could open up vast avenues for peace in the subcontinent.For one, the bilateral talks, if they happen, would not get hampered by Pakistan’s impending general election or the existing political upheaval there or the possibility of misrepresentation of Pakistan’s viewpoint by its civilian leadership. For another, the Indian ceasefire and concomitant positivity from the Pakistan army to enter direct talks would open up an entirely new phase in the bilateral relationship: from Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) which have failed to bring peace, to conflict resolution, including military CBMs which hold enormous promise to eventually tackle the most difficult issue about the future of Kashmir.Ghafoor’s sensational offer followed his army chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s call to seek a resolution of all disputes with India, including J&K, by peaceful means. The Pakistan army has been trying since 2009 to open direct talks with India. In 2009, quite unexpectedly, the ISI chief, Lt-Gen Shuja Pasha, attended the Iftar party given by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. There he met India’s defence attaché and floated the idea of having parallel talks with the Pakistan army alongside the civil dispensation. The idea did not go far.Moreover, the ‘comprehensive bilateral dialogue’ format agreed to by the Modi government in December 2015 was unprecedented, in that the Pakistan army had its way while allowing India to save face. After the fiasco over the Ufa statement where India had insisted that only terrorism would be discussed by the two NSAs, on October 22, 2015, Rawalpindi replaced Pakistan’s civilian NSA, Nawaz Sharif’s appointee Sartaj Aziz, with the recently retired Lt-Gen Nasser Khan Janjua, considered close to the army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif. Therefore, while India had its way of holding talks between the NSAs in Bangkok, for the first time it was talking with the Pakistan army.With a civilian government in Islamabad, India had difficulty in talking with the Pakistan army for a number of reasons. The Pakistan army is seen as the enemy directly responsible for the proxy war in Kashmir. India prides itself as a democracy; hence, with an elected government in Islamabad, direct talks with the army would not be in order. Also, India would not like to set a precedent by holding high-level government talks with the Pakistan army, fearing that with time, the Indian military — which is outside the security policymaking loop — would want to be inside it. Finally, Indian diplomats do not like the idea of sharing their exclusive space with military officers; notwithstanding the fact that the present warfare has complex nuances which the diplomats are ignorant about.Despite India’s politically correct arguments for talking with Islamabad and not Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi at the same time, the truth is that results will only accrue when the real power centre in Pakistan is addressed directly. This is how Pakistan works and India can do little about it. For example, years of structured bilateral talks under the rubric of Composite Dialogue with Islamabad have never moved beyond confidence building measures. The CBMs, by definition, are as good as the political will available on the two sides. When a civilian government in Pakistan talks peace with India, it has to look over its shoulders for its army’s nod.There is a bigger problem. The BJP’s ideological mentor, the RSS, maintains that unification of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, without the use of force, is possible. Unlike Vajpayee, who spoke in generalities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a hardcore rightist, so there is little possibility of his government talking about the Kashmir resolution which would usher in permanent peace and stability. True to his ideology, Modi, while reviewing the unrest in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in July 2016, made it clear that India would only talk about the return of PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan with Pakistan.Notwithstanding all this, there is still a way forward. The two sides could talk security-related issues under the February 1999 Lahore Declaration’s memorandum of understanding. Instead of the strategic restrain regime suggested by the Pakistan army after the 1998 nuclear tests, the two sides could start with humble beginnings. A review of impending defence technologies which are expected to alter the strategic and operational (war-fighting) balance, to include space, cyber and sea-based deterrence, would be of interest to the Pakistan army. India’s argument that it would not discuss defence issues with Pakistan is no longer valid after the Pakistan and Chinese military have developed credible inter-operability (ability to fight together).Moreover, since the US, Russia and China have their own interests in securing peace between India and Pakistan, they would impress upon India to take the correct path to end unnecessary bloodshed on both sides. Perhaps, a beginning could be made at the coming SCO military exercise which would see the armies of India, Pakistan, Russia and China exercising together.

Brig Gurinder Singh (Retd)

IN 1988 my battalion moved to Siachen Glacier. We all were anxious and overawed by exaggerated stories/rumours about life in the highest war zone of the world. It was already September, there was not enough time before the long and severe winter would set in and some of the posts would remain cut off for six months. When it came to occupy a small, precariously located post to be manned by eight men led by a Havildar, the Company Commander made an emotive invocation for volunteers to step out. Even before he finished, Havildar Nathu Khan offered to be the post commander.The next day at 3.30 am, Nathu Khan led his men to the post and got down to taking over the operational responsibility. The post, 30 ft by 20 ft and dominated by enemy fire and observation, lay in the avalanche-prone zone. A wonderful view down the slopes was the only consolation. Over the next few days, Nathu and his men double-checked every bit of stocking of ration, medicines, kerosene and other provisions. They all wrote letters back home to wives, mothers and children (there were no mobiles then) before they were cut off in end November.Then it began to snow heavily and isolation began to test Nathu’s team. The men faced the vagaries of weather cheerfully, but the routine of shovelling tons of snow every few hour and very restricted space for movement were irksome. Much to the relief of the men, the sun shone for three continuous days in the first week of February. The same month, a minor avalanche hit the post and destroyed a bunker. There were no casualties but some rations and provisions were swept away. Nathu kept his flock together in the safest bunker till the avalanche warning receded. When he took stock of the losses, it emerged that apart from some rations, the entire stock of matchboxes were lost in the landslide. With at least three months to go, the only source of fire was a lone wick burning at the top of a kerosene-filled bottle. Nathu and his men resolved to keep the wick burning. It was always guarded by one of the men through blizzard and windy conditions, till the route opened in May.A year after the glacier tenure, Nathu chose to seek premature retirement. By then I had become his Company Commander. I tried to persuade him not to leave but in vain. Later, he invited me to his village in Sikar for the inauguration of his house. After all the guests had left, I asked him about his experience on that isolated post and how he kept the wick burning for three months in those severe conditions. Looking in the distance, he said: ‘I secretly thought of the batti as the beti I never had (Nathu has three sons), and named it Umeed. I decided to care for it the way I would for my daughter — aur beti kab saath chhodti hai?’

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 26

The NCC of Panjab University organised an interactive session with the Commanding Officer (CO), 2 Chandigarh Battalion, for the cadets of the university. An annual report of all activities undertaken was presented. CO MK Sharma boosted the morale of the cadets with his motivational thoughts. Lt (Dr) Kuldeep Singh, Coordinator NCC, extended a vote of thanks to the CO for his support to the NCC Panjab University during his tenure. On the occasion, DIG Hemant Kumar (BSF), 50 cadets and others were presen