Smita Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 21

India is expanding its Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and offering the Coastal Surveillance Radar Technology (CSRS) to several countries as it increases its defence diplomacy.

The radar surveillance that was conceived post the 2008 Mumbai attacks to strengthen coastal security through electronically transmitted data and integrated stations has been now offered to some additional 30 countries of which nearly 12 have inked agreements and it is under active implementation in some 10 countries. According to sources, India is now close to commissioning a chain of stations in the island nation of Maldives, which saw the ouster of pro-China autocratic President Yameen in elections last year and a friendly Solih government took shape. Incidentally, Maldives was a major stumbling block for CSRS cleared in 2011.

Maldivian Defence Minister will be in Delhi on an official visit next week and the second round of dialogue mechanism formed at level of Defence secretaries in 2016 will soon happen.

While an older version of the radar stations systems is already functional in Srilanka and Mauritus, the process is under way in Seychelles and capabilities have been offered to Mozambique and Madagascar, said sources. Discussions are also underway with Bangladesh and at an advanced stage with Myanmar which is acquiring military equipments too from India, sources added.

“We have offered this to Thailand. And we have offered a pilot project to Indonesia to develop it for an island, which can be scaled up later,” said an official privy to discussions adding that the White Shipping agreements data will be collated into this integrated system.

Defence sources added that military engagements have increased significantly with West Asian countries.UAE is looking at India as a potential source of defence equipments with some key contracts signed, while India is exploring possibility of a first ever joint army exercise with Egypt.

“Egyptians have strong commitment to counter terrorism, so we hope they will have some spare capacity. Jordan and Morocco are engaging more actively with us,” an official remarked.

However, sources underlined that India is not ready to step up its military exercises at level of Quadrilateral grouping or to include Australia in Malabar exercises despite Canberra’s keenness.

Sources say India would like to see further enhancement of bilateral military ties with Australia which saw Indian Air Force for the first time participate in Exercise Pitch Black last year in Darwin. Meanwhile, procedures have been cleared for India to soon depute a Defence Attache to the US Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain as was agreed upon during the inaugural Indo-US 2+2 dialogue last year, said sources.

A STEPPING STONE: Both governments are bound to come up with infrastructure, but modalities for pilgrims will define the corridor’s success.

Jadhav case will test Pakistan’s intentions for durable peace
Vivek Katju
Ex-secretary, ministry of external affairs

India-Pakistan relations are in the doldrums. There are no tailwinds to propel them, howsoever briefly, in a positive direction; the Kartarpur Sahib corridor ‘fizz’ had the durability of a Navjot Sidhu quip in the larger context of bilateral ties. There is a danger of headwinds arising out of heightened tensions and intense exchanges of fire along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir but neither government would like these winds to gather momentum in the Lok Sabha election season. The Indian media, too, has presently no great appetite for India-Pakistan issues as political matters offer far more lucrative prospects for grabbing eyeballs, though the Kulbhushan Jadhav case hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on February 18-21 may be an exception.

These points made, the present stage of preparations for the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, the situation along the LoC and the IB in J&K and upcoming Kulbhushan Jadhav hearing merit serious attention. So do the verbal volleys hurled by Prime Minister Imran Khan against India and his Indian counterpart as does the sparring between the two foreign ministries on Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Supreme Court’s order on Gilgit-Baltistan.

Both governments will have to put in place the physical infrastructure to enable Indian pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib. A Pakistani official told an Indian newspaper recently that 35 per cent of the work has been done. The first phase, expected to be completed by September, would enable the pilgrimage to commence. Union Minister for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri assured the media recently that the main road to the international border and the specific corridor will be completed in a ‘time-bound manner’. There is little doubt that neither government would like to give the other a handle for propaganda on account of incomplete physical works. Hence, infrastructure of some kind will come up.
The more problematic aspect would relate to working out the modalities of the pilgrimage. Indian officials would have to ensure that Pakistan does not misuse the pilgrimage for damaging India’s security and promoting anti-India sentiment, especially by giving free play to Khalistani propaganda. Reports indicate that Pakistan has already given a draft agreement to India, limiting the number of daily pilgrims to 500 in groups of at least 15. The pilgrims would need passports but no visas for India would have to give advance lists of names for Pakistani vetting. Puri has correctly said these issues need to be discussed between the two sides, though according to a section of the media, PM Modi indicated that Indian pilgrims would be able to go to Kartarpur Sahib without visas. In this season of elections, the PM could also not resist implicitly blaming the Congress for allowing Kartarpur for going to Pakistan in 1947, though Puri pointed a finger at an ‘insensitive cartographer’.

India has blamed Pakistan for 2,936 ceasefire violations in 2018, the most since 2003 when both countries agreed to desist from such transgressions. On this New Year’s Day, Pakistan lodged a formal protest against the ‘ruthless’ firing by Indian security forces which killed a woman. Pakistan also claimed ‘ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation’. India formally protested against Pakistani firing that led to the death of an Indian woman. It also said, ‘We protest Pakistan’s continued support to cross-border terrorist infiltration into India, including supporting cover fire provided by the Pakistani forces.’ Both countries’ statements are in keeping with their traditional positions on the issue.
During the first three weeks of this year, sniper and general firing as well as IEDs have caused fatalities, including those of a BSF Assistant Commandant and an Army Major, besides several civilian deaths. India’s responses have led to Pakistani deaths too. However, the situation, while regrettable, is not alarming and both countries will not allow it to go out of hand, though spikes may take place.

The Jadhav case hearing will be focused on the applicability to the Vienna Convention’s provision of consular access to him in the context of Pakistani charges (clearly false) of espionage and terrorism against him. Pakistan will press the precedence of the bilateral consular agreement over the convention. The case will give India and Pakistani media an occasion to trade charges on terrorism and political actors in both countries will get involved in statements and counter-statements. Pakistan has desisted from publicly giving out the names of the 13 Indians it wants to interrogate in connection with this entire concoction. It is believed that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior R&AW officers figure on the Pakistani list. Will Pakistan show prudence and avoid making the list public? This will be a test of its intentions.

Imran Khan’s invective against the BJP and his uncalled-for allusions against Modi have not been in consonance with his proclaimed desire for a serious dialogue to improve ties. He told a US newspaper that the BJP has ‘an anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan’ approach. He was critical of India’s treatment of its minorities. He also said the Indian elections prevented a dialogue. Modi has done well to reiterate that the resumption of the full dialogue process depends on Pakistan giving up terror.

In a far-reaching order, the Pakistan Supreme Court upheld that Gilgit-Baltistan can be given the status of a provisional province of Pakistan through a Presidential order and in so doing, Pakistan will not be in violation of UN resolutions. In reality this seeks to permanently change the area’s status. India has correctly rejected the move and recalled that it is Indian territory in Pakistan’s continued illegal occupation. The Pakistani step requires detailed attention.

Ludhiana, January 18

An equipment display was organised for children and youth of Ludhiana at Dholewal Military Station today. The theme of the event was ‘Know our forces’ and the aim was to deepen a sense of patriotism and motivate the children to join Armed Forces.

The equipment display was inaugurated by Brigadier Manish Arora, Station Commander, Ludhiana Military Station. The event was well received by the students and NCC cadets who attended the event.

A motivational lecture showcasing the ethos, achievements, and values of the Indian Army was also conducted during the event. The equipment display was in continuation with Military Band display at Khanna and a mini-marathon for children at Jagraon on January 15. — TNS

Vajra Air Defence Brigade showcases equipment

Lt Col Dogra, in her petition filed on Friday, claimed that her temporary posting to Kamptee entails her travelling from Jodhpur to Nagpur every time the court martial proceedings resume and this “deprives her of the fundamental right of tending to her infant child by being sent to different locations from Jodhpur which do not even provide the basic facility of crèche”.

A female lieutenant colonel, the mother of a two-year-old child, has approached the Supreme Court , alleging harassment by Indian Army authorities for posting her temporarily to a place that did not even have a crèche.

Lt Colonel Annu Dogra, 39, the petitioner in the case, is serving as an officer in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) department of the Indian Army in Jodhpur. In November 2018, she was posted to Kamptee in Nagpur district to act as judge advocate in the court martial of another officer. Her husband is also an army officer and is deputy JAG in Jodhpur.

Lt Col Dogra, in her petition filed on Friday, claimed that her temporary posting to Kamptee entails her travelling from Jodhpur to Nagpur every time the court martial proceedings resume and this “deprives her of the fundamental right of tending to her infant child by being sent to different locations from Jodhpur which do not even provide the basic facility of crèche”.

Lt Col Dogra said the temporary posting “entails her to undertake movement of over 1,600 km along with her child alone at a short notice.

This had led to “neglect of her very small child due to the absence of family and community based care arrangements at the current place of duty in Nagpur”, she said.

She also said that because of the attitude of the army, her husband has had to travel with her and take care of her child while she attended to her official duties.

Lt Col Dogra’s petition also said that her representations to higher authorities to relieve her of her duties in Kamptee on compassionate grounds had gone unheeded. The army’s move to post a woman officer with an infant to look after was is in violation of the National Policy for Children.

The policy was issued by the ministry of women and child development in 2013 and provides for the all-round development of children by protecting their rights.

“The policy advocates to provide and promote creche and day care facilities for children of working mothers, mothers belonging to poor families, ailing mothers and single parents and promote appropriate baby feeding facilities in public places and at workplaces for working mother in public, private and unorganized sector,” the petition said.

When contacted, an army spokesperson refused to comment on the matter.

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Don’t tinker with time-tested combat systems

Lt Gen SR Ghosh (retd

The debate on inducting women into combat has missed the woods for the trees. The central focus here is the ability of women to cope with difficulties of frontline infantry combat rather than it being a gender issue. Before the uninitiated start glamorising warfare, they must understand the harsh realities of being in actual combat, which is a far cry from soft operating environments of other jobs.

TOUGH JOB: Let alone women, even many men find it difficult to cope with the rigours that a combat soldier has to face.

Lt Gen SR Ghosh (retd)
Former GOC-in-C, Western Command

OVER 12 years after the then Vice Chief of the Army fired the first salvo, the present Army Chief carried out ‘carpet-bombing’ last month when he spoke his mind on the problems of inducting women into combat. In 2006, the Vice Chief had remarked that the comfort levels with women officers in the Army were low and that we could do without them. Right or wrong, he was pressured into making a public apology. Gen Bipin Rawat, in a recent interview to a news channel, reopened the debate when he stated that women in combat areas would have to be kept cocooned from prying eyes and that the Army could not have Commanding Officers of operational units getting pregnant and proceeding on long maternity leave.

The Army Chief’s views may not have been couched in diplomatese, but there definitely was merit in what he implied. Unfortunately, this has reignited an avoidable debate with indignant protests from women’s rights activists, IPS officers and even some military veterans. The arguments given by most of these people are based on superficial knowledge or experience of our combat arms and of warfare. Their reactions are based more on social issues of equal rights and feminism rather than on pragmatism, ranging from an absurd comparison with Jhansi ki Rani who “could even fight with her adopted son strapped to her back”, to the modern era where women succeeded in becoming airline pilots, Everest summiteers and champions in boxing and wrestling. One veteran commentator even suggested that the Army should induct women into combat roles quickly before the judiciary forced it to do so.

At the outset, it must be clarified that the capability of women in any field, be it politics, banking, civil services, business or sports, to name a few, has never been doubted. In the military, women doctors and nurses have served with distinction since time immemorial. Since 1992, women have also been commissioned into other branches of the Armed Forces, even though issues of their management and logistics keep cropping up from time to time. In 2015, the Indian Air Force inducted the first women as fighter pilots, while the Navy will probably soon allow them to be deployed on battleships.The fresh debate has unfortunately missed the woods for the trees. The central focus here is the ability of women to cope with the difficulties of frontline infantry combat rather than it being a gender issue. Before the uninitiated start glamorising warfare, they must understand the harsh realities of being in actual combat, which is a far cry from the soft operating environments of other jobs.

Combat means violence of the extreme kind where men are required to kill others at the cost of getting killed or wounded themselves. Combat means large-scale destruction and death all around from repeated barrages of artillery rockets, missiles and shells. The horrors and violence of combat are too many and can neither be sufficiently explained to nor understood by armchair specialists.Let alone women, even many men find it difficult to cope with the rigours that a combat soldier has to face. The physical and physiological capabilities of a woman to handle the difficulties and hazards that infantry soldiers encounter during operations and when involved in physical combat with an enemy, terrorist or insurgent have, therefore, to be understood in the correct perspective and not seen as a gender equality issue. The dangers and horrors of women officers being taken prisoner by the enemy and being violated, tortured and mutilated are too real to be brushed aside. Are we as a society prepared to see young girls, wives and mothers coming home in coffins or to live with their faces and bodies disfigured from gunshot wounds or with amputated arms and legs?

The Army would only get increasingly embroiled in conducting courts of inquiry and court martials in cases where privacy and authority of female officers were allegedly encroached upon, at the cost of carrying out critical operations against terrorists and insurgents.

In the overall context, is there really a compelling necessity to induct women into infantry or armoured units? Is the nation so short of physically and mentally fit male volunteers for combat units? The Army is in the serious business of protecting our borders and citizens from our enemies and violent terrorists. Warfare and combat are, therefore, best conducted by trained, hardy men led by tough commanders who live together, train together and fight together, at times to their last breath. This has nothing to do with gender bias or masculinity.

In case there really is such a strong demand of women wanting to be involved in some sort of physical combat, let us first use the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) such as the BSF, CRPF and ITBP as a test bed. The pan-India strength of women police personnel is just above seven per cent, whereas the share of women in the CAPF is an abysmal three per cent or less. Only a minuscule percentage of these are women officers. In fact, the BSF inducted its first direct-entry woman officer only in 2017, while the CRPF did so just a year before that. It would also be of interest to check how many IPS officers, male or female, are manning posts in CAPF battalions located in any operational area. The answer is probably zero.

Let us use this opportunity to blood our women IPS officers as company and battalion commanders in the BSF, ITBP and CRPF, where they will be able to lead troops in hostile operational areas, including anti-terrorist and insurgency operations.

Considering that the IPS cadre is short of about 1,000 officers, the government must seriously consider lateral induction of trained and experienced short-service women Army officers into the IPS. This will not only result in huge budgetary savings on induction and training, but also go a long way in filling critical vacancies in state police cadres.

Let not the focus of our military commanders be distracted from their primary job of destroying inimical forces from across the border. Let us also not tinker with the Army’s tried-and-tested combat systems or organisations at such critical times. Women officers are already posted in the Army’s combat and combat support arms such as the Engineers, Army Air Defence, Corps of Signals and Intelligence Corps. Add to these the fresh opportunities in language skills and military police now being offered by the Army Chief. These will provide more than sufficient avenues for women to showcase their organisational, intellectual and analytical skills in the Army without having to get into physical contact with an unpredictable enemy.

A soldier is operating to protect national interests. He has no choice in the matter. On the other hand, the civilians rush to the encounter site of their own volition. They also know that by obstructing the operations of the security forces, they are helping terrorists who have taken up arms against the State.

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 29

Northern Command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh on Saturday interacted with 20 girl students from various schools and colleges of Srinagar in Udhampur. The students had returned from a capacity-building tour organised under Operation Sadbhavana.

The tour was aimed at providing exposure to the students about the rich cultural heritage, diversity and economic growth of the country, besides giving them an insight into some of the leading educational institutes.

A Northern Command spokesman said the tour was flagged off by the Chief of the Staff, Chinar Corps, on December 19 and the students visited various places of historical and educational importance.

“Some of the important institutions visited by the students included Lady Hardinge Medical College, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Miranda House, Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. The students also visited various places of recreational interest in the national capital and returned with memories which the dust of time will not be able to fade,” the spokesman said.

Interacting with the students, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh exhorted them to work hard, dream big and contribute positively to nation-building.

The concerns raised by Rawat and those in the US military were interrogated by the US Army and published in 2015 the US Army Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center as a Gender Integration Stud

New Delhi: Should women in the Army be in combat roles? Like Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, the United States Military also had its reservations until 2015 when it initiated a detailed study to address their concerns.

Rawat, in an exclusive interview to CNN-News18, said that India wasn’t ready to see women in combat roles, and neither were women ready to be in those roles. Rawat spoke of a woman’s responsibility as a mother and said that they couldn’t be given six months maternal leave. He also said that the women might accuse soldiers of peeping while she changes clothes.

The United States, too, had its apprehension before it began admitting women in combat roles, while other countries such as Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany and Israel had already paved the way.

In 2013, after the US formally announced the move, the country took a massive research exercise to probe the concerns and concluded, “The Army should proceed with integrating women into previously closed combat arms MOS/units.”
The concerns raised by Rawat and those in the US military were interrogated by the US Army and published in 2015 the US Army Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center as a Gender Integration Study.

It concluded, “The Army should proceed with integrating women into previously closed combat arms MOS/units. To successfully integrate, the Army must address the following barriers: inconsistent enforcement of existing standards and perceptions of double standards; incidents of unprofessional behavior and indiscipline; fear of sexual harassment and assault; cultural stereotypes; and ignorance of current Army policy.”

Like India, the US army knew that there would be barriers. But the American gender integration model had some key differences to what India has been doing. For instance, while Rawat that a woman commanding officer would not get acceptance from jawans who come from villages, the US Army initiated a ‘leaders-first’ approach. The idea being that they would first focus on the integration of female officers and non-commissioned officers into combat units, before bringing in juniors in combat units in the hope that this would create mentors and role models.

Apart from this, the US Army’s integration plan also includes a plan for initiating a gender-neutral testing and training that would start with the trial rollout of a new, gender neutral physical training to address concerns that there were lower standards for physical training for women.

The 2015 study identified stereotypes that “women are emotionally weaker, less mentally resilient, and more emotional than men” or that it’s the “chivalrous duty of men to watch over women” or that “women will bring ‘feminine’ leadership styles” to the army. But argued, “Army must confront these broad cultural stereotypes about men and women, while simultaneously communicating the rationale and importance of integration.”

Another concern, regarding sexual harassment or as Rawat described, “peeping”, is also addressed in the study. But to mitigate these fears, the study spoke of the need for “sustained leader involvement”, educating soldiers and “training for conducting official Army investigation” and to “assign women together at the company-level in previously closed units to avoid isolation.”

In fact, as early as 1997, a study titled ‘New Opportunities for Military Women’ found that gender integration in the armed forces could lead to increased morale. “Gender integration also has some positively perceived effects upon morale…In addition, both women and men told us that men could discuss frustrations and other personal issues with female colleagues more than with men, and that this opportunity prevented them from seeking more destructive outlets, such as excessive drinking or fighting,” it said.