Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Doda, January 29

Doda took the lead this Republic Day to show residents’ unique style of patriotism towards the country, as two national flags were hoisted by the Indian Army on the old bridge of Pul Doda over the Chenab.

This was a unique gift given to the entire Chenab valley by the Army when, early on the morning of January 26, soldiers of the 10 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) hoisted the two national flags on the bridge and dedicated these to the people of Doda.

The bridge, made of wood and ropes, was closed to vehicular traffic after a concrete bridge was constructed over the river in early 1990s and now stands as a heritage site for posterity. The two national flags, 44-foot-high, are aloft the bridge on both banks of the Chenab, depicting the uniqueness of the 71st Republic Day.

The installation of the flags on the bridge was not an easy task for the Army as it had to manually construct the pillars and hoist the flags without the help of any crane or earthmoving machinery.

“It took one week for the Army to work on the old bridge and erect the poles without any use of modern-day technology. Due to the bad weather prevailing for a fortnight, there was no availability of cranes and latest machines in Doda, Batote, Udhampur and Kishtwar. Undeterred by the challenge, the Army decided to meet the deadline at any cost. Soldiers of the 10 RR, stationed in Doda, improvised methods and worked very hard to finally complete the work for the grand Indian Flags on both sides of the bridge on Pul Doda,” an officer of the Army said.

“The grand flags will make every passenger proud each time they pass through Pul Doda and fill their hearts with patriotism,” he added.

“LoC incidents have increased as (Pak) under pressure, they have lost Kashmir,” Naravane said.

CRPF personnel at the Latasil ground in Guwahati where artists, sculptors and others took part in a protest against the new citizenship law on Wednesday. (Express photo by Dasarath Deka)

The Army plans to draw down all its regular forces deployed in counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and internal security duties from the North-East in the next 18-24 months, to focus on conventional warfare, said Army Chief General M M Naravane.

He said that two battalions have already been taken off from such duties and the next drawdown will happen after the Bodoland elections in Assam are completed in June-July this year.

“The North-East is going through a very transitional phase, for the good. The security situation is improving as shown by the recent surrender of 600 members of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and other groups. We are working on a plan for the next 18-24 months on how to draw down regular forces from CI/CT/ internal security duties there,” General Naravane told The Indian Express.

“Two battalions have already been taken off. Once Bodoland elections are done in June-July and situation stabilises, we will release more troops,” he said.

“We will be committed fully on our long-term objective to focus on conventional warfare.”

Asked if a similar drawdown was the plan for the Kashmir Valley as well, the Army Chief said: “As I have said even earlier, the primary task is conventional warfare and that is our long-term goal. CI/CT is a short-term and immediate goal. We have not lost sight of long-term goal while focusing on short-term goals.”

He said that the number of ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan have spiked post August 5 when Article 370 was abrogated by the Centre and the state was split.

“Attempts are being made for terror activities (by Pakistan).Incidents on the LoC have increased as they are under pressure that they have lost Kashmir. It is desperation on their part as situation is better in Kashmir. Stonepelting, ambushes, IEDs. all the incidents have come down.”

General Naravane said that the XVII Corps (Panagarh in West Bengal) and IX Corps (Yol, near Dharamsala) have been selected as the one where Integrated Battle Group (IBG) model of restructuring is being first employed. It will, thereafter, be implemented in other corps, as it “lends itself to wars of the future” and also “lends itself to theatrisation”.

The Army Chief said the Army has sent its budgetary requirements and “the government will look into all aspects in light of the prevailing security situation and we are quite confident that we will get what we need to keep the nation safe and secure.”

“…Whatever the Budget, we will continue to be modernised and be operationally prepared,” General Naravane stressed.

He said that rebalancing of the Army towards the China border should be seen in the larger perspective, “and not merely in terms of numbers.”

“Quality is the focus and there is a lot of capacity building that we are doing. It is not that it wasn’t happening earlier, it was always happening. Different priorities are given in LTIPP (Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan). we are modifying our operational plans, and for plans to be successful, backend is being put in place.”

Citing the example of better infrastructure, including more roads towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, he said that the closer these roads are to the LAC, the more can be the frequency of patrolling as time for each patrol will reduce. This will “allow us to dominate the area in a more effective manner”.

The Army Chief said that the need for rebalancing towards China border was done “to ensure peace, we have to be prepared for war. we have to be ready to take certain actions when time comes. We have to be prepared.”

He also said that the repeat order for six Apache attack helicopters for the Army is being discussed and these negotiations are likely to be completed by mid-year.

COL MAHESH CHADHA (Retd)

JAWANS are said to be the best judge of officers, more so in the combat arms — Infantry, Armoured and Artillery regiments — where they serve together for very long in the same unit. As the officer after joining the unit rises in rank and status, from Lieutenant to Captain to Major and so on, so do the men from the ranks to JCOs, developing a life-long relationship.

Even though officers go out of the unit to attend long-duration courses of instructions or on staff appointments, they invariably return to the same unit after about two to three years. That is till an officer is promoted to the apex rank and appointment as CO, which takes 16 to 20 years, and leaves the unit for good to undertake other appointments.

Thus, over a period, men start judging their officers by their own well established yardstick of leadership qualities — not by precept but by practice, forecasting their future. An officer’s physical toughness reveals itself while undergoing BPET (battle physical efficiency test) that involves a 5-km run, crawling through extremely lowly laid concertina wire obstacles, etc. His skill at arms is tested at the ranges while firing along with men his personal and team weapons. His learning prowess is seen while performing duties of a gunner — carrying and loading a 20-kg shell of a tank or positioning a cumbersome base plate of a howitzer or a mortar much before the laid-down parameters; or taming an unwilling mule to harness it.

His technical keenness is observed while lying under the tank with hands and face smeared with grease and oil. The mental robustness is tested during night watch and inclement weather while manning posts in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East borders and during long-range patrols across some inhospitable terrain, snow-clad mountains or the sweltering deserts of Rajasthan — indefatigably leading 20-30 men self-contained for two to three weeks, carrying his own stuff, rations, weapon and ammunition.

The professional competence is judged by his performance during courses and competitions, joint exercises with other arms and services, as also when he is given charge to conduct classes to prepare the men for promotion to the next rank. His sportsmanship and team spirit are viewed at his skill in snatching a win for the unit. His jurisprudence comes to the fore during operational tasks when he factually establishes whether the jawan deserves an award or punishment for an act of omission or commission — dispensing justice.

His character is known by professional and personal integrity, punctuality and meaningful conduct during social gatherings, mess and other regimental functions. The humane aspect is judged when he despatches a strongly worded letter to the Deputy Commissioner or the Superintendent of Police to look into the problems faced by a jawan in his village — water from a nearby canal or an electric connection to his house or delivery of due benefits to his old non-earning parents, or taking to task some scoundrel casting an evil eye on his assets.

Displaying all this and more at every step, an officer to be accepted as an undisputed leader proves his nerve during a difficult situation — rescuing his men unscathed.

No astrologer can foretell an officer’s move up the ladder — Colonel to Brigadier to Major General and so on. It matters little though if the jawans, your comrades in arms, hold you in high regard. That is the highest compliment.