Articles By Sumit Walia
14-16th Dec 1971 - Inside Enemy Camp
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 15 Dec , 2022
Late night 14th December 1971, Peshawar, West Pakistan. General Yahya Khan, then President of Pakistan was giving a party in his newly constructed house. There were a few selected guests and a...
The Defence and Decline of Dacca in 1971 (Part-I)
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Vol. 37.1, Jan-Mar 2022 | Date: 25 Mar , 2022
Background of the Great Divide the Pakistani establishment in West Pakistan had given up on East Pakistan long before 1971, when they adopted the strategy of ‘Defence of East Pakistan Lies in...
1971 War: Pushp Vaid - One hell of a Lucky Pilot
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 16 Dec , 2021
In Nov-Dec 1962, in Air Force Academy one batch of pilots was just four months away from getting commissioned, when suddenly an officer walked into the class and announced, “In the recent...
March 1971 – Political Chess Played by Army Generals
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 03 Dec , 2021
Gen Yahya Khan President of Pakistan and Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) Lt. Gen. Yakub Martial law Administrator, Zone B (East Pakistan) Vice...
Unbattled Fears: Reckoning the National Security
By: Sumit Walia | Date: 21 Aug , 2021
Introduction Strategic thinking has not been part of our national discourse. Till the end of 20th century, there were a very few public or private think tanks discussing the challenges our nation...
Yellow Boys - Skinner's Horse
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 10 Sep , 2020
Skinner’s Horse: – One of the most distinguished cavalry regiments of the Indian Army was raised by legendary Lt. Col. James Skinner in 1803 at Hansi. Regiment was raised as Local Horse,...
Origin of Cavalry in Indian Army and the Silladar System
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Vol 26.1 Jan-Mar 2011 | Date: 21 Aug , 2020
The story of modern cavalry of the Indian Army started in 1796 when the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) raised first of the three, European styled, native cavalry regiment in Bengal Army. At...
ToD - a proposal by Generals or General Managers?
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 31 May , 2020
Late Gen Hamid Gul of the Pakistan Army was termed as the father of terror by few western journalists and even a documentary was made on him with this title. He was forced to retire from Pak Army...
1971 War: Battle of Sylhet-The first Special Heli Borne Operation
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 18 Dec , 2019
The first Special Heli-Borne Operation of the Indian Army was not a pre-planned operation. It just popped up, out of nowhere and was executed exceptionally well by a small team of 10 Mi-4...
Technology in Warfare: Is India Lagging Behind?
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Vol. 34.2 Apr-Jun 2019 | Date: 25 Nov , 2019
There are more than 250 government or private drone developers or manufacturers in China. Some are working closely with technical universities and the government. China is investing heavily in...
Remembering the undefeated Sarvatra (Lt Gen) Sagat Singh – Part-2
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 15 Nov , 2019
Sagat’s talent for war reached its pinnacle in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. He was the commander of 4 Corps based in Tripura and 4 Corps operations are a classic case study (and will remain so) for...
First Param Vir Chakra
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 06 Aug , 2019
The Independence of India came with the pain of partition and the 1947-48 Indo-Pak war. Soon after independence, Pakistan attacked Kashmir with tribals from the North West Frontier Province (NWFP)...
Pakistani Kargil Planners – How could they be so naïve !!!
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 26 Jul , 2019
“Sir based on the wisdom and experience of my entire professional career, I could guarantee the success of the operation“. This is what Gen Musharraf said to his PM Nawaz Sharif in a meeting...
Head hunters in Kargil – Naga Regiment
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 21 Jul , 2019
Sahab, suna hai ye sar kaat ke le jaate hai aur insan bhi kha lete hai` (Sahab, we heard that they cut off the head of their enemies and are cannibals) – This was not a terrified Pakistani...
Remembering the undefeated Sarvatra (Lt Gen) Sagat Singh
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 15 Jul , 2019
6th Dec 1971 Afternoon, 10 Bihar had just finished a hard fought battle of Akhaura and were taking care of their wounded and silently mourning their dead brothers-in-arm. They had not slept of 2...
Lt. Saurabh Kalia: The Patrol Leader
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 15 Jun , 2019
This is the story of a young officer, all of 23 years and his five brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for us. They did not get martyrdom in a best thinkable way, that is, fighting the...
Surgical Strike Day Celebrations !!!
By: Sumit Walia | Date: 16 Oct , 2018
On 2nd May 2011, US Navy Seal Team 6 conducted Op Neptune’s Spear. They flew in two helicopters from Afghanistan and raided a secured safe house of Osama Bin Laden deep inside Pakistan. The...
Deconstructing the Rafale Ambiguity
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 01 Oct , 2018
Are we really paying three times extra for each Rafale? Has a private company being favoured at the cost of a public sector enterprise? These questions have been keeping our TV screens, mobiles,...
The President's Body Guard - A History
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 08 Sep , 2018
This article covers the history of the President’s Body Guard. PBG is the oldest surviving mounted unit and the senior most regiment of the Indian Army. President’s Body Guard (PBG) is the...
10 Para (SF) - Mustaffa of Desert Warfare
By: Sumit Walia | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 03 Jun , 2018
‘Mussoorie main honeymoon manane walon ko pata chale ki IMA mein loha ban raha hai’ — This is one of the many punch lines that Drill Instructors of Indian Military Academy (IMA) frequently...