Homeland Security

Beyond the Bomdila Episode
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Issue Net Edition | Date : 15 Nov , 2018

The Bomdila incident exploded in the media with video clip of the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 2 Arunachal Scouts, an Amy unit, warming a police officer to stay away from his men or face dire consequences. There was little mention of what instigated the CO, and why did he warn the said police officer. The police officer had obviously gone to the CO’s office as the video showed. In the new-age reporting where scribes have no compunction about ‘simulating’ skirmishes, painting themselves in the thick of operations, the paid scribes took off on the plank of high-handedness of the Army at Bomdila, baying for the CO’s blood. 

Two soldiers of abovementioned Army unit, were arrested on orders of an SHO drunk on duty (not surprising where Air India pilots can take off in drunk state), illegally detained without informing the CO, subjected to second degree torture causing severe injuries leading to hospitalizing after the Army rescued them from police custody; as penned by a former Vice Chief of Army Staff quoting independent sources. The CO tried to defuse the situation by meeting the SP but police personnel used abusive language with the CO’s protection party and stared misbehaving, which led to a scuffle. The police also fired a few rounds in the air and were lucky in the Army not responding by fire because the Army doesn’t pussyfoot when forced to open fire. The CO has correctly lodged a FIR against the concerned Arunachal Pradesh personnel including for breaking the protocol that army personnel must be handed over to the military authorities and not locked up in the police station.

Whether the incident was deliberately orchestrated just before the visit to Bomdila by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS (Home) Kiren Rijiju on November 7 (same day as Diwali) in view of approaching elections, or another incident in the chain to show Army in poor light by the babu-police-neta nexus, will remain a mystery although both are possible. Very recently, veteran Colonel VPS Chauhan who had done exceptionally well in the Battle of Hajipir in 1965 and Indian occupation of Saltoro Range in 1984, was arrested in NOIDA on fictitious charges under SC/ST Act filed by an ADM, jailed for five days and subjected to torture. He was fully exonerated subsequently but nothing has happened to the ADM who even went ‘underground’ for some time courtesy the babu-police-neta nexus. 

Following the strategy ‘offence is the best line of defence’ and for damage control, Rakesh Srivastava, President, India Civil and Administrative Services Central Association (IC&AS) wrote to Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra on November 6, alleging Army: vandalized government properties and physically assaulted District Magistrate (DM) cum Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sonal Swarup, SP and other officials; ‘woman’ IAS officer posted as DM-cum-DC was verbally abused and ‘stone-pelted’, and; Army cannot use force in an area not declared ‘disturbed’ unless requisitioned by the DM.

Srivastava had the gumption of dashing of the letter on his official letter head as Secretary, Government of India instead of the IC&AS signaling the IAS are the lord and masters of the nation holding netas by their jugular. Mentioning Sonal Swarup as a ‘woman’ instead of a ‘lady’, he wrote that the IC&AS stands behind her and that the perpetrators (Army personnel) must be brought to speedy justice. Srivastava’s imagination obviously ran wild accusing the Army of stone-pelting, as also lack of it which is the hallmark of IAS; he could have easily forged some photographs of Sonal Swarup, the SP and SHO injured in Army’s stone pelting – little makeup and few band aids-bandages was all that was needed. Surprisingly there were no ‘Me Too’ charge against the Army too. 

Srivastava obviously had a dialogue with Sonal to synchronize the allegations. Sanjay Mitra, promptly released Srivastava’s letter to the media on the same day – November 6. So when Sitharaman and Rijiju visited Bomdila on November 7, they were already well briefed by the IAS-IPS lobby, biased in their favour? So when CO 2 Arunachal Scouts briefed them at Bomdila, their expressions said it all – Rijiju uninterested and bored and Sitharaman probably surprised how a Colonel is so forthright while she has been working assiduously to keep the military hierarchy submissive. The end result was a cryptic comment by Sitharaman-Rijiju to solve the issue “amicably”. With elections in the offing and the babu-police-neta nexus which facilitates money-making from Patwari upwards, where is the question of acting against the police illegally detaining and brutalizing Army personnel.

But why Bomdila, look what is happening in the national capital? By virtue of manning intelligence agencies police are privy to the skeletons of the babu-netas and must be taken on board. That is why you see the muck in top echelons of the CBI, with the R&AW roped in too. But the surprise news headline is “Army chief seeks to defuse civilian-military tension over Arunachal scuffle, says soldiers committed mistake”. The ADGPI is mum as usual so it is not known why the Chief is focusing only on ‘soldiers having committed mistake’ when there is clear transgression of law by the police: one, under the Army Act, police are enjoined to report to Military Authorities at the earliest in case a military person is arrested and hand over the alleged accused to Military Authorities, and; two, inflicting grievous injuries to military personnel in illegal police custody.

Has Sitharamman’s missive of resolving the issue “amicably” led to the Army Chief ignore what the police have done? Even if the two soldiers were at fault and picked up by police, they should have been handed over to the Army for disciplinary action as per law. The fact is that police overstepped brutally and the CO had to act. Yet the response was restrained otherwise Army too could have responded to police firing or taken errant policemen in Army custody. Factually, the IAS in connivance Sanjay Mitra with the nation’s majority press has launched an attack on the Army. Sonal, the SP and the SHO have emerged heroes while Sitharaman, instead of standing behind the two soldiers of 2 Arunachal Scouts brutally beaten by police under illegal detention, is busy deputing the Solicitor General of India to fight an appeal for disability pension by a Squadron Leader of IAF appealing for disability pension having suffered spinal disability while ejecting from a fighter aircraft.

The question now is who is going to protect the Army? The easiest way for the Chief is to shrug off the incident and blame it on own subordinates, but isn’t that letting down our own soldiers? What about asking for speedy action to follow up the FIR filed by the CO, ensuring the police defaulters are duly punished and this type of high-handedness doesn’t recur which can result in more serious consequences? Mercifully, there are articles by civilians in media saying those who blame the CO must think twice. Surely, the Corps Commander who is more fully conversant with details of the Bomdila incident (more than the Army Chief) has valid reasons to state that he will have to be removed in case his soldiers are indicted. The IAS has escalated the press campaign saying the Army was carrying LMG which is only carried against enemy and terrorist, as if sling shots, not automatics are carried in aid to civil authorities.

General Bipin Rawat should realize he is on trial by his own Army, particularly the soldiers. If he cannot stand by his soldiers, it would prove he has forgotten the Chetwood Oath he took at the time of being commissioned. This time is a crucial test because especially since he has not shown any particular interest in standing by his soldiers so far. It would be a shame if he fails.

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The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the Indian Defence Review.

About the Author

Lt Gen Prakash Katoch

is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army.

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28 thoughts on “Beyond the Bomdila Episode

  1. This incompetent person masquerading as an articulate author just showed how much hate people of his ilk have for the civilian control over the Army. Well, I’m sorry to debunk his claims, the civilian control will become even more resilient in the future and fragile-ego junks like this author who enjoyed golf sessions and still are enjoying subsidized liquor on tax-payers money suddenly talk like saint after retirement.
    I’m sure that so called “tiger” CO will face the rule of law, the MoD should show these tyrannical idiots, who want to emulate Pakistan in India, there position.

    Please don’t reply with “Cheetwood Motto” or anything rhetorical of similar standard, we all know Kunan-poshpora.

    • Shut that foul mouth of yours and read about the author’s glorious service years before barking here. The author is a Para special forces veteran and a winner of gallantry awards having done things and served in areas where you’ll $hit your pants. The whole nation knows how corrupt and djrty babu – khaki nexus is which has held back india for the past 75 years and is still working for looting tax payers money. IPS IAS coffers are filled with black money earned through looting and Harrasing innocent people. And you should kill yourself after writing such a $hitty piece, the army is the reason why you’re sleeping in peace you fuckin nymphomaniac, unlike babus who fuck prostitutes in theur luxury bungalows with their fat bellies our faujis are staring down the Chinese and Pakistanis eye to eye at the border in -40 degrees at elevations of 20,000 feet, let’s post your babus to siachen and see what’s made of them there, the sheer incompetence of babus is reflected from the fact that whenever a riot takes place or naturak disaster happens they beg to the army to help them out because their resources are just dedicated to oppress people rather than actually helping them out and instead rely on army for help. You talk about Kushan papora ? What about the rape of women by senior IPS officers who are still not in jail, and idiot remember it’s the army which is protecting your mother and sister and daughter from being raped by Pathans, Jihadis and Pakis, it’s the army which neutralizes them in CI ops and keeps your family safe, in short you are living a happy life because of the soldiers at the front. They day army is gone is the day your mother will become a whore at the hands of Jihadis. You people Abuse and cry foul against the forces but where were you when 20 Jawans died fighting the PLA in Galwan ? The comparison with pak army is totally uncalled for, if the army really wanted a coup it could do it now if it wasn’t for their principles and morals.

  2. I wish this this article was published in the Indian Express in response to the article titled ‘Battle at Bomdila’ published by a police officer, Abhinav kumar, insinuating that the army soldiers are blamed for the fracas that led to the snap in civil-military relations. The Indian Express has a large circulation, being a major Daily newspaper; it is therefore vital that the response is published in the same paper at the earliest.

  3. Excellent write up sir….
    It’s the COAS who is not standing behind his soldiers… Anywhere… He is finding fault with his men….. Trying to make them accept every peanut that the Govt throws, is not fighting for what dutifully should be awarded…… Does he believe that the Army will come to a standstill once he retires? And retire he will… And would be forgotten sooner than we can blink our eyes…. His Tughlaqi farmans have no takers in the Army which has thinking soldiers, scholar warriors as they are now called.

  4. This collective moaning and breast-beating is going to get us veterans and faujis nowhere. Modi has too much on his plate, nationally and internationally. To get reelected, he has to ensure that all his programs and plans work before 2019. For that he has to take help from the babus and therefore these guys have closest access to him. His closest confidant on security matters is an IPS officers and CBI and RAW is infested with them. We are seeing how badly they can embarrass him by their shenanigans. WE HAVE NO ACCESS TO HIM. The RM should have been the rightful conduit to him like YB Chavan or Jagjivan Ram were. Current lady is too lightweight for that. To sum up, after 2019, whoever comes to power, the military has to create a definite lobby in Delhi to set matters right. How it is done, it is best left to people like Gen, Katoch who know the system well. Skills learnt in battle field management have to be used here.

  5. I fully agree with every bit of written text. May be some sense will prevail at the TOP level to stop bending and grow beyond personal futuristic benefits and stand by for what is right, in this case it is clear that Army was .
    Nexus between beaurocracy and politics is always at their best to put premiere institution in poor light( Only Nation where Army and its veterans are always at receiving end…what to talk about getting their due respect)

  6. Very well brought out and correctly analysed. The whole incident has been orchestrated very nicely by the lobby. The chief sure is on trial. Hopefully he will stand up for the force he commands .

  7. Why have senior officers beyond the commanding officer, if he (commanding officer) has to fight his own battle with the RM and Rijju. Where were they? And to sum up, the COAS has admitted that his soldiers made a mistake!
    Nobody from civil administration or police department has given any statement against the SHO or the DM. Why? Soldiers are in the hospital after being bashed up by the Indian Police, soldiers die or suffer serious injuries when stoned by own countrymen and only commanding officers are responsible to stand by such soldiers. My question remains, why have senior officers beyond the position of commanding officers when they don’t matter. It appears the buck stops at RM (who is biased and is guided by the bureaucrats) who wants to hear the story from the commanding officer and does nothing or is it that the action is in pipeline against the commanding officer?

  8. A very well reasoned and articulated article
    The fact is that the police is used to just beating anyone and everyone on the slightest pretext.
    There is absolutely no accountability – from the police hierarchy or the judiciary (who merely ask the bosses of the perpetrators to investigate) – for any beatings, custodial deaths, “encounters”, custodial rapes, faked evidence.
    So, what does a common person? He/she just has to accept it and continue in life.
    But, if a person decides to use the same lawless means as the police to get justice for the atrocity committed on him, then he is often declared an anti-national element and killed.
    These actions of the Armed Forces are therefore a reminder to the IAS and IPS that as of now, we still profess to be a democracy, albeit a very flawed one. More power to officers like the CO of 2 Arunachal Scouts.

  9. Totally agree with the author. Police should introspect as to why are they the most hated organisation in the country. As far as ias is concerned- lesser said the better. They exist just to fool the netas & with no credibility and responsibility.

  10. The case of 700 serving personnel going to court should have been a signal to both MOD and COAS. That doesn’t seem to have worked, perhaps ESM would have to take the lead in organisational interest, they will get support from the younger lot in service.
    We may in the forceable future see physical action too, although I hope not.

  11. Our very senior officers (The Chief & The Army Commanders) have to take a stand against the civil-political nexus and support the men they command, or else they are losing the respect they deserve.
    The article of a Veteran General is forth right and excellent.

  12. It was not for nothing that the Army Chief was made to do a pole vault to reach the present position. Why should he be expected to be ungrateful to his benefactors? In present times the Chetwood Oath has lost its relevance and should be substituted by an oath of loyalty to the Babu – Neta combo.

  13. It will happen again till the time govt nominates COAS of its own liking , superceeding other seniors in line. Would law me to see an offr refusing COAS post in case he is being promoted out of turn. In present circumstances it is difficult to find such upright offrs. They retire much before.

  14. A brilliant article by an extremely capable and highly respected general.

    It is India’s misfortune that we have a Three Down Chief from a process of “deep selection”, a Chief who is forever indebted to the neta-babu nexus which anointed him, instead of a general like the author.

  15. The highhanded attitude if the bureaucracy and the police is a known fact. People are fed up with their care a damn attitude This includes Defense Personal
    The bureaucracy and the police are known to be corrupt to the core.They care only for the interests of goons and anti social elements.

    All hopes are on the present government to start appointing persons of proven integrity and selflessness.To weed out this fungus to our India progress the government should disband the present IAS and IPS cadre and start deep selection from other services.

  16. The real pity is we have an inept, self serving hierarchy which is bothered only about their own interests. It’s but natural that the wolves is the guise of babus will prey given a chance. None of these incidents will happen if we had leadership worth its salt. With a spineless leadership even a roadside dog will find the courage to piddle on our soldiers. I can remember times just a decade back when generals of mettle used to refuse entry to police or babus even in cases where mistakes were on our part. The mischief mongers were well and truly punished by them sometimes even worse than what would have happened if they had been handed over to civil authorities. But discipline was considered the commanders forte and no outside interference was brooked. Today we have a chief who is more visible on the media commenting on his own troops in a derogatory manner. Is he so inept and spineless that he cannot discipline his troops and has to resort to media theatrics. It’s a sad day for the Army that such an astounding organisation is in such a leadership dilemma. I would only blame my yester years general who where excellent in their own right but faltered badly in bringing up the present lot of self serving spunkless generals……

  17. May be…… It is time that we ask the Chief very respectfully to kindly submit his resignation, since he has definitely lost the confidence and respect of the men he commands. Further apparently he doesn’t care. And if I am to be proved wrong (which I will be glad if I am) he needs to prove it with his deeds.

  18. This article by Gen Katoch is a straightforward expression of the truth as it prevails. Coming from an officer who has been at the sharpest cutting edge of the Army, the policy makers might as well take note of the shape of things to come. Mrs Sitharaman and Mr Rijiju have lost a golden opportunity to display their leadership qualities and have revealed their inability to gauge the situation and act accordingly. Their ineptitude is out there for all to see. About the Army Chief’s statement, the less said the better. It’s not a leader’s voice, but that of a wannabe politician. Disappointing and unbelievable ☹️

  19. Gen Katoch is one of the rare breed of Gen Officers who says it as it is. I had the honour of serving as his deputy in the Siachen Brigade and I know that he is a tiger in the real sense of the word. What he has written here is clearly the writing on the wall for the military hierarchy. It’s high time they heed this wake up call, before it becomes too late.

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