Indian Defence Review

Post his recent trip to India, US Army Chief of Staff General Raymond T Odierno has described the India Army the most influential in Asia Pacific. Browse the web for the 10 most powerful militaries in the world and you get India at number four after the United States, Russia and China. But what use is this when the national hierarchy is doing virtually nothing to rectify endemic systemic failures in realms of national security?

The Chinaman is having a ball repeating intrusion after intrusion, smashing fortifications, surveillance equipment and scaring and warning Indian nationals to vacate and get out from their area. The media reports that Indian skies will soon get crowded by UAVs, but we can’t decipher how a Chinese intrusion suddenly establishes camp 19 kilometres deep inside Indian Territory.

So where is this most influential 1.1 million Army in Asia Pacific and where the fourth powerful Military in the world is whose prestige is being put at stake by a handful of Chinese?

Forget the world, most Indians would not know that the much talked about incursions in Chumar and Depsang Valley has no Army deployment. It is the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) that has been deployed in these areas which has deliberately not been, and is not being put under command the Army. This despite repeated intrusions by China.

The ITBP deployment has reportedly been in accordance with recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) and Group of Ministers (GoP) but the specific caveat that such ITBP deployment must be under command the army has been purposely ignored by the political authority. The Chinese know this and are making the most of the ground situation – which is cause for national shame if the pussyfooter hierarchy has the sense to understand it. The Army had installed surveillance equipment at Chumar but the ITBP deployment in the area has not prevented the Chinese from smashing the equipment. Reportedly, the DG ITBP has told the Army that ITBP has its own separate agenda – perhaps in line with the Home Minister’s statement, “We have no jurisdiction in the area”, which may well earn the former a lucrative post retirement appointment.

On top of all this the political authority has issued a gag order to the Army that they can talk anything to the media about Pakistan but not a word on China is to be uttered. Apparently, the gag order is to cover the political inadequacies and lack of courage to respond. The question is has China bought over the powers that be? Foreign scholars have talked of high ranking Nepalese politicians and bureaucrats having been bought over by China through periodic ‘special gift packages’, so, why would they not try this in India.

The gag order is perhaps also to stop the Pandora box of territories lost splitting open. Already, former Ambassador P Sopden, who hails from Ladakh, has stated that over the years India has given up some 400 square kilometers of Ladakhi territory to China over and above China’s illegal occupation of Aksai Chin and Shaksgam Valley.

Aside from the road constructed by China in Eastern Ladakh during Op ‘Vijay’ the recent media report that China has constructed a road five kilometers deep inside Indian Territory in the vicinity of Pangong Tso Lake was quickly gagged. But what has now emerged is that the latter road is actually 8-10 kilometres inside India. More significantly, Chinese have even in earlier years intruded into the now famous 19 kilometre deep intrusion area but these intrusions have been hushed up. Incidentally, the ITBP at the frontline has little idea about the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It is time that IB operatives in Eastern Ladakh let the Indian population know what our merchants of territory are up to .

While the Foreign Minister wants to eventually settle down in Beijing with all ‘acmes’ on his face and both the Defence Minister and Home Minister appear unconcerned about the muddled concept of border defence, most intriguing is the stoic silence of the Prime Minister.

If the Prime Minister is for real, he needs to take immediate corrective action and explain to the nation what measures have been instituted and what ‘separate’ agenda had been given to the ITBP. Asking the Home Minister is pointless as it is difficult for him to keep his foot out of his mouth.

The gag order on the Army about China must be lifted and the ITBP needs to be immediately put under command the Army unless our political hierarchy wants to continue hand-in-glove with the Chinese against our national interests and unless there is a bigger diabolical plan as was apparent with orchestrating public opinion to withdrawal from Siachen.

Better would be to pull the ITBP out of these sensitive areas of Ladakh altogether and let them do some blooding in by giving them a sector in the heartland of Maoist insurgency. Let the DG ITBP monitor counter-Maoist operations there. When the BSF can be deployed in Maioist areas, why not the ITBP?

The Army would do well to replace the ITBP with Ladakh Scouts – sons of the soil who will fiercely defend Ladakh and in turn India. In fact, it would be prudent for the Army to reconstitute the Ladakh Scouts battalion into two Ladakh Scouts Brigades. These units should be officered by officers belonging to the same region, which should have happened years back, especially in immediate aftermath of the Kargil Conflict.

It has been a folly to get officers from all over including direct commission who want turnovers to peace areas like Chandimandir, sacrificing specialization in the process. Talk to the JCOs and men from Ladakh Scouts and they say they are most happy serving within Ladakh. All they need to be given is proper family accommodation with schooling and college admissions for their children. Don’t make them miserable serving in the plains or doing runner duties in South Block.

What the Service Chiefs need to remember is the prestige of the military in eyes of the world, which is on a downward spiral thanks to our political hierarchy. No, there is no point denying it as that would be an ostrich approach.

Why Naik Sule Khandan has been brought onto international media by the ‘Kiyani Khandan’ gloating over the butchering of Captain Saurabh Kalia and his patrol is on purpose and as sequel to Op ‘Vijay’ Diwas. There is a clear message for India.

Yet, our politicians and bureaucrats will not even make a whimper. On the other hand they will continue to harp on Aman ki Aasha and more concessions. Can you ever imagine the Prime Minister demanding action against butcher Sule Khandan as pre-condition for his visit to Pakistan? India did not even get its own prisoners of war back from Pakistan when returning 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war post the 1971 Indo-Pak War. No punishment against the torturers and butchers of Captain Saurabh Kalia, his patrol and Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja was demanded and pursued.

Forget politicians, what noise the military made at the time of these incidents and what was the follow up, if at all, remains ambiguous. Additionally, our media need not go gaga over Mamnoon Hussain,  the newly elected President of Pakistan having been born in Agra. Musharraf too is a Mohajir besides Mamnoon Hussain himself will be kowtowing to the ‘Kiyani Khandan’ that too in tandem Nawaz Sharif. Earlier we understand this the better rather than making provisions like visa on arrival to terrorists certified saints by Pakistan.

Now that vote-bank politicking has set the ball rolling for smaller States with Telangana, it is high time Ladakh be made a separate State to relieve its deliberate cash strapped agony enforced by the Government of J&K, or at least made a Union Territory with a Governor committed to Ladakh – like former Ambassador P Stobden.