The Defence Minister’s flip flop statements and eventfully blaming the Pakistani Army for the barbaric killing of five India soldiers through a cross-border raid yet again indicates the bane India’s cancerous policies – obfuscating facts for political mileage, demeaning not only the country’s self esteem in the process but also that of the Indian Army. Did we not notice the alacrity with which Obama cancelled his summit with Putin merely because Russia gave one year asylum to Snowden? Then where is the requirement of even discussing the need for the Prime Minister to go touring Pakistan and press the button to electrify his own native village, even as we give electricity to Pakistan while hundreds of our villages are sans electricity and we ourselves are buying power from Bhutan?
There should have been no hesitation in naming the Pakistani Army in the first instance during the recent cross border raid. Self respect of a nation cannot be sacrificed…
If Indian troops had launched a cross border raid and killed five Pakistani soldiers you would have had the Pakistani corps level artillery brought on to the post from which the raid was launched. That is what India should have done but we have a situation here where the military is being officially gagged to speak anything on China, leave aside Chinese intrusions. That too by people who have no idea about the vital requirement of unity of command in terms of border defence. But then despite the demonstrated ineffectiveness of the ITBP against the Chinese intruders and deliberate intransigence of the political hierarchy, what is stopping the Army from establishing training camps in supposedly ITBP held areas especially when one third of the ITBP strength is generally floating in metros to cater for personal needs of the polity?
Nawaz Sharif is reportedly sorry about Pakistan’s cross-border raid but then he was also sorry about the Kargil intrusions of which he feigned ignorance. The fact is that he was clueless then and can now be more easily marketed by the Pakistani military as a titular commodity. Leave aside taming the military, Nawaz Sharif cannot dare to even cross the path of the military, having burnt his fingers once before. That is why he talks of the need for India and Pakistan cutting down defence expenditure while his military steps up attacks on India. Then you also have the Obama administration taking the India-US strategic partnership to the next level by saying both directly and through its think tanks that the problems in Pakistan, Baluchistan and Afghanistan are India’s doing – a good effort to deflect blame from own misdeeds including assisting Pakistan lead the path of self destruction. Now that the Al Qaeda, Taliban have been recruited as US proxies, hopefully another next level of India-US strategic partnership will not see the US absolving Al Qaeda of 9/11 and blaming it on India instead.
Approaching general elections notwithstanding and the Foreign Minister’s statement that the peace process should not get derailed, what is most intriguing is what is the great hurry in resuming dialogue? Is Pakistan running away somewhere? Why can’t we wait till Pakistan comes to its senses? Why do we want to deal with an arrogant rogue that continues to treat you as dirt while Pakistani polity smiles like a lizard? Why do we want to remain in a state of perpetual disadvantage as a reactionary country without bothering about self esteem of the nation and the military? If Nawaz Sharif is so very eager, then the Prime Minister should ask him to first do the following:
Pakistan maybe decaying and selling itself to China but it can hardly change its geographic location even if it balkanizes. So where is the hurry in resuming talks that have been initiated, stalled and cancelled umpteen times?
- Take action against the perpetrators of the cross border raid that killed five Indian soldiers recently and the earlier one that involved beheading of Indian soldiers.
- Take action against Naik Sule Kandan (televised recently by Pakistan bragging over the killing of Captain Saurabh Kalia and his patrol) and his cohorts of the Kiyani Khandan when there is stark evidence these Indian Army personnel were tortured for days with eyes gauged out and burnt by cigarettes before their mutilated bodies were returned to India.
- Release Indian military prisoners in Pakistani jails and those kept in jails abroad in response to the 93,000 Pakistani military prisoners returned by India post the 1971 indo-Pak War.
- Shut down the anti-India terrorist camps and jihadi infrastructure, stop infiltration and cross border raids and stop printing and pumping fake currency into India.
There should have been no hesitation in naming the Pakistani Army in the first instance during the recent cross border raid. Self respect of a nation cannot be sacrificed on the altar of politicking and Nehruvian utopia of non-existent peace. It is about time that Government of India at least show pretenses of displaying some spunk and defy unwarranted pressure from the US to hold one-sided peace talks with Pakistan and give more concessions. The overwhelming evidence of brazen and repeated Pakistan violations of the so-called 2003 ceasefire cannot be ignored; fire assaults, infiltration bids, cross border raids, terrorist attacks, flooding fake currency produced in Pakistani government mints, cyber attacks and embedding malware even in the BSNL network. Are these signs to develop friendship? Nawaz Sharif was the Prime Minister during the Kargil Conflict and having burnt his fingers once is as clueless and is weaker to control the Pakistani military.
There is more than ample evidence that the political hierarchy lacks guts but the least they can do is not to tie down the hands of the military.
Then is the question of peace talks. Pakistan maybe decaying and selling itself to China but it can hardly change its geographic location even if it balkanizes. So where is the hurry in resuming talks that have been initiated, stalled and cancelled umpteen times? Why can’t we make it crystal that we do want peace talks but that is possible when Pakistan dismantles her anti-India terrorist infrastructure and stops “all anti-India activities”.
A ‘reactionary’ India must learn how to act for a change.
Why are we giving away 80 percent of Indus water to Pakistan whereas we should be giving only 40 percent in sync with global norms of water sharing? Why do we want to discuss Sir Creek when there is virtually nothing being discussed about J&K.? Why has the LC described as “thence North to the glaciers” from NJ 9842 not been discussed? Rather than building public opinion to withdraw from Siachen, why is India not claiming the LC to run from NJ 9842 to NJ 9842 should run thence north to Dafdar (northwest extremity of state of J&K) in Taghdumbash Pamir near Beyik Pass bordering Wakhan Corridor (on J&K-China border). Why is Pakistan not being questioned on what basis she has ceded the Shaksgam Valley to China and demand that the deal be cancelled? There is more than ample evidence that the political hierarchy lacks guts but the least they can do is not to tie down the hands of the military. Does the Prime Minister muster the guts to send a firm message to Pakistan?
Please wait...
CHINESE IS NOW TESTING WATERS IN KASHMIR TO DISMEMBER LADAKH
AND KASHMIR FROM THE HANDS OF A WEEK CONGRESS LED GOVT. THE COUP -DE GRACE AWAITS THE AMERICAN SIGNAL . THE FLIGHT OF CAPITAL HAS ALREADY STARTED . THE NEXT 18 MONTHS WILL SHOW THE INDIAN VOTE BANK WHAT THEY VOTE IN THE NAME OF COLOR CASTE RELIGION LIQUOR AND MONEY
Well said Colonel.
The problem with Indian Army is it is too concerned with the ‘Perks & Privilages’ of the senior Generals. Always referring to the Warrant of precedence being amended in ref to Chief of Army, while continuously quibbling about the Politicians n bureaucracy.
what has the AUTHOR done during his times ? Nothing & yes NOTING, I mean Noting-sheet warriors.
how can an army , which cant look beyond the comforts of its leaders ( army generals ) will ever achieve anything meaningful.
I read all the columns by the ex-general and it has the same argument in all articles. eg :
1.Obama-snowden-russia-visit cancelled.
2. Intransigence theory.
3. Nawar sharif-terrorism-denyial-ISI thoery.
4. PM – old village- electrification thoery
How can this general who is a product of the all-that-is-wrong-in-Army culture produce any original ideas ?
he is precisely the kind-of-people who have sniffled original thinking and promoted sycophancy & nepotism if not corruption.
The Army has become a peacetime institution with no sense of responsibility n training.
if the truth be told, the Army is cheating the Nation.
You congress Bhakts can attempt to sledge the general for speaking his mind, but it reflects poorly only on you. As to what this general did its openly known including his combat record. On the other hand, you try to accuse the general of being soft when he points out how shameful the current govt is. That he reiterates his points apparently hurts you or your masters. But reiteration is required to make the points clearly.
These are well known facts.
Our congress leaders are under the influence of ISI so they can not dare to take any right decision. They have mesmerised themselves to have gialogue to continue what ever may be the ground reality.
Now that the dust has settled down,it seems the local commander of 21 Bihar Regt.filed a FIR with police about Terrorists being responsible,This report was given By DGMO to Def. Min. The Local CO,Brigade Commander,Div.Commander have all been Lax in their duty- They must be pulled up.The Indian Army has been repeatedly getting ambushed on Indo-Pak borders..About Indian Politicians,the less said the better-These Scoundrels & Pindaris are not having the Country’s interest at all.
If the Indian army commander at the LOC failed to respond to the Pakistani attack appropriately, he should be fired, court marshaled and disgraced. If the government in Delhi failed to provide direction through the defense ministry the parliament should hold a special session on accountability including a no-confidence vote. The point is that Indian has lost its credibility worldwide. The terrorists consider the entire nation a soft target. The Mumbai massacre and many other incidents since then are the proofs of the lack of leadership and poor governance at the center. How long will the India’s 1.2 billion people stay quiet and act helpless?
Now that the period of brow beating is over in the country its time to look inwards.
Why didn’t the Northern Army commander order a fire assault and obliterate the Paki post opposite 21 Bihar? In fact the retaliation should have come by first light.
Maybe we don’t have such contingency plans; all that happens is that we freeze.
Now if he doesn’t have the authority to do so, he should pack his bags and go home. Its no point commanding an army where you are toothless. Its a shameful affair.
Secondly the Army needs to tighten its belt. Its operating procedures on the LC are lax. The Jan incident also happened due to loose movement taking place. The rank structure of the men killed also tells of the state of affairs that exists on the LC. We as an Army might as well wake up. If you have Div commanders serving for just a year and brigade commanders just for 16 to 18 months then this is bound to happen.
Well said Colonel.
The problem with Indian Army is it is too concerned with the ‘Perks & Privilages’ of the senior Generals. Always referring to the Warrant of precedence being amended in ref to Chief of Army, while continuously quibbling about the Politicians n bureaucracy.
what has the AUTHOR done during his times ? Nothing & yes NOTING, I mean Noting-sheet warriors.
how can an army , which cant look beyond the comforts of its leaders ( army generals ) will ever achieve anything meaningful.
I read all the columns by the ex-general and it has the same argument in all articles. eg :
1.Obama-snowden-russia-visit cancelled.
2. Intransigence theory.
3. Nawar sharif-terrorism-denyial-ISI thoery.
4. PM – old village- electrification thoery
How can this general who is a product of the all-that-is-wrong-in-Army culture produce any original ideas ?
he is precisely the kind-of-people who have sniffled original thinking and promoted sycophancy & nepotism if not corruption.
The Army has become a peacetime institution with no sense of responsibility n training.
if the truth be told, the Army is cheating the country.