Achieving maritime safety would entail ensuring that the laws and regulations which govern the operations of sea-borne craft are adhered to. The Indian Coast Guard has so far not been seen to play any role in this area. It has been the exclusive preserve of the Director General of Shipping who operates through the regional Maritime Marine Departments. The situation is quite different with the US Coast Guard which actively monitors this aspect in the US waters. The US Coast Guard boards vessels for wide ranging inspections including the conduct of safety drills. Vessels found deficient in any area are liable to be detained. Serious infringement can lead to imposition of penalties. They also keep a historic record of such inspections which classifies ships according to country of registry, the company to which she belongs and the result of inspections. When a higher than normal proportion of ships of a country or a particular company are found to be deficient, the rest of the ships of the country or company are highlighted for more intensive scrutiny.
The very idea of the Indian Coast Guard drew heavily on the well-established model of the US Coast Guard…
In the pre-liberalised era of the 1960s of strict import and foreign exchange controls, extensive seaborne smuggling was a way of life that was a threat to the domestic economy. The Customs with its limited resources could hardly cope and had to call for Navy’s help for patrols and interception. This scenario spawned the formation of a separate paramilitary coastal protection force in the form of the Indian Coast Guard, the very idea of which drew heavily on the well-established model of the US Coast Guard.
The interim Coast Guard came into being on February 01, 1977 with two corvettes and five patrol boats transferred from the Indian Navy and manned by its personnel. The duties and functions of the Coast Guard were formally defined in the Coast Guard Act which was passed by the Parliament on August 18, 1978, and came into immediate effect.
The Indian Coast Guard’s motto is the Sanskrit phrase, “वयम रक्षाम: ” (Vayam Rakshamah) which, in English translates to “We Protect”.
It has the following responsibilities:-
- Maritime safety, search and rescue
- Protection of offshore installations and assets
- Law enforcement in territorial as well as international waters
- Protection of marine ecology and environment
- Scientific data collection and support
- Maritime defence support
The Coast Guard now has a force level of over 90 ships with another almost an equal number on order…
From the fledgling interim set up to the present full-fledged Coast Guard, the growth in force levels has been phenomenal and continues at a galloping rate. The Coast Guard now has a force level of over 90 ships with another almost equal number on order. These consist of the Offshore Patrol Vessels capable of operations in the Exclusive Economic Zone extending to 200 nautical miles from the coast, Inshore Patrol Vessels for the 12 nautical mile territorial waters and adjoining contiguous zone and for closer inshore – Interceptor Boats, Fast Patrol Boats, Seaward Defence Boats and Hovercraft, besides a specialised Pollution Control Vessel. The air element has Dornier fixed wing aircraft and Chetak helicopters with the latter being capable of being operated from the larger patrol vessels. These assets are distributed amongst
- 42 Coast Guard Stations
- 5 Coast Guard Air Stations
- 10 Coast Guard Air Enclaves
The force is expected to be tripled in terms of vessels, aircraft and manpower by 2019. The question remains about what the nation is getting in return for this huge investment in material and human resources with regard to the missions that the force is tasked with.
Achieving maritime safety would entail ensuring that the laws and regulations which govern the operations of seaborne craft are adhered to. The Indian Coast Guard has so far not been seen to play any role in this area. It has been the exclusive preserve of the Director General of Shipping who operates through the regional Maritime Marine Departments. The situation is quite different with the US Coast Guard which actively monitors this aspect in the US waters. The US Coast Guard boards vessels for wide ranging inspections including the conduct of safety drills. Vessels found deficient in any area are liable to be detained. Serious infringement can lead to imposition of penalties. They also keep a historic record of such inspections which classifies ships according to country of registry, the company to which she belongs and the result of inspections. When a higher than normal proportion of ships of a country or a particular company are found to be deficient, the rest of the ships of the country or company are highlighted for more intensive scrutiny.
Piracy has become a serious and ever widening threat to seaborne trade…
Search and rescue is a reactionary operation. When a distress message is received or assistance is sought, the Coast Guard is meant to react as also other vessels in the vicinity. There is nothing exceptional in this role except that it tends to grab headlines. Even in this respect take the case of the grounding of tanker MV Pratibha Cauvery off Chennai port during Cyclone Nilam on October 31, 2012. The approach of the cyclone and cautionary signals were promulgated widely. When the vessel broke from her moorings and was being washed ashore, she sent out distress messages in the afternoon. The Coast Guard was conspicuous by its lack of response. 22 of the crew attempted to make it to the safety of the beach by the ship’s lifeboat. The lifeboat capsized. 17 of them were rescued by fishermen with the balance five reported to be missing. The Coast Guard appeared only the next day to airlift the 17 crew who had remained onboard the ship. This is in sharp contrast to HMS Bounty, a 1962-built replica of a sailing vessel which sank well off Cape Hatteras on the East coast of USA in Hurricane Sandy, which for its extraordinary ferocity was termed “Frankestorm”. 14 of the 16 crew of the ship who managed to board the life raft were all rescued by the US Coast Guard in the face of the raging storm.
Law enforcement in territorial and international waters and ensuring the protection of offshore installations would encompass the prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration, piracy and terrorist activity. Amongst them, post liberalisation, smuggling of gold, electronic items and the like have lost its earlier glitter. Drug smuggling is a distinct possibility. However, one has not come across any report of active preventive pursuits being instituted against this activity. Piracy has become a serious and ever widening threat to seaborne trade, especially in the Arabian and adjoining sea areas. One reads only of an Indian Navy role in anti-piracy operations and not that of the Coast Guard. Illegal immigration and sea-borne terrorist activity, especially the latter, is an ever present and potent threat. Our vulnerability in this area was glaringly exposed during the 2008 Mumbai terrorist strike. Whether we are safer today is a moot point.
Protection of marine ecology and environment involves the enforcement of stringent international marine pollution laws. Maritime pollution laws stipulate that no garbage of any kind is to be disposed of within three nautical miles of land. Only food waste can be discarded between three and 12 nautical miles. Items such as paper, glass and metal ground to small size and so on up are to be thrown over 25 nautical miles from land. Disposal of plastic items is totally banned. Similar stringent regulations also govern the discharge of fluids with oil content. There is no enforcement whatsoever of these anti-pollution laws along the Indian coast. Waters of ports like Mumbai are a cesspool of garbage that is dumped with impunity by ships. This is the state within three nautical miles of the nearest land where no garbage is allowed to be dumped. The less said about garbage dumping in the waters further away the better.
In sharp contrast to our non-existent enforcement of anti-pollution laws, the US Coast Guard has a very active enforcement ethos…
So is the case with dirty oil discharge. Oil slicks can be found within harbours and along the coast. Periodically, there are reports of tar balls fouling the once pristine beaches such as those of Goa. Besides lack of enforcement of anti-pollution laws, a contributory factor is the lack of an effective garbage and waste oil collection system in any of our ports that the state is meant to provide.
In sharp contrast to our non-existent enforcement of anti-pollution laws, the US Coast Guard has a very active enforcement ethos. The US waters are regularly patrolled and policed. The functioning of the ship’s anti-pollution equipment such as oily water separator is inspected. Any oil slick detected or reported is tracked to its origin and the offending ship’s Master and Chief Engineer brought to book, which includes possible jail terms.
The effects of this proactive enforcement were very evident. There are two examples of this: the first is of the Great Lakes which is a fresh water body bound to the South by the US and to the North by Canada. On the lake shores, are large industrial cities such as Detroit and Chicago. The lakes are traversed by a large number of ships which call at these ports. Despite all this, there are regions marked on the lake charts from where the water can be pumped directly into the ship’s fresh water storage tanks for domestic use. Many ships avail of this. The second is an incident relating to garbage bags in a drum which was being hoisted from the ship alongside a jetty. The intention was to lower the drum to the shore reception point. During the hoisting the line of the winch parted and the drum with the garbage bags fell into the water. The frantic efforts that next ensued to retrieve the floating garbage bags was personally supervised by the Master with almost the entire ship’s company being called to take part in the operation. Would there be such a commitment to anti-pollution laws in India?
Any scientific data collection efforts of the Coast Guard have been unheard of. As for the last mission of maritime defence support, when wartime operations are instituted, the Coast Guard would be placed under the operational control of the Indian Navy.
If the Coast Guard appears to be making minimal or nil contribution to achieving its stated missions, what does this large force do?
Cargo ships have called many times at minor ports which have a Coast Guard presence such as Porbandar, Okha and Beypore. Porbandar port has a dedicated Coast Guard enclosure with a jetty that appeared to be home to two Offshore Patrol Vessels, two Fast Patrol Vessels and an assortment of Interceptor Craft. In the many visits which had stays at the port for four days at a time for loading, these ships hardly ever left their jetty abode. One could see the crew being occupied with a daily routine of physical training in the morning, shipboard maintenance and work during the day and games in the evening – a schedule more suited to an office environment. At other ports, the pattern was the same. The times when the ships were seen patrolling and keeping a check appeared to be when there were scheduled exercises.
Policing requires presence at sea on a regular and continuing basis…
As for security, what could be perceived while sailing extensively along the coast are calls on the radio from the Coast Guard to ships to check vessel name and other particulars. Most of this information is readily available to all in the vicinity from the reception of the Automatic Identification System (AIS). This equipment which are mandatorily fitted on all ships continuously transmit the ship’s name, position and movement data and can be received by any craft which has similar equipment. Hence, the security benefit from these calls remains a mystery.
Overall, the Coast Guard seems to have assumed the role of a reactionary force in its allotted tasks. Such an approach suits the Indian Navy of being a maritime sword arm that is capable of punishing any endeavor that is inimical to the nation’s maritime interests and thereby acting as a deterrent. The Coast Guard’s approach to meeting its tasks needs to be different and should be that of being the maritime policeman. Policing requires presence at sea on a regular and continuing basis along with active and, wherever necessary, physical interrogation of all craft using our waters. With their ships stuck to the shore or of taking a detached interest, this does not seem to be happening.
Conclusion
The force needs to radically reorient its operations philosophy to that of policing the seas…
The Indian Coast Guard does not pull its weight in meeting its stated missions for the huge investments being made by the nation on its development and upkeep. The force needs to radically reorient its operations philosophy to that of policing the seas. In undertaking such policing, it needs to arm and train itself for:
- Ensuring the adherence to the laws and regulations governing the operation of sea-borne craft.
- Regular and sustained patrols along coastal and off shore waters as a deterrent against piracy, terrorist strikes, illegal immigration and narcotics smuggling. Such patrols should also involve active interrogation of the users of the seas when there is the slightest room for suspicion.
- Proactive measures to ensure the prevention of pollution and protection of environment right from the port precincts to the offshore areas.
Please wait...
Why jealous of Indian coast guard ? You don’t have control on IAS lobby but want to shout unnecessarily on newly formed force. They have more achievements. Please do your own business without interference in others matter. Indian govt and defence ministry are more intelligent than you.
Bullshit————
Dear Commodore
Good evening. Very sad to read the entire article. for your knowledge may I bring some insight into Indian Coast Guard.
Before the assassination Mrs. Indira Gandhi, a vessel with contraband and high explosives sailed to Mumbai from Dubai. Based on DRI reports only OPV CGS Vikram of Coast Guard sailed to intercept that vessel. For your kind information Vikram was back from sailing four days before that. And was commanded by none other than Captain PJ Jacob who later on became vice admiral and retired as VCNS. If that vessel enters Bombay harbour, entire harbour could have blown up. when warned to surrender the crew tried to escape in life boat. The crew members were rescued and handed over to police. the vessel never surfaced because CGS Vikram shot the vessel with 40/60 bofors and sank off bombay high. So you hardly know this. This is just one incident. there are many incidents, you can compile a 500 pages book.
I am witness to the many accidents in navy. Take the accident onboard INS Amba, INS Virat a few. One missile boat was blown into two pieces in a frinedly fire. Take the crash of naval air crafts during fly pass in Goa. When coast guard ships sailing in harsh weather conditions, naval ships were at harbour. This is the fact even today.I don’t think you forgot this, you conveniently ignore to mention.in entire 40 years of coast guard’s existence number of accidents you can count on finger tips.
But for navy all those kept under wraps saying it is covered under official secret act.
With due respects Sir before putting these facts in black and white do some research. Such articles are not good for person of your caliber.
Sir, if u look at the manpower and vessels and compare it to the duties that they are supposed to perform, you’ll know they are doing exceptionally well. Indian coast guard is a hospital, a police station, a rescue team and a disaster management help centre all rolled into one. War doesn’t happen everyday but bad weather, smuggling, poaching and piracy does and it’s the coast guard that takes the first step foreward. Despite the step motherly treatment that coast guard gets despite coming under MoD, the spirits of a coasty is always high. Now, when you chide ICG being a naval commodore yourself, it reflects very poorly upon you. The views expressed by you are immature to say the least. You need to get out of the office from where you are typing this joke of an article and head to a coast guard ship. Might help u rethink your opinion.
sir what facilities are provided to Indian coast guard there is lack of man power. In your navy one officer is handling only one department but in coast guard officer is given 5 or 6 departments to handle alone. so how do you expect perfection. They work 24×7 in sea as well as on land. And the perks they are getting for their job are very less. Pointing finger on others is very easy. Please appreciate their performance in sea while facing too many problems, sailing in sea for months, no communication with family, sea sickness etc.
Please before pointing such points provide man power and facility to Indian coast guard like Navy and then compare.
After reading your article It is right to say that Indian Navy is step mother of Indian Coast Guard.
It is far from the actual truth.
sir what facilities are provided to Indian coast guard there is lack of man power. In your navy one officer is handling only one department but in coast guard officer is given 5 or 6 departments to handle alone. so how do you expect perfection. They work 24×7 in sea as well as on land. And the perks they are getting for their job are very less. Pointing finger on others is very easy. Please appreciate their performance in sea while facing too many problems, sailing in sea for months, no communication with family, sea sickness etc.
Please before pointing such points provide man power and facility to Indian coast guard like Navy and then compare.
If the legislative powers are not with Coast Guard than Coast Guard is not responsible for this.
Indian Coast Guard today is playing a role in Nations service because of the active support of Navy.This coming from a Naval Officer as non performing asset is surprising.
Thus I would say that Indian Coast Guard is doing more than what it is required to do within the legislative powers given to her.
May God bless you
Very whimsical, especially NON PERFORMING ASSET………!!!!
Disgraceful thinking……..
unstudied article, needs more awareness about ICG
The author, by being a naval officer, hopes that readers will attribute authenticity to his observations to the Indian coast guard being a inconsequential force. Sadly this is how most naval officers will want paint the Indian coast guard(ICG), which they now perceive to be rivaling the indian navy in maritime matters. While it is true that theICG suffers for the lack the lack legislative powers, which are unfortunately vested with the DG shipping, the author has conveniently avoided mentioning the efforts of the service. The large number lives saved by the ICG at sea alomost comes to average one life per day. Search and rescue(SAR) at sea is a reactionary function because nobody can predict accident even the great Indian Navy, so is that the deficiency of the ICG? Does the author want to say since SAR is reactionary, the ICG should not do it? He also has avoided mentioning that it was the ICG that payed a seminal role in the apprehension of MV Alondra Rainbow, which had been hijacked by pirates. the author has not bothered to mention the fact that ICG was very active in anti piracy operations in Indian waters off the L&M islands and had captured more than hundred somali pirates. Its is the joint effort of ICG and IN that lead to the sharp decline in piracy in Indian waters. The recent apprehension of pakistani boats by ICG has been in news, which probably proves the authors claim about ICG being ineffective as wrong. With regard to the scientific data collection, he may not be aware that the ICG assists a large no of government organisations in their scientific endeavours at sea. ICG itself is not a scientific organisation and therefore does not collect data but assists. The author has also failed to mention the pivotal role the ICG has to play in the coastal security, enhancing foriegn cooperation etc. Instead of bringing out the maritime law implementation hurdles, the author want use it as an excuse to tarnish ICG
sir,
can you think about A leading pay more that A sub officer in coast guard/cpo
sir,
with due respect i like to say it is horrible, not coast guard i am telling about your thought. It is totally waste of time to read your article.your article is far away from the actual ground fact.it also shows your horrible thinking about your sister service.You are comparing indian coast guard (youngest force of india) with us coast guard (oldest coast guard of world).for your reference see thease facts:-
Seized contraband worth over 300 crores of rupees.
Apprehended over a hundred smuggling vessels, over eight hundred foreign poaching trawlers and over 8,000 of their crew.
Responded to over 50 oil spill incidents and undertaken 30 oil spill operations.
Interdicted over 20,000 illegal immigrants/infiltrators.
Flown over 1,100 Search & Rescue sorties and saved over 1,500 lives at sea in over 750 missions.
Dear sir
With due respect to your seniority, this is a least researched article filled with fallacies. It is really injustice to compare the youngest armed force of India with the world’s oldest coast guard. In order to perform the duties envisaged by US coast guard, they have got rights supported by strong laws, but in India the case is different. Regarding scientific data collection, there is no ICG ship specifically meant for this duty..(you may please mention the list of hard earned scientific data by navy through out last 100 years for comparison).Regarding oil discharge, MARPOL regulations may be enacted and CG may be given the authority to ensure that and if fails then it is meaningful to raise a protest. The investment into CG is not that huge compared to other armed forces and govt organizations. Before stating the allegations a comparative study is solicited. What we require, as a nation, is vivid formulation of maritime laws and its enforcement by all stake holders, instead of showering blames. Chartered duties of each organization has to be envisaged and the same has to be ensured. This starts with the decision making authorities which includes govt and beaurocracy. So this article doesn’t lead to any fruitful solution and am afraid can’t be used as a reliable reference anywhere as it lacks facts and logic.
Thankyou
sir,
reading your article gives an clear image that you have got some grudges against coast guards,,,because your whole article is far away from facts and figures merely based on your perception. reading this is just waste of time and some memory space. i can give answer to every point raised by you here comparing it with navy then you may realise what actually scenario is on ground.
Dear Commodore,
with all due respect I would like to convey just one small thought for u, “DON’T DO SOMETHING JUST FOR THE SAKE OF DOING IT”. I do understand that publishing of this article will definitely have a mention on your resume that you would like to use in your post retirement endeavors, but does the article as a whole holds much ground?
I guess, a person of your stature and position should have a constructive and strategic outlook towards the world rather than magnifying the shortfalls of your sister organisation to a much larger magnitude. Having seen and experienced both Naval and CG wings of both Indian and US from very close quarters, I do understand where does our both the forces stand in the International forum.
The world will truly appreciate you and your efforts if you spend your time and energy in building up a more cohesive and cooperative joint and collaborative atmosphere for Indian forces rather than actively and aggressively campaign against each other.
Regards.
Dear commodore Mathews
I hope we belong to the same planet. You have to get your facts right. Right now i think Navy would be in dire requirement of your expertise. Please focus on the Navy. Let the poor souls in the Indian Coast Guard do their jobs with
– a helicopter which first took flight in 1962, Chetak
– a Dornier good passenger aircraft for short haul and short field whereas more effective aircrafts with better sensor fit is available for Coast Guard roles.
– Amazingly big interceptor boats being procured in large nos on some expert advice from senior maritime strategist for coastal patrol.
– Obvious grooming and operational expertise from other senior services
You can fool some people some time but not all people all the time.
Help ur nation by helping us achieve our potential.
regards
with due respect MR mathew, reading your article is simply a waste of time .
Sir.
Interesting article…but with due respect the details about various CG operations not fully covered….not all op of CG grabs headlines..there is alot which is being done to safeguard maritime domain
Regards
Instead of conveniently deleting many comments, this absurd article should be withdrawn n apologies should be extended to all coz it is only creating a rift between people.. I hope somebody at the higher echelons takes it into consideration, show some maturity and do the needful!!!!
Ps:- Coast Guard has a 1000 ways, rather statistics to show that dey are good and are shining 🙂 “We actually Protect by risking our own lives” !!!!
Contd…
I was there at Chennai that time, when CG ships were sailing and single engine Chetak Aircraft was looking for window to fly in that bad weather conditions. But inspite of all this Indian Coast Guard personal carried out rescue with old technology resources by risking own life. Indian Coast Guard is growing service and achieved alot in limited time, may be that is the reason people like you in sister service are envy, truly said in above comments we don’t need enemies when people like you are here and that too in Services. Like any organisation ICG may have committed some mistakes but that should not over shadow the good things done by the organisation. Be it Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air force or Indian Coast Guard; one word is common in all that is INDIAN, lets work for that word, and instead of pointing fingers we can assist each other to raise our National Flag high.
JAI HIND
It was a very amateur article by Commodore KP Mathew, inspite of the fact that he was holding appointment of CSO Training at Prestigious Naval Training Command. Many fact and figures he was trying put was also wrong. Indian Coast Guard was not established to prevent smuggling or to carry out Search and Rescue only, it is mandatory to have organisation like this under UNCLOS, that’s why many countries who don’t have any Navy or military organisation still have Coast Guard Organisation for enforce Maritime Law and to protect resources in respective EEZ. Secondly, Indian Coast Guard is not the paramilitary force, it is very much part of Indian Defence forces. I agree Indian Coast Guard is structured keeping US Coast Guard as model, but you cannot compare two Coast Guards, firstly US Coast Guard is much older than US Navy itself. History shows that when Wright brother was carrying out first test flight US Coast Guard was there to provide rescue cover at sea. On the other hand Indian Coast Guard is Just 33 yrs old and you cannot expect same standards of US CG that too when you have limited man power, resources, budget, political bureaucracy and over and above people like you sister service. Indian Coast Guard can also control movement of all ships in Indian waters but who will provide that powers, ICG can also carry out prompt SAR in bad weather but who will provide twin engine helicopter to sustain that weather conditions, ICG can control entire Indian EEZ but who will provide resources, sensors and manpower. Do you any answer for all these questions, Commodore. It’s very easy to point finger towards anybody, you mentioned Coast Guard was not prompt in rescue of MV Pratibha Cauvery off Chennai port during Cyclone, I will ask you Indian Navy is also member of SAR organisation what Indian Naval ships at Chennai and Aircraft at Naval Air Station Arakkonam was doing at that time.
first of all i thank you for such a remark from a age old sister service to a younger sister…no wonders…. our enemy are not outside the borders they are inside the borders….rather than encouraging indian coast guard who is serving the nation with a small number of strength by giving their heart and soul for the service …. our elder sister navy is trying to discourage our morale and and trying to bring some bad names for own sister….wow what a great elder sister…no wonder why british ruled us for more than a century…where one sister is trying to cut other sister throat and trying to show her down….any one can rule us….i had read in childhood unity is strength…but i think it need to be included in their courses who perhaps has not read or forgotten it…. i remember one more quote..there are two ways to become biggger…one make yorself big or second cut the other ….. second method is easier than first method … which our elder sister is trying….. o my elder sister if you are there we don need enemy…. i think i must take out time to tell this to entire country…… once again thank you sir… thank you my elder sister …..jai hind…vayam rakshamah…
Dear Commodore KP Mathew,
I wish i could congratulate you on your copy and paste article but somehow stopped myself from doing it. It is really amazing that despite being COS training at SNC your ideas and its by products are so shallow. Infact I was really expecting such type of article to appear soon somewhere due to the various incidents and accidents your beloved Navy is going through so as to deviate the attention from Naval shortcomings. Indian Coast Guard at present is sailing more than Navy, carrying out more operations and exercises than Navy and is much more capable than your beloved non performing assets. I wish you could have studied more rather than searching through google on US Coast Guard and its missions. Naval officers like you who are serving as DGCG are infact a big roadblock in the progress of ICG and sitting idle in the chair.All your points brought out in your self conclusion are already in effect since long and the officers and men are performing more than their Naval counterparts. Kindly atleast give respect to your profession and service as you know such baseless articles can easily bring the morale of the men down. Hoping for a favourable response. JAI HIND..
Gentlemen,
Every service in any country will receive a fair share of criticisms from others like media, other services etc. the fact is mud-slinging wold lead to nowhere.
The ICG and USCG doesn’t draw a compare as even the IN doesn’t boast of defence spending of the size of the US Navy, so the comments coming from a person with as diverse experience as that stated about the author shows either immaturity or simply mediocre research.
If inability to rescue in one odd incident is termed failure and similar USCG incident a success, then it is utter foolishness not to compare statistics of success and failure with the quality of equipment and machines available with each force. The claims look more like a grudge rather than presentation of facts.
As to availability of ships in harbour, the same can be said of the other maritime force in the nation too. How many wars have we seen at sea and what has been the contribution has been gloriously documented though some of them like sinking a sub may have bit been a bit accidental or just plain luck. But that itself is credible.
The last war at sea which saw action was prior my birth and 4 decades have passed, if we take Kargil as one then too about 15 years have passed.
so what do people do these last 15 years? a question best not answered. The headlines of the recent times tell all.
Also the author though candid enough to highlight some incidents, whose truth cannot be verified by ordinary individuals, has sought to conclude in a rather shoddy way by giving broad suggestions rather than specific ones; which would have been expected from someone with background of training and plans and tactics.
Looks more like a grapes turned sour case
PS: the gentlemen below who look like persons from CG & IN, stop the mud-slinging as it is looking funny for guys like me. So gentlemen of CG protect the coasts and those of IN do the same with the nation at sea.
Can you tell me in case of war, do you guys fight the enemy or each other
Well.. this article is written by a naval commodore …so thats what we all expected… if NAVY if being all defensive about their role and their purpose , it quite understandable, as they are in the news everyday for all the wrong possible things if the world…. INDIAN COAST GUARD is a very proffesional and dedicated force… even a thought of merging it with NAVY sends chill down my body… if anything has to compared with anything here…its COASTGUARD’s work ethos, professionalism, dedication , selflessness of all the officers and sailors that form this service.. anyways, if i try defending INDIAN COASTGUARD here anymore and compare it more with INDIAN NAVY…i can go on writing pages… (probably a couple of more pages then commodore just wrote, along with relevent refrences, & i’m sure mist if us can)… But, i would rather sail or fly and secure ensure indian waters are all secure…thats what we do sir… we dont really have time to play blame game here or to prove oyr superiority… have fun ..as u people of alot have a lot time(PS:- i’m sure everyone would agree)…i would give u more topics for making ur “extra time” worthwhile “INDIAN NAVY IS THE BEST”, “INDIAN ARMY, INDIAN AIRFORCE AND INDIAN COASTGUARD should me merged with the INDIAN NAVY”, “INDIAN NAVY IS THE BEST ARKED FORCE OF THE WORLD”…..Happy writing sir…while we all go fly/sail.. 🙂 *vayam rakshamah*
Very well said Varun sir and Yuvraj.. and what is to be noted here is that we don’t go out defending ourselves most of the time and play the blame game just for the simple fact that actions speak louder than words.. you can pick up any statistic data and see how many lives have been saved by the so claimed non performing asset!! we Are peace keeping force n d mere fact that there has been no war since decades proves a lot of things.. we prove our mettle at every mission assigned to us by our capability and not by portraying others ill..
Sir, we never demean your service because we know that you are d warriors at sea and we do expect you to understand that we also operate under similar circumstances and with minimal manpower as compared to your force.. we expect respect and co-operation from our sister service since we never hesitate to extend d same.. and where the point of comparision comes of ICG with US coast guard, I think d same applies to our Navy.. for a matter of fact a look at d ships which have been decommisioned by the Russians 4 decades back are being brought by our Navy.. I think we all know a lot about it in all aspects!!
ICG is a young force with vibrant and enthusiatic officers and men, which is evolving really well and shining with all its endeavours & hard work!! And we shall continue the same way coz “We Protect”!!
Sir,
Firstly the management of 7517 Km of Coastline and 1197 islands of India in order to achieve foolproof security, ecological balance, SAR cover and swift pollution response though in the CG Charter of duties cannot be delivered by just one agency alone.
On maritime security – Even Indian Navy cannot ensure a foolproof mechanism by checking every vessel operating in Indian waters. Add to it the 10 Lakh plus fishing crafts of every size operating at sea which can be a medium to infiltrate the coastline as happened in 26/11 attack. Expecting a service like Coast Guard with even enhanced platforms to physically inspect each such vessel every other day is quite impractical. However, an environment of security is achieved by bringing together Maritime Govt. / Non-Govt agencies such as Navy, Coast Guard, MMD, Fisheries, DRI, Customs and especially fishing communities on a common platform so as to ensure maximum sharing of information for swift interdiction on availability of information. A process that CG has steadily engaged in from its genesis. In fact, interaction with fishermen communities to act as ours eyes and ears has been its pivotal point in formulating security mechanism along the coastline.
On other aspects of SAR and Pollution response, CG has been steadily building its surface assets for swift response and our previous operations in recent past bear testimony to the operational effectiveness in this field. But to expect CG to police every land based entity discharging waste at sea is unwarranted. That includes large swathes of population inhabiting the coastline which can only be regulated by State agencies. Here again, management of coastline with involvement of all stakeholders in underlined.
Lastly, the CG has been quite extensively deployed since its inception and its platform have been exploited to the T throughout their operational life with minimalist maintenance to ensure presence at sea. So it has indeed served its purpose to the capacity.
Having served in Coast Guard, I have personally seen the inertia among the policy makers effecting the modernisation of the service. Many reasons are responsible and few are listed as :
(a) Shunning responsibility and lack of initiative: The incumbents are more eager to pass their tenure by indulging in non productive activities and burning diesel worth crores on idle patrolling. Even the CGHQ is lacking in devising new policies or ways to procure new technologies.
(b) Effect of payband-IV: If the data is seen, the biggest chunk of the operative officers lies at the rank of Commandant (Junior Grade) who are more worried about making it to Commandant which is in payband IV. Thus, the interest of the largest group (and younger) is to make their old seniors happy. Thus inflating of egos, looking for their personal interests etc has become the norm at the unit level of the force.
(c) Inertia and lack of flow: Unlike in Navy and other two services, the incumbents serve till super annuation age thus crowding the upper posts for long. The top posts are shuffled among few and rotated among them only. Not only the oldies able to accept the new ideas and adapt to change of technology, sociology etc but force their own ways which bring resentment in the younger (and full of ideas) lot.
(d) Low Morale: In comparison with tri-services, the Coast Guard is not considered military and thus their men and officers are not granted ‘Military Service Pay’, and Technical Pay. This has affected the morale of the incumbants.
(e) Belief in Good Liaisons: The top officers believe in maintaining the good liaisons with MoD and do not wish to be on the wrong side of the policy makers. This make them meekly accept whatever is offered and not to question/counter the MoD.
(f) Concentration of Power not in Post but in Individuals: As the posts are shuffled among few and those few are not retiring, the power lay with few individuals and thus ushering change is near impossible.
Word count finished
What you are not grasping before writing is that the CG does not have a meaningful role in the present scenario and are wasting precious little national resources to a great extent. This means it should either be merged under Indian Navy and its assets transferred to them or it should be re purposed or worst case scenario, disbanded altogether. Nation can only afford things which are necessary and serve a purpose. Because CG does not have any meaningful purpose from the above, they should be handed or merged with Navy. Your issues and other grumbles come later if the force is even required by the nation. So, understand the issues first sir.
Article written by Mr. Mathew seems to be highly absurd and biased . Indian Coast Guard is the only force today which has been thorough professional and performing beyond its limits and resources. Their action are visible at least to the public. Today most of the resources of Coast Guard are being eaten away by Navy . In fact , Navy has become completely ” NON PERFORMING ASSET ” and it is quite evident to the whole country. The day Coast Guard will be free from Naval Clutches , it will become a real Coast Guard like U.S Navy. It is the Navy which is not letting Coast Guard to come up and they are interfering at each level in Coast Guard . If naval personnel start concentrating on their charter , perhaps its own problem will resolve and a non performing navy will turn into a dynamic navy. Today Coast Guard personnel are more competent and comfortable at sea as compared to navy. Naval personnel sail once in blue moon ,whereas CG are always at sea. They have no luxury to stay in Colaba or any metro politan city .
I strongly feel that this note is to divert attention from naval failures of last one year. The country budget has been wasted like anything . Navy must concentrate on their charter rather than doing thesis on Coast Guard.
What you are not grasping here paaji is that the CG does not have a meaningful role in the present scenario and are wasting precious little national resources to a great extent. This means it should either be merged under Indian Navy and its assets transferred to them or it should be re purposed or worst case scenario, disbanded altogether. Nation can only afford things which are necessary and serve a purpose. Because CG does not have any meaningful purpose from the above, they should be handed or merged with Navy. Your issues and other grumbles come later if the force is even required by the nation. So, understand the issues and then reply paaji. Indian Navy has atleast a defined purpose of actual deterrence in peace and response in war. If CG was so good at doing its job, how come lakhs of illegal Tamils from Sri Lanka enter Indian land from the Gulf of Mannar? How did 26/11 terrorists hoodwink them and reach Mumbai by boat paaji? This means both CG and IN failed to do their job. That is the truth whether you like it or not.
@ram – sir i am really sorry to say but your comments are absurd. you might be a proud naval officer but that does not gives u liberty to malign Coast Guard . Taking about 26/11, the infringement by anti national elements was through open seas.. where supposedly ur Navy does the patrolling.. if you say its a failure on part of ICG than I would say its a bigger failure of Navy who despite there vast fleet of western seaboard could not stop Kasab entering Indian waters at the first instance.. CG is responsible for coast line, but its you who failed to prevent him entering in India @ open seas.. you are the people who are supposedly on high alert at all times.. 80% of the time u maintain readiness state 1.. still he entered Indian waters.. so should it be right on my part to say dat govt. Should consider disbanding Navy????
You very conveniently blamed ICG for it!! But look into your force before talking about others.. maybe you are scared that ICG might overshadow you over a period of time?? !!!!
Taking about charter of duties, its hilarious that you are not aware that wenever an organisation is set up, its duties are also assigned.. so u really need to gen up before making such a nonsensical comment..
To know our charter of duties.. Please do visit http://www.indiancoastguard.nic.in we are happy to help !!!!