Indian Defence Review

In this context, it is further necessary for senior commanders to increase their interaction with the rank and file and maintain frequent communication down to the rifleman to explain to him the stakes, his conduct and nature and significance of tasks; why it is necessary to tighten pressure now, release it a little, tighten again and so on. Only a constant interaction keeps him alert, informed, educated and motivated. It is a laborious process again and that much taxing on the senior commander, especially in active Cl Ops. Where this was not done there were set-backs, inefficiency and casualness. It was difficult to keep the men interested, alert and motivated in an environment of ennui, mental fatigue and constant, sapping danger in an arc of 360 degrees around them, day in and day out, for months on end.

Our unit and formation commanders too came under the mental hypnosis of the LTTE. They would graphically explain how well entrenched the LTTE was in the midst of the people, how ungrateful people were to us, how elusive the LTTE was, how perfect it was in the midst of the people and in its actions, how effective was its grip over the public and so on – virtually admitting that it was an impossible task and all our endeavours were pointless. One formation commander was relating vividly how the LTTE cadres – including their women – fought so bravely, killed our soldiers in fierce combat and proved to be our bane in early October ’87 in the Jaffna University Campus.

It was in logistics that I think the IPKF performed admirably.

I thought he was doing a good PR job for the LTTE. There was no doubt about the proportion of exaggeration in the indirect kudos accruing to the LTTE. The Brig had to be told to make use of his professionally critical faculties in evaluating the LTTE and not illogical awe. A lot of such roughage which had been allowed to enter the cerebral recesses of some of our unit and formation commanders had to be evacuated and their thinking disabused of self-invited cant. Mentally such influence was dangerous. I too frequently fell prey to this weakness, but made conscious and equally frequent efforts to shake loose from this hypnotic state; and, I think, I largely succeeded.

One Instance stands clearly embedded in my memory. In October ’87 a group of our jawans had suffered heavy casualties in the Jaffna University Campus and most had died there. Their belongings – dress, equipment and other service impedimenta -lay tattered and strewn all over the huge playground even as late as February ’88 when I went up there on one of my visits.

I thought this was disrespectful to the brave souls and asked the escort accompanying me to pick up all those items and remove them from public gaze. To my acute horror not one of them moved to pick them up! The escort consisted of all denominations, but none dared. It became painful to see such reluctance. I spontaneously got down from my open jeep, walked to the pair of pouches, pagri and belt strewn closest to my vehicle and picked them up, brought them to the jeep and kept them in. The Brig was the next one to do so. It was only after this that the rest of the escort got down and gathered other items.

It was one of the strangest incidents of my stay in Jaffna. The only other incident as painful as this, if what I saw was correct was the order given by an Armoured Corps officer to an infantry unit which had fought its heart out in the midst of Jaffna In October – November ’87, to march all the way to Mannar, nearly 250 km away. Then, on the day it reached there, he ordered it to march back to Vavuniya, another 100 km. For this BGS, the Infantry did not require vehicles; it was meant to march on its flat feet.

It was in logistics that I think the IPKF performed admirably. It was un untrodden ground, without a precedent to help us. We had no experience of supporting logistically a large composite force of all arms across the seas in a foreign country, which not only was hostile but also lean In resources. We had to lug everything across the sea by ship or aircraft, often both.

The Army needed an even flow of men and material to and fro, between Madras and Sri Lanka and insisted on some semblance of tactical loading. The Navy, which was charged with providing and scheduling shipping, insisted on bulk carriage and optimum utilisation of shipping. Our men were dumped frequently on cargo ships which had holds for goods but which did not permit men to breathe, eat, defecate, perspire or vomit. Our men had to do all this because of the system of certain involuntary muscles it was hell for them. Passenger ships like Akbar, Harshavardhan, etc, would close down their passenger comforts for our men.

Yet, we largely kept our tryst with destination – many termed it destiny. Poultry, vegetables and fruit flew in the aircraft every day with VIPs like senior Gens and Brigs of the IPKF. It was a great leveller of rank and hierarchy, if troops had to get their rations in time, in edible condition. We had to set up organisations out of our own resources at ports of embarkation and debarkation, at the airfields both at Madras and in Sri Lanka. We repaired the airfields, constructed temporary structures for holding huge stocks and improved ports where our ships berthed and. picked and/or discharged cargo. All the three Services – the Army, the Navy and the Air Force – representatives and staff would sit down every day till late at night and plan the transit and transport of men and material.

At lower levels, the three Services had an excellent understanding and shared knowledge and information of their senior bosses and their attempting any exercise to score a point or two over the other. This exchange would take place delightfully well in advance and mutual agreement arrived at to the over idiosyncrasies. The logistic staff under the Brigadier-in-Charge-Administration at the HQ IPKF and Colonels Q at Divisional HQ did a commendable job, quietly, efficiently and without much ado. It was a unique contribution to the history of our Army. Yet, every officer of the Q and A Branch staff at the HQ IPKF was superseded. That is our system for us.