Monthly Archives: August 2018

Vehicles washed away in floodwaters could be seen stuck in tree trunks and submerged here and there in many places

Speaking at the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations, the PM says Agnipath scheme is an example of ongoing military reforms

Agnipath scheme endangering national security and aspirations of rural youth, says Kharge

PTI

New Delhi, July 26

The Opposition parties slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday over his claims concerning the Agnipath scheme while paying tribute to martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas and demanded a review of the scheme.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other party leaders accused the Prime Minister of indulging in “petty politics” over the Agnipath issue and said the Prime Minister’s remarks that his government implemented the scheme at the behest of the Army was a “blatant lie”.

“It is very unfortunate and deplorable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is doing petty politics even on occasions like paying tribute to martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas. No Prime Minister has ever done this before,” Kharge said.

“Modi ji is saying that his government implemented the Agnipath scheme at the behest of the Army. This is a blatant lie and an unforgivable insult to our valiant armed forces. Modi ji, it is you who is spreading lies!” he said in a post on X.

Asserting that many retired officers had strongly criticised the scheme, the Congress chief said the Agnipath scheme was endangering national security and the aspirations of the rural youth.

All this is on record, he said and demanded that the scheme be completely scrapped.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Modi of “lying” even on Kargil Vijay Diwas.

“He (Modi) says the Agnipath/Agniveer scheme was introduced by the Army. General MM Naravane, who was Army chief at that time, has written that the scheme came as a complete surprise to the Army and as a ‘bolt from the blue’ to the Navy and Air Force. Modi is now trying to evade responsibility for this disastrous scheme,” he said in a post on X.

Congress MP Vivek Tankha claimed the scheme was brought with very little consultation. Those consulted did not have to courage to suggest changes, he alleged.

“You kept the absorption rate at 25 per cent which is very low. If it was 50 per cent or 75 per cent, people may not have opposed it… how can you abandon them (Agniveers) after four years,” he asked.

Congress leader Karti Chidambaram termed Agnipath an “ill-conceived scheme”.

“Modern warfare and modern military campaigns require a professional army which is tremendously technology oriented. Agniveer scheme neither gives training nor does it give Commission. It does not equip a soldier for modern warfare,” he said.

“It (Agnipath) is a temporary outsourcing arrangement. The government is doing this only because it wants to save money by not giving them (Agniveers) the benefits that would come from a full commission. This does not in any manner serve the needs of a modern army,” he said.

Congress MP Ranjit Ranjan asserted that when his party comes to power, the scheme will be scrapped.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Maji said the scheme needs to be reviewed as it does not provide any social security to Agniveers.

“I salute the martyrs of Kargil. Whenever foreign nations have attacked us, our brave soldiers have sacrificed their lives,” she said.

“But there should be a review of the Agniveer scheme. We should think about the soldiers on whom the whole nation of 140 crore people relies. What would happen to them after four years when they become unemployed?” the JMM MP posed.

The Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen dismissed the Prime Minister’s remarks that the Agniveer scheme is intended to keep the force young.

“The Army has always been young, perhaps the Prime Minister does not know… They get voluntary retirement while they are young. They serve the nation, we respect them,” she said.

“Being in the Army was a full-time job. But the Agnipath-Agniveer (scheme) ended that. We will keep protesting against the scheme,” Sen said.

Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav said the old recruitment system was better as it ensured the future of the soldiers and their families were secure.

On the other hand, BJP MP Ravi Kisan accused the Opposition of spreading misinformation over the matter.

“This is a very good scheme. My daughter is also preparing for the Army and no one should be in this confusion… This scheme is good for youth. Look at the example of China and Israel, every youth knows how to use arms,” he said.

BJP MP Brijmohan Agrawal said the scheme is aimed at instilling a sense of patriotism in the youth.

“Just as Israel has compulsory military training for school students, this (Agnipath) scheme is aimed at instilling a sense of patriotism in the youth,” he said.

The conflict exposed the sheer incompetence of India’s intelligence agencies, which kept shifting the blame onto the military brass.

Maroof Raza

Strategic affairs analyst

MANY articles and essays have been written about the 25-year-old Kargil War over the past few weeks — on how India’s politico-intelligence and military leadership were taken completely by surprise by the wily Gen Pervez Musharraf’s adventurism in the high Himalayas. Even then, India’s military response was measured, and steps were taken on those steep slopes after plans were adopted with due calculation by India’s politico-military leadership. And if India’s elite today appear more reassured, it is because of what our bravehearts achieved against insurmountable odds in those battles along the Line of Control (LoC).

Briefly put, the Kargil conflict will be remembered first for the fighting spirit, patriotism and dogged determination of the Indian Army that led to the eviction of Pakistani intruders. Secondly, it exposed the sheer incompetence of India’s intelligence agencies, which kept shifting the blame onto the military brass. The Army’s job was not to collect information about the enemy’s actions but to act on the inputs provided to it. Thirdly, as India’s first televised war — which brought the battlefield into our living rooms — it created interest across India in matters military. But, above all else, the conflict gave sanctity to the LoC — as a de facto border — the contours of which Pakistan had set out to contest.

In the aftermath of the conflict, many books were published that should be read to understand why and how that conflict was fought. Apart from Gen VP Malik’s Kargil: From Surprise to Victory (2006), three others, in particular, need to be recalled. Gen Malik was the Army Chief during the 1999 war. In a country where the Ministry of Defence is struggling with what should be published, his account of that conflict is a must-read for soldiers and scribes.

Soldier-turned-politician Capt Amarinder Singh has written a valuable book titled A Ridge Too Far: War in the Kargil Heights (2001). It is a blow-by-blow account of the 10 infantry battalions that fought for the Kargil heights and were later honoured for their distinguished service by the Army Chief. The book goes into virtually every detail of the battles that were fought by the Indian soldiers against severe odds.

India has, since Independence, fought several big and small wars. And while the Army had a high ratio of officers-to-men killed in battle (1:24), this rose in the Kargil conflict to one officer killed for every 16 soldiers who died in the battles for the icy heights, from Tiger Hill to Tololing.

Capt Amarinder’s book is a salute to the quiet resolve of the Indian soldier. What more can a country ask from its men at arms than to die unquestioningly, sometimes even to shield the blunders of our civil-military leaders?

In his book, Kargil: Blood on the Snow (2002), Maj Gen Ashok Kalyan Verma, an infantry officer, has provided a historical analysis of what happened over those weeks, as India’s political leaders were hopelessly waffling while its soldiers methodically planned a response that exposed Pakistan’s betrayal of the agreed status on the LoC. More importantly, this book affirms, with some historical detail, that Pakistan’s military misadventure in Kargil was rooted in its desire to strengthen its hold on the northern areas of J&K and claim the Siachen Glacier, just as the British Commander in Chief of Pakistan in 1948, Gen Sir Douglas Gracey, had recommended that “if India is not to be allowed to sit on the doorsteps of Pakistan to rear and to flank… it is imperative that the Indian Army is not allowed to advance beyond the general line Uri-Poonch-Naushera.”

Another revelation made by the author is that the Indian Air Force (IAF) was initially reluctant to join in the operation because of the unsuitability of its aircraft for such tasks, but it was convinced by Gen Malik that ground operations had to be supported by the Air Force. We do know that the non-use of the IAF during the India-China conflict in 1962 is still a contentious issue for the Army and the Air Force.

But what the Kargil conflict highlighted was that Pakistan’s Generals could not only put together bold plans but were also willing to try them out. The same cannot be said about India’s military commanders. The reason for that lies in the culture of playing safe and the no-mistake syndrome that has come to dominate the Army over the past many years. The author dwells on this in detail and is critical of the damage that this has already done to the Indian Army. In his words, “this is perhaps the single most negative shortcoming of the Army today.”

Kargil: The Tables Turned (2001) — edited by Maj Gen Ashok Krishna (retd) and the late PR Chari — underscores why the absence of a national consciousness on security matters resulted in Indian soldiers paying with their lives for the decades of neglect, which left them ill-equipped and created a defensive mindset among India’s military brass. Besides, the total lack of assessment of our enemy’s capabilities hardly comes as a surprise. As our troops were pushed into battle with outdated maps, improper equipment and clothing and inefficient weapons, the shocking state of logistic support for troops on the frontlines leaves one appalled at the level of neglect of our armed forces. All past governments in Delhi are to blame for this neglect.

The book comprehensively covers each battle of the Kargil conflict. It must be read to prevent the sorry state of affairs that was conspicuous through the initial stages of the conflict. The central question, however, is: will we ever learn the right lessons?

It is the continued adverse relations with India that lend justification to the Pakistan army to exist in its present size.

Lt Gen Harwant Singh (retd)

PAKISTAN has been pursuing its policy of bleeding India with a thousand cuts with unabated persistence for the past four decades. Somehow, India has neither been able to tackle this problem nor find a viable counter. Of late, terrorist activity has shifted from the Kashmir valley to south of the Pir Panjal range to areas of Poonch and Rajouri as well as Kathua in the Jammu region. During this year itself, there have been at least six major attacks, including the killing of nine pilgrims in Reasi last month.

This shift is not due to any enhanced anti-terror measures taken in the Valley, but perhaps due to an unprecedented flow of tourists, which leads to financial gains for almost all sections of society, from porters to shikara owners and hoteliers. Any terror attack in the Valley would impact the inflow of tourists, which in turn will result in financial losses to the local people and their consequent slant towards terrorists.

In addition to cross-border terror attacks, Pakistan has been pumping drugs into India, more recently using drones and other means. To counter this, India needs to deploy anti-drone systems, besides working out a more effective system to check the smuggling of drugs both by sea and land routes.

The Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border are fenced, yet terrorists continue to sneak into Indian territory and inflict casualties on Indian troops, police and other personnel. To infiltrate into Indian territory, terrorists normally use nullahs and streams, which are not fenced, and sometimes make tunnels under the fence to send terrorists. Terror attacks on military establishments close to the border resulted in the setting up of extensive fencing and the raising of boundary walls around unit lines, thereby inducing in some manner a siege mindset among the troops. Terrorists who sneak into Indian territory are generally dealt with effectively, though often only after they succeed in inflicting casualties on military personnel and causing other damage.

Even the existing distressful state of political and economic conditions in Pakistan has not resulted in any pullback of this policy of ‘a thousand cuts’. Pakistan’s policy of promoting terrorism has eventually led to terror attacks on it from across its western border.

A well-evaluated policy is required to dissuade Pakistan from indulging in this game of pushing terrorists into India. This can be achieved by attempting some of the following measures.

One, deploy adequate forces and ensure effective surveillance to neutralise terrorists just as they attempt to cross into Indian territory. This may involve shifting a certain number of troops from depth areas and redeploying them along the border. There is also a need to enhance intelligence inputs. All areas up to 200-300 metres with undergrowth on the home side of the fence should be regularly checked for any tunnel opening.

Second, take punitive action against Pakistan for every terror attack. Such a policy was adopted when we carried out the surgical strikes in 2016 and the Balakot airstrikes in 2019. Earlier, the military mobilisation consequent to the 2001 attack on Parliament ended in a fiasco. These actions did not produce the desired results. Further, there is the possibility that these actions could lead to escalation, such as border skirmishes and even a major conflict. In this regard, China factor will have to be borne in mind.

Third, build friendly relations with Pakistan so that it gives up its policy on cross-border terror attacks. Good neighbourly relations can result in open trade and cooperation in a range of areas. India could even, when required, extend financial help. It is the continued adverse relations with India that lend justification to the Pakistan army to exist in its present state. Otherwise, there is no rationale for Pakistan having a military of the size it has and the consequent unaffordable burden it imposes on the country’s economy. India wants a friendly, cooperative and prosperous Pakistan. Friendly relations with India would work to a great extent in Pakistan’s favour. However, the China factor has come into play; it will work to Pakistan’s disadvantage and eventually drive it into a debt trap.

If none of the above options work, India must portray Pakistan as a terrorist state at world forums. Terror activities and treaties cannot coexist, so India needs to put Pakistan on notice that, in the event of continued terror attacks, it would abrogate the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and inform the World Bank.

In any case, this treaty, signed by the Indian Prime Minister at Karachi in 1960, is irrational and unfair to India. It gives Pakistan over 80 per cent of the waters of six rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas), with only around 19 per cent to India. Based on the ‘river basin’ principle, India should have got 35 per cent of the waters of these rivers and Pakistan 65 per cent.

If India is left with no option other than to terminate the IWT, as a first step, it should reconvert Salal dam into a storage dam and initiate work to construct a number of dams on these rivers to generate electricity and divert their water to irrigate vast barren lands in various valleys in the Ladakh and Jammu regions. In addition, we should divert the waters of the Chenab river (Chandrabhaga, as known in Himachal Pradesh) to the Beas river in the Kullu valley and further downstream into the Ravi river.

If Pakistan continues with cross-border terror attacks even after all this, India can exercise the option to flood that country during the rainy season by opening the sluice gates of these dams and shutting them during the dry season to reduce the supply of water, which will impact Pakistan’s agriculture. 

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, July 24

It is not just the pain of losing a young son in the Kargil War that this family had to endure almost 25 years ago, on July 11, 1999, but also other ordeals to get re-settled in life again.

Sapper Daljit Singh, eldest of the four sons of Kirpal Singh and Kamaljit Kaur, was just 26-year old and six years into the Army when he laid down his life for the country. He was married and had a year-and-a-half old daughter too.

At his house in Ekta Nagar, Kirpal Singh, who was then serving as a Sikh preacher at a gurdwara in Rama Mandi, recalls every moment and shares it piece by piece, “I was performing my duties at a religious programme on that fateful day and I was asked to come out to attend a call for my son. When I reached the landline phone, there was a Gorkha Army man on the other side who, in a very calm and composed manner, told me that my son had been martyred. It was shocking but at that moment, I resolved to remain strong and face it boldly. I went home, which was on the gurdwara premises, and told my wife and daughter-in-law Harjinder Kaur about this. Soon, there were people around to support us.”

He goes on, “Days after all rituals were almost over, everyone kept saying that I had not cried a bit and this could lead to mental trauma. They all tried to make me emotional but I did not shed a tear. I was even shut in a room for four days but I eventually convinced everyone that I could have developed an inner strength to bear it all. I have been a preacher all my life and giving speeches on the lives of martyr Sikh gurus and the martyrs of the Sikhism. Then on, I remember my son each day but sans any grief.”

Kirpal Singh says that the only regret he has in life was that he had to fight a long legal battle in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and even the Supreme Court to get a compensatory Class IV job for his younger son Kuldeep Singh. “Even as the state government now gives Rs 1 crore to a martyr’s family, we had got just Rs 50,000 as compensation in 1999. My daughter-in-law was offered a job but she was unwilling to take it and gave it in writing that it should instead be given to her younger brother-in-law. We had to move the court for this and it was a long drawn battle for justice, that too after losing a son,” he says.

Recalling one of the sweetest memories associated with his son, he says, “His unit was in a train from Pune to J&K a month ahead of the war when he had called up asking me to arrange for a meal for all of them. All of us, including the Sangat, prepared chhole-puris, packed them and took it to the train which they savoured on the way. After the unit reached its destination, his unit commander called up Daljit to thank him for the delicious meal and offered him a four-day vacation as a reward. Daljit came here and we spent such a fulfilling time with him then.”

Martyr Daljit Singh’s mother shares how he still maintains his son’s uniform, accessories and even the letters that he used to write back home. “We got his wife married to our younger son Joga Singh. They have two more daughters now. Daljit’s daughter Manpreet has recently moved to Canada after completing B.Com from here. She was five-year old when I told her about her father’s martyrdom. I told her that her ‘Chachu’ was her father now and she happily started calling him her ‘Papa’.”

Harjinder Kaur chose not to talk much. Wiping her tears constantly, she just murmurs, “It feels I have lived a double life”. She perhaps meant that it was not easy balancing oneself as a Kargil martyr’s widow and being remarried and settled with his brother.

The only regret of father

The martyr’s father Kirpal Singh says that the only regret he has in life is that he had to fight a long legal battle in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and even the Supreme Court to get a compensatory Class IV job for his younger son Kuldeep Singh. Even as the state government now gives Rs 1 crore to a martyr’s family, they had got just Rs 50,000 as compensation in 1999.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar gave a ruling in the Upper House two days ago against indiscriminate use of adjournment motion

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 26

Congress MP Manish Tewari on Friday gave an Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha and demanded a discussion on “border situation and huge trade deficit with China”.

The issue of adjournment notices has agitated Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who gave a ruling in the Upper House two days ago against indiscriminate use of adjournment motion tool which has been used sparsely through parliamentary history — just about six times.

Dhankhar rapped opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha for repeatedly moving adjournment notices on a daily basis following which no such notice was received on Thursday.

In Lok Sabha, however, the trend continues with Tewari asking for all house business to be halted to discuss the border situation with China.

Our Correspondent

Srinagar, July 25

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday visited the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir and reviewed the security situation along the LoC.

Dwivedi’s first visit to Kashmir after taking charge as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) comes at a time when Kupwara district in North Kashmir witnessed several anti-militancy operations recently. The Army has also foiled infiltration bids at the LoC.

In a post on X, the Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) said, the Army Chief exhorted soldiers to “remain steadfast in meeting emerging security challenges”.

“General Upendra Dwivedi (COAS) visited the forward locations of the Chinar Corps and reviewed the security situation along the Line of Control. He also interacted with the Commanders and troops on ground,” the ADGPI said.

Before his maiden visit to Kashmir as CAOS, General Dwivedi had visited Jammu twice and reviewed the security amid the rise of militancy in Jammu region.

The Army Chief also laid a wreath and paid homage to Naik (Gunner) Dilwar Khan, who was killed in an anti-militancy operation in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Several senior administrative and civil officers also attended the wreath-laying ceremony, which was held at the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps headquarter on Wednesday evening.

Dilwar Khan, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, was critically injured during an anti-militancy operation in the Trumkhan forests of Kupwara. An unidentified militant was also killed during the encounter.

“The COAS and all ranks of the Indian Army salute his immense valour and sacrifice and stand firm with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” the ADGPI wrote on X.