Indian Army: News and Discussion

12arya

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https://www.thehindubusinessline.co...ial-for-supply-to-defence/article22952386.ece

MSMEs urged to tap potential for supply to Defence

The Defence Indigenisation Expo now under way at the Codissia Trade Fair Complex seemed to have caught the attention of young and old alike, with entrepreneurs and students thronging the venue to understand the requirements of the defence sector.

For one, this is the first of such events being organised here and with the Defence Ministry giving greater impetus to the Make in India drive, it was obvious that a good number of visitors at the stalls put up by the participating Defence PSUs were e keen to understand if they can develop products/components for the sector and be part of the mission towards making Coimbatore a Defence Innovation Hub.

‘Be part of supply chain’

“We are looking to increase our vendor base; self-reliance and indigenisation are crucial,” said Ravin Kulshrestha, Director, Planning and Coordination, Defence Ministry, inviting the MSMEs to tap the potential in the defence procurement space.

While making it clear that it can take some time for the new vendors to be a part of the supply chain, he stressed the importance of participating in such events. “The government is taking a series of measures to make the entry barrier easy by de-licensing close to 60 to 65 per cent of the products, which hitherto could not be made without a valid licence, introduced the concept of multiplier, rolled the Make II procedure to ensure minimal documentation and given its approval for 23 projects.”.

Production partners

Subrata Saha, Director-General, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, spoke on the liberalisation of Defence Procurement Procedure 2016. “The Strategic Partnership Policy also got renewed,” he said and urged the MSMEs to take advantage of the potential “by picking the low hanging fruit and get it rolling”

The DRDO is seeking production and development partners from the private industry. There are 26 technologies which the private industry can tap and take forward, he said and pointed out that the foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) were at it, seeking expertise and services of the industries here to become part of a larger supply chain.

“While looking at the opportunity that awaits us, we should be equally conscious of quality control and management” Saha said.

Coir wood houses

CP Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Coir Board, said that the board is in the process of developing coir wood houses for warriors positioned in extreme climatic regions. “These tent-like houses can be dismantled in 3-hours and assembled in as many hours. The natural thermostatic property of the coir wood will help keep them warm during times of snow/ice and cool when the temperature tends to rise. Research is under way,” he added.
 

12arya

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https://newsclick.in/defence-employees-india-go-call-attention-strike-15-march

Defence Employees in India to Go on Call Attention Strike on 15 March
Four lakh defence civilian employees in India are expected to participate in the protest action against defence privatisation.


The four lakh defence civilian employees in India are set to go on a call attention strike and one hour work boycott on 15 March 2018, demanding that the government fulfil their longstanding demands include rolling back defence privatisation.

The defence employees have been pointing out for long that several decisions taken by the central government in the recent years are detrimental to national security.

The protest action is part of the agitational programme jointly decided upon by the three recognised federations of defence employees’ unions – the All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF), Indian National Defence Workers Federation (INDWF), and the Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS).

The concerns raised by the defence employees include the decision by the government to declare almost 250 items manufactured by the Ordnance Factories as "non-core" and to outsource the production of those items to the private sector.

According to the employees, whenever procurement of such items were done from outside in the name of “low technology”, inadequate supply and poor quality of the items supplied have resulted.

The decision of the government is in violation of the commitments given by the Ministry of Defence in the past, the employees say.

The government has also issued an order to grant uniform allowances to soldiers instead of providing stitched uniforms. This would be counter-productive, and would threaten the future and existence of 5 OEF (Ordnance Equipment Factory) group of factories with almost 10,000 employees, including 2000 women employees, according to the defence employees.

C Srikumar, the General Secretary of the AIDEF and a former employee of the Ordnance Clothing Factory at Avadi, wrote a letter to the Defence Minister on 26 February in this regard.

"The fluctuating demands of the Armed Forces and sometimes the limited requirements will not induce the private sector to dedicate their Unit's capacity for the Armed Forces,” Srikumar said in the letter.

“… the private industries may be in a position to supply cheaper clothing items because of the low wages they pay to the employees and various concessions they obtain from the government and also using low cost and substandard raw materials. Being a model employer, the government cannot be a party to the exploitation of labour on the basis of low wages, denying even the legally enforced minimum wages and other facilities to the unorganised workers. Compromising on the quality of the uniforms cannot be accepted as a matter of policy and practice by the government.”

“It is also a matter of fact that on many occasions, the Indian Army has purchased dresses and uniforms from private sources and the poor quality of those items are attributed to the Ordnance Factories without any basis.”

“The organisational base of the OEF group of factories provides and facilitates effective control over specification, quality of basic material and end products, since the dress and uniforms of the armed forces are of special nature and special purpose like strategic combat army logo uniform, extreme climate dresses, tents, parachutes, blankets, boots etc. This would be difficult to enforce on small/private units scattered all over the country.”

While there would be an initial price advantage if the armed forces enter into contracts with private players for the uniforms, once the Ordnance Factories stop the production of uniforms, the private sector would increase prices, Srikumar pointed out.

The government has also decided to hand over the operation of the Army Base Workshops (ABWs) to the private sector, under the GOCO (Government-Owned, Contracted-Operated) model.

The Army Base Workshops carry out work that is crucial to the armed forces – they repair tanks, army vehicle engines, small arms, mortars, communication systems, radars, optical equipment, power equipment, air defence weapons systems, soldier weapon systems, gun and specialist vehicles and so on.

The workshops are located in Delhi, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Kankinara (West Bengal), Allahabad (UP), Meerut (UP), Kirkee, Pune (Maharashtra) and Bengaluru.

The handing over of such national assets to private corporates would adversely affect the operational preparedness of the armed forces and put their combat capability at risk, defence employees say.

The government has also decided to close down 14 Station Workshops, 39 Military Farms, and four depots under the Director General of Ordnance Services (DGOS).

The unions have been demanding the withdrawal of several decisions and practices that will result in job losses. These include the decision to declare 31,012 employees of Army Units, including 9,300 employees of the Military Engineer Services (MES) as surplus, and the outsourcing of permanent and perennial jobs in defence establishments.

Demands also include filling up of all the posts lying vacant in the defence establishments.

According to the action programme announced by the unions, the defence civilian employees of the five OEF group of factories, 8 Army Base Workshops, 14 Station Workshops, Military Engineer Services under Engineer-in-Chief, four depots under DGOS and 39 Military Farms under the Quarter Master General (QMG) will observe a one-day "Call Attention Strike" on 15 March 2018.

The defence civilian employees of other establishments would observe one hour "work boycott" by holding a demonstration for one hour during the morning mustering hours on the same day.
 

12arya

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...efence-ties/story-skt1Ely6qOzWZAW7Ms0VWM.html

2-by-2 talks: India to seek upgrade in US defence ties
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be meeting their US counterparts, Rex Tillerson and James Mattis, next month in Washington.

India is trying to get faster access to dual-use (civilian and defence) and defence technologies from the US and will push for an upgradation in its status in the so-called Strategic Trade Authorization or STA license exemption regime in the April 18 meeting with the US in Washington.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be meeting their US counterparts, Rex Tillerson and James Mattis, next month in Washington and India’s thinking is that the upgradation of its status is only in keeping with its relationship with the US.

US and Indian diplomats told Hindustan Times that both sides are working towards making New Delhi a Tier one STA license exemption partner along with 36 of Washington’s closest allies in that group so that hurdles in accessing high end space, aeronautics, defence and software technologies are removed.

India as of now is in Tier II, a group of eight countries that includes Albania, Malta and South Africa. For the past year, India has been reminding the US that if it considers New Delhi a close ally then the country should have faster clearances, non-intrusive end-use verification and access when it comes to top end technologies.

“Upgradation of India to Tier 1 of STA will be the first step towards pushing the bilateral relationship to a new level. This issue will be taken up in the two-plus-two dialogue and there are indications of forward momentum being recorded in the first round of dialogue,” said a senior Indian government official who asked not to be identified. The two plus two dialogue will be preceded by the India-US forum meeting in New Delhi on April 6-7, which will be co-chaired by former foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and US State Department senior officials.

Although Washington has verbally assured New Delhi that it is willing to part with top-end defence technologies including weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles and front-line fighter jets, South Block officials believe that access to these technologies will be mired in red tape under the current STA regime. “This is not limited only to military hardware but also allowing access to dual use technologies which can be used for strengthening Indian missile capabilities now that India is a member of Missile Technology Control Regime and Wassenaar Agreement,” said a second Indian government official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It is learnt that both the countries are preparing for crucial dialogue with the realization that there is need to move forward. During the dialogue, the principals will be discussing the Indo-Pacific region with a security architecture to secure the eastern Indian Ocean, in consultation with Japan, Australia and ASEAN countries.

While the final agenda for the meeting is still being discussed, terrorism in context of Pakistan and Afghanistan will also be on the table with Washington supporting India’s idea of using the Chabahar route to stabilize Kabul. India and Afghanistan see Chabahar port (in Iran) as a way to boost their trade, leaving Pakistan out of the equation.

 

12arya

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http://www.prnewswire.co.in/news-re...at-op-jindal-global-university-675984653.html

Army Personnel to get Special Educational Concessions at O.P. Jindal Global University



- Special concessions announced by JGU for children of war widows and serving army personnel to pursue education programmes.

- Distinguished Public Lecture by Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat.

- Second Career for Army Officers after retirement stressed.

Underlining its commitment to nation building, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) announced special concessions for children of war widows and serving army personnel.


The announcement was made during a distinguished public lecture on 'Indian Army in Nation Building', delivered by the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat at JGU campus in Sonipat on 5th March.

One child of a war widow will get 100% concession on tuition fee while two will get 75% concession. And 11 children of war widows will get 50% concession on tuition fee. As regards serving army personnel, 50% fee concessions will be given to them for pursuing long-term academic programmes of one or two-year duration. The Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences will also conduct free teacher training for Army School teachers.

Speaking on the occasion, General Rawat spoke on the need for Armed Forces personnel to keep abreast of latest technological developments which will help them to take on futuristic challenges with the emergence of artificial intelligence and other modern developments. He emphasized the role of higher education institutions in preparing Army personnel for second career after retirement.

"We (the Indian Army) cannot live in isolation. Our people have to start interacting with the universities to upgrade our knowledge levels. We propose to send some of our officers to universities to exchange ideas and develop opportunities. We have over 1,000 officers aged between 45-55 years who retire every year as they do not get empanelled for promotion. They are experienced, talented and have the practical knowledge. But they do not have the stamp of a degree. Similarly, 50,000 of our soldiers also face similar situation and face difficulties in their second career after leaving armed forces. That is what we are looking at," General Rawat said, while addressing the students at the event.

General Rawat further pointed that interested army men can enrol and participate in short-term and long-term academic programmes and training workshops at the University. He said, "We as officers in armed forces get degrees from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University. But we never had an opportunity to go to this university ever in our career. Our soldiers will learn the modern skill-based education at universities and that would help us evolve our armed forces to the needs of the present."

The General also informed that Armed Forces in India has not only been addressing conflicts but also contributing to nation's growth. "The Indian armed forces not only secure the borders but also provides a cushion internationally for investors to help create a favourable ambience for investments like FDI. With this impression that the Indian armed forces are capable of securing the borders, gives confidence to international investors. I can assure you that whatever budget is provided to armed forces, a good part of it is also utilized in developing infrastructure, roads, schools and hospitals in remotest areas of the country," he stated.

Stating that Indian Army is a 'Humane' army, the Army Chief said that it has been effectively handling terrorist challenges in a professional manner.

He also exhorted the students to excel in their respective fields and said they were the future of the nation. "How you think and do will decide the future of our country. It's you, the students here, who will lead the nation," he added.

Welcoming General Bipin Rawat, Prof (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, JGU called his visit a historic moment, as this was the first-ever visit by a serving Army General to the university campus. He appreciated the 'extraordinary contribution' of the Armed Forces in the service of the nation. He also announced special fee packages for wards of war widows and serving army personnel.

Reinforcing JGU's aspiration to sustain the spirit of public service, Prof. (Dr) C. Raj Kumar said, "The universities play a special role in the development of societies and prepare the professionals of future India for the radically changing geo-political environment around them, both in India and internationally. JGU's commitment to nation building is imbibed in our founding mission and motivates us to host Armed Forces personnel and their wards in different capacities on the University campus. We are immensely pleased and hopeful about the opportunities that this partnership between JGU and the Indian Army will foster, not only between two institutions, but to the larger community of Indian Armed Forces. We are deeply grateful to Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat, for his vision and support to this project, and for taking the time to visit the JGU campus today and inspire our students to be the uninhibited leaders of our nation."

In his opening remarks Lieutenant General Rajesh Kochhar (Retd), Senior Director, Jindal Institute of Leadership Development and Executive Education (JILDEE) and the Chief Administrative Officer of JGU spoke about the contribution of the armed forces towards civil society thereby contributing to nation building.

JGU's partnership with the armed forces began in 2009. JILDEE in particular has undertaken many training and capacity building programmes for the Indian Army. The three-week Mandarin Chinese course for Indian Army officers by native speakers is one of the key examples.

Following the public lecture, Gen Bipin Rawat participated in a round table discussion on 'Army-Civil Society Interface' which was organised by Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) and Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGPP). The participants deliberated on the critical edge and challenges with which Indian army and civil society operate within the diverse ecosystem of the country.

About O.P. Jindal Global University

A non-profit global university established by the Government of Haryana, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). JGU was established as a philanthropic initiative of its Founding Chancellor, Mr. Naveen Jindal, in memory of his father, Mr O.P. Jindal. JGU has been awarded the highest grade 'A' by the National Accreditation & Assessment Council (NAAC). JGU is one of the few universities in Asia maintaining a 1:13 faculty-student ratio and appointing faculty members from India and different parts of the world with outstanding academic qualifications and experience. A research-intensive university, JGU is deeply committed to its core institutional values of inter-disciplinary and innovative pedagogy; pluralism and rigorous scholarship; as well as globalism and international engagement.

JGU has established eight schools: Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Jindal Global Business School (JGBS), Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP), Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities (JSLH), Jindal School of Journalism & Communication (JSJC), Jindal School of Art & Architecture (JSAA) and Jindal School of Banking & Finance (JSBF).
 

12arya

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https://theprint.in/opinion/indian-army-dragged-every-issue-strong-enough-resist/39203/

The Indian Army is dragged into every issue today. Is it strong enough to resist it?
Lt Gen DS Hooda (retd)
The Army seems to feature in each and every debate in the media, whether it is about patriotism, nationalism, student politics, or the national anthem.

On 21 February, speaking at a seminar on the “North East Region of India – Bridging Gaps and Securing Borders”, General Bipin Rawat spoke about migration from Bangladesh and rise of the All India United Democratic Front. The comments kicked up an immediate storm with accusations that remarks like this indicate a growing politicisation of the Indian Army.

Such allegations have also been made in the past, particularly after the ‘surgical strikes’ of 2016. General Rawat himself stated in November last year, “Of late, we have been seeing that politicisation of the military has been taking place…We have a very vibrant democracy where the military should stay away from politics.”

How real is the danger of politicisation, and is the Indian military ethic strong enough to resist it? The answer to this question lies in the nature of civil-military relations and how the military views its role.

There are two classic models of civilian control. In his seminal work, The Soldier and the State, Samuel Huntington recommends a system of ‘‘objective control’’ that ensures civilian control while maximising the professionalism of the military. He argues that, “In practice, officership is strongest and most effective when it most closely approaches the professional ideal; it is weakest and most defective when it falls short of that ideal’’. An officer corps is professional to the extent it exhibits the qualities of expertise, responsibility, and corporateness. “In addition to enhancing effectiveness, these traits also enhance civilian control because a professional military seeks to distance itself from politics.”

American sociologist Morris Janowitz also discussed civilian control in his book, The Professional Soldier, published three years after Huntington. He argued that an apolitical military is unrealistic, and that the military will invariably come to resemble a political pressure group. He stated that this is not necessarily a problem as long as it remains ‘‘responsible, circumscribed, and responsive to civilian authority’’. He recommended the military’s ‘‘meaningful integration with civilian values’’.

There has been extensive international debate on which system is preferable. However, there has never been any confusion in the Indian military, which has always followed the “objective control” model and distanced itself from politics while concentrating on developing its professionalism. In his book, The Indian Army: Its Contribution to the Development of a Nation, Stephen P. Cohen says: “Probably no other group in South Asian society is so critical of politicians… and yet is so strong in its support of the political system.”

It is not only in politics, but the military has generally kept itself away from civil society, living in cantonments and practicing its own values. It is for this reason that I feel that the military is not about to start dabbling in politics. However, it would also be true to state that our military values are under pressure.

Today, the Army seems to be getting dragged into each and every debate in the media, whether it is about patriotism, nationalism, student politics or the national anthem. This repeated exposure could break down traditional values. As Shashi Tharoor wrote in India: From Midnight to the Millennium, “the best of India can only be preserved by insulating the Army from the pressures of the worst of India”.

There is also a feeling in the military that while the political leadership vocally supports the soldier, they are hesitant to give him his due. The angst over One Rank One Pension, the Seventh Pay Commission and status equation is real. The pace of weapons procurement and infrastructure development is slow. Communications by service chiefs, like the letter written by the Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba to the Defence Ministry requesting the government to review the decision to impose a cap on educational reimbursements for martyrs’ children, seem to evoke no positive response.

Therefore, there is talk among the officers about how the military is losing some of its importance and the need to project the military’s role in a different light, e.g. its importance in nation building. There are clear problems with this thought process. The trouble with clearing garbage in Ladakh and building bridges in Mumbai is not that the Army cannot execute it, but that it could come at the cost of its professionalism and its main responsibility of protecting the nation from threats to its security.

The real danger of politicising the military does not come from some statements of senior officers, often taken out of context, but from a breakdown of professionalism. This is what must be understood by political leaders of all parties. By letting the military concentrate on its primary task, keeping it out of political debates, and protecting the vital interests of its soldiers, they will only strengthen the quality of civilian control over the military. As Huntington wrote, “The professional military officer obeys the state not because he shares the outlook and values of its leadership, but simply because it is his professional responsibility to obey.”
 

12arya

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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/sto...ration-general-bipin-rawat-1183221-2018-03-06

India will continue counter-terror mechanism against unrelenting Pakistani infiltration: General Bipin Rawat

  • 850 incidents of cross border firing and shelling reported in 2017.
  • Rawat said situation on the India-China border is quiet and under control.
  • He added that Islamabad will use terrorists to destabilise J-K in 2018 summer.

General Bipin Rawat said that Pakistan will attempt to push as many terrorists to destabilise J-K (Photo: @adgpi/Twitter)


Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat today said that India will continue its counter-terror mechanism to challenge Islamabad that is likely to use terrorists to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir through the summer of 2018.

"Pakistan will not relent and will attempt to push as many terrorist as possible. We will continue with our counter-terror mechanism to deny any advantage to Pakistan in the manner in which we have been doing," Rawat told India Today.

General Rawat added that the situation on the India-China border is quiet and under control.

The Line of Control - the de-facto boundary between India and Pakistan - has been unusually active since last year.

Over 300 incidents of cross border shelling were reported in the first two months of 2018 as against over 850 incidents of cross border firing and shelling reported in 2017.

The Indian Army changed its track from just responding to cross border firing and violation of the 2003 India-Pakistan Ceasefire Agreement to a more proactive stance.

It is now attacking the Pakistani Army positions along the border that support infiltration bids and is prepared with terror launch pads to prevent infiltration attempts.

The Indian Army claimed that at least 24 regular Pakistani soldiers have been killed in the fire assaults launched on various Pakistan Army position in the first two months of 2018.

The India Army, however, said that the Pakistan Army will hide its casualties from its own people.

Pakistan is expected to go polls by the end of this year and it is unlikely that its Army would want to appear weak before its people, the Indian Army said.
 

Chinmoy

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I hope there are no songs and dances. JP screwed up his last film LoC because of all the unnecessary rubbish.
Its no concern to me unless and until it is a pleasure to ear.

But just have a look at the difference in weapons. Nehru had really done a great screw job. His panchsheel was a death kneel on our Armed forces.
 

Doc Mozart

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Recent pictures from the Chindits expedition and the Para SF exercise in Indonesia clearly states imo, that the army is looking/testing at least 3 different types of woodland based quarter zip camo/uniforms:-

1.


2.


3.


P.S: - I personally dig the 2nd one :)
 

rkhanna

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So after the 62 debacle - we spanked the chinese in 68 and 86 - Sadly those stories never get told. Op Falcon - its been decades since i have heard mention of it.


wonderful feel good story
Army officer scales peak, stumbles across outpost named after her dad

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-named-after-her-dad/articleshow/63225642.cms

"OLKATA: A young woman lieutenant in the Indian Army, posted in Tenga, Arunachal Pradesh, was on an initiation tour recently, which took her to a post at Kyapho in the Tawang sector. The post was named "Ashish Top". Her curiosity aroused, she asked how an army post in Arunachal Pradesh got the name. When she did learn who Ashish was, she was speechless. It was her very own father, Ashish Das, who retired as a colonel of the Assam Regiment, who — at that very moment — was at the family's home.

A call from Ashish Top to home followed as soon as she digested the "stunning discovery". "I was at home when I received a call from the commanding officer of the unit manning Ashish Top. He introduced himself and described how my daughter had broken down on coming to know that the post was named after me," Das told TOI.

"I may have told my family of our unit's exploits in that sector in 1986 but my daughter was not even born then," he added. "Even I came to know about this post being named after me only in 2003, 17 years after we beat back troops of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and occupied the post at 14,000 feet,"he said.

Das recalled how the 1986 events unfolded. The PLA made deep incursions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Sumdorong Chu Valley of Arunachal Pradesh and began constructing helipads and permanent structures. Later that year, Indian Army chief Gen K Sundarji launched what was to be later known (though never officially acknowledged) as Operation Falcon. An entire infantry brigade was airlifted to a makeshift landing area at Zimithang, near Sumdorong Chu


"We had to blast our way through Bum La and reached the Sangetsar lake. The Chinese were sitting just across. Our orders were to hold ground and we dug in. Every officer must have made 17-20 copies of wills in the intervening days and handed them over to their adjutants. We started to move forward a few days later and also blasted Kyapho that was snowed in. We did not know that we had crossed the Chinese camp but maintained our position. There were attempts to supply rations by air but the drops landed inside China. I remember surviving on rats. It was only later that skid boards were designed and rations reached us. A helipad was also constructed. There were firefights every day as we proceeded from one bunker to the next," Das said.




He remembers it was Onam when he, along with a small party, set out to return to base when they realised that the PLA was after them. Das (then a captain) opened fire on the Chinese, which forced the latter to give up the chase. The men remained there for three days without food. "There would be heavy firing at night followed by white flares during the day and parleys with the local Chinese political commissar," Das recalled.

 

Chinmoy

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So after the 62 debacle - we spanked the chinese in 68 and 86 - Sadly those stories never get told. Op Falcon - its been decades since i have heard mention of it.


wonderful feel good story
Army officer scales peak, stumbles across outpost named after her dad

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-named-after-her-dad/articleshow/63225642.cms

"OLKATA: A young woman lieutenant in the Indian Army, posted in Tenga, Arunachal Pradesh, was on an initiation tour recently, which took her to a post at Kyapho in the Tawang sector. The post was named "Ashish Top". Her curiosity aroused, she asked how an army post in Arunachal Pradesh got the name. When she did learn who Ashish was, she was speechless. It was her very own father, Ashish Das, who retired as a colonel of the Assam Regiment, who — at that very moment — was at the family's home.

A call from Ashish Top to home followed as soon as she digested the "stunning discovery". "I was at home when I received a call from the commanding officer of the unit manning Ashish Top. He introduced himself and described how my daughter had broken down on coming to know that the post was named after me," Das told TOI.

"I may have told my family of our unit's exploits in that sector in 1986 but my daughter was not even born then," he added. "Even I came to know about this post being named after me only in 2003, 17 years after we beat back troops of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and occupied the post at 14,000 feet,"he said.

Das recalled how the 1986 events unfolded. The PLA made deep incursions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Sumdorong Chu Valley of Arunachal Pradesh and began constructing helipads and permanent structures. Later that year, Indian Army chief Gen K Sundarji launched what was to be later known (though never officially acknowledged) as Operation Falcon. An entire infantry brigade was airlifted to a makeshift landing area at Zimithang, near Sumdorong Chu


"We had to blast our way through Bum La and reached the Sangetsar lake. The Chinese were sitting just across. Our orders were to hold ground and we dug in. Every officer must have made 17-20 copies of wills in the intervening days and handed them over to their adjutants. We started to move forward a few days later and also blasted Kyapho that was snowed in. We did not know that we had crossed the Chinese camp but maintained our position. There were attempts to supply rations by air but the drops landed inside China. I remember surviving on rats. It was only later that skid boards were designed and rations reached us. A helipad was also constructed. There were firefights every day as we proceeded from one bunker to the next," Das said.




He remembers it was Onam when he, along with a small party, set out to return to base when they realised that the PLA was after them. Das (then a captain) opened fire on the Chinese, which forced the latter to give up the chase. The men remained there for three days without food. "There would be heavy firing at night followed by white flares during the day and parleys with the local Chinese political commissar," Das recalled.
We have one Rajiv top also there. Wonder on whose name it was baptised. Anyway there is an interesting incident regarding Kyapo which even today make me split up laughing.
 

rishivashista13

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Why our guys are cooking MRE on the wood fire?
Didn't our guys get the flameless ration heater?
In this exercise the group did not use any of the modern equipments and accessories even no digital equipments (only paper maps). They did it with limited resources as done by real Chindits in world war 2.

Sent from my Redmi 4A using Tapatalk
 

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