Indian Army: News and Discussion

[Filtercoffee]

https://theprint.in/opinion/indian-...-nowhere-as-evolved-as-chinas-pla/266292/amp/ - what does this mean and do for the Army?

 

[12arya]

Major reshuffle in Army top brass as several generals ready to retire
The ministry on Monday appointed Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane, the seniormost officer after Rawat, as Vice-Chief of the Indian Army

Army generals (L to R) General Bipin Rawat, Eastern Army commander Manoj Mukund Naravane, Lieutenant General D Anbu and Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has laid out a succession plan for the post of the next Indian Army chief after General Bipin Rawat, who is currently commanding the force, retires on December 31 this year.

The ministry on Monday appointed Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane, the seniormost officer after Rawat, as Vice-Chief of the Indian Army. He is eventually "expected to become the next Army chief".

Naravane, who is currently Eastern Army commander, will replace Lieutenant General D Anbu, who retires earlier on August 31. Navarane was commissioned into the 7th Battalion The Sikh Light Infantry in June 1980. "In 39 years of illustrious service, he served in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in the North East, Jammu and Kashmir and also as part of the Indian Peacekeeping Force in Sri Lanka. He has commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and an Infantry Brigade on the Eastern Front," said a senior Ministry official.

Naravane has also been the Inspector General, Assam Rifles (North) at Nagaland, commanded a prestigious Strike Corps of the Indian Army and was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army Training Command.

As Naravane becomes Vice-Chief, Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan replaces him to become the new Eastern Command chief. Chauhan currently holds the charge of Director General Military Operations and has held the command of the 3 Corps. He has also led the operations along the Pakistan border post-Balakot airstrikes.

On the other side, Lieutenant General RP Singh will be heading the Chandimandir-based Western Command, replacing Lieutenant General Surinder Singh, who retires on July 31.

Additionally, Lieutenant General AS Kler will be heading the Jaipur-based South-Western Command, replacing Lieutenant General Cherish Matheson, who retires on August 31. The Lucknow-based Central Command will now be headed by Lieutenant General I S Ghuman who will replace Lieutenant General Abhay Krishna, who retires on September 30

 

[12arya]

Army allows wearing of medals of deceased personnel by the next of kin

A letter released by the Ceremonials and Welfare Directorate of Adjutant General's branch in Army HQs said that while this practice was in vogue in several countries, there was no such policy till date in India.

The medals which are earned by serving in the military are worn on the left chest by the entitled person.

In a move to boost pride among the next of kin (NoK) of veterans, the Army Headquarters has stated that the NoK can now wear the service medals of their deceased kin on the right chest as a matter of honour and respect for the veterans who earned them.


A letter released by the Ceremonials and Welfare Directorate of Adjutant General’s branch in Army HQs said that while this practice was in vogue in several countries, there was no such policy till date in India.

However, upon receiving representations from many kin of veterans, it has been decided that not only the NoK but also veterans themselves as well as serving personnel can wear the medals of their deceased immediate kin on the right chest.

Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Air Staff, paying homage at National War Memorial, India Gate, New Delhi today.
The medals which are earned by serving in the military are worn on the left chest by the entitled person.


“It has hence been decided that family medals may be worn on the right chest by the kin of late ex-Servicemen when attending homage ceremonies at war memorials, cemeteries and funerals,” says the letter dated July 11, 2019.

It further adds that serving personnel, if attired in formal civil dress, may also sport the family medals on the right chest.

The family medals have been described as those belonging to spouse, parents, forefathers and children. In case more than one set of medals are available then only one set of choice will be worn along with appropriate formal civil attire.

Alka Ahuja wife of Late Sqn Ldr Ajay Ahuja VrC and Ashrad Bibi wife of Late Subedar Mohd Shafi paying homage at National War Memorial, India Gate, New Delhi today.
Reacting to this development, President of ex-Servicemen Grievances Cell, Lt Col SS Sohi (Retd) said that this was a welcome development which would inspire and instil a sense of belongingness with the Army for the next of kin (NoK) of the awardees. “Any service personnel, regardless of the fact whether he has been awarded for gallantry or distinguished service, serves his country with selflessly. And it would be fitting tribute to that person if his legacy remains in public eye and continues to inspire others rather than the medals being dumped in some steel trunk or almirah,” he said.

 

[12arya]

J&K: Slain rifleman Aurangzeb's brothers join Army
Aurangzeb was abducted from Pulwama by terrorists and later his bullet-ridden body was recovered on June 14 last year.

Aurangzeb's brothers Mohammad Tariq and Mohammad Shabbir join the Indian Army. (Photo: India Today)


Nearly a year after Rifleman Aurangzeb was abducted and killed by terrorists in Kashmir, his two brothers - Mohammad Tariq and Mohammad Shabbir, have joined the Infantry Battalion of Territorial army.

Aurangzeb was abducted from Pulwama by terrorists and later his bullet-ridden body was recovered on June 14 last year. The deceased Army man was proceeding towards his home for the festival of Eid when he was abducted in broad daylight from a vehicle. After his abduction, the Jammu and Kashmir police had launched a massive manhunt.

His father Mohammad Hanief said, "My two sons have joined TA Battalion. When Aurangzeb was killed, I told Raksha Mantri and top officers of the Indian Army that I will dedicate all my six sons to the forces." He said, "My two sons will avenge the death of my son."

Aurangzeb's mother Raaj Begum said, "Yes, we fear something untoward may happen, but our sons wanted to join the Indian Army."

Mohammad Tariq said, "After our training, we will fight against terrorism and will take revenge for our martyred brother Aurengzeb. Today we feel proud of joining the Indian army and are proud of our country."

Aurangzeb's father was a former sepoy of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. He joined the BJP before Lok Sabha polls but says his decision to send all his sons to the Indian Army is not based on his political inclination.

His eldest son Mohammed Qasim has already completed 12 years service and is back to serving in the Kashmir Valley.

 

[12arya]

LeT terrorist carrying Rs 5 lakh reward arrested in JK's Doda
The terrorist was arrested from Phagsoo forest in Thathri area in a joint operation of the police and the 26 Rashtriya Rifles.

Jammu & Kashmir: In a joint operation, District Police Doda and Indian Army's 26 Rashtriya Rifles caught a terrorist in forest area in Thatri

A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh was arrested in a joint operation in the forest area of Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on Wednesday, police said.

Jamal-ud-din Gujjar, alias Abu Bakar, was arrested from Phagsoo forest in Thathri area in a joint operation of the police and the 26 Rashtriya Rifles following reliable information on the movement of militants, an official spokesman said.

Jammu & Kashmir: In a joint operation, District Police Doda and Indian Army's 26 Rashtriya Rifles caught a terrorist in forest area in Thatri, today. pic.twitter.com/ZD0zzfyIJo

— ANI (@ani) July 24, 2019
An AK-47 rifle and a magazine were recovered from Gujjar, who was operating in Kishtwar for the last one year, he said.

Gujjar's arrest is a major breakthrough in view of the recent targeted killings in the district, the official said.

 

[12arya]

Security forces bust terrorist hideout in J&K's Doda district
Security forces on Monday busted a terrorist hideout and recovered arms and ammunition in Mandhaan forest area of Gandoh in Doda district of Jammu.

Security forces on Monday busted a terrorist hideout and recovered arms and ammunition in Mandhaan forest area of Gandoh in Doda district of Jammu.

Official sources have revealed that a team of Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a search operation in the Mandhaan forest and recovered arms and ammunition from the hideout.

The recovery, as per the sources, include 11 AK rifle magazines, four wireless sets, 581 AK bullets, eight RPG rounds, five SLR magazines, one pistol magazines, one UBGL barrel, one Chinese pistol, one desi katta and other items.

 

[12arya]

ignore the leftist narrative but no other news agency has covered this news!

Revival of VDCs in Chenab Valley May Increase Communal Polarisation?
Several residents have alleged that these committees have been reduced to armed wings of BJP-RSS brigade, owing to the decreasing participation of minority members.

The decision to intensify anti-militant operations by overhauling and reviving Village Defence Committees (VDC’s) in the Chenab valley, Jammu, has triggered a debate over the role of such committees in the past. The decision is believed to have been taken in the backdrop of two major killings in the region, including the killing of Bharatiya Janata Party state secretary Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar last year in November. This was followed by the assassination of RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma and his security guard inside a healthcare centre on April 9.

The overhauling of the VDC will include purging elderly members, who are above the age group of 60, and replacing them with younger ones. As per the reports, “The process to replace 352 VDC members and 117 VDC SPOs who are above the age of 60 years has been set into motion.”

The revival of VDC’s grabbed the spotlight after a case was registered against People’s Democratic Party MLC Firdous Tak for his speech at Kishtwar area of Chenab valley for calling VDC members as “Godse brigade”. Tak said, “We don't want Godse Brigade, RSS brigade here in Kishtwar. We also don't want certificates from them, whether we are true nationalists or not.” He further said, “When Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and the state police are already deployed in sensitive areas of the hilly district, why were VDC members provided with weapons?”


An FIR was lodged against Tak under Section 153-A of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) (the main criminal code applicable in Jammu and Kahsmir) for promoting enmity between the communities, disturbing public tranquillity and for causing fear among communities.

Arming civilians? What exactly is VDC?

Village Defence Committees were setup in the mid-1990’s to ensure safety of the people by arming them with weapons for self-defence as well as strengthening efforts of the security forces to curb militancy and for checking cross-border infiltration. The VDCs were set-up in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri, Reasi, Kathu and Poonch districts. As per the policy document under the government order Home-293 of 1995, the aim of VDCs was “to organise a small group, of volunteer armed civilians, in the identified villages along the borders as well as in depth areas of Jammu division.”

The reason behind the creation of VDCs was attributed to the meandering and hilly corners of the mountainous region with scattered and isolated hamlets, which made it difficult to station troops everywhere. Hence, it was found incumbent to train civilians to protect themselves and their hamlets. A meagre remuneration was given to the VDCs who were trained by the Special Police Officers (SPO) to defend the village against militant attacks.

The VDCs function under the supervision of SPOs who further function under the supervision of Tehsildars and Station House Officers. The order announcing the formation of VDCs read, “Above all, it is a manifestation of the will of the people to actively participate in the efforts to thwart the threat being posed to the national security and integrity.”

A reporter, who has been covering Chenab valley for over a decade, told NewsClick, “Currently, the threat of militancy is looming large on Chenab valley, that’s why the anti-militancy grid (VDC) has been intensified. At present, almost 23 youngsters are missing from Chenab valley. Its yet to be ascertained whether they have picked up arms or not but it has been speculated that they have. In the past, Muslims and Hindus both had participated in VDCs but this time, it has taken up a new narrative which is one-sided in nature. It has been turned into a Hindu vs Muslim issue and political parties are banking on it.” On this date, a total of 4,125 VDCs are present in the state.

Not a good track record

While VDC seem to have played a crucial role in tackling militancy, its members have also been involved in grave violations. According to figures, in 2016, around 221 cases including 23 murders, 7 rapes, 15 cases of rioting and others, were registered against the members of VDCs. Over a period of time, these committees were also seen to be working in connivance with state government.

A resident from Doda, requesting anonymity, said, “VDC is now-a-days the armed wing of RSS. Earlier, when militancy was at its peak there was a lot of chaos created by VDC but partly, its existence was justified. But now its just an armed wing of BJP to pit Hindus against Muslims which enjoy impunity.” Many civil society members and human right groups including Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) have opposed the creation of VDCs in the past.

In 2013, JKCCS had noted in a brief report that, “The policy of the Indian State to control the people of Jammu and Kashmir through armed forces is entrenched and has resulted in numerous informal and formal networks of forces outside of the regular armed forces [i.e. army, para-military and police]. More specifically, these networks are referred to in Jammu and Kashmir as VDCs, Special Police Officers [SPOs] and Ikhwans. Arms are distributed, minus any training, and persons appointed as VDC members, SPOs or Ikhwans, have little or no clarity of the chain of command to control the activities of such forces.”

Cases not forgotten

In 2015, the killing of civilians and a member of opposition in Rajouri had roused the residents, who protested against VDC and demanded its ban. In December 2015, Shamima Akhter, a resident of Budhal village of Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, was killed along with her four-year old son by a VDC member Mushtaq Ahmad. The killing of Akhter, which was the second one in the week had created panic among the villagers.

Earlier, National Conference Worker, Ishtiyaq Choudhary from Kalakote village of the same district was killed by another VDC member allegedly over an argument.

Not just 2015, in 2013 too, VDC members had created havoc in the villages. As per a brief report by JKCCS, 16-year-old Shamim Ahmed Lone was alleged to have been killed by VDC members following which a resident of Kishtwar was “kidnapped and raped by the persons backed and protected by VDC”.


A resident from Kishtwar, requesting anonymity said, “The chaos that VDC had created in the past have not been forgotten by the villagers. When you give weapon to a civilian, there is a possibility that the person might use it to settle his personal scores.”

Entrenched Communal Strife

The news of VDCs being revived has deepened the communal strife in the region with Hindus applauding the decision while Muslims opposing it. Raiz Ahmad Zarger, chairman of the municipality in Kishtwar said, “One needs to understand that Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban are communally sensitive areas and such steps are going to further deepen the divide as its news has already. Residents of Chenab valley have seen major transformation in VDCs over time. Initially, there were few Muslims who participated in the VDC, but now it is dominated by Hindus. People are seeing it as a machination of RSS and BJP to create strife in the region. Even if they want to create VDCs, they should make sure that equal Hindus and Muslims volunteer.”

Meanwhile, the decision has been welcomed by certain quarters of the society. Appreciating the decision to revive the VDCs, Advocate Kaushal Parihar said, “We welcome the decision as it is meant to curb militancy and such a step was the need of the hour.”

 

[12arya]

Railways to hire retired army personnel
1 min read . Updated: 22 Jul 2019, 12:35 PM IST PTI

• Earlier, the Railway Board had empowered general managers of its zones to engage government security agencies to secure its premises
• According to official data, 76,563 C and D-level RPF and RPSF personnel are working with the railways

Topics
RailwaysRailway Board
New Delhi: Railways will hire retired army personnel for security of its properties across the country, an official order has said.

Earlier, the Railway Board had empowered general managers of its zones to engage government security agencies like home guards, Maharashtra Industrial Security Force in core areas of railway security to the extent of vacancy in the Railway Protection Force to secure its premises. Now, the order has been modified to include former army men through the Sainik Kalayan Boards. The fresh order was issued by the Railway Board on July 18.

These men can be hired by the general managers during summer rush or festival seasons or whenever required. According to official data, 76,563 C and D-level RPF and RPSF (railway protection special force) personnel are working with the railways. This is 15 per cent less than the sanctioned strength.

 

[binayak95]

ignore the leftist narrative but no other news agency has covered this news!

Revival of VDCs in Chenab Valley May Increase Communal Polarisation?
Several residents have alleged that these committees have been reduced to armed wings of BJP-RSS brigade, owing to the decreasing participation of minority members.

The decision to intensify anti-militant operations by overhauling and reviving Village Defence Committees (VDC’s) in the Chenab valley, Jammu, has triggered a debate over the role of such committees in the past. The decision is believed to have been taken in the backdrop of two major killings in the region, including the killing of Bharatiya Janata Party state secretary Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar last year in November. This was followed by the assassination of RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma and his security guard inside a healthcare centre on April 9.

The overhauling of the VDC will include purging elderly members, who are above the age group of 60, and replacing them with younger ones. As per the reports, “The process to replace 352 VDC members and 117 VDC SPOs who are above the age of 60 years has been set into motion.”

The revival of VDC’s grabbed the spotlight after a case was registered against People’s Democratic Party MLC Firdous Tak for his speech at Kishtwar area of Chenab valley for calling VDC members as “Godse brigade”. Tak said, “We don't want Godse Brigade, RSS brigade here in Kishtwar. We also don't want certificates from them, whether we are true nationalists or not.” He further said, “When Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and the state police are already deployed in sensitive areas of the hilly district, why were VDC members provided with weapons?”


An FIR was lodged against Tak under Section 153-A of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) (the main criminal code applicable in Jammu and Kahsmir) for promoting enmity between the communities, disturbing public tranquillity and for causing fear among communities.

Arming civilians? What exactly is VDC?

Village Defence Committees were setup in the mid-1990’s to ensure safety of the people by arming them with weapons for self-defence as well as strengthening efforts of the security forces to curb militancy and for checking cross-border infiltration. The VDCs were set-up in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri, Reasi, Kathu and Poonch districts. As per the policy document under the government order Home-293 of 1995, the aim of VDCs was “to organise a small group, of volunteer armed civilians, in the identified villages along the borders as well as in depth areas of Jammu division.”

The reason behind the creation of VDCs was attributed to the meandering and hilly corners of the mountainous region with scattered and isolated hamlets, which made it difficult to station troops everywhere. Hence, it was found incumbent to train civilians to protect themselves and their hamlets. A meagre remuneration was given to the VDCs who were trained by the Special Police Officers (SPO) to defend the village against militant attacks.

The VDCs function under the supervision of SPOs who further function under the supervision of Tehsildars and Station House Officers. The order announcing the formation of VDCs read, “Above all, it is a manifestation of the will of the people to actively participate in the efforts to thwart the threat being posed to the national security and integrity.”

A reporter, who has been covering Chenab valley for over a decade, told NewsClick, “Currently, the threat of militancy is looming large on Chenab valley, that’s why the anti-militancy grid (VDC) has been intensified. At present, almost 23 youngsters are missing from Chenab valley. Its yet to be ascertained whether they have picked up arms or not but it has been speculated that they have. In the past, Muslims and Hindus both had participated in VDCs but this time, it has taken up a new narrative which is one-sided in nature. It has been turned into a Hindu vs Muslim issue and political parties are banking on it.” On this date, a total of 4,125 VDCs are present in the state.

Not a good track record

While VDC seem to have played a crucial role in tackling militancy, its members have also been involved in grave violations. According to figures, in 2016, around 221 cases including 23 murders, 7 rapes, 15 cases of rioting and others, were registered against the members of VDCs. Over a period of time, these committees were also seen to be working in connivance with state government.

A resident from Doda, requesting anonymity, said, “VDC is now-a-days the armed wing of RSS. Earlier, when militancy was at its peak there was a lot of chaos created by VDC but partly, its existence was justified. But now its just an armed wing of BJP to pit Hindus against Muslims which enjoy impunity.” Many civil society members and human right groups including Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) have opposed the creation of VDCs in the past.

In 2013, JKCCS had noted in a brief report that, “The policy of the Indian State to control the people of Jammu and Kashmir through armed forces is entrenched and has resulted in numerous informal and formal networks of forces outside of the regular armed forces [i.e. army, para-military and police]. More specifically, these networks are referred to in Jammu and Kashmir as VDCs, Special Police Officers [SPOs] and Ikhwans. Arms are distributed, minus any training, and persons appointed as VDC members, SPOs or Ikhwans, have little or no clarity of the chain of command to control the activities of such forces.”

Cases not forgotten

In 2015, the killing of civilians and a member of opposition in Rajouri had roused the residents, who protested against VDC and demanded its ban. In December 2015, Shamima Akhter, a resident of Budhal village of Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, was killed along with her four-year old son by a VDC member Mushtaq Ahmad. The killing of Akhter, which was the second one in the week had created panic among the villagers.

Earlier, National Conference Worker, Ishtiyaq Choudhary from Kalakote village of the same district was killed by another VDC member allegedly over an argument.

Not just 2015, in 2013 too, VDC members had created havoc in the villages. As per a brief report by JKCCS, 16-year-old Shamim Ahmed Lone was alleged to have been killed by VDC members following which a resident of Kishtwar was “kidnapped and raped by the persons backed and protected by VDC”.


A resident from Kishtwar, requesting anonymity said, “The chaos that VDC had created in the past have not been forgotten by the villagers. When you give weapon to a civilian, there is a possibility that the person might use it to settle his personal scores.”

Entrenched Communal Strife

The news of VDCs being revived has deepened the communal strife in the region with Hindus applauding the decision while Muslims opposing it. Raiz Ahmad Zarger, chairman of the municipality in Kishtwar said, “One needs to understand that Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban are communally sensitive areas and such steps are going to further deepen the divide as its news has already. Residents of Chenab valley have seen major transformation in VDCs over time. Initially, there were few Muslims who participated in the VDC, but now it is dominated by Hindus. People are seeing it as a machination of RSS and BJP to create strife in the region. Even if they want to create VDCs, they should make sure that equal Hindus and Muslims volunteer.”

Meanwhile, the decision has been welcomed by certain quarters of the society. Appreciating the decision to revive the VDCs, Advocate Kaushal Parihar said, “We welcome the decision as it is meant to curb militancy and such a step was the need of the hour.”

Fucking AWESOME move - the media can go and fuck itself.

 

[12arya]

Revisiting Pulwama: Can A Near Similar Incident Be In The Offing?
by Syed Ata Hasnain - Mar 15, 2019, 2:38 pm

Snapshot

• The scope for Pulwama type attacks is wide, and here lies the challenge.
  
  People-based engagement must be central to all operations aimed at neutralising the ideology which drives this trend.
  

The car bomb attack at Pulwama perpetrated by the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) with the sponsorship of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was enough to trigger such an escalatory spiral between India and Pakistan that the event itself lost focus in the chain of activities in its aftermath.

While the National Investigation Agency (NIA) undertook investigation almost immediately, the public attention was on the tragic impact which left more than 40 families all over India and the Indian public grieving for the unfortunate Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans. The response of the government came quicker than expected and focused attention on the target of the air strikes — Balakot, the post-strike damage assessment (PSDA) and international reaction to India’s actions. Expectedly, among all this the tragic incident itself was forgotten. Questions on whether it could have been avoided have been raised. There are also questions on whether it was an intelligence failure and whether it can be repeated anytime soon. But this has been a secondary point of focus.

Did I expect an incident like Pulwama? I would confess that I expected a ‘spectacular act’ being perpetrated anytime in 2018-19 and knowing the ISI’s penchant for innovation always perceived it would be a surprise.

The only thing is one could not estimate just how big an event would possibly occur. That an explosive device of high intensity was in the offing was not guess work but the deduction from a serious analysis which revealed that improvised explosive devises (IED) had dried up after July 2008 when an army bus was blown up by a sideways IED resulting in nine fatalities. It also revealed that the last car bomb attack was in 2004 when a gas cylinder filled with explosives and secured inside a Maruti 800, had rammed into an officer bus of the Naugam convoy at Pattan.

In the interim, the IED in the form of car bombs and suicide bombers strapped with explosives emerged in four internal conflicts — Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The potency of the weapon was well understood by the Pakistani deep state and I did assess that it was a matter of time before which car bombs and suicide bombers were reintroduced in the Kashmir Valley.

The fact that Operation All Out (the Indian security forces (SF) operation to weed out the 350 odd terrorists of both local and Pakistani linkage) had succeeded in achieving a level of domination was an important input in the matrix of responses expected from the deep state inside Pakistan. There is no doubt that even as Operation All Out was succeeding in curtailing numbers, there was a parallel effort towards recreating the same through local recruitment in south Kashmir and infiltration into north Kashmir. That domination was also not affording the conduct of a major act by the deep state supported terror entities.

From Pakistan’s perspective, such acts are necessary at regular intervals to keep the security and psychological space within control of the separatists and terrorist entities. The entry of radicalisation and rising alienation especially among the youth in Kashmir, provided anti-national elements the scope for planning and executing such an act. The return of explosives as a suitable weapon carried the additional advantage of being below the intelligence radar. It was not a generally accepted modus operandi having been out of existence in Kashmir’s security landscape for over a decade. That brought in the surprise element, which in the context of terror and anti-terror operations, carries tremendous value.

The common question being asked by many is whether Pulwama was an intelligence failure. It is expected and even fashionable to label spectacular negative acts by terrorists as intelligence failures of the state. That is because public expectation about intelligence is that hundred per cent of potential negative activities must be within their scanner. That rationale would actually make intelligence agencies nothing less than the god.

The aim of intelligence is to maximise pickups and in a timely manner to be able to piece together the jigsaw to ensure counter action to neutralise any such act in the offing. The term ‘maximise’, does not allude to hundred per cent which is never ever possible. India should thank its intelligence agencies for the numerous neutralisations they have achieved especially since 2008, which has kept India safe. It is usually extremely difficult to convert a vague unconfirmed input into actionable intelligence, unless a trend has emerged and a focus has been brought to bear.

Was the CRPF wrong in running a long convoy packed with soft skinned buses along the new National Highway alignment? Now here is a point of introspection. In 2004, the car bomb against an army bus failed to have the desired impact because the bus had been hardened by improvisation. It led to hardening of all army buses, at least those running on the Jammu-Srinagar route.

Should not security force coordination and cooperation provide the inputs to harden all buses for all forces involved in Kashmir, thus securing our jawans? People may find occasion here to score brownie points for political vilification. But, this is not a political failure but a systems failure where perception about inter-force cooperation extends to operations and intelligence, but not to existential issues of administration.

The weakest element of security in all counter terror operations in the country is road security. It is the domain of operations which is most predictable, extremely difficult and carries maximum threat to life of jawans. In this case, the absence of IEDs for a decade had obviously shifted focus to potential hit and run or ambush style strikes witnessed in Bijbehara and Pampore in 2017. It is easy to say that all civilian vehicles must be stopped when security convoys ply.

However, the reality is that a halted civilian vehicle must then have the scope to be moved laterally into by lanes away from the road alignment. Is that even possible though? Along a greenfield broad new alignment on which this CRPF convoy was moving, no such side roads existed to do that. As to the practicality of stopping all civilian traffic to give unimpeded way to 10 odd other convoys, the limited number of arteries present would paralyse all traffic. It’s a measure that can at best be temporary and sooner than later will need to be diluted.

The answer lies in focused intelligence through more and widespread deployment of human intelligence resources and technology. There is a need for use of rewards and money for information, besides the return to the zimmewari system. That was the good old way of making village and town communities vigilant about the potential planting of IEDs or fabrication of car bombs. Use of drones with proper surveillance means and coordinated central information rooms are the other means.

As to whether Pulwama can be repeated, the scope remains wide. Vehicle based bombs may yet be prevented from being effective through stringent checks on roads by mobile vehicle check posts. However, strapped up human bombs remain outside this ambit of checks as foot movement can overcome all check posts. That is where the challenge lies.

Of course, this essay does not even mention the human resources available for being exploited as human bombs. The scope for neutralising the ideology and the alienation, which drives this trend can only be enhanced once the necessity of balancing all operations with people based engagement is realised. The slogan for that must be — ‘conversation without outcome’. More on that later.

The writer is a former GOC of India’s Srinagar based 15 Corps, now associated with Vivekanand International Foundation and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

 

[Holy Triad]

Kargil tales: This Army driver gunned down 29 Pakistani soldiers

Retired Havaldar Ram Ratan Mahto, 56, is a Kargil war veteran with 29 kills to his name. Though his primary job as a driver was to ferry soldiers to and from the war zone, he turned into a hero one night by displaying presence of mind. Not only did he save the day, but also his unit from an enemy attack.

Recalling the Kargil war, Mahto, said he was alone at the Motor Garage with a Light Machine Gun during which he spotted the enemy moving towards his unit around 12.30 at night. “I thought that if they succeeded in reaching the unit, they may cause severe damage. I opened fire on them emptying all the three boxes of bullets. I managed to kill all 29 people in the troop,” he said. Later that night, after confirming the identity of the deceased, Mahto was hailed as a hero. “The senior officers lifted me on their shoulders and started dancing,” he added. Mahto said that even though he averted enemy attacks 18 times during the Kargil War, he got injured in the 19th attack. “On June 22, 1999, I was alone in the motor garage when I was injured during an air raid. Splinters struck my left leg and damaged my intestine. Somehow, I managed to reach out to my Army truck and drove it for 3 km and reached the field ambulance where they put me in a bunker due to heavy shelling from the enemy. After remaining there the entire night, I was taken to Meena Marg and then to Srinagar by helicopter,” he said. “Later, when I opened my eyes, PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the then Army Chief Ved Prakash Malik were standing beside me,” said retired Havaldar. After he recovered, Mahto was again posted in Kargil along with his unit on request.

A family man Mahto, who was posted at Bimbat in Drass Sector along with 1889 light regiment, lives with his family at Bhedikudar village of Simdega district in a ‘kaccha’ house built on a plot of land purchased by him while he was in service. Since 2016, he has been working as a private security guard in Gumla:

Nah,I request the goi honor this warrior gentleman by issuing a fat pension and a decent house.

This is the least we could do,

Sir,thank you




idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website https://idrw.org/kargil-tales-this-army-driver-gunned-down-29-pakistani-soldiers/ .

 

[rkhanna]

Kargil tales: This Army driver gunned down 29 Pakistani soldiers

Retired Havaldar Ram Ratan Mahto, 56, is a Kargil war veteran with 29 kills to his name. Though his primary job as a driver was to ferry soldiers to and from the war zone, he turned into a hero one night by displaying presence of mind. Not only did he save the day, but also his unit from an enemy attack.

Recalling the Kargil war, Mahto, said he was alone at the Motor Garage with a Light Machine Gun during which he spotted the enemy moving towards his unit around 12.30 at night. “I thought that if they succeeded in reaching the unit, they may cause severe damage. I opened fire on them emptying all the three boxes of bullets. I managed to kill all 29 people in the troop,” he said. Later that night, after confirming the identity of the deceased, Mahto was hailed as a hero. “The senior officers lifted me on their shoulders and started dancing,” he added. Mahto said that even though he averted enemy attacks 18 times during the Kargil War, he got injured in the 19th attack. “On June 22, 1999, I was alone in the motor garage when I was injured during an air raid. Splinters struck my left leg and damaged my intestine. Somehow, I managed to reach out to my Army truck and drove it for 3 km and reached the field ambulance where they put me in a bunker due to heavy shelling from the enemy. After remaining there the entire night, I was taken to Meena Marg and then to Srinagar by helicopter,” he said. “Later, when I opened my eyes, PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the then Army Chief Ved Prakash Malik were standing beside me,” said retired Havaldar. After he recovered, Mahto was again posted in Kargil along with his unit on request.

A family man Mahto, who was posted at Bimbat in Drass Sector along with 1889 light regiment, lives with his family at Bhedikudar village of Simdega district in a ‘kaccha’ house built on a plot of land purchased by him while he was in service. Since 2016, he has been working as a private security guard in Gumla:

Nah,I request the goi honor this warrior gentleman by issuing a fat pension and a decent house.

This is the least we could do,

Sir,thank you




idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website https://idrw.org/kargil-tales-this-army-driver-gunned-down-29-pakistani-soldiers/ .

He got injured in an air raid ?!!!!!!

And Pakistani soldiers were able to flank our soldiers and breach perimeter security?!!

Did he get a medal ? This was medal worthy

 

[Holy Triad]

He got injured in an air raid ?!!!!!!

Might be a reporting error,even in the source article thats what mentioned
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nat...unned-down-29-pakistani-soldiers-2008962.html

 

[rkhanna]

Might be a reporting error,even in source thats what mentioned
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nat...unned-down-29-pakistani-soldiers-2008962.html

Thanks for this link. Idrw has a habit of writing nonsense

 

[Holy Triad]

This dude killed 4 crows including a nishan e haider, received vir chakra......

aaaaand now he is a traffic constable.

Tiger Hill Vir Chakra now directs traffic in a small Punjab town

Kargil Vijay Diwas: "May be I made a wrong decision. I did not get any weightage for my Vir Chakra. Sports persons winning medals are also given higher ranks... I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive," Satpal Singh said..

At a road intersection in Bhawanigarh, a small town in Sangrur district of Punjab, Head Constable Satpal Singh is busy directing traffic. But a close look at his uniform tells you he is no ordinary traffic policeman. On his shirt, he wears four rows of medal ribands, including one that’s half blue-half orange. The Vir Chakra.

Twenty years ago, Satpal Singh was a Sepoy, battling Pakistan Army’s counter-attacks on Tiger Hill in which he killed Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the Northern Light Infantry and three others — Sher Khan was later conferred the Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan’s highest gallantry award, on the recommendation of the Indian brigade commander who vouched for his bravery on the icy heights.

He was part of the 8 Sikh team of two officers, four JCOs and 46 ORs (other ranks), tasked to help the 19 Grenadiers capture Tiger Hill.




Eighteen personnel, including three JCOs, died while beating back Pakistani attacks on Helmet and India Gate positions on Tiger Hill. Most who survived the battle were wounded, including the two officers Major Ravindra Parmar and Lt R K Sehrawat.


The first Pakistani counter attack came early July 7, pushing back Indian troops. “The attacks came one after another. We would beat one and then there would be another. The Pakistanis had a good officer leading them.” With the officers and JCOs wounded, Subedar Nirmal Singh, among the injured, retained command and remained in touch with the brigade commander, Brig M P S Bajwa, on the wireless.

“Before he was killed with a direct hit to the head, Subedar saab told us to shout our jaikara ‘Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal’, rush the enemy and the officer leading them. I took four bullets as I fired my LMG (light machine gun). There was hand-to-hand combat. I pounced on this tall, well-built man dressed in a tracksuit. He was leading the Pakistani troops. There was chaos all around, both sides hurling abuses at each other as they fought. I managed to kill him,” he said.


He did not know then that the man he had killed was Capt Karnal Sher Khan. “I killed four of them — the officer, his radio operator and two jawans providing him close cover.” The death of the officer left the Pakistanis in disarray. “We could see him (Sher Khan) leading his troops, using the fire-and-cover method to attack us again and again. He fought well,” he said.

Brigadier Bajwa, Satpal’s former brigade commander, said: “I recommended Satpal’s name for Param Vir Chakra given his exceptional bravery on Tiger Hill. He was awarded Vir Chakra.”

After completing his service in the Army, Satpal was discharged in 2009. He joined Punjab Police the following year. “May be I made a wrong decision. I did not get any weightage for my Vir Chakra. I joined under the ex-servicemen quota. I am a Head Constable now.”

“Sportspersons winning medals are also given higher ranks… I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive. I just feel bad for my unemployed post-graduate son,” he said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/i...-town-5852792/lite/?__twitter_impression=true


Jeezes f*cking gryst,must be really a f*cking import intersection,that requires a 'vir chakra' rambo to direct a traffic.

His superiors(police) be like,"white shirt really compliment and accentuate your medal,
plzzzz do continue to direct traffic"

Sir,thank you and sorry,

Hope,someone higher up sees this article and, you and your family is taken care of soon,

 

[Deathstar]

This dude killed 4 crows including a nishan e haider, received vir chakra......

aaaaand now he is a traffic constable.

Tiger Hill Vir Chakra now directs traffic in a small Punjab town

Kargil Vijay Diwas: "May be I made a wrong decision. I did not get any weightage for my Vir Chakra. Sports persons winning medals are also given higher ranks... I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive," Satpal Singh said..

At a road intersection in Bhawanigarh, a small town in Sangrur district of Punjab, Head Constable Satpal Singh is busy directing traffic. But a close look at his uniform tells you he is no ordinary traffic policeman. On his shirt, he wears four rows of medal ribands, including one that’s half blue-half orange. The Vir Chakra.

Twenty years ago, Satpal Singh was a Sepoy, battling Pakistan Army’s counter-attacks on Tiger Hill in which he killed Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the Northern Light Infantry and three others — Sher Khan was later conferred the Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan’s highest gallantry award, on the recommendation of the Indian brigade commander who vouched for his bravery on the icy heights.

He was part of the 8 Sikh team of two officers, four JCOs and 46 ORs (other ranks), tasked to help the 19 Grenadiers capture Tiger Hill.




Eighteen personnel, including three JCOs, died while beating back Pakistani attacks on Helmet and India Gate positions on Tiger Hill. Most who survived the battle were wounded, including the two officers Major Ravindra Parmar and Lt R K Sehrawat.


The first Pakistani counter attack came early July 7, pushing back Indian troops. “The attacks came one after another. We would beat one and then there would be another. The Pakistanis had a good officer leading them.” With the officers and JCOs wounded, Subedar Nirmal Singh, among the injured, retained command and remained in touch with the brigade commander, Brig M P S Bajwa, on the wireless.

“Before he was killed with a direct hit to the head, Subedar saab told us to shout our jaikara ‘Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal’, rush the enemy and the officer leading them. I took four bullets as I fired my LMG (light machine gun). There was hand-to-hand combat. I pounced on this tall, well-built man dressed in a tracksuit. He was leading the Pakistani troops. There was chaos all around, both sides hurling abuses at each other as they fought. I managed to kill him,” he said.


He did not know then that the man he had killed was Capt Karnal Sher Khan. “I killed four of them — the officer, his radio operator and two jawans providing him close cover.” The death of the officer left the Pakistanis in disarray. “We could see him (Sher Khan) leading his troops, using the fire-and-cover method to attack us again and again. He fought well,” he said.

Brigadier Bajwa, Satpal’s former brigade commander, said: “I recommended Satpal’s name for Param Vir Chakra given his exceptional bravery on Tiger Hill. He was awarded Vir Chakra.”

After completing his service in the Army, Satpal was discharged in 2009. He joined Punjab Police the following year. “May be I made a wrong decision. I did not get any weightage for my Vir Chakra. I joined under the ex-servicemen quota. I am a Head Constable now.”

“Sportspersons winning medals are also given higher ranks… I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive. I just feel bad for my unemployed post-graduate son,” he said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/i...-town-5852792/lite/?__twitter_impression=true


Jeezes f*cking gryst,must be really a f*cking import intersection,that requires a 'vir chakra' rambo to direct a traffic.

His superiors(police) be like,"white shirt really compliment and accentuate your medal,
plzzzz do continue to direct traffic"

Sir,thank you and sorry,

Hope,someone higher up sees this article and, you and your family is taken care of soon,

I feel ashamed , cricketers and bloody bollywood celebs are treated as Gods in India while real heroes rot somewhere

 

[Holy Triad]

This dude killed 4 crows including a nishan e haider, received vir chakra......

aaaaand now he is a traffic constable.

Tiger Hill Vir Chakra now directs traffic in a small Punjab town

Kargil Vijay Diwas: "May be I made a wrong decision. I did not get any weightage for my Vir Chakra. Sports persons winning medals are also given higher ranks... I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive," Satpal Singh said..

At a road intersection in Bhawanigarh, a small town in Sangrur district of Punjab, Head Constable Satpal Singh is busy directing traffic. But a close look at his uniform tells you he is no ordinary traffic policeman. On his shirt, he wears four rows of medal ribands, including one that’s half blue-half orange. The Vir Chakra.

Twenty years ago, Satpal Singh was a Sepoy, battling Pakistan Army’s counter-attacks on Tiger Hill in which he killed Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the Northern Light Infantry and three others — Sher Khan was later conferred the Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan’s highest gallantry award, on the recommendation of the Indian brigade commander who vouched for his bravery on the icy heights.

He was part of the 8 Sikh team of two officers, four JCOs and 46 ORs (other ranks), tasked to help the 19 Grenadiers capture Tiger Hill.




Eighteen personnel, including three JCOs, died while beating back Pakistani attacks on Helmet and India Gate positions on Tiger Hill. Most who survived the battle were wounded, including the two officers Major Ravindra Parmar and Lt R K Sehrawat.


The first Pakistani counter attack came early July 7, pushing back Indian troops. “The attacks came one after another. We would beat one and then there would be another. The Pakistanis had a good officer leading them.” With the officers and JCOs wounded, Subedar Nirmal Singh, among the injured, retained command and remained in touch with the brigade commander, Brig M P S Bajwa, on the wireless.

“Before he was killed with a direct hit to the head, Subedar saab told us to shout our jaikara ‘Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal’, rush the enemy and the officer leading them. I took four bullets as I fired my LMG (light machine gun). There was hand-to-hand combat. I pounced on this tall, well-built man dressed in a tracksuit. He was leading the Pakistani troops. There was chaos all around, both sides hurling abuses at each other as they fought. I managed to kill him,” he said.


He did not know then that the man he had killed was Capt Karnal Sher Khan. “I killed four of them — the officer, his radio operator and two jawans providing him close cover.” The death of the officer left the Pakistanis in disarray. “We could see him (Sher Khan) leading his troops, using the fire-and-cover method to attack us again and again. He fought well,” he said.

Brigadier Bajwa, Satpal’s former brigade commander, said: “I recommended Satpal’s name for Param Vir Chakra given his exceptional bravery on Tiger Hill. He was awarded Vir Chakra.”

After completing his service in the Army, Satpal was discharged in 2009. He joined Punjab Police the following year. “May be I made a wrong decision. I did not get any weightage for my Vir Chakra. I joined under the ex-servicemen quota. I am a Head Constable now.”

“Sportspersons winning medals are also given higher ranks… I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive. I just feel bad for my unemployed post-graduate son,” he said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/i...-town-5852792/lite/?__twitter_impression=true


Jeezes f*cking gryst,must be really a f*cking import intersection,that requires a 'vir chakra' rambo to direct a traffic.

His superiors(police) be like,"white shirt really compliment and accentuate your medal,
plzzzz do continue to direct traffic"

Sir,thank you and sorry,

Hope,someone higher up sees this article and, you and your family is taken care of soon,

Glad to report that Punjab CM
@capt_amarinder
has just announced that Head Constable Satpal Singh, Vir Chakra has immediately been promoted Assistant Sub Inspector.

 

[rkhanna]

aaaaand now he is a traffic constable.

I feel ashamed , cricketers and bloody bollywood celebs are treated as Gods in India while real heroes rot somewhere

Because he is a traffic constable?

The essense of that is because of how our economy is structured unfortunately and how our Military - Industry - academia relations (lack there of ) are structured.

But this is not unique to India.

The only countries where Vets have a good chance at building a second innings in life is the US Primarily (and to a very very small degree UK and France)

For a couple of things -

Battlefield Commanders (Officers / NCO etc from small units to large formation CO) are highly valued in MBA Schools. They have done stuff from a work experience (managerial) perspective that very few MBA applicants could even fathom. They have helped move 1000s of tons of men and material to a far away location, help managed supply chains, logistics, maintain moral, lead men under fire etc etc. They even get credits for military schools attended so that they can enter MBA schools (extremely prestigious ones at that) on scholarships etc. Dont forget that alot of US Military Schools are treated on par with IVY League Colleges by the Civilian Recruiters.

A large number of Vets start their own companies designing and supplying equipment to the military. Not to mention PMCs.

SIGINT/ELINT guys are readily employable in telecom and host of other Technology related fields -

Industries like Construction, Automobile (niche Garage/build shops), Finance, Technology see decent number of vets incoming and their experience is highly valued.

A number of vet organizations also help these Vets get cheaper credit to start businesses after having gone to college once they discharge from the military.

More of less MOST of these options are absent in India. Institutes like IIMs take a few Vets specially who are higher ranked officers and they inturn get employed as Admin/HR / Plant manager roles. Even fewer have beaten the odds to start successful new careers.

(PS i am not taking away from the very real issues vets in the above mentioned countries also face like homelessness, PTSD, healthcare, etc etc)

Vets in India will only have viable chance at a second career only when we have a Large Enough Military Industrial Complex to Accommodate them. Only when the industry need arises will Education institutions find the bandwidht to retrain/uptrain them. And ONLY when this "MIC" shows valued contributions of these vets will the rest of Industry hire them and make plans around their skill set.

Second - Aside from Education - Credit lines need to be given for budding entreprenuers from the military to emerge to be successful

 

[uoftotaku]

The essense of that is because of how our economy is structured unfortunately and how our Military - Industry - academia relations (lack there of ) are structured.

But this is not unique to India.

Second - Aside from Education - Credit lines need to be given for budding entreprenuers from the military to emerge to be successful

Well put. Even in the US where the military vet gets a lot more public recognition and respect than most places, it is usually the Officer class that finds itself moving into the white collar corporate world after discharge.

For the regular enlisted men, life can be quite tough, especially considering that due to their comparatively short service contracts (standard is only 5 years) they are not eligible for pensions or anything beyond basic healthcare. But the military in general does give access internally to continuing education and upliftment (they very famously pay for a college diploma ) which is largely missing in India (mostly I would guess due to the frightening costs involved given the sheer size of our military)

However, if you want to look at examples of how a military really coddles its officer corps, take a look at Singapore where the avg pay for officers is staggering and almost all of them end up in plum govt positions or in upper management in govt owned companies after their "retirement" at age 45. All the senior officers end up becoming millionaires! Then again they never fire their weapons outside the training range and the whole country has a population of only 30 lakh odd citizens, so its a different world

https://blog.seedly.sg/sign-on-bonu...re-armed-forces-saf-army-navy-air-force-rsaf/

 

[rkhanna]

Well put. Even in the US where the military vet gets a lot more public recognition and respect than most places, it is usually the Officer class that finds itself moving into the white collar corporate world after discharge.

For the regular enlisted men, life can be quite tough, especially considering that due to their comparatively short service contracts (standard is only 5 years) they are not eligible for pensions or anything beyond basic healthcare. But the military in general does give access internally to continuing education and upliftment (they very famously pay for a college diploma ) which is largely missing in India (mostly I would guess due to the frightening costs involved given the sheer size of our military)

However, if you want to look at examples of how a military really coddles its officer corps, take a look at Singapore where the avg pay for officers is staggering and almost all of them end up in plum govt positions or in upper management in govt owned companies after their "retirement" at age 45. All the senior officers end up becoming millionaires! Then again they never fire their weapons outside the training range and the whole country has a population of only 30 lakh odd citizens, so its a different world

https://blog.seedly.sg/sign-on-bonu...re-armed-forces-saf-army-navy-air-force-rsaf/

For singapore use the filter of them being a Conscript Army in a VERY High GDP per Capita Economy. So Career Soldiers are rare and highly valued. Also dont forget their Per Capital Spend on Military is very high with few outlays on bases and infrastructure etc as their territory is so small. So they spend the money on Salaries.

Hard to replicate elsewhere - except the princelings in the Arab Countries.