Ex-servicemen status for retired paramilitary troops

Ex-servicemen status for retd paramilitary troops
Deeptiman Tiwary, TNN | Nov 2, 2012, 01.41AM IST
NEW DELHI: In the run up to Himachal Pradesh assembly and an eye on 2014 parliamentary polls, the government has decided to extend ex-servicemen benefits to retired central paramilitary personnel. The move will please 17 lakh serving and retired personnel from the forces, who were treated like any other government employee.
The Cabinet on Thursday passed a proposal moved by the home ministry to declare retired personnel from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) as "ex-central police personnel" and extend them several benefits that ex-servicemen from the armed forces get.
Like former servicemen, now the retired paramilitary forces personnel will get quota in jobs, higher education for their wards and attendant medical benefits. However, they won't be eligible for certain Central government benefits such as preferential allotment of petrol pumps and gas agency as the Centre has put financial burden of the development entirely on states.
They will also not share the quota of ex-servicemen from defence forces, but have separate reservations as decided by different states.
The move has come at a time when Himachal Pradesh, which sends a large number of its men to various forces, is facing elections. And with general elections only a year and a half away, the policy decision will bring cheer to over seven lakh retired paramilitary personnel across the country apart from nine lakh serving in various forces such as CRPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP and CISF.
The government also hopes the move will help bring attrition in the forces down. Around 44,000 personnel have resigned from paramilitary forces since 2009 due to stressful conditions of work and lack of medical benefits.
Though the proposal for these benefits was made in 2010 itself, home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde announced its passing by the Cabinet in quite a dramatic fashion. While attending a CRPF function on Thursday morning, he said, "I am moving a proposal in the Cabinet to grant retired paramilitary personnel the status of ex-servicemen. Paramilitary personnel, like defence forces, put their life at stake in the line of duty and there is no problem in granting them this honour."
Four hours later, at function organized by CISF, the minister said, "I had announced at the CRPF function about granting ex-servicemen status to retired paramilitary men. After that I went to attend the Cabinet meeting and the Cabinet approved the proposal. These personnel will be called as 'ex-central police personnel' on the same footing as ex-servicemen in the defence forces."
The forces, in particular their retired personnel, have a mixed reaction. P S Nair, general secretary of All India Central Paramilitary Forces Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, said, "We have been struggling for this for the past several years. We are happy it has come now. It will make us eligible for 60-65 benefits given to ex-servicemen by states. However, this is not enough. We also want one-rank-one-pension like the Army. We are doing a gherao of the CGO Complex on November 21 to press for our demands."
Ex-servicemen status for retd paramilitary troops
Hindu: Ex-servicemen status for retired paramilitary personnel

Adarsh Scam: Gen NC Vij did not apply his mind

Ref:‘I did not apply my mind to question whether Adarsh was security threat’
Former Army Chief General (retd.) N.C Vij, says he was not aware of a parliamentary query about land ownership
COMMENTS:

Dear Gen. Vij; This is not expected of a retd. army chief. Army chief not being informed about the parliamentary questions and applying for the membership of the same society after retirement. It is not done, Sir.
from: Krishnan Posted on: Aug 23, 2012 at 05:20 IST

Sad that an ex- army chief can give such evasive answers that reeks of malafide intentions. Despite visiting the 28 floor of the building where he had been allotted a flat, if he did not think of Adarsh as a security threat to the military installations surrounding the area, then he should not have been in the position of military chief. Any layman - not necessarily with a military background, knows that a civilian construction offering a birds-eye view of military installations is a security threat. And he says " people occupying the building need to be scrutinised from security angle and whether the persons occupying the building are trustworthy and dependable". How in the world is that possible in a civilian premises? Can he please offer an answer?
from: V.J. Nambiar Posted on: Aug 23, 2012 at 07:38 IST

Firstly, while unequivocally accepting the unimpeachable personal integrity of the former chief of army staff and former vice chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, the simple legal stand in most cases of land ownership and issue of encumberance certificate that precedes transfer of title to property presupposes that ignorance of a possible fraud, forgery, foul play or manipulation committed cannot stand in the way of title and access to disputed property being restored to the legal owner / lessee. Ignorance of law and absence of malice could only perhaps somewhat mitigate the legal exposure of the victims but cannot stand in the way of title of ownership from being restored to the rightful owner. Hence all those who had invested in or been awarded membership will stand to lose title to the disputed property if it is proven that the Society had no legal title to begin with or if the legal title had been obtained in violation of rules and regulations in force.
from: R.N. Iyengar Posted on: Aug 23, 2012 at 08:29 IST

Babu shunted for leaking Army Chief's Top Secret Letter

Senior officer leaked army chief's letter to PM
May 13, 2012 21:58 IST
A joint secretary-rank officer in the Cabinet Secretariat has been found guilty of leaking Army Chief General V K Singh's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [ Images ] about the poor state of preparedness of his force and has been shunted out.
A probe into the leakage by the Prime Minister's Office has also cleared General Singh of any wrongdoing in the episode, highly-placed sources said.
In his letter, the army chief had highlighted the critical shortage of equipment and ammunition in artillery and armoured regiments.
The female officer, belonging to the Indian Economic Service, was handling the charge of intelligence agencies under the Cabinet Secretariat and was nailed after interrogation of some suspected people.
The officer has now been repatriated to her parent cadre and further action can be taken against her for leaking such a sensitive document, sources said.
After the letter surfaced, both the Houses of Parliament were rocked over the issue and certain parties had demanded action against General Singh.
At that time, General Singh had said that incident should be treated as "high treason" and the source of leakage should be dealt with "ruthlessly."
"The leakage of the letter should be treated as high treason. Cynical approach to tarnish my reputation should stop. Sources of the leakage should be found and dealt with ruthlessly," General Singh had said in a statement issued by the army headquarters. Following the incident, the government had asked the Intelligence Bureau to investigate the matter and find out the person responsible for it.
The letter was leaked to the media after General Singh made a sensational disclosure in an interview that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore by a retired lieutenant general for favouring a sub-standard defence deal regarding the purchase of army trucks.

Readers comments sample

apology by aam admi on May 14, 2012 12:15 AM those political leaders, who abused and blamed the General for leaking the letter to Media, should apologise to General VK Singh, if they have left any grace in their behaviour, they should not shout and abuse people of the society in Parliament as and when they wish.This is disgraceful on their part.

by Raghvendra Singhon May 13, 2012 10:37 PM
Time and again it has come to light that General VK Singh has been correct in all his statements and actions. Yet every time there has been biased reporting against him, asking for his head. He has not been allowed to serve for an additional year as is rightfully his due, history will forever remember this. It is a National loss, but he will do his bit for the country in whatever direction Destiny will take him.
Senior officer leaked army chief's letter to PM
Babu shunted for 'leaking' army chief's letter
Army chief letter leak: Cabinet Secretariat officer found guilty
Government's Denial Drama and Dilemma
It's very understandable why the Prime Minister's office and the government is hurriedly issuing a denial because it gives a clean chit to the Army Chief but raises some alarming questions on the government's role behind this Army Chief controversy, and with the Opposition bound to corner the government once again on this, one can understand why the Prime Minister's office wants to step in and issue a denial.
Read More: Click here for the original post
Comment: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is correct when he said "After 60 years we are not a perfect Democracy". What he missed out was that we are fast graduating into a Banana Republic. The treatment meted out to a Patriotic Gen VK Singh by the Government speaks volumes of its gradual graduation!

Army needs a changed perspective

While no major modernisation has been effected since the 1980s, the army continues to be structured to fight wars of earlier eras. As the world’s third largest army observes Army Day, which marks the 62nd anniversary of General (later Field Marshal) K.M. Cariappa taking over as the first Indian army chief, the force faces multiple challenges. The army is in dire need of a major transformation into a lean, technology intensive and networked potent force to fight 21st century wars, says former army vice chief, Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi.

ARMY NEEDS A CHANGED PERSPECTIVE
Another Army Day was flagged on Saturday. The Army Day has always been a day of reflection on the achievements and shortcomings of the past year and the plans for the ensuing year. However, this year it is not just the start of one more year for the army but the commencement of a new decade. The army therefore must look at two decades, the previous and the one ahead.

The army always has achievements to cite every year. These are well known and are always a source of inspiration and satisfaction. But it is also important to mull over the areas of weaknesses so that these are removed and the army remains both a potent and relevant force.

The major areas of concern are both internal and external. The first category includes a comprehensive transformation plan; a makeover in manpower policies; greater interaction and empathy with veterans who need to be valued as adding to the strength of the army; and finally the need to get away from the status quo and defensive mentality, which hinders progress.

The external areas are modernisation, joint endeavours, reductions in internal security commitments, an assertive stand in core areas where no dilution should be acceptable, and halting and then reversing the trend of diluting the status of the army.

Transformation needs to be speeded up, as without it the army would continue to wallow in old and inefficient structures that are out of sync with the present and future battlefield environment and the rapidly changing methodologies of waging war. The army has not seen any major structural changes since the mid-80s and essentially it is still structured to fight wars of earlier eras. We need to change or upgrade our doctrines and concepts, restructure the field force, efficiently manage internal conflicts, upgrade human resources, streamline logistics, and modernise the training methodology. Our aim must be to transform the army into a lean, technology intensive, networked and joint entity.

Manpower policies are not merely promotion policies, but include recruitment and in-service management, especially grooming for higher ranks. For officers, recruitment and training policies are fairly comprehensive. However, we continue to be a generalist army, with no specialisation. There is no sectoral or geographical specialisation, no continuity in specific appointments like those in information technology that require long tenures, and little language proficiency.

Command appointments for officers are a must, resulting in shorter and shorter command tenures to accommodate everyone. The compulsion on commanders to "show" themselves in these truncated tenures, results in their riding roughshod on their commands! As regards promotion of officers, the seniority of passing out of training academies remains throughout one's service. This has resulted in many bright officers losing out. The need is for a reassessment of each officer's caliber at least at 10 years intervals and re-fixing seniority in accordance with the officers' changed abilities and performance.

In the case of jawans, there is a mismatch between imbibing technology and educational qualifications. In non-technical arms, which also handle the latest weapons and equipment, intake qualification continues to be class-X. In a transformation study carried out over 10 years ago, I had suggested upgrading the criteria to class-XII by 2002 and to graduation by 2005, but we continue to remain in a time warp! Secondly, though JCO'S are an essential link in the organisational structure, they all are promoted from the ranks. They are of higher ages, are comparatively less fit and have the same educational qualifications as the troops. Despite discussing the issue a number of times for recruiting at least a percentage directly as graduates, we have always baulked at doing so.

Today's active soldier is tomorrow's veteran. However, there seems to be a firewall between the two categories, with different norms of treatment, emoluments, medical arrangements and other related issues. This has resulted in the veterans getting disillusioned and the bureaucrats widening the gulf even more. It is the veterans who are role models for our youth as they interact with them more than the serving personnel; they ensure that the best and motivated manpower joins the army. This has not only eroded but a very large number of veterans now speak ill of the army. The army needs to re-focus on this important issue and do away with the artificial division that is increasingly disillusioning the veterans. The veterans must again start feeling that the army chief is their chief too! Although a Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare is in existence for the last six years, it has done virtually nothing for the veterans. How can it, when it is exclusively manned by the bureaucracy?

Coming to the last two areas of internal concern, status quo is no doubt a safe option, but no organisation can prosper if it loses its ability to change as the environment demands. As regards the defensive syndrome, no country has won by being on the defensive, which even in military teachings is a temporary phase.

The external areas of concern are much better known and need not be amplified. Modernisation has been a crying need for the last at least two decades. It is a great pity that neither does the army receive a sufficiently large budget, nor does the procurement wing of the Ministry of Defence and other ministries concerned, especially that of finance, see any urgency in modernising the army. Lack of modernisation has substantially reduced the fighting capability of the army and if this continues, the army is unlikely to be the deterrent force it ought to be.

War is a joint endeavour. The complexity of modern war is likely to increase in the future on account of increased and sophisticated technology; the nature of modern war; new threats and challenges; and the reality of nuclear weapons in our neighbourhood. Consequently, a joint force, which acts in an integrated manner, is not just desirable but imperative. Most professional militaries have adopted jointmanship but the Indian military is unfortunately an exception. While everyone endorses the need for jointmanship, it eventually turns out to be merely lip service. This must change. Appointing a CDS and an integrated ministry of defence would be the first steps. We would then be able to generate the necessary synergy, so essential for winning conflicts, battles and wars.

The involvement of the Army against insurgents has been extensive. Despite the ever-increasing central police forces that should be conducting such operations, there is no reduction in the commitments of the army. We have unfortunately reached a stage where the army, instead of being the last option, is often the first recourse! The heavy commitments of the army have undoubtedly been at the expense of its war-readiness, as well as the desired quality of life. Even In situations where the employment of troops becomes essential, they should be withdrawn at the earliest opportunity.

The apolitical stance of the army is correct, but should not translate into meekly accepting whatever orders the bureaucracy relays. Unfortunately, our political leaders are shy of dealing with the army directly, preferring to do so through the bureaucracy. This has resulted in a skewed arrangement whereby gradually the services chiefs appear to have lost their power of dissent even when they find any dispensation that reduces the status, power, emoluments or morale of their command. This needs to stop. It is nobody's case that the chiefs should be confrontationists, but when it comes to their authority being usurped by the bureaucracy, they must hold their ground and get the best for their men.

The military has been and will continue to be the most potent instrument that is used for the most difficult tasks, when every other instrument has failed or given up. This cannot be done by a meek military. We need to educate our political leaders the correct meaning of civil control and supremacy in a democracy.
ARMY NEEDS A CHANGED PERSPECTIVE

CWG Grips the nation- The magic has commenced

03/10/2010
CWG fever grips India. Craze for opening ceremony says it all
New Delhi: Here is the timeline of the 19th Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here Sunday evening.

The organisers have been very tight-lipped about the details of the opening ceremony. All they have said till now is 'it will be a blockbuster opening ceremony'. MSN now gives you a sneak peak as to what you can expect in the big ceremony today. Here is the schedule of the opening ceremony.

19:00: Opening film showcasing India to world (duration 2 minutes)

19:02: Countdown (3 minutes and 55 seconds)

19:05:05: Rhythm of India (12 minutes and 34 seconds)

19:17:39: Swagatam (4 minutes and 40 seconds)

19:22:19: Arrival of dignitaries (11 minutes and 50 seconds)

19:25:19: National anthem and raising of Indian flag (2 minutes and 15 seconds)

19:27:34: Athletes' parade (50 minutes)

20:17:34: Dignitaries' speech (11 minutes and 30 second)

20:29.04: The final lap of baton carried by Abhinav Bindra (10 minutes)

20:39:04: Arrival of the Games flag (11 minutes and 50 seconds)

20:46:54: Athletes oath taking ceremony (5 minutes)

20:51:54: Tree of knowledge (11 minutes and 20 seconds)

21:03:14: Yoga (7 minutes and 30 seconds)

21:10:44: Great Indian journey (8 minutes and 30 seconds)

21:19:14: Celebrating India (7 minutes)

21:26:14: Grand finale (9 minutes)
(All times in IST)

Several people queued up outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to buy tickets for the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Sunday, even as the Organising Committee said all tickets for the gala event had been sold out.
There was a huge rush of people looking for tickets near the stadium's gate number 16, close to the Metro station.

Excitement amidst chaos and confusion
The excitement was palpable but there was chaos and confusion too at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on the opening day of the Commonwealth Games Sunday with hapless spectators and confused mediapersons asking around for directions and volunteers proving to be of little help.

A foreign media journalist along with his photographer, who were looking for the right entry for mediapersons, said better informed volunteers or banners giving proper directions would have made access easier.

Commencing at 7 p.m. the the inaugural ceremony will encapsulate 5,000 years of India's culture. Divided into six segments, it will feature some 7,000 performers.
Some 7,000 athletes from 71 countries will vie for 829 medals in 17 disciplines at the Games.
Source: IANS
CWG grips the Nation

Kashmiris batting for terrorists or AFSPA?

Revisiting AFSPA
Don’t blame it for Kashmir problems
by Gen (retd) V P Malik

Kashmir is burning. Political leaders from the state, civil and human rightists, even the media will have you believe that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 (AFSPA) is responsible for this situation and should be revoked or diluted to help resolve the crisis. The Centre, after looking at the situation in a holistic manner and listening to the armed forces’ advice, finds it difficult to decide.

What is the AFSPA? Why is this Act necessary? But first, let me narrate a real situation that took place 20 years ago. In early 1990 I was commanding a division that had troops deployed for counter-insurgency operations in Manipur, Nagaland and a part of Arunachal Pradesh. During the run-up to the Manipur Assembly elections, a political party leader, in order to garner students’ support and votes, made the removal of the AFSPA a major electoral issue. When he won the elections and became the Chief Minister, I went to call on him. I asked him what he planned to do about the AFSPA. He said that in view of the “popular demand”, he would write to the Home Ministry and have it removed from the state. I told the Chief Minister that it was OK with me. I will pull out troops from the 60-odd posts, concentrate them outside Manipur and train them for their primary role of fighting a conventional war.

“But you cannot do that! What will happen to the law and order situation?” he said. I appreciated his concern and told him politely but firmly that I couldn’t help him to maintain that without a proper legal cover. I said: “I cannot have my subordinates hold me responsible for giving them any unlawful command.” Then, very respectfully I stated, “Sir, the best way out is to create conditions in the state wherein the AFSPA is not necessary. If you and the Centre do not consider and declare Manipur state to be a ‘disturbed area’, the AFSPA cannot be applied. Please do not blame the AFSPA for the problems of Manipur. The fact is that despite several elections in the state, we have not been able to create conditions when this Act need not be applied in Manipur. The armed forces cannot create those conditions. These are primarily of political, ethnic and socio-economic nature, under your charge now.”
Don’t blame it for Kashmir problems... Read more

Related Articles
Changing AFSPA: Air chief cautions against dilution
CHENNAI: Striking a favourable note with the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Army Chief General V K Singh said on Saturday that the statute “is an enabling provision” and that it “is not arbitrary”.
AFSPA not against Constitution: Army chief

Soldiers lost in the babu maze

Deccan Chronicle September 15th, 2010 Soldiers lost in the babu maze by S.K. Sinha

Since 1947, career prospects in the armed forces, compared to the civil services, have become phenomenally worse. Wholesale proliferation of higher ranks in the civil services since 1947 has resulted in India having the most top-heavy civil administration. This only undermines efficient functioning. In a state there used to be one chief secretary, but now there are dozens of super chief secretaries with higher rank and pay. Similarly, instead of one inspector general of police in a state, we have dozens of DGPs, ADGPs and numerous IGPs. There used to be only four levels of civil servants in the Central Secretariat, from undersecretary to secretary. That has now increased to seven levels, to principal secretary. In the police a new zonal level of functioning has been introduced in many states to supervise the supervisors. Almost all IAS officers end up as secretary or additional secretary, and all IPS officers as DG or additional DG. In the Army, the majority of officers cannot go beyond colonel. The shortage of several thousand officers in the Army underscores that the Army is now a very unattractive career.

The protocol status of the Army in the table of precedence has also been successively downgraded with every revision of the table. After Independence, the Army Chief was initially ranked with the judges of the Supreme Court but above the secretary-general (this appointment was abolished after a while and in 1963 the appointment of Cabinet Secretary introduced). The Army Chief was now placed below Cabinet Secretary, and thereafter to many others. Today he ranks below members of the Union Public Service Commission.

This persistent downgrading of the Army applies to all officer ranks in the Army. In 1972 we had proposed that the Field Marshal should get his full pay as he is not supposed to retire and be ranked with Bharat Ratna holders, that is, just below Cabinet ministers. This was not accepted and he was ranked along with the service chiefs, that is, below Cabinet Secretary. As for salary, Manekshaw was given arrears amounting to `1.2 crores after 33 years, a few weeks before he died. Imagine. Such shabby treatment of India’s first Field Marshal who led Indian arms to a great victory. A minister of state represented the Indian government at his funeral.

The cause of the neglect of the Army in India is our irrational higher defence organisation on which the bureaucracy has a stranglehold, isolating the Army from decision-making. This does not happen in any other democracy. Unless this is set right, the Army will remain neglected.

- The author, a retired lieutenant-general, was Vice-Chief of Army Staff and has served as governor of Assam and Jammu and Kashmir.
Extracted: Click Link for full article
Soldiers lost in the babu maze

False cases against security forces

1,473 "false" cases of HR violation against security forces By Abhijit C Chandra
Bhopal, Sep 10 (UNI) Slamming the proposed dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), an Indian Army veteran who combated insurgencies for more than half of his 40 years' service points out that --since 1990 -- as many as 1,473 of 1,511 cases of human rights (HR) violation or abuse levelled against security forces (SF) personnel have been proved false.
"Each case was investigated thoroughly -- including by the National Human Rights Commission. In the remaining cases, 104 personnel were punished," Major-General (Retd) Aditya J B Jaini, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, told UNI.
He was Senior Directing Staff (Army) at the National Defence College, New Delhi, before retirement in 2003.
Enumerating grim statistics, the veteran said, "the number of SF personnel killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir between 1988 and July 5, 2010 is 5,962. Since 1992, the number of officers and men martyred fighting insurgents in Manipur is 939, Asom 783, Meghalaya 81 and Mizoram 22."
Likewise, SF personnel slain fighting naxals since 2005 to July 10, 2010 is 1,226. This year, 204 SF personnel were killed till July 5.
"If SF personnel were 'murderers' they would not have so many of their own killed at the hands of insurgents. Besides, AFSPA enshrines the important caveat that Army personnel can be prosecuted with central sanction. Therefore there is no blanket immunity," said Maj-Gen Jaini.
Dispensation of punishment -- in cases of HR violation -- where any breach is identified, is the "fastest in the Army" as compared to civil courts where cases may linger for years.
The Act is not meant to place the Army or SF above the law but to empower them to function effectively while dealing with situations that have defied resolution through normal means like intervention by civil authority, police action and calls by politicians to maintain calm, he said.
"In counter-insurgency operations, the Army adheres to the cardinal principle of use of minimum force as people we operate against are not enemy but our own countrymen who are misguided. Had it not been so, the rate of casualties to our troops would not have been so high," the veteran explained.

A modest proposal on AFSPA

The Hindu 05 Sep 2010 by Siddharth Varadarajan

Students of various organisations hold placards during a protest demonstration, demanding withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from northeast and Kashmir, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 21, 2010. File Photo: S. Subramanium

Change the blanket ban on trials without official sanction to one where the government has the power to bar prosecution in individual cases provided it satisfies the courts that its reasons for doing so are valid.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has come in for widespread criticism in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and other parts of the northeast because of the human rights abuses that have come to be associated with its operation. So strong is the sentiment against AFSPA in Kashmir that in recent months Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have all spoken of the need to re-examine the law. The Army, on the other hand, says this is unnecessary.

The Army Chief, General V.K. Singh, has gone so far as to say that the demand for the dilution of AFSPA is being made for “narrow political gains.” On his part, Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, has compared the Act to scripture. “I would like to say that the provisions of AFSPA are very pious to me and I think to the entire Indian Army. We have religious books, there are certain guidelines which are given there, but all the members of the religion do not follow it, they break it also … does it imply that you remove the religious book …?”

On paper, AFSPA is a deceptively simple law. First passed in 1958, it comes into play when the government declares a particular part of the northeast (or Jammu and Kashmir under a parallel 1990 law) a “disturbed area.” Within that area, an officer of the armed forces has the power to “fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law or order for the time being in force in the disturbed area prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons or the carrying of weapons or of things capable of being used as weapons or of fire-arms, ammunition or explosive substances.”

Even though activists have made this the focus of their criticism, giving soldiers the “right to kill” is not, in my opinion, AFSPA's principal flaw. After all, if a ‘law and order' situation has arisen which compels the government to deploy the Army, soldiers have to be allowed to use deadly force. Even a private citizen has the right to kill someone in self-defence, though the final word on the legality of her or his action belongs to the courts. Similarly, a civilised society expects that the use of deadly force by the Army must at all times be lawful, necessary and proportionate. Here, the Act suffers from two infirmities: the requirement of prior sanction for prosecution contained in Section 6 often comes in the way when questions arise about the lawfulness of particular actions. Second, AFSPA does not distinguish between a peaceful gathering of five or more persons (even if held in contravention of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code) and a violent mob. Firing upon the latter may sometimes be justified by necessity; shooting into a peaceful assembly would surely fail any test of reasonableness. ...Read more click here

Spare the Army

I am pained to see The Tribune publishing articles against the Army day after day- Click links below to follow the storyline:

At stake, the Army’s izzat

Indiscipline in forces a reflection of society Aug 25

Army’s image on the decline Aug 28

There is no decline and no threat to the Army’s image. It is as disciplined and operationally prepared as ever.

Yes, there have been unfortunate cases of some senior officers involved in corruption or scams, and some cases of fake encounter. There would always be a few black sheep in every organisation. What is important is that action is taken against these black sheep. The Army spares none. Does that happen in the bureaucracy or politics?

The Army is not only guarding borders, but also proves to be a saviour during natural calamities and helps in maintaining internal security. During the recent floods in Haryana, it were the men in the olive green who helped the civil authorities in rescue operations, and restoring the essential services. In Leh, the Army and the Air Force proved to be saviours of the people during the devastation that followed the cloudburst. It is the Army men who are dying every day, fighting the militants, in the valley. It is easy to criticise, carry out protests, and sit on dharnas. Army men do not do that. They continue doing their assigned tasks selflessly. It is the finest organisation and strongest pillar of the country. Individuals are never bigger than the organisation. Let us respect the soldier and discard the black sheep.
Col R D SINGH, Ambala Cantt
The Tribune: Spare the Army

Defence Minister’s Message to the Armed Forces on The Eve of Independence Day

Saturday,14 August 2010 13:33 IST
==NOT TO BE BROADCAST / PUBLISHED BEFORE 1815 HRS TODAY==
Following is the English rendering of the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony’s address to the Armed Forces personnel broadcast over All India Radio on the eve of Independence Day:
My dear Jawans and members of our Armed Forces,
We celebrate our 64th Independence Day tomorrow. I pay my tributes to the martyrs and convey my greetings and best wishes to both uniformed and civilian personnel of the three wings of our Armed Forces on this occasion.

My sympathies are with the survivors of the Nature’s fury in Leh. I convey my heartfelt condolences to all those, who lost their near and dear ones in the tragedy, including several Armed Forces personnel. It is difficult to pick up the pieces after such a large-scale loss of life and property. The personnel from Army, Air Force, DRDO and Border Roads Organisation have been doing a commendable job in accelerating rescue and relief efforts, restoring communication links and in assisting in attempts to restore normalcy at the earliest. The Armed Forces personnel have on several other occasions, rendered invaluable service in times of natural calamities.

Our Armed Forces guard the land, sea and air frontiers in harsh weather conditions and in forbidding terrains. Living away from families makes your task all the more challenging. The challenges to our nation’s security are indeed varied and manifold.

Our rising economic stature has brought with it several challenges. The developments in and around our neighbourhood have forced us to review and upgrade our security apparatus. The security measures taken by us are often misunderstood by some nations. However, we have always been a peace-loving nation and we will continue to strive for peaceful relations with all our neighbours.

Post-26/11, we have taken several steps to strengthen the security apparatus, particularly along the coastline. We have cleared the setting up of four air enclaves at Goa, Kochi, Vizag, and New Mangalore. Coastal security has been strengthened, with acquisitions of new systems and platforms.

Armed Forces all over the world are modernising and becoming technology-intensive. I wish to take this opportunity to assure you that our modernisation plans are on the right track. We want to give our Armed Forces the latest and the best possible equipment. We would like the modernization process to proceed hand-in-hand with indigenisation. The success in the development of the indigenous nuclear submarine - INS Arihant must be replicated in other fields too.

We have accorded top priority to create infrastructure and build all-weather roads in inaccessible areas. The Border Roads organization has been given the responsibility of constructing the Rohtang tunnel. This tunnel will ensure that the remote areas in the northern region, which remained inaccessible for over six months, will now be connected and accessible throughout the year. The Rohtang tunnel would be the longest tunnel in our country at such a high altitude.

Dear jawans, despite all odds, you all have been doing a creditable job – both during warlike situation and in peace. During my visit to Siachen in June this year, the jawans raised the problems and difficulties being faced by them. Some of you wanted better quality socks and more snowmobiles for operational requirements. Some of you requested reduced telephone rates for better communication with your family members. I have directed the concerned officials and departments to take immediate remedial action. Though the pressure on our Armed Forces personnel is tremendous, the need for exercising maximum restraint cannot be over-emphasised. I wish to stress that any instance of human rights violation anywhere will not be tolerated.

Our Government has taken several welfare measures for the defence personnel. We are making efforts to improve the quality of atta, rice, vegetables, tea, pulses and other items. Similarly, we have made a provision for special rations to troops deployed in counter-insurgency operations. Special rations have also been authorised for additional troops serving in high-altitude areas – specifically above 12, 000 feet. A pilot project has been launched at 20 locations across the country for rail e-ticketing. With this facility, the system of railway warrants will be replaced and Armed Forces personnel will be able to book and print e-tickets through IRCTC websites at unit locations. This project will be gradually extended to more than 5, 000 Army, Air Force and Navy units across the country. We are committed to carry forward these measures and do a lot more for the all-round welfare of our jawans in the future.

We accord top priority to the welfare of our service personnel, as well as ex-servicemen. We are trying our best to ensure that there are no procedural delays in pension-related cases of ex-servicemen. Some Armed Forces personnel are retained in service, despite a disability that is attributed, or aggravated by military service, who forego a lump-sum compensation in lieu of the disability. Keeping in view their valour and sacrifice, it has been decided to grant them a disability element, or war injury element, at the time of their retirement, or discharge, in addition to the retiring/service pension or retiring/service gratuity. On the other hand, in case of pensioners who retire on disability pension, a decision has been taken to pay them a Constant Attendant at the rate of Rs 3, 000 per month, in addition to the disability pension.

Our Government has also granted permanent commission to women in non-combatant roles. I expect full cooperation from our Armed Forces in taking forward all such welfare schemes to their logical conclusion.

In our effort to further improve the living conditions of jawans, the Government has laid special emphasis on Married Accommodation Project (MAP). Under the project, a total of 1, 98, 881 Dwelling Units will be constructed in four phases. We are making all efforts to address the accommodation-related issues. We are sure that MAP will go a long way in boosting the morale of our Armed Forces.

Dear jawans, the nation is indeed proud of your devotion and sacrifice in securing our country’s borders. I once again extend my greetings on the eve of the Independence Day and convey my heartiest greetings and sincere wishes to all of you for a happy and a bright future. Jai Hind”. DM/RAJ
Defence Minister’s Message to the Armed Forces on The Eve of Independence Day

‘Thoughts are With Brave Hearts Who Lost Lives in Leh Mudslide’: Antony
The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony today conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the near and dear ones of all those Armed Forces personnel who lost their lives in the recent mudslide triggered by a cloudburst in Leh. In a message on the eve of the 64th Independence Day, Shri Antony said, as the nation prepares to celebrate the Red Letter Day, his thoughts go out to those brave hearts who lost their lives in the line of duty, especially in the mudslide in Leh. Shri Antony wished speedy recovery to all those undergoing treatment at various hospitals. As per the latest figures, Army has suffered 8 fatal and 41 non-fatal casualties till date. 27 Army personnel including 3 officers are missing. Shri Antony commended the personnel from Army, Air Force, DRDO and Border Roads Organisation who are now working day and night to restore normalcy in Ladakh. Sitanshu Kar
‘Thoughts are With Brave Hearts Who Lost Lives in Leh Mudslide’: Antony

National Security: Information and Cyber Warfare

The Tribune Tuesday, July 13, 2010, Chandigarh, India
Information Warfare
Decision makers should log-on to the nuances
Vulnerable information networks can adversely affect national security and create utter chaos. Safeguarding them is critical and the country ought to move fast to secure its cyber assets as potential adversaries already have an edge
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd)
"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." So said noted Chinese military strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu. No doubt what he meant was ways to outwit and outmaneuver the enemy without resorting to arms.

Today this translates to a type of warfare dominated by the use and manipulation of information and information networks and subversion of data to one's own advantage, thereby bringing down an enemy by without actually firing a shot.

Information warfare is the offensive and defensive use of information and information systems to deny, exploit, corrupt, or destroy, an adversary's information, information-based processes, information systems, and computer-based networks while protecting one's own. Such actions are designed to achieve advantages over military, political or business adversaries.

One of the prime aims of Information warfare is to so manage the perception of the enemy top decision makers and even its people, that a nation's aims are met without recourse to war.

We are living in the Information Age. The means of gathering and disseminating information are exploding -- TV, Internet, media, news on cell phones, e-newspapers and e-books are available at home, in the work place and even on the move. The maxim, 'seeing is believing' has made TV very powerful in forming opinions and perceptions. Internet is another means used extensively. These are already being used as vehicles for information and disinformation. Since information is such a powerful tool, contesting entities, may they be nations, politicians, economic czars, terrorist organizations try and exploit its use and deny the same to the adversary. This leads to Information Warfare.

The terminology "Information Warfare" covers propaganda or disinformation leading to "perception management", which is making the targeted people believe, what you want them to believe. This is used both during peace and war, in diplomacy, politics, and economic relations and even in sports (pre match sound bytes!!). Before important international conferences, news leaks by unnamed representatives are commonly used to put pressure on the other side. The propaganda blitz during elections is also common the world over.

In a war scenario, information warfare starts much earlier, even before war clouds start to build. The warring nations may try and project their policy and strengths through speeches, press releases, pictures of their armed forces and so on. Aim being not only to detract the enemy from his plans and thinking but also to mould a favorable international opinion, in particular of international power centers, so important in today's world. The aim may be to see if the national objectives can be met or facilitated through information warfare and actual war avoided. On the other hand some powerful nations may use this to justify to their own people and the world at large going to war!

In any kind of warfare, there are both the offensive and defensive aspects. The aim has to be having an overwhelming edge on the adversary in propaganda. The offensive part also includes using electronic and ballistic means to disable or destroy enemy's TV and radio stations or jamming them.

This aspect of Information warfare has to be planned and coordinated at the highest level as part of national strategy. What to project at what time and how. In our case, the PMO will have to get involved.

In a war situation, Information warfare operations are to be undertaken, in the military arena; propaganda/perception management being a part and parcel. The armed forces today depend heavily on electronic systems, including communications, surveillance devices (satellites, radars, UAVs), weapon systems (missiles, rockets, guns), air and naval operations and electronic warfare. Information or intelligence is passed instantaneously, processed and disseminated speedily. Plans and orders issued and their implementation monitored leading to Network Centric Warfare. All such systems heavily depend on use of computers.

Information warfare is also integral part of deception. Use of computers enables doctoring of images quite realistically. This can help in projecting troops, aircraft, ships and weapon systems where they are not. According to Sun Zu, All warfare is based on deception.

Over 70 per cent of all intelligence is derived using electronic interceptions, both in peace and war. The aim has to be to make the battlefield transparent to own forces and blind the enemy. This is one of the prime objectives of information operations during war.

Disabling or doctoring enemy's computer based systems while ensuring use of the same by own forces is a critical aspect of information operations. This is also termed cyber warfare. However, cyber warfare is not restricted to armed forces networks but includes all national critical resources like transportation, water supply, law and order, telecommunications, financial systems (banking, stock markets), news media, medical etc. In short all systems which can adversely affect the war effort, the lives of people and thus create chaos. Safeguarding all such systems is critical to overall war effort.

Cyber warfare covers hacking and spread of viruses. The worst is to doctor the functioning of systems so that these get out of control. There are many reports of Indian and American computer systems being hacked. The fingers point invariably towards China, which has taken cyber warfare very seriously and made it a pillar of its strategy. It has raised a number of cyber warfare divisions.

India has also set up some organisations to counter these threats, both at national and military levels but much more needs to be done and fast. India has the required brains and technical resources. What is needed is the national will and according required priority and resources.

Our political leaders and bureaucrats who are the ultimate decision makers need to be well versed in the nuances of this new form of warfare. As of now, our potential adversaries have a big edge.
(The author is a former Signals Officer-in-Chief of the Indian Army)
Information Warfare: Decision makers should log-on to the nuances

National Security: Special powers for armed forces

We need clarity, not emotions by Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi (retd)
The Tribune Sunday, July 11, 2010, Chandigarh, India
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, better known as AFSPA, has been brought out of wraps at various opportune times – opportune for those who have either something to gain, i.e. the insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir, political parties always ready to fish in troubled waters, with an eye on electoral gains or those who are regular establishment-baiters, who have made it a habit to take the plunge headlong in any controversy with the belief that if it is against an organ of the government, it needed to be opposed!

Many have called AFSPA a draconian law and have vehemently supported its repeal, but having read quite a few of their views and watched them pontificating on TV, I am convinced that most lack even a rudimentary, let alone in-depth knowledge on the subject. This Act has been in force for over five decades because it was essential for the conduct of smooth counter-insurgency operations by the army. It will continue to be needed as long as the army is employed on counter-insurgency/ terrorism tasks.

The Act was promulgated on September 11, 1958. The rationale for bringing the Act on the statute book needs to be appreciated. When the army was first employed on counter-insurgency tasks in Nagaland in the 1950s, two aspects came to the fore immediately. First, unlike in the case of maintenance of law and order, when the army is called out in ‘aid to the civil authority’, where time is available to employ the police before committing the army, operations against insurgents are entirely of a different genre, as the insurgents do not give any time for such niceties.

The insurgents we are fighting today are heavily armed, they act speedily, commit heinous crimes and disappear. Unless the army counters such actions with speed and not wait for orders from higher civil or military authorities, nothing would be achieved.

Secondly, the soldiers and officers of the army had to be protected from prosecution for consequential action taken against insurgents in good faith as part of their operations. Here too, the Act does contain the important caveat that the army personnel can be prosecuted with the Centre’s sanction, if their actions warrant it. There is, therefore, no blanket immunity from the laws of the land.

Over the years, some army personnel have indeed been prosecuted where a prima facie case existed. However, it is also true that due to the exceptional care which all army commanders take when their troops are employed against insurgents, such cases are few and far between.

After the initial employment in Nagaland, the employment of the army on counter-insurgency tasks continued increasing, till it was progressively employed in all the north-eastern states for such tasks. Along with such employment, AFSPA was also invoked in all affected states.

When insurgency erupted in Srinagar in 1990, the Act was extended to the Valley. Later, as the activities of the insurgents spread, first to the Poonch-Rajauri area, then to Doda and Bhadarwah and finally to the whole state, the entire state was brought under the Act’s purview in stages. It can thus be seen that AFSPA was invoked progressively only when the situation required the deployment of the army.

The army is designed and structured for fighting external enemies of the nation. Consequently, they are not given any police powers. However, when the nation wants the army to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations, then they must be given the legal authority to conduct their operations without the impediment of getting clearances from the higher authorities.

If this is not done, they would be unable to function efficiently and defeat the insurgents and terrorists at their own game. It is for this reason that the Act gives four powers to army personnel. These are for ‘enter and search’, ‘arrest without warrant’, ‘destroy arms dumps or other fortifications’ and ‘fire or use force after due warning where possible’. Once again, there is a safeguard in the Act, which stipulates that the arrested person(s) will be handed over speedily to the nearest police station.

The law stipulates that AFSPA can be imposed only after the area in question is declared a ‘disturbed area’ by the state government concerned. When this writer was the Director-General Military Operations (DGMO) and the army was asked to deploy in the Doda-Bhadarwah area, we requested for the invocation of the Act. The state government was reluctant to do so on account of political considerations, but we did not commence operations till the Act was invoked.

Clearly, the Army has no desire to get embroiled in counter-insurgency tasks. It is not the army’s job. However, despite over 50 years of insurgency in our country, the state police as well as the central police forces (CPOs) have not been made capable of tackling insurgency. Consequently, in each case the army was inducted to carry out counter insurgency/ terrorist operations. If the national leadership tasks the army for conducting such non-military operations, then it is incumbent on the leadership to provide the legal wherewithal to all army personnel employed on such tasks.

It is only then that the operations will be conducted in the usual efficient manner of the army and would be result-oriented. They also must be legally protected. It is because these two aspects have been catered for that the army has been neutralising the insurgents and terrorists, so that normalcy is restored and the political leaders and officials can restart governing.
The writer is a former Vice-Chief of the Indian Army
Special powers for armed forces: The Tribune
Special powers for special needs: Army chief to NDTV by Nitin Gokhale

Internal Security: CRPF sees Red, to withdraw from Bastar

05/07/2010
Raipur: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has expressed a desire to withdraw from all interior locations of the worst-hit Naxal area of Bastar in Chattisgarh, a move opposed by the state police.

Official sources, who referred to this wish by CRPF, said the para-military force has also approached Chhattisgarh Police to provide security to its camps at Narayanpur where 27 security personnel were killed in a Naxal ambush recently.

Immediately after the attack, senior CRPF officials were up in arms and said they would be abandoning the post at Durai road if the state police did not guard the two camps in the area, about 300 km from here.

Around 50 police personnel each were rushed to these two camps, a move which was seen as "strengthening of the camps." At least 26 CRPF personnel and one state policeman were killed by Maoists on June 29 when they were returning from road opening duties.

The CRPF has also listed four places in Narayanpur and Dantewada from where they would be shifting their base, the sources said, adding initially the para-military forces wanted to shift their camps closer to the National Highways, which was, however, objected to by the state police.

The CRPF has demanded presence of one-third of district police in every operation and for road opening party. A meeting between the state authorities and the CRPF witnessed heated arguments over the issue and it was decided that road opening duty was exclusively of CRPF domain and there would be no local presence, the sources said.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has also indicated that the CRPF in Chattishargh needs to be relocated and reconfigured. Taking a cue from this, the CRPF has decided to keep a minimum strength of 200 personnel in each camp.

About the rescue and relief on the June 29 killings, the sources said the state authorities pointed out that no help was received from the two camps which were located within five kilometres of the area. The first rescue team came from a CRPF camp located nine kilometres away.

No need to deploy army in Naxal-hit areas: Pillai
The government on Monday said there was no immediate need to deploy army in Maoist-hit regions and it could take nearly seven years to get rid of the menace.

Union Home Secretary G K Pillai, who is on a visit to review the situation in Chhattisgarh, said there was no need to deploy army personnel at present in the Maoist-hit regions. He, however, did not elaborate.

Speaking to reporters at the district headquarters at Kanker, Pillai said that it could take between three and seven years to get rid of the Naxal menace in the country.

Referring to the casualties suffered by paramilitary forces recently, he said the Naxals were taking advantage of situation whereby jawans enter into their territory to fight them. Pillai denied that there was any difference between the state police and the CRPF, saying both the forces were coordinating and working together.

He said the government was speeding up development work in the Naxal-hit regions and the Planning Commission was preparing an integrated development plan for these areas. Pillai reviewed the state's situation at a meeting with top officials.
Source: PTI
CRPF sees Red, to withdraw from Bastar
Rs 14000cr Maoist balm
It is the basic and prima responsibility of the officer commandiing to ensure that their troops are properly motivated and fed during the operation. It is sad to note that the Inspector General who is the supreme authority himself is complaining of his inability, which spells the sad state of affairs. The CRPF recruitment scam too is instrumental in the poor quality and morale of troops inducted. It is time the IPS Officers are made accountabile and not be indulging in the blame game like the Politicians! The weapons lost by CRPF to Naxals are being used to inflict needless casualities!
CRPF troops fighting Naxals face lack of food, water

Maoists attack CRPF men to snatch weapons

NEW DELHI: Three months after it lost 76 men in an ambush by Maoists, the CRPF suffered another massive loss in Bastar: 26 of its men were killed when the Maoists attacked a road opening party in Narayanpur district.

CRPF special DG Vijay Raman told the Times of India that 26 CRPF men have been confirmed dead and 5 injured. The casualties may be higher. "These are not final figures," Raman said.

The attack took place just three kilometres from a CRPF camp in Dhaudhai on a road leading to the densely forested Maoist-controlled Abhujhmad area.

The party of "about company strength with 70 personnel" was on its way back from clearing the road when the Maoists opened fire from a hilltop.

"We are in the process of evacuating our men. Some have been brought back. Others are being brought back to safety," said R K Dua, IG CRPF. He added that while two seriously injured men had been evacuated by helicopter, the air sortees had to be suspended as evening fell.

Brigadier B K Ponwar, who heads the Jungle Warfare College in Kanker said, "You have to be doubly secure when making the return journey along the same route. You need to secure all areas from where you can be fired upon."
26 CRPF personnel killed in Maoists attack in Chhattisgarh by Supriya Sharma, TNN, Jun 29, 2010, 09.03pm IST

Chronology of Naxal attacks

June 29, 2008: Maoists attack a boat on Balimela reservoir in Orissa carrying four anti -- Naxalite police officials and 60 Greyhound commandos, killing 38 troops.

July 16, 2008: 21 policemen killed when a police van is blown up in a landmine blast in Malkangiri district of Orissa.

April 13, 2009: 10 paramilitary troops killed in eastern Orissa when Maoists attack a bauxite mine in Koraput district.

April 22, 2009: Maoists hijack a train with at least 300 people on board in Jharkhand and force it to Latehar district before fleeing.

May 22, 2009: Maoists kill 16 policemen in the jungles of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra.

June 10, 2009: Nine policemen, including CRPF troops and officers, ambushed by Maoists during a routine patrol in Saranda jungles in Jharkhand.

June 13, 2009: Naxals launch two landmine and bomb attacks in a small town close to Bokaro, killing 10 policemen and injuring several others.

June 16, 2009: Maoists kill 11 police officers in a landmine attack followed by armed assault. In a separate attack, four policemen were killed and two others seriously injured when Maoists ambush them at Beherakhand in Palamau district.

June 23, 2009: A group of motorcycle-borne armed Naxal rebels open fire on Lakhisarai district court premises in Bihar and free four of their comrades including the self-style Zonal Commander of Ranchi.

July 18, 2009: Naxalites kill a villager in Bastar and in a separate incident torch a vehicle engaged in road construction work in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.

July 27, 2009: Six persons killed when Naxals trigger a landmine blast at Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh.

July 31, 2009: A special police officer and another person killed by Naxals in Bijapur district.

Sep 4, 2009: Naxals kill four villagers in a forest in Aaded village in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.

Sep 26, 2009: Naxals kill BJP MP from Balaghat Baliram Kashyap's sons at Pairaguda village in Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh).

Sep 30, 2009: Naxalites set ablaze Gram Panchayat offices at Korchi and Belgaon in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.

Oct 8, 2009: 17 policemen killed when Maoists ambushed them at Laheri police station in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.

Feb 15, 2010: 24 personnel of the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) killed as Maoists attack their camp in Silda in West Midnapore district of West Bengal.

April 4, 2010: Maoists trigger a landmine blast killing 11 security personnel of the elite anti-naxal force Special Operations Group (SOG) in Koraput district of Orrisa.

April 6, 2010: 75 CRPF personnel and a Chhattisgarh police official killed in a naxal attack in Dantewada district.

May 8, 2010: Eight CRPF jawans were killed when Naxals blow up a bullet-proof vehicle in Bijapur district of Chhhattisgarh.

June 29, 2010: At least 26 CRPF personnel killed in a Naxal ambush in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh. Source: PTI
They want weapons. During the course of my inquiry into the (April 6) Dantewada ambush...
Maoists attack CRPF men to snatch weapons

IESM: Illogical to amend AFSPA

Central Chronicle
By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, June 25:
Stressing that it will be ''totally illogical'' to either repeal or amend the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), an Indian Army veteran opines that while the military leadership by and large has been exemplary it is the political leadership supported by bureaucracy that has failed the country.
''At first stage the government deploys the military to deal with insurgences or other internal threats and then expects them to face the bullets with their hands tied at the back,'' laments Major-General (Retd) Satbir Singh, Sena Medal, who is Vice-Chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement.
Despite opposition from the Army and confronted with reports of fake encounters, the Centre is planning to go ahead with certain amendments in the AFSPA that includes handing over of personnel in case of extra-judicial killings to civilian authorities.
''This is highly inhuman. Where are the proponents of human rights? Is a soldier not human? And therefore, has no rights? Why thousands of soldiers have been used as cannon fodder due to reasons of the apathy of the bureaucrat-politician nexuses for not providing them the wherewithal, equipment, weapon systems, clothing etc to appropriately deal with the internal and external threats,'' the veteran said.
Illogical to amend AFSPA: Maj-Gen
AFSPA doesn’t need change- Harsh law helps in the fight against insurgents by Lt-Gen Harwant Singh (retd)

National Security: Enhancing synergy among tri- services

The Hindu: Thursday, Jun 17, 2010 by special correspondent
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik (centre), Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma (left) and Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh release books on operational doctrines in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Seeking to build greater synergy among the tri-services and enhancing its joint fighting capabilities, the armed forces on Wednesday released two doctrines, one for perception management and psychological operations and the other for air and land operations.

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik released the two joint operational doctrines, formulated by the Doctrine Directorate of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). The IDS was set up after the 1999 Kargil war to bring about synergy among the three services.

The Joint Doctrine for Air-Land Operations will serve as the keystone doctrinal document for employment of military power in a joint operation scenario. It establishes the framework of concepts and principles to understand the approach to planning and conduct of air-land operation in a conventional war scenario. It lays down organisations and procedures that will leverage the available technology towards synergistic application of air power, a Defence Ministry release said.

Military psychological operations constitute a planned process of conveying a message to select target audiences, to promote particular themes that result in desired attitudes and behaviour which affect the achievement of political and military objectives.

It said that given the potential benefit of psychological operations as an effective force multiplier, its use in support of military aims and objectives is considerable. The doctrine also provides guidelines for activities related to perception management in sub-conventional operations, especially in an internal environment wherein misguided population may have to be brought into the mainstream.
Two doctrines for greater synergy among tri-services

Is Indian Army being 'deliberately' weakened?

/06/2010
Is Indian Army being 'deliberately' weakened?
New Delhi: The Indian nation is going through some testing times. The Kashmir Valley continues to be embroiled in an unabated cycle of violence which is making life an unending misery for the common man and creating a tense security environment

The blockade in Manipur has been in place for almost two months and people are suffering unimaginable hardship even as the governments. The Naxal issue has gained criticality in the aftermath of a proactive policy adopted by Home Minister P Chidambaram.

The Army is already playing an active role in both Kashmir and the North East and now it may be called upon to contain the Naxal menace also. In the midst of this turmoil the Army, which is the sole savior and sentinel of the nation''s integrity, is facing a grave challenge from a number of forces that are trying to weaken its intrinsic fabric.

Whether this is part of a grand design or the machination of different powers and lobbies who have their own axes to grind, cannot be ascertained, but what is very obvious is that the cumulative effect is quite alarming.

The increasing involvement of the Army in quelling social and political dissent in the country provides the first and most critical chink in its armour. Interestingly, the divisive ideologies of Islamic Jihad and Maoism that the country has to contend with are direct imports from its two neighbours, China and Pakistan.

The two countries are well aware that only the Indian Army stands between them and their long standing policy of dividing India into small segments in order to curtail its growing influence.

Now, by involving the Army more and more in internal security, these countries feel that they may have hit bulls eye.

The engagement with the Naxals is not possible without diluting vigil on the border as also the edge that the Army enjoys as a conventional force. Quite obviously, the vacuum thus created will be exploited by these two countries, Pakistan will be able to boost its proxy war and China will gain strength in its negotiations for the border dispute.

The second challenge is emanating from a psychological war that has been launched against the force with the intention of denting the high moral pedestal at which it stands. The people of India see the Indian soldier as the epitome of all that is the best in the country due to his demonstrated qualities of courage, self sacrifice, integrity, strength of character and commitment to the cause of the nation.

If this image is dented, the psychological fallout may propel the country into a self destruct mode. Against this backdrop, a sustained campaign is being orchestrated to malign the image of the soldier in the eyes of his countrymen.

Terrorists and terrorist linked organisations are keeping the pot boiling in regions like Kashmir and the North East by highlighting baseless human rights violations through the medium of orchestrated public demonstrations and virulent outcry.

In the remaining parts of the country, especially the national capital, the slightest misdemeanour by an Army man is blown out of proportion through well managed propaganda. The result is that the force and the country are getting enveloped in a feeling of low self esteem and the army is getting involved in a web of legality which is keeping it perpetually on the back foot.

There is a need to counter this challenge being thrown up by forces inimical to the nation. Firstly, in order to allow the Army to concentrate upon its primary task of manning the country's borders against our many adversaries we have to build upon our police and paramilitary forces so that they can perform the role assigned to them.

Some methodology can be worked out, whereby, the Army's expertise is put to good use to give a boost these organisations.

On the psychological front the media, which is unwittingly becoming a stooge in the hands of anti-national forces, needs to understand the difference between reportage of normal events and security issues, the latter being too important to be subject to TRP driven sensationalism.

The nation must realise that not all that is heard is coming from sources that have its good in mind. The Army is the last bastion of the nation, and a weakened, demoralized force will spell doom for it.

Isolating the Army from deliberate attempts to reduce its capabilities and from negative propagandist influences is a national responsibility.
Source: ANI
Is Indian Army being 'deliberately' weakened?

Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists

Indira Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists: Former General to NDTV
At a time when there are divisions within the government on whether or not to use the Army against the Maoists, a key former General in the Eastern Command told NDTV that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had indeed sent in the Army to crush the original Naxal uprising in West Bengal in the late 60s.

Lt General (Retd) J F R Jacob also added that para-commodes were also used against the Naxals in the 60s and 70s.

"In 1969 in the month of October, General Manekshaw and secretary Govind Narain came to Calcutta to see me. We had a meeting and Manekshaw told me that the government had decided that the Army would be used to break the Naxals and it is the order of Mrs Gandhi. She had directed that the Army be used to break the Naxals." he said.

"I told Manekshaw that I need more troops. We had 20 divisions in the Naxal areas but nothing south of the Ganga. He said, 'How much troops do you need?' I said I at least need two divisions. So he said Jake I will be good to you. I will not only give you two more divisions but I will give you 40 para-brigade as well. I said give me something in writing. He said nothing in writing. Then Govind Narain turned up and said no publicity and no records. There was no disturbed area act enforced, no AFSPA enforced. We just operated within the law. I would presume you would call it aid of civil power and we had no protection," he added.

The Cabinet Committee on Security will today on the Home Ministry's proposal for greater assistance from the Army in tackling the Naxals. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair this key meeting.

The Army leadership, however, continues to remain wary of getting embroiled in the Naxal areas, one reason why the Ministry of Home Affairs has reportedly refrained from seeking Army's direct deployment in the counter-Naxalite strategy.

Instead, the Army has offered post brigadier-level officers in Naxal-affected states as advisers and part of the Unified Command.
Indira Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists: Former General to NDTV

Internal and External Security: Do we have a National Strategy?

Here are some media highlights that illuminate our National Strategy Spectrum

Should Army be used to tame Naxalism and Maoism?
Prime Minister and Cabinet Committee on Security, while taking the final call on the ‘larger mandate’ sought by the Home Minister, should deeply ponder and ask two critical questions before ordering militarization of Dandakaranya forests and Army marching over tribal territory. One is whether it would not signify collective and complete collapse of civil governance? And the second, will not the world opinion justifiably equate India with Pakistan, which is considered a ‘failed state’? Do we really need this dual shame?
Writer is a former Army and IAS officer
Read the detailed analysis:
Army against Maoists- Pros and Cons by M.G.Devasahayam

NDTV: Army to tackle Naxals?
Latest News: Will the Cabinet send in the Army to tackle Naxals?

Indian Army not meant to fight own citizens
The government faces its gravest internal security problem in recent times with the Maoists or Naxalites executing a series of brazen attacks against security personnel and civilians in the last two months. The incidents have given fresh impetus to the debate on whether the Indian Army should be deployed in countering the Maoist threat.
Lieutenant General D B Shekatkar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM a distinguished soldier and commander with a vast experience in combating insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, feels the deployment of the army in combating the Maoists would be a wrong step.
Deploying Army against Naxals would be a wrong step

Army not for Policing own citizens
Want to pass on Government's incompetence to the army? Army should take a considered view only on the advisory role. Otherwise when things go wrong it will be very easy to fire a colonel or dismiss a major. Dealing with Naxals is not the army's job, it will be extremely bad for the country to get the army involved in this mess. This is a politically created problem. The solution needs to be political, backed by the police and judicial system. Prosecute the people involved and stop this thing from spreading. No one has even heard of any arrests or punishment for perpetration of crimes in the Naxal/ Maoist affected areas.

Obama has gone further than Bush on India
If India worries that it is being treated as a mere regional power, the US is willing to discuss global issues, even the Middle East, with India. As for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council, the US is willing to consider India's claim. No further commitment can be given since the US is not sure what course the inter-governmental negotiations will take in New York.
The Obama Platter: Obama has gone further than Bush on India

A new approach for India in Afghanistan
India’s stakes in Afghanistan are multi-faceted and India’s policies there will affect the way other countries perceive India”, says Raja Karthikeya, one of the lead authors of the report
A new approach for India in Afghanistan

Breadth Of US Talks Is Sign Of Progress
US policy toward militarised Pakistan is still one of solicitousness and is likely to remain so. And yet, both secretary of state Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama sought to reassure external affairs minister S.M. Krishna, who led the dialogue for India, that the US did not see ties with India only in the Pakistan and Afghanistan context, and indeed it was made clear that the Indian and US perspective on Afghanistan had moved a lot closer and included helping build a democratic and sovereign Afghanistan “without outside interference”.
Breadth Of US Talks Is Sign Of Progress

The world yearns for a New Pakistan
Pakistan of the 1971 vintage is becoming an increasing threat to the homeland security of many nations of the world- in the West as well as the East, in the Ummah as well as in the non-Islamic world. One has to work for a reduced Pakistan to make this threat manageable and ultimately eliminate it.
Wanted: A New Pakistan By B. Raman

Lot of hype Obama style: Anderson not addressed still elusive
Joint Statement issued after the conclusion of U.S. - India Strategic Dialogue