Indian Army : Updates & Discussions

MIL-SPEC Tata Safari Storme on their way for induction in Indian Army and will replace Maruti Gypsy, MM550 DXB and also Hindustan Ambassadors in IA service. The general purpose vehicles are primarily utilised as staff cars in Army service. They will also undertake secondary patrolling and other mild combat roles. Add on armour for these requirements will be made available by Tata.
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India, Pakistan agree to fully implement ceasefire understanding of 2003
In a special hotline contact established between the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan on Tuesday, the prevailing situation along the Line of Control and Working Boundary was reviewed. It was mutually agreed to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation ensuring peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders.

They agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit and to ensure that the ceasefire agreement will not be violated by both sides from now on. The officials also agreed that in case of any issue, restraint will be exercised and the matter will be resolved through utilisation of existing mechanisms of hotline contacts and border flag meetings at local commander's level.

Earlier, on Monday, India had conveyed to Pakistan the need for instituting a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for immediate release and repatriation of fishermen who inadvertently cross the international maritime boundary. The emphasis on the SOP was given during the talks between the Coast Guards of the two countries, where issues pertaining to boundary violations by fishermen and enhancing cooperation in the area of maritime search and rescue and combating pollution at sea, were discussed.

"A lot of focus of the meeting was on (violation of maritime boundary by) fishermen," Coast Guard Director General Rajendra Singh had said, as per PTI. An official statement had said, "During the meeting, the Indian side reiterated the need for instituting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for immediate release and repatriation of the fishermen who cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) inadvertently as the issue needs to be approached in a humanitarian context." Several fishermen from both countries are languishing in each other's jails.
The four-member delegation of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) was being led by its Director General Rear Admiral Zaka Ur Rehman. Rehman was accompanied by Director (Operations) of the PMSA, an official each from Pakistan's Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Two members - a defence attache and a political secretary - at the Pakistan High Commission had also participated in the talks. The high-level meeting was conducted under the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two agencies in 2005.

A meeting between the two maritime security agencies was scheduled for October 2017, but was called off amid tension between India and Pakistan following the Kulbhushan Jadhav episode.
Jadhav, an Indian national and former navy officer, has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on the charges of alleged spying. India has denied the charges and approached the International Court of Justice against the sentence.
India, Pakistan agree to fully implement ceasefire understanding of 2003
 
Jammu and Kashmir govt will lease land to Indian Army for firing range in Kargil
The Jammu and Kashmir government has begun process to lease out 71,238 acres land to the army for field firing and artillery practice in Kargil district. The state government, in a notification, has asked the public that any objections in this regard may be communicated to the Kargil District Magistrate within a period of two months.
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Representational image. Reuters

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 9 of the Maneuvers, Field Firing and Artillery Practice Act, 1938, a notice is hereby given that the Government of Jammu and Kashmir intends to authorise carrying out of the field firing and artillery practice throughout an area or any specified part thereof for a period of five years," Principal Secretary to Government, Home Department, RK Goyal, said in the notification.

The state government in October 2017 had extended lease of army's field firing and artillery range in Akhnoor area of Jammu by 10 years. In March 2017, the state government had granted 4,80,000 kanals of land at Mandalthang, Shayok in Durbuk sub division in Leh district of Ladakh to the army for setting up field firing and artillery range. The army had been granted lease of the land for five years.

The government in 2016 had granted land to the army at Nowshera in Rajouri district for the firing range.
The army had vacated the firing range in Tosa Maidan meadow in central Kashmir in 2014 after the then J-K government headed by Omar Abdullah decided against extending the lease period of the firing range spread over 11,200.477 hectares.

Fifty years lease period of nine firing ranges had ended in November 2014 and since then the army has been pursuing the case of their extension. Nine firing ranges, whose lease period has expired included Mahe (Nyoma, Leh), Khurbarteng (Kargil), Tartar (Leh) and Kulum (Upshi) in Leh, all four in Ladakh region falling under 14 Corps; Tosa Maidan (Budgam) in Kashmir under 15 Corps; Chorkhud in Poonch, Jhallas in Rajouri, and Garhi (Nowshera) in Rajouri district, all four in Jammu region, falling under the Command of 16 Corps.

The army has projected that it was suffering heavy loss to the state exchequer and defence budget as the artillery units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir had to move to Mahajan and Pokhran firing ranges in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh for practice and training along with lock, stock and barrel.
Jammu and Kashmir govt will lease land to Indian Army for firing range in Kargil - Firstpost
 
70 years: Indian UN peacekeeper deaths the highest
India has lost the highest number of its peacekeepers in various UN peacekeeping operations in the last 70 years, with 163 military, police and civilian personnel from the country laying down their lives in the line of duty.

According to the UN, of the 3,737 peacekeepers who have died since 1948, 163 have been from India, the highest total from any troop-contributing country.

India is currently the third largest contributor of military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping, with 6,693 now deployed in Abyei, Cyprus, Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, the Middle East, South Sudan and Western Sahara.

However, the UN owes India USD 92 million for troops, formed police units and contingent-owned equipment as at April 30, 2018.

The UN commemorated the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Tuesday, paying tribute to the service and sacrifice of peacekeepers around the world.

Currently, more than 96,000 uniformed personnel from 124 troop and police-contributing countries serve under the blue flag, alongside more than 15,000 international and national civilian staff and nearly 1,600 United Nations Volunteers.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of United Nations peacekeeping, the flagship enterprise of the Organization described by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as "a proven investment in global peace, security and prosperity".

"We express our gratitude to the more than one million men and women who have served under the UN flag, saving countless lives. We honour the more than 3,700 Blue Helmets who have paid the ultimate price. And we pay tribute to the 14 peacekeeping missions working around the clock to protect people and advance the cause of peace," Guterres said in Mali to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

The north-west African country is the most dangerous place in the world to be a UN 'blue helmet' and last year 21 troops serving with the UN Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) lost their lives, together with seven civilians.

Upon his return from Mali, the Secretary-General will preside over the observance of the day on June 1.

He will lay a wreath to honour those who lost their lives while in the service of peace and will also officiate at a ceremony to posthumously present the Dag Hammarskjold Medal to 132 military, police and civilian personnel from 37 countries who lost their lives in peacekeeping operations during 2017. No peacekeeper hailing from India was killed while serving in any UN peacekeeping mission in 2017.

No peacekeeper hailing from India was killed while serving in any UN peacekeeping mission in 2017.

In 2016, two Indian peacekeepers - Rifleman Brijesh Thapa who served with the UN Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Private Ravi Kumar who was deployed with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - died in the line of duty and posthumously received the Dag Hammarskjold Medal.

At a time of increasingly complex conflicts and rising peacekeeper fatalities, the Secretary-General said, "as we recognise a legacy of service and sacrifice around the world, I am also committed to taking Action for Peacekeeping — action to make our operations more effective and safer in today's challenging environments".
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the service and sacrifice of UN peacekeepers inspired "us to work harder to support a sustainable peace in some of the world's most complex and challenging places".

Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare said the international community owed a "debt of gratitude" to the brave men and women who risk their lives every day in service to others.

"We grieve with the families and nations of our fallen colleagues. But beyond gratitude, we owe our peacekeepers all the support we can muster to ensure they are well equipped, well trained and well prepared to complete their missions successfully," Khare said.

The General Assembly established the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers in 2002 to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

The Assembly designated May 29 as the Day because it was the date in 1948 when the first United Nations peacekeeping mission — the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization — began operations in the Middle East.
70 years: Indian UN peacekeeper deaths the highest
 
Indian Army puts Mountain Strike Corps aimed at China in cold storage

The instant order to stop ‘new raisings’ – create battalions with fresh recruits – has been prompted by financial constraints.

New Delhi: The Army has decided to shelve all new raisings for a China-specific Mountain Strike Corps due to financial constraints, an official source told The Print Thursday.

The decision effectively puts the corps, as envisaged, in cold storage.

The decision comes five years after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the creation of practically a whole new army with 90,000 troops at a cost of Rs 60,000 crore.

The decision also comes a year after Indian and Chinese troops faced-off at Doklam in Bhutan near the point where the international boundaries of the three countries intersect.

But at the end of April this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met at an “informal summit” in Wuhan and decided to reduce tensions on the frontier and craft new confidence building measures.

The instant order to stop “new raisings” – create battalions with fresh recruits – has, however, been prompted by financial constraints, one official said.

“The next big thing for us is a drive towards ‘optimisation’ of resources, do the best with what we have. You will hear this word (optimisation) a lot from now on. What is the point in recruiting new soldiers if we cannot give them guns and bullets?” the official said.

The CCS approved the raising of the corps in 2013 when A.K. Antony was the defence minister in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s cabinet. It was an idea that was in the works for years.

One officer offered a perspective to The Print Thursday that raises questions on the rationale of new raisings.

He said a cabal of the officer cadre was interested in the formation of the MSC because of the lure of more offices in higher ranks of Brigadiers, Major-Generals and Lieutenant-Generals that would be created. Such an argument pre-supposes that operational logic may have been subsumed by careerist considerations.

The Mountain Strike Corps or 17 Corps is headquartered in Ranchi with divisions headquartered in Panagarh, West Bengal, (59 mountain) and Pathankot (72 mountain), Punjab. Aviation, artillery, armoured brigades were to be integrated into the corps that was planned with entirely new raisings of nearly 30 mountain infantry battalions. In addition, it was also to be reinforced with teams of high-altitude special forces.

Focus on ‘Optimisation’
The order to stop new raisings by Army headquarters coincides with a study that is being conducted by the Shimla-headquartered Army Training Command (ARTRAC) headed by Lt. Gen. M.M. Naravane.

Naravane has been asked to submit a report by the end of this year with suggestions for “optimisation” – utilisation of troops and equipment without raising costs.

The study will examine whether it is necessary to carry on annual recruitments at all centres to fill all the spaces created by total annual retirements. About 35-40,000 soldiers retire from the 1.3 million strong Army each year. The total number of recruits vary from region to region as it depends on the number of vacancies in each regiment and arm.

The raising of the Mountain Strike Corps meant that the Army was adding to its manpower when many (mostly Western) countries are reducing theirs. Units for the mountain strike corps have already been raised in the Northeast. Since the past year, a lazy focus was on staffing the planned Pathankot division but the sense of the funds crunch was already seeping in.

The 17 Corps was also being armed with BAE Land System’s M777 ultra-light howitzers imported from the US. The howitzers can be underslung from heavy helicopters (Chinooks from the US are contracted) for transporting in the mountains.
 
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Kashmiri, Pashto, Dari languages to be taught to NDA cadets
Published at July 31, 2018 12:36 AM 0Comment(s)696views
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The National Defence Academy here has included Kashmiri, Pashto and Dari languages in its curriculum from this academic year, a move that will help young officers during their posting in Jammu and Kashmir.
The course started this month and these languages will be compulsorily taught to cadets in their last year (of the three-year course) at the academy, a National Defence Academy (NDA) official told PTI.
"Young leaders are invariably required to serve on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, where Pashto and Dari languages are frequently used by the adversary.
"Kashmiri is our language and we have a large number of men from the state," the official said.
Dari and Pashto are languages spoken in Afghanistan.
Asked if there was a specific requirement from the service headquarters for initiating a study of these languages, the official said there was no specific demand.
"It has been felt that the same (introduction of these languages) is the need of the hour in view of the normal service requirements of young officers," the official said.
The study of modern languages has been a mandate at the NDA since its inception. Hindi is already in the curriculum and is taught to cadets.
Foreign languages are taught in the second, third and fourth semesters as a compulsory component of the academic curriculum of the premier defence education and training institute.
"Chinese, Arabic, French and Russian are the other foreign languages currently being taught at the tri-service academy," the official said.
The NDA's syllabus and curriculum are periodically reviewed by headquarters of the three defence services and its implementation is reviewed by a joint training committee along with the institute.
An iconic institute located at Khadakwasla on the city's outskirts, NDA is the joint services academy of the armed forces where cadets receive training together before they go to their respective service academies for further pre-commissioning training.
The academy is recognised by the Jahwaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, and offers BA, B.Sc and B.Tech degree courses to cadets.

link:www.risingkashmir.com/news/kashmiri-pashto-dari-languages-to-be-taught-to-nda-cadets-330619.html


Two Afghan Languages for all Officers? That is very interesting;).
 
An Indian tradition of service and sacrifice
For 70 years, the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations have stood as a beacon of multilateralism and international solidarity, the embodiment of the highest ideals of the UN. From Sierra Leone to Cambodia, Timor Leste, Namibia, El Salvador and elsewhere, UN peacekeeping has helped countries move from war to peace, proving to be one of the international community’s most effective investments in peace, security, and prosperity.

India’s participation in this remarkable enterprise is perhaps without parallel. India has been and remains one of the largest contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping missions, with more than 2,00,000 personnel deployed in operations since 1950, the most of any country. This is an incredible demonstration of India’s deep commitment not only to maintaining peace and harmony across the world but also of its belief in the UN Charter.

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This proud history of UN peacekeeping dates back to its inception in the 1950s, when the Indian Army made its first commitment to a UN assignment, contributing troops as well as medical corps during the Korean War from 1950 to 1954. Since that first mission, India has participated in more than 50 missions and 168 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice while serving. Indian peacekeepers have been deployed in some of the UN’s most dangerous and challenging missions – in South Sudan, Congo, Mali, Central African Republic and ten other UN mission across the globe.

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India has also provided and continues to provide eminent force commanders for UN peacekeeping operations. And as the demand for UN peacekeepers has risen steadily, India has responded to the call for service, reaffirming the strength of its relationship with the UN. As of June 2018, India is the third largest troop contributor in the world, with over 6,000 personnel stationed around the world, helping save lives, protect people and setting the stage for a lasting peace.



Here’s a look at how India’s combined efforts over the past 70 years have become the backbone of UN peacekeeping:


Indo-China(1954-70): India provided an infantry battalion and supporting staff for the crisis in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Tasks included monitoring of the ceasefire and repatriation of prisoners of war, among others. A total of 970 officers, 140 JCOs, and 6,157 other ranks were deployed.


Korea(1950-54): India deployed the 60th Indian Field Ambulance, a paramedical unit comprising 17 officers, nine junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and 300 personnel of other ranks in the Korean War, primarily to facilitate the withdrawal of sick and wounded in Korea. The unit was awarded the President’s Trophy on 10 March 1955 by the then President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad. This is the only mission to be awarded the President’s Trophy till date. Lt Gen K.S. Thimmaya was appointed as the Chairman of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC) set up by UN. India also provided a custodian force under Maj Gen S.P.P. Thorat that had 231 officers, 203 JCOs, and 5,696 other ranks.


Middle East (1956-67): India was part of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF), where the use of armed military contingents was first authorized by the Security Council for deployment in the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula after the Arab-Israeli War in 1956. India contributed an infantry battalion and other support elements from November 1956 to May 1967. Over a period of 11 years, 393 officers, 409 JCOs, and 12,383 other ranks took part in the operations. Its success led the Security Council to readily accept a 1960 request by the Congo for military intervention to help the country maintain peace after its independence from Belgium.


Mission ONUC, Congo (1960-63): In 1960, Ambassador Rajeshwar Dayal of India was appointed the Secretary-General’s Representative in the Congo, playing a notable role in attempting to defuse the conflict politically. Two infantry brigades comprising 467 officers, 401 JCOs, and 11,354 other personnel, assisted by six Indian Air Force light bombers, conducted operations in what turned out to be an extremely dangerous UN peacekeeping operation. This militarized mission ensured the unity of Congo and resulted in the maximum number of casualties suffered by India in any UN operation – 39 personnel laid down their lives. India’s Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, who died in action, became the first and only UN Peacekeeper to be awarded the Paramvir Chakra, the country’s highest award for gallantry, for his role in action in Katanga, southern Congo.

Indar Jit Rikhye, a major general in the Indian Army, who had been Chief of Staff of the United Nations Emergency Force in Gaza, was appointed Military Adviser to Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld for the Congo operations. He continued in this capacity under Secretary-General U Thant.

Major General (later Lieutenant General) Prem Chand also went on to serve as the Force Commander in operations in Namibia in 1989, overseeing that country’s historic transition

During the operations of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, launched in 1964, three Indians served as force commanders: Lieutenant General Prem Singh Gyani, General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya and Major General Dewan Prem Chand. General Thimayya was one of the Indian Army’s most decorated officers and was awarded the Padma Bhushan (the country’s third highest civilian award) for his contributions in Korea.

Major General (later Lieutenant General) Prem Chand also went on to serve as the Force Commander in operations in Namibia in 1989, overseeing that country’s historic transition to independence. In Yugoslavia Lt Gen Satish Nambiar, served as the United Nations Protection Force Commander from March 1992 to March 1993. He also served on the “High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change” of the Peacebuilding Commission.




Mission UNTAC, Cambodia (1992-93): UNTAC – the United Nations Transitional Authority In Cambodia – was set up to supervise a ceasefire, disarm combatants, repatriate refugees and monitor conduct of free and fair elections. A total of 1,373 personnel from the Indian Army participated.


Mission ONUMOZ, Mozambique (1992-94):
When the United Nations Operations in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) officially ended in 1994, it was widely considered a peacekeeping success story. It fulfilled its mandate in only two years, though it had a complex mandate—namely, to monitor and verify the ceasefire and to oversee the separation and concentration of forces, their demobilization, and the collection, storage, and destruction of weapons. After two years in operation, it had brought to an end a long-running and vicious civil war and guided Mozambique through its first democratic elections. India participated with 1,083 peacekeepers, providing engineers, logistics support, staff officers and military observers.


Mission UNOSOM II, Somalia (1993-94): The Indian Navy and Indian Army took an active part in the United Nations Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM). India contributed 5,000 personnel from all ranks and four Indian navy warships. Indian personnel displayed considerable resilience in facing dangerous conditions in these missions. India was one of the few troop-contributing nations to maintain its original presence until the end of that operation, even resisting domestic political pressure to withdraw its troops.


Mission UNAMIR, Rwanda (1994-96):
Almost 1,000 Indian troops took part in the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) from December 1995 to March 1996. An infantry battalion group, a signal company and an engineer company, staff officers and military observers – 956 personnel in all — were deployed. Brigadier Shiva Kumar of the Indian Army was the third and last Force Commander of United Nations troops to serve in that conflict. In a genocide that killed as many as 1 million people, Indian troops were stationed in Rwanda till the end of the mission, while several countries asked for their troops to be withdrawn.




Mission UNAVEM, Angola(1989-99): The United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM) was mandated to supervise the withdrawal of foreign troops and monitor elections. Besides providing a deputy Force Commander to UNAVEM, an infantry battalion group and an engineer company comprising a total of 1,014 personnel, India also contributed 10 military observers for UNAVEM I, 25 for UNAVEM II and 20 military observers, 37 SOs and 30 senior NCOs for UNAVEM III.

Mission UNAMSIL, Sierra Leone (1999-2001): The Indian contribution since 1999 to the UN Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) included two infantry battalion groups, two engineer companies, a quick reaction company, an attack helicopter unit, medical units and logistics support elements in addition to Sector Headquarters and Force Headquarters staff. This included a commando operation by Indian 9 Para (Special Forces) to rescue besieged UN forces.




Mission UNMEE, Ethiopia-Eritrea (2006-08): India contributed an infantry battalion group, a construction engineer company and a force reserve company in the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict from 2000 to 2008 under the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).

UNOCI, Ivory Coast (2004-17): The United Nations Operation in Côte D’Ivoire (UNOCI) was supported by Indian staff officers and military observers since its inception in 2004 till the mission closed in 2017. The withdrawal of UNOCI illustrates the remarkable progress made by Côte d’Ivoire towards sustainable peace and stability and economic prosperity.




UNMIL, Liberia (2007-18): The United Nations Mission in Liberia successfully completed its mandate on 30 March 2018. India contributed both male and female Formed Police Units in Liberia. The female FPU repatriated in February 2016 and served as an inspiration for the women of Liberia, setting precedents for other such female FPUs across the world.


Of the missions currently underway, the Indian Armed Forces are presently involved in the following:



Lebanon (UNIFIL) (Since December 1998): India has contributed 892 peacekeepers, an infantry battalion group and a Level II hospital to date. The current situation at the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) is tense and volatile due to the crises in Syria.




MONUC/MONUSCO, Extended Chapter VII mandate, Congo (Since January 2005): India has served under the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). India’s contributions included four infantry battalions, a Level III hospital and two formed police units. This included Indian paramilitary forces from the Border Security Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, deployed since 2009. Lieutenant General Chander Prakash of India served as the Force Commander of this Mission from 2010 to 2013. MONUSCO’s new mandate vide Resolution 2098 (2013) has been implemented with an intervention brigade provided by the African Union, deployed under UN Command.

UNMIS/ UNMISS, Sudan (Since April 2005):
Indian forces have been active in United Nations Missions in Sudan (UNMIS) and South Sudan (UNMISS) since April 2005. Two infantry battalion groups and a Level II hospital are among the assets deployed, with Lt Gen Jasbir Singh Lidder serving as Force Commander from January 2006 to May 2008. UNMIS wound up its six years of mandated operations in July 2011 the same day South Sudan declared independence. In support of the new nation, the Security Council established a successor mission– UNMISS, where Lt Gen Lidder was Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Sudan.

UNDOF, Golan Heights (Since February 2006): Indian peacekeeping forces have been deployed in the Golan Heights since February 2006, to maintain the ceasefire between the Israeli and Syrian forces and to supervise implementation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between the two countries. A logistics battalion with 190 personnel has been deployed to look after the logistics security of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). Maj Gen Iqbal Singh Singha of India was the Force Commander from 2012 to 2015, preceding Maj Gen Jai Shanker Menon, who was appointed in 2016 and served till September 2017. The mission relocated along the ‘A’ line and our contingent is currently based in Camp Ziounai.


MINUSTAH/MINUJUSTH, Haiti (Since December 1997): Apart from three Indian Formed Police Units there, which have been hugely successful, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) have been supported by Indian Army staff officers since inception. In April 2017, the Council decided in resolution 2350 (2017) that MINUSTAH would close on 15 October 2017, transitioning to a smaller follow-up peacekeeping mission which would support government efforts to strengthen rule-of-law institutions, further develop the Haitian National Police and engage in human rights monitoring, reporting and analysis – MINUJUSTH.
http://in.one.un.org/blogs/indian-tradition-service-sacrifice/
 
There is no requirement of an additional input. I merely intended to seek your view/perception/opinion after reading the news piece. What, in your opinion, are salient features that come to fore in the article when we talk of this in terms of counter-insurgency campaigns and the challenges and tactics that are prevalent?
Prima facie ,it seems "encountering off" militants in the NE is the favoured method among troops stationed there for CI ops.
Particularly , w.r.t lesser known militant groups as the PLA in Manipur, where popular support is waning or the general state of affairs is apathy , which in turn means not much hue and cry will ensue. There's no gainsaying in the fact that this is the modus operandi out there . It's been an open secret for decades .

To add to the mess , forced deployed for CI ops have been known to kill such militants to claim rewards on their heads . Such murky intentions are sometimes manifested in gunning down innocent or not so innocent civilians too , passing them off for militants , for pecuniary gains or a furtherance in career. Such developments have been observed from time to time in the NE , J&K and Punjab too at the height of the insurgency there .


What stoked my interest is why would someone associated with the army for as long a duration as Col Singh and someone who's had a successful career too , stake it all to come out with a disclosure as he did . I find it hard to believe that he had an attack of conscience.


For someone who's been actively involved in CI ops , I thought you'd be the best person to provide a probable backdrop to explain why this officer acted the way he did .
 
Excellent. You have exactly raised the issues that one needs to - after following the defense forces and topics related to it for considerable time.

Operations in grey areas are common in any counter insurgency as you have alluded to. There is no black and white in hard core CI operations. The very same 'innocent citizens of India' who are peaceful farmers in the day time, become gun toting anti national elements at convenience. So what is the way forward? The armed forces have tried to bring them to book and followed the rule of law - but that law relies on evidence. What evidence can be presented to nail a conviction when the firefight occurs for fraction of minutes and the attackers disappear? Only the SFs involved in the operation actually have seen the faces of the attackers who roam around at will unarmed in broad day light knowing that this lacunae in law allows them to get away each and every time. In the meanwhile, the inability of the Local Law Enforcement Agencies and the Paramilitary forces in neutralizing them in spite of knowing their identity not only allows them to masquerade as superhumans, but also create a 'legend' for them, thereby creating fear of them in others. So how does one fight them?

The answer lies in what is called 'fake encounters' by those who are keyboard warriors and self acclaimed guardians of our conscience as their collective behinds are being kept safe by the very same soldiers who they attack day in and out.

Coming back to the officer in question. Who knows what motivated him? Being in Corps of Intelligence of Indian Army, his hands can not be clean, heck, no Intelligence Corps operative or for that matter, from any intelligence services, can claim to have clean hands. Pertinent to note, he is a Lt Col after more than two decades of service whereas his peers may have become a full Colonel at 16 years or 18 years of service. So, difficult to fathom the reason, but disgruntled?

Neutralization of the militant without recourse to Court of Law, is the most effective and permanent solution. If one takes a look at Machchil Encounter, wherein the CO and Officer-NCOs concerned were found guilty of fake encounter, one can see that there are mechanisms for internal checks and balances to ensure that doubt as to the intent of those killed are reasonable and not merely odd. In Machchil too, the men were reportedly willing to cross the LC into POK to acquire arms training. Only the CO and the unit made a mistake in not on-boarding the hierarchy in neutralizing them and paid the price. (This is from what I have heard on ground from both civilians and official grapevine and purely my opinion) The political pressure to make an example was so high and since the Army's hierarchy was out of loop of the actions of the Unit, the CO paid the price.
Thanks for providing a holistic view on what CI ops entails with requisite examples . I couldn't have asked for a better illuminating perspective.