Brig Anil Gupta
The latest standoff between the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Government over the issue of granting extension to Army for continuing the use of Kalith Field Firing Ranges located close to Line of Control in Akhnoor Sector has brought to fore a very relevant issue that affects the battle worthiness of the Armed Forces of the country. It has been alleged by the Army that despite adequate notice given to the State Government it has failed to re-notify the grant of permission for extended use of Kalith Ranges, the permission for which expired in June this year. As a consequence of this, Army’s training schedule has been badly hit and any further delay on part of the Government may result in many units not been able to carry out their annual practice camps, a mandatory requirement to certify a unit “Fit for War.” Kalith is not an isolated case. The Army has been losing training areas not only in the state but in other parts of the country as well. Just as an example, even Kalith Ranges when notified in 1970 had an area of 99000 acres but is left with only 8000 acres now. The other ranges in dispute in the state include Nandini, Toshmaidan and Kubathang Ranges. The ranges involved outside the State are Hoshiyarpur in Punjab, Naraingarh in Rajasthan and Asan in Uttarakhand. The net result is that the users, i.e, Army, Air Force and Central Armed Police Forces are being forced to compromise with their training standards thus adversely affecting their preparedness for war. In fact, two courses had to pass out from Indian Military Academy Dehradun, a premier officer training institution of the Indian Army, without undergoing mandatory battle inoculation training due to unwillingness of Uttarkhand Government to renew the use of Asan Field Firing Ranges. Rapid urbanisation and pressure on land is the main cause that forces the State Governments to take a hardened stand on granting permission for the continued use of these ranges. Environmental factor and disturbance of ecological balance is another issue being voiced by a few civil society groups.
Field Firing Ranges are used by the Armed Forces for practising battle manoeuvres under live firing conditions, battle inoculation of troops, firing of high calibre weapons, artillery guns, mortars, anti-tank missiles, evaluation of new equipment and Explosive Ordnance Demolition training. The Armed Police Forces also use these ranges for firing of heavy calibre weapons, mortars and evaluation of new equipment. This should give an idea to the readers of the utility of these ranges to the Forces and effect their denial can have on their preparedness for assigned tasks and battle worthiness. There are two types of field firing ranges in India namely acquired ranges and notified ranges. The difference lies in their ownership. The ownership of acquired ranges is vested in the Army or Air Force while the ownership of the notified ranges is with the state. Most of the ranges in J&K are notified and that’s why their periodic renewal by the State Government is required. The civilian population residing in the vicinity of the notified ranges complains of stray bullets and shells landing in the inhabited areas as well as loss of life or limb due to unexploded shells inside the range area. Many inhabitants enter the prohibited areas to collect lead and copper which they sell in the market. The Army pays monetary compensation to the villagers for the number of days they use the ranges. According to Lt Gen Prakash Katoch, an experienced veteran and ex Corps Commander, “While habitation is permitted only up to particular distances from field firing ranges, there are no checks and balances in a democracy like ours, which is evident everywhere. Invariably poor civilians live close to the ranges seeking temporary employment with military units camping in the area for the duration of field firing. Many venture into the range to collect spent ordnance to sell and make money, and even pick up unexploded shells despite the risk to life and limb.”
The Army is also to be blamed for few lapses like leaving unexploded shells in the firing range, delay in payment of compensation, damage to crop in the vicinity of the ranges, camping in the fields and tree-cutting. But it must go to the credit of Indian Army that it has always been people-friendly and responded to their needs in a positive manner. The latest example is launching of Operation Falah and Mission Hum Safar for sanitising Toshmaidan in Kashmir and Kalith Range in Akhnoor. The Army has decided to not only clear all the unexploded shells but also educate the villagers about dos and don’ts while the exercises are on. In Kashmir the Army also has declared to launch a massive afforestation drive to compensate for loss of trees. Army has also shifted firing points and reduced the number of targets to address the concerns of the local population. They have also agreed to examine alternate sites if offered by the state government. That’s the best the Army can do.
The other bone of contention is the Tosa Maidan Field Firing Range located in Badgam District of Kashmir whose 50 year lease expired in April this year. There is strong opposition from the locals as well as Kashmir based political parties and the separatists against renewal of the lease. This range is used by the Air Force as well. Both have been denied the use of this important training area since then. The local residents have also formed a ‘Tosamaidan Bachao Front’. Most of the arguments extended against the renewal of the lease are hollow and politically motivated. One of the activists has stated that there are 12 field firing ranges in J&K out of the total 66 in the country. According to him, since the population of the state is only one percent of the national population there should not be more than one such range in the state. The argument is totally flawed. The number of field firing ranges are not dependent on population but on the troop density in a particular region. Jammu and Kashmir apart from being a border state is also fighting a proxy war and terrorism unleashed by Pakistan. Accordingly, there is huge footfall of soldiers both belonging to Army, Rashtriya Rifles and Central Armed Police Forces as well as the Air Force in the State. They all need to train to remain battle worthy. Since they are all deployed in their respective battle stations they can also not be moved out of the state to other field firing ranges. Moreover, different weapon systems behave differently in different climatic conditions and altitudes. Hence troops deployed in Kashmir or Ladakh have to fire their weapons in conditions similar to those prevalent in these areas. This justifies the number of more field firing ranges in J&K and each has its own utility. Same logic goes for Kubathang Field Firing Ranges in Kargil. The government is not only insisting on vacating the ranges but the entire Kargil Plateau. The issue was even raised by none other than the Chief Minister of the state during the recent visit of the Prime Minister to Kargil. Army fears that politics are being played at its cost. As per sources “The political quarters are totally against any such decision this time again which may damage their political prospects. They want to maintain a solid stand in relation to renewal of the lease of field firing ranges in view of the upcoming Assembly elections.” According to Mustafa Kamal, NC leader and uncle of Omar Abdullah, “Tosa Maidan is becoming another irritant between the Party and the Army after the Armed Forces Special Power Act.”
Another argument against the extension of lease of the ranges is environmental degradation. This again is not true. In fact, the use by the Army ensures maintenance of ecological balance because of the restrictions imposed by the army to uncontrolled entry into the forested area. In case of Tosa Maidan, the Army has also obtained a letter from the Forest department which states “The protests of some of the adjoining villages of Tosa Maidan shall not be considered by the Government since they proved more harmful to green cover instead of Army. They have caused huge disaster to the forests although there is no impact on the forests due to army training carried over here.” It is in fact an internationally acknowledged truth. The Field Firing Range of Alcochete in Portugal is not only a home to a natural reserve housing varied flora and fauna but has also obtained international environmental management certificate-ISO 14001. The Indian Army is no less when it comes to preserving the flora and fauna.
There is opposition to re-location of field firing ranges as well. Although the army has given its concurrence to re-location it is treading very carefully. It is seeking guarantee for a trouble-free re-location. “What is the guarantee that there would be no politics tomorrow over the newly developed firing ranges? Once we shift to the new place the government has to ensure that there is no politics by the vested interests over the newly developed ranges because it consumes huge amount of resources to develop a new range,” has been stated by the Army. The fact is that certain vested interests are promoting the interest of our arch enemy Pakistan by insisting on reducing the number of field firing ranges in the state and not even allowing their re-location within the state. It’s a well-known fact that Pakistan wants a drastically reduced presence of the Indian security forces in the state. It’s carrying forward its agenda through these protagonists of closing field firing ranges in the hope that in absence of training facilities the security forces may decide to pull out. This would never happen.
The stand -off between the Army and Government also continues for the interim period. As per the Army, it would require a minimum of four years to prepare the ranges at the proposed alternate sites since it also involves construction of approach roads and internal roads apart from other ancillaries. The Army wants that either the government must provide an alternative site for the interim period or permit the use of Tosh Maidan till then. The separatists and politicians are opposing the provision of alternate site at Yusmarg in Central Kashmir. They must understand the army’s requirement rather than politicising the entire issue. Such stand-offs between the Army and the government can have a ripple effect that may be detrimental to the safety and security.
While urbanisation may be the cause for denial of land for ranges in other parts of the country, it is politics and sinister design to reduce the number of troops is the main cause in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army is also facing hurdles from the state government in mutation of the land it inherited from the State Forces when it moved into J&K in 1947-48. According to Maj Gen Umong Sethi, a former senior staff officer at Headquarters Northern Command, “Land issues in J&K are in a mess. The list of land cases pending with the state government is endless. There is case of land of State Forces. Ownership of that land is still not settled. State government and Army both claim the succession rights. Things got complicated post 1990 when large scale induction of Rashtriya Rifles and other security forces took place. Land is needed to house them as well.” Unfortunately the whole issue has been politicised. Hurriyat uses the land issues to fan anti-army sentiments at the behest of their masters. But the countrymen must realise and appreciate that if we have to maintain a large standing Army, its op preparedness and battle worthiness has to be ensured at all times. The Armed Forces need land not only for quartering but more importantly for training as well. It is the responsibility of the state to provide them land. Let the Armed Forces of the nation not fall victim to politics and hidden agendas. This perhaps is the price the nation has to pay if it desires to have fighting fit Armed Forces, a secure border and a safe hinterland.
(The views expressed in this article are author’s personal views)
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