Col J P Singh
The most agonized section of the society these days are the Indian Armed Forces because of politicians who have betrayed their heroism yet again. This time it is perhaps of the election. During the electioneering, politicians are showing scant respect for the armed forces. They are seen questioning the authenticity of surgical strikes while addressing election rallies during the initial phases. Armed Forces have never betrayed the nation. This is well known to the public. Public never has issues with the security forces or the govt addressing the security issues. It is the politicians, like the shifting sands of desert, sometimes support them and sometime oppose. Twice most professional and successful surgical strike to neutralise terror camps in Pakistan are self explanatory.
Wg Cdr Abhinandan didn’t betray the nation. When ordered, he promptly took off from Awantipura Airfield to intercept Pak intrusion. It was a F16 sortie. F 16 is one of the most advanced American aircraft with Pak Air Force. He shot one of them with his phasing out MIG 21. In the dogfight, that ensued, to chase away the rest, he crossed over to POJK where he was hit by a ground missile. He ejected and landed in a Pak village. Thinking that he was in Indian territory, he shouted Hindustan Zindabad slogans. When the civilians responded with pro-Pak slogans, he ran some distance to a pond where he attempted to sink all the secret papers after chewing them so that they do not land in enemy hand. Though beaten, tortured and threatened, he didn’t succumb. He didn’t compromise even a bit while in enemy custody. That is an example of the heroism of soldiers and officers. Proof of his having shot a F16 was given by the Air Force as also the proof of F 16 having hit Indian military target by displaying parts of AIM-120 AMRAAM Missile collected from the target site of my brother’s unit, which I also saw on 1st March.
I am amazed at the amount of intellectual energy the politicians have invested into looking for an evidence to prove the failure of both the surgical Air strikes. It is incredible that their failure hunger is so insatiable. It looks that politicians are desperate to betray the armed forces and fail the country. They quote Pakistan and Pakistanis saying that the surgical strikes were a farce. They stand with the forces only when it suits their agenda and they remain distant when they don’t serve their immediate or foreseeable interests. Surprisingly in the current electioneering they are eulogizing them because to praise them is to look nationalist. But calling armed forces ‘Modi Sena’ is not eulogizing but outlandish. Getting votes on their name upsets the armed forces. Same has been questioned by 160 senior veterans, including half a dozen former Army Chiefs, by writing to the President who is also the Supreme Commander of armed forces.
I am quite clear in my mind that the countrymen always stand with the armed forces but it is the establishment which doesn’t. Serving officers tell us that Supreme Court has given them two options. (i) Get killed and the country will honour your martyrdom. (ii) Or kill the terrorist and face police / judicial investigations for years. Subjecting counter insurgency military operations to judicial review is an outlandish idea and that too when supported by the highest court of the country. While all other nations empower their soldiers to fight insurgencies, it is India that takes pride in shackling them. The MoD, which is their own, is always against them. Maximum court cases the soldiers and the veterans are facing in various courts are against the MoD. The sad part is that the MoD Babus never realised that they sleep peacefully because of the soldiers at the border.
Let us first see how army is being treated in J&K. One example will suffice to prove that it is being treated as enemy force. An army convoy was stoned at in Shopian. 200 to 300 strong frenzied mob subjected the army convoy to heavy stone pelting. Mob set ablaze a vehicle and tried to kill the inhabitants. A JCO was critically injured and 7/8 soldiers seriously injured. Army personnel were forced to open fire resulting into three civilian deaths. Public reaction apart, it evoked a deadly response from state and Central Govts. Mehbooba Mufti ordered FIR against the soldiers. Raksha Mantri Nirmala Sitharaman sided with the State Govt which sided with criminal stone pelters and gave her nod to Mehbooba to lodge FIR against the soldiers. The basic question here is whether this Shopian incident involved violations of rules or excesses against the innocents that warranted prosecution of the soldiers who were on a bonafide military duty. It can best be described as a blot on the nation when same anti armed forces person continues to be the raksha mantri.
Let us see how other countries deal with their armies. USA has very large army and a democratic system like ours. US military comes directly under the President. The Senate, like our Parliament, is very powerful body which can directly intervene to block some administrative measures not in the interest of the nation or the armed forces. Hence there is inherent safeguard against President’s decision. No such safeguards in India.
The British Army, whose ethos, customs, rules and command structure we inherited, is respected a lot by virtue of a ‘military covenant’. Key principles of the Covenant are that armed forces should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in provision of public and commercial services with special considerations for those who have given the most to the nation such as injured and the bereaved. In Pakistan, Army is supreme. Though legally under the Pak Govt, but in actuality it is the Govt and the elected Govt is at its mercy. In China and Russia, both having very large Armies, the ruling parties are supreme and military serves the interests of the party in power. In India, though we vouch for a liberal democracy, we deal with the military as if we were in a colonial era. Civilian Govt, no doubt is supreme, but the way it treats forces is deplorable. Chiefs are answerable to the govt for every action of the forces but have no access in MoD on matters which affect the operations and welfare. MoD or for that matter PM are just not answerable for any of their failures. The buck always stops at the Chief’s doorsteps even though they are not part of Cabinet Committee on Security or any other decision making body. For every issue concerning forces, MoD officials quote rules and technicalities. To dictate that civil is supreme and say that such and such is not possible frustrates the top commanders and demoralizes the soldiers which is our war winning machine.
The Army anyway is being forced to shed off some 1,00,000 manpower. In contrast, the Central Armed Police Forces have crossed the Army in terms of numbers and are still expanding. During his last visit to J&K, Rajnath Singh announced establishment of nine additional CAPF battalions for J&K. This Govt is placing the CAPF above the Army. If army is still required, do not attempt to tie their hands in counterinsurgency areas to cover up your failings and nonchalance of the Central Govt even when soldiers are killed on account of stone-pelting. No soldier will lay down his life for the establishment that is desperately looking to betray them and lot worse is when he is seen as a potential enemy. New Delhi and Srinagar need to understand that they need armed forces and should make them believe that the establishment is always behind them.
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