Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 30: Formulating various significant strategies to deal with emerging situation on the borders with its neighbours, mainly Pakistan and China and coordination during terror attacks like Pathankot, Dinanagar and Hiranagar etc on Jammu-Pathankot National Highways, the six-day conference of top Army Commanders concluded today in New Delhi. It decided to give practical shape to the decisions taken in the conference.
Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, who presided over the conference, would now meet Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar shortly and brief him on the decisions taken in the high level meeting and the Defence Ministry’s help required to implement them for strengthening infrastructure along the borders and defence installations.
Jammu and Kashmir borders remained prime concern for the Army during the conference as it was in this State that most of the activity is witnessed whether it was along Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The Army Commanders drafted ground strategy to deal with any kind of situation developing simultaneously along Pakistan and China borders though they were of the view that there was no such possibility at present going by the relations India has now developed with its two once hostile neighbours.
Noting that borders with both Pakistan and China were peaceful barring stray incidents of firing along LoC with Pakistan and rare incidents of transgressions along LAC with China, the Army was of the view that it can’t and will not take any chance and go ahead with strengthening infrastructure along the borders with both the countries.
Significantly, the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Marshal Arup Raha and Navy chief Admiral Robin K Dhowan also addressed the top Army Commanders during the conference and shared their views including joint strategy to meet with any eventuality, both along the borders or hinterland in case of terror attack.
Air Marshal Raha and Admiral Dhowan were reported to have shared with the Army Commanders the operational preparedness of Air Force and Navy in case of any eventuality and strategy to prepare for emerging situation on twin fronts with Pakistan and China.
Top Commanders, who attended the bi-annual conference included Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda, Western Command chief Lt Gen KJ Singh, Eastern Command chief Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, Southern Command chief Lt Gen Vipin Rawat, South Western Command, Jaipur chief Lt Gen Sarath Chand and Army Training Command, Shimla head, Lt Gen P M Hariz among others.
The top Commanders would now brief about the strategy devised during the conference to the senior Army officers under their Command.
The Army Commanders also discussed and debated the constitution of `Theatre Command’ on the pattern of China, which had taken the world including its neighbours by surprise by re-structuring its military commands and converting them into five ‘Theatre Commands’ with control of one Senior Commander over one Command.
Though the proposal can’t be implemented in India in short term, it was studied for long-term plan and whether moves can be set afoot for its implementation.
The Indian Air Force and Navy, during their recent conferences had studied the proposal and it was now the turn of Army to discuss and debate it thoroughly. Later, the three Service chiefs would discuss the proposal with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar before the Government of India takes a decision on whether to go for re-structuring or not.
As per the proposal, the Joint Command will place resources of Army, Navy and IAF at the command of Senior Military Commander, which will be called the ‘Theatre Command’. Presently, India has one Joint Command in Andaman and Nicobar islands.
In his opening remarks to the conference, Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag had called upon the Commanders for maintaining very high degree of vigil and operational along ‘disputed border’, an indirect reference to LoC and IB with Pakistan and LAC with China in Jammu and Kashmir and other States.
Complementing the Army Commanders and troops for successfully executing various counter-terrorist operations recently while displaying due restraint, the Army chief had stressed for expediting Army’s modernization and capability development initiatives.
The Army Commanders conference is the highest level meeting to discuss current internal and external strategic issues, review of operational preparedness of the Indian Army and aspects pertaining to training, administration, military technology and force modernization
Situation in Siachen sector, located in the icy heights of 18,442 feet from sea level, in Ladakh sector of Jammu and Kashmir and considered as very crucial from strategic point of view, came up for special review especially with regard to the facilities for Army soldiers as 10 jawans were killed there in first week of February in snow avalanche.
According to sources, the fast developing close relations between Pakistan and China, the two hostile neighbours of India, though Sino-Indian troops hadn’t exchange even a single bullet all along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) spread over five Indian States, were issues of very deep concern for the Indian troops and were debated by the Army Commanders, who want the forces to be ever prepared for the threat of war on twin fronts in future.
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