Monday, December 19, 2016

New Army Chief Has What the Govt Wants : Nuts-and-Bolts Experience

SOURCE:
https://www.thequint.com/opinion/2016/12/18/bipin-rawat-new-army-chief-has-what-government-wants-operational-experience-syed-ata-hasnain-defence















 New Army Chief Has What            the Govt Wants

: Nuts-and-Bolts Experience



For a change, the appointment of the Indian Army Chief is drawing as much attention within India as did the appointment of the Pakistan Army Chief.
That was just three weeks ago. Coincidentally, both the new Chiefs Gen Qamar Bajwa of Pakistan and Gen (Designate) Bipin Rawat were both brigade commanders of their respective contingents with the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in Congo in 2008-9, although they did not serve together.

Snapshot
Click here to collapse
  • Traditionally, the selection of the Army Chief follows the seniority route
  • The NDA Government to that extent has tried to change this by going deeper in the selection of the Army Chief
  • Perhaps the Government felt that the threats of the time demanded someone like Gen Bipin Rawat









Justifying Gen Rawat’s elevation is not too difficult. While all three General Officers have a comparable record, Gen Rawat’s experience is almost entirely in the operational domain of asymmetric warfare – the crux of hybrid threats that abound today. Besides being a Sword of Honour winner at the IMA, he attended the US Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth.
He was the Commander of the Indian Brigade in the Congo under the UN flag. His command assignments have all been in the operational environment. A company commander at Uri on the LoC, battalion commander at Kibithu on the Line of Actual Control or LAC, and brigade/sector commander with Rashtriya Rifles in the high octane Sopore sector.
In 2011 when I was presented with the prospect of having a new General Officer Commanding in Baramulla, one of my most crucial divisions and the one which I too commanded, I had no hesitation in asking for then Maj Gen Bipin Rawat by name. Army HQ relented and therefore he worked closely with me, displaying an outstanding understanding of J&K.
Even today he is fondly remembered by the people in all the areas he has served. He went on to be the Head of operations at HQ Eastern Command and then commanded the Corps at Dimapur.
It is he who launched the force that raided the NSCN (K) camps along the border with Myanmar in early July 2016. He was appointed GOC-in-C Southern Command early in 2016 and then brought to Army HQ as Vice Chief of the Army Staff in Aug 2016.











It is the prerogative of the government of the day to perceive threats to national security and decide how they are to be met. If one of the ways of doing that is perceived as the requirement of a nuts-and-bolts experienced commander at the head of the Army, then one can’t find fault with that.
2016 has not been a particularly good year from the National Security perspective and the Army too has suffered more casualties than it has in the last eight years.
Arresting this and developing options to take the battle to the adversary's mind and domain is a priority the government has decided to follow.
For that, an Army Chief experienced in these domains will be an asset. In the same breath I may mention that senior officers of the Indian Army are quite capable of functioning in diverse environment and threats with necessary advice and support.
It’s just perhaps that the Government felt that the threats of the time demanded someone like Gen Bipin Rawat, and the decision of the Government needs to be respected.
(The writer is a veteran Lieutenant General, who commanded the Srinagar based 15 Corps. He is now associated with Vivekanand International Foundation and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. The views expressed above are of the author’s own )















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