SOURCE:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/no-doubt-army-for-people/399154.html



        PART TWO OF TWO PARTS

PART ONE :  

 [A]      

http://bcvasundhra.blogspot.in/2017/05/an-army-for-people-m-g-devasahayam.html

PART TWO:

[ B ]

http://bcvasundhra.blogspot.in/2017/04/no-doubt-army-for-people.html

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       No Doubt, Army for People

                              by

         Lt Gen R.S Sujlana (retd)

IN LINE OF FIRE: Army personnel guard the Panzgam camp, 120 km from Srinagar, which was attacked by militants recently. PTI



The Oped titled, "An Army for the People?" (April 26, 2017) conveys a matter of serious concern as it expresses doubts that the Army it is no longer for the people of this country (specially in relation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir). It ends with the question: “Should our Army be different now?” 

A reference has been made to tying up of a stone-thrower in front of an Army jeep, evidently inspired by methods of the Israeli Occupation Force in illegal occupation of Palestine. Tellingly, it has also been conveyed that armed with the so-called draconian powers the Army has under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), instead of defending democracy, it has become oppressive at the whim of an autocratic state. 

Let me first address the episode of tying an individual (who was one among the many others pelting stones on the security force personnel performing their duty) in front of a jeep. This impromptu action by the quick-thinking commander at a critical juncture warded off a potentially dangerous situation, saved many lives and it needs to be commended. What were the options and expectations from the young Army officer? Realising the inadequacy of his small force to counter the large hostile crowd out to lynch the security personnel on duty, his first reaction could have been to pull back to safety, in which case he could be charged with dereliction of duty and cowardice. Another reaction could have been to open fire, leading to heavy collateral damage and civilian casualties and get charged for use of unwarranted force and fuelling the nefarious propaganda machine of the sponsors of terrorism sitting across the border. It would have been foolhardy to be at the receiving end of the hostile stone-pelting crowd, leading to many own casualties. Expectedly, the young Major did not choose to take any of the above options but showed presence of mind. His ingenuity ensured safe evacuation of all security personnel with no casualties to the rioting civilians or collateral damage and needs appreciation. It must be reiterated that this is a clear example of the Army advocacy and teaching of maximum constraint despite extreme provocation at the risk of even suffering own casualties. 

The credit and mastering (if these two words can be used loosely) the art of using humans as shields goes to the terrorists who shamelessly position women and children in front of them. The terrorists literally hid behind skirts (or rather phirans) and then from the safety of this screen of hapless citizens not only inflict casualties on the Army but make good their escape, leaving women and children in the lurch and in danger. Can anything be more unmanly and cowardly? Does it leave a doubt of what treatment the population will receive in the vaporous and no-longer- talked-of idea of "Azadi" but of radical Islam and world-wide jihad?

The very thought of the Army taking a leaf from the Israel Occupation Force is outlandish. The Indian Army is not an occupation force but operating in its own land. Moreover, operations are always launched ensuring minimum collateral and discomfort to the local population or giving a reason for any discord. The Army in its' over six decades of experience in battling insurgents/ terrorists/ anti-national elements has refined strategy and tactics to fight the terrorists, while interacting with and providing solace to the affected local civilian population. Such has been its' expertise that armies the world over (ranging from the US, UK, Russia, to Central Asian Republics, Japan to South-East Asia and South Asia) have sought joint training through exercises with the Indian Army at various levels to learn from its experience. Their outstanding contribution to effectively fight the scourge of terrorism has been widely appreciated. Yes, the armed forces does procure Israeli weapons and advanced technology but it does not need to import any lessons to fight battles.

In the Army's fight against terrorism, an important and well-structured thrust has been on being people friendly. Under the aegis of Operation “Sadhbhavna” in Jammu and Kashmir and Operation “Samaritan” in the North-East, the Army has earnestly taken up the duties of a failed civil administration and literally brought to the door steps of the population a range of elusive facilities: education and exposure to technology through institutions like “Good-will Schools”, medical, veterinary, sports and travel facilities etc. 

A question that may rankle: Why, despite all these measures the population is still hostile and the security forces are not appreciated? Resolving the Kashmir problem is a national challenge and not the sole prerogative of the Army. Rather, the latter has only a minor role which is restricted to controlling the hostile situation to enable the civil administration to take control of the reigns. Such a controlled situation was created in 2014 which enabled the conduct of peaceful elections and witnessed heavy polling, the terrorists sway was down. The yeoman service of the Army during the deluge and disaster caused by the waters of Jhelum and people-oriented actions added to the confidence of the locals. However, what followed was disastrous. The advent of winter saw the Darbar with all politicians and bureaucrats shifting to the salubrious environs of Jammu. Even the separatist leaders flew away and left the population in misery to fend for themselves. 

While the Army and other security forces had done their job, when the need was for the politicians and the civil administration to proactively perform they failed to do so. The Pakistan-based sponsors saw an appropriate opportunity and lashed out with every trick in perception management, while we failed to counter and exploit the success of elections. Just two years down, we witnessed the result of thumb twiddling and losing the narrative — a 7 per cent election turnout with smashed EVMs floating in the Jhelum. An integrated national effort, the need of the hour, is nowhere in sight.

The Army's resolve to ensure mission accomplishment, apolitical conduct and preserve democracy is no different today than the days of Emergency when all pillars of democracy — including the judiciary, bureaucracy and media — crawled to submission. It was left to the Army to stand sentinel over the citizens' liberty and rights. Like in the past, so too in the future, whenever the need arises even for any secondary task the Army will always endeavour to ameliorate any hardship that people may face. 

No doubts need to be raised and no witnesses are needed, their selfless conduct, with thousands having made the ultimate sacrifice, bears testimony to this. The Army led by gallant soldiers and officers at all levels will continue to outperform the enemy within and without. The nation must  TRUST  them. A start would be to raise a National War Memorial, which remains a pipedream despite repeated promises

including one by the present 56"-chest 

regime. 

The writer is former Commandant, IMA & ex-Chairman, PPSC. 
The Army in J&K, facing hostile stone-throwers and cross-border terrorism, needs to be supported by proactive political measures. Paramilitary forces in the Naxal-affected areas too need to be backed by technology, synergy and development on the ground.

An Army for the people? M. G. Devasahayam

SOURCE:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/an-army-for-the-people/397454.html



  
                             PART ONE OF TWO PARTS




  

PART ONE :  

 [A]      

http://bcvasundhra.blogspot.in/2017/05/an-army-for-people-m-g-devasahayam.html

PART TWO:

[ B ]

http://bcvasundhra.blogspot.in/2017/04/no-doubt-army-for-people.html

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DONT TAKE INDIAN ARMED FORCES  FOR GRANTED. ARMED FORCES ARE THE CUSTODIAN OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION  
                                                 &
 LOYALTY OF ARMY IS GUARANTEED AS LONG AS THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION IS RESPECTED  AND INTEGRITY  OF THE NATION IS  ENSURED                                                                                         - VASUNDHRA

Powerless?Farooq Dar tied to the Army vehicle as a human shield. Former Chief Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to display his anguish and attached the video screenshot of Dar.

             An Army for the People?

                                     BY

                      M. G. Devasahayam

Army’s healing touch:The Army was the saviour for people devastated by the floods. Army doctors provide medicines to the flood-hit people at a medical camp in Srinagar. PTI

Next Image

L’affaire  Human Shield’ of the Indian Army tying a stone-thrower on their jeep in Kashmir has evoked mixed reactions. Many, including Army veterans, are defending it as a tactical means to avoid stone-throwing and thus permit operations with minimal bloodshed of protestors and Army personnel alike. Many others condemn it vehemently.

Among the latter are those who call it part of "D doctrine" that draws its inspiration and ideology from the state of Israel. While this can be the Standard Operating Procedure for the Israeli Occupation Force in illegal occupation of Palestine, it cannot be an SOP in the Indian Army or any other self-respecting military. 

For the moderate objectors, the Army personnel who used the tactic are clearly at the end of their tether in being deployed in internal security operations with no end in sight. They feel soldiers on-the-ground would not have used the tactic had they not been frustrated with having to take the blame for failures and the bullets and grenades from militants over the decades, for pulling politicians' chestnuts out of the fire, a job that the police are not quite up to.

Those who defend the "human shield" quote paragraph 305 of the "Regulations for the Army" for deployment of troops on duties in aid of civil authorities: "The strength and composition of the force, the amount of ammunition to be taken and the manner of carrying out the task are matters for the decision of the military authorities alone." 

Paragraph 306 (d) provides immunity to officers if they act in good faith which is held to mean "with due care and attention". For them, the young commander in Budgam faced with a hostile crowd of over 900 and the option of opening fire undoubtedly acted in good faith, exercising due care and attention, thereby averting a potential catastrophe.

Both sides have merits in their argument. But the problem is with the common denominator-the prolonged and endless deployment of the Army in internal security duty which is the job of the police and at best of the para-military forces for a short period. As per the Army Doctrine-2004, the Indian Army's primary role is to preserve national interests and safeguard the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of India against any external threats by deterrence or by waging war. To perform this role, the Army keeps aloof from the civilian crowd, concentrating on their training and battle readiness.


 Relegating the Army to its secondary/tertiary role by prolonged troop deployment on internal security duties, dilutes the Army's authority, corrupts ranks and compromises efficiency through lack of training. 

Besides, over time the Army is looked upon merely as another state force with its soldiers losing the respect and mystique they traditionally enjoyed. Familiarity breeds contempt and military men find themselves at the receiving end. This is precisely what is happening in Kashmir. Since the civilian population is directly involved, politics and politicians come in. Power games begin and wittingly or unwittingly the Army becomes a pawn. 

In the case of Kashmir, the endeavour of power-mongers has been to create a situation of intense hostility, inextricably miring the military into it forcing it to resort to excessive force. To perform this "task," the Army is vested with draconian powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). In a July 2016 verdict, the Supreme Court ripped open the cloak of immunity and secrecy provided by AFSPA to security forces for deaths caused during encounters in disturbed areas. 

Earlier, Commissions headed by former apex court judges have found serious human rights violations by the security forces and have recommended the scrapping of AFSPA or making drastic changes in it. 

Successive governments and the Army top brass have been defending AFPSA with all their might. Over the years, the effort of ruling politicians has been to make the Army an instrument of an increasingly autocratic state. The question arises: What is the mandate of the Indian Army — to defend democracy or oppress the people at the whim of an autocratic state? This poser came up when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency in June, 1975 turning a vibrant democracy into enslaved autocracy. Putting the entire blame on Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) and the movement led by him she made specific reference to JP calling upon the Army not to obey any order, which they considered wrong: "You have not sold your conscience and honour for the sake of your bread", JP had said and challenged the Home Minister to try him for treason. Response to the poser came from the international media in a lengthy article titled “Ruler of 600 million arid alone”-Indira Gandhi is unmaking a democracy to save it," in the New York Times of August 10, 1975 — written by Claire Sterling, [http://www.nytimes.com/1975/08/10/archives/ruler-of-600-million-and-alone-indira-gandhi-is-unmaking-a.html?_r=0 ]                                                       a columnist for Atlantic Monthly, Washington Post and International Herald Tribune after extensively visiting India.  After analysing the situation on the ground and presenting the alternatives before Mrs Gandhi — becoming a real dictator or sending the country into the Soviet orbit — Claire opines that neither development is likely to leave the Indian Army unmoved:

[  ]

“India's standing Army of nearly a million men has been resolutely non-political since Independence. But it is also sensitive to the smallest slight to its honour, dignity and military independence, not to mention the nation's sovereignty; and it is steeped in loyalty to constitutional principles. It was altogether her Army when she enjoyed unquestioned legitimacy of constitutional rule. It may not be should its ranking officers conclude that she has become something else. More than ever now her fate hangs on the Army's loyalty.” 

Claire concludes the article with touching poignancy: "One thing worse than governing India by democratic persuasion would be trying to govern it by force. Yet that is how Indira is trying to do it now. Depending on how fast and how far she goes in changing from a traditional Prime Minister to the one-woman ruler of a police state, the Indian Army, the one group with the power to stop the process, could intervene. If it were to do so, it would almost certainly be not to replace her with a military dictator, but to restore the institutions of democracy it has been drilled into defending since birth." The Army lived up to this faith and Emergency ended with Indira Gandhi's defeat in the 1977 elections. The Army did not intervene but remained a bulwark of India's democracy and its institutions. I was a witness. Should our Army be any different now? 

The writer is a former IAS officer

OROP & THE INDIAN BABU THE MASTER OF PYCHOLOGICAL & PROPAGANDA WARFARE "

  BABUs OF INDIA & THEIR  "PEELAS / KATOORAs /  CRONIES "  HAVE UNITED TO WORK AGAINST OROP & INDIAN ARMED FORCES &  ARE POURING OUT PSYCHOLOGICAL &  FALSE PROPAGANDA  IN A SUBTLE & NOT SO SUBTLE WAY . BEFORE  U READ  FURTHER  PLEASE GET FAMILIARISED WITH THE WAYS OF

                                 THE MASTER OF

         PYCHOLOGICAL & PROPAGANDA WARFARE "



   (A)  http://bcvasundhra.blogspot.in/2013/09/goebbels-principles.html


   (B)   (a) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN3_ZQOvVVU

       

Mohan Natarajan

 

 

 

 

DEAR ALL

A POSTING FROM ANOTHER GROUP. ONLY PEOPLE IN SERVICES CAN ENLIGHTEN THE LAY MAN IN THIS MATTER.

WITH BEST WISHES

MOHAN

On Friday, 5 June 2015 1:35 PM, D C Nath <dcnath.private@...> wrote:

                                                                   June 5, 2015

Dear Friends,

 

Subject: "One Rank One Pension"-An Idyllic Concept. How To Implement In Practice?

 

Even with limited understanding of this issue of great importance, we have a feeling it is an idyllic concept and is very difficult to implement on the ground. We say this with all due concern and respect for the brave fighters of the Indian armed forces, whose proud members make us feel to be able to do something for them, at least for those in the junior ranks.

 

 

 

We understand it is a very complex issue, not only on account of finance but for the health and longevity of the soldiers as well as of their families. And, as we shall see, it is a societal concern also. The vast majority of the soldiers in various ranks retire at much younger age, in comparison with members of the civil services. Yes, a tiny part of them is being in a way rehabilitated through the good offices of the DGR (Director General of Resettlement).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What have the government and the famed, powerful and ingenuous bureaucracy thought or planned for these fairly able-bodied mass, especially in the villages, where they used to be treated with considerable respect while in service—once a while in uniform as well. It is not only a question of money but of psychological resettlement also. it is indeed a very challenging case study for sociologists.

 

 

 

 

Let us then talk of what is very aptly put as the "cascading" effect of this. The members of the central paramilitary forces are keenly waiting for the government's decision on the OROP. This may eventually travel down to the armed police sections in the State police.

 

 

 

The fact of the matter is, put in layman's language, even if the government had the money to make the OROP for the current year, how or what it will do for the next year when another thousands or lakhs would be retiring? And, then, it will be an acute financial problem in continuum, being repeated every year. Let us keep in mind the increased longevity of the current generations will not offset the increasing bulk of retirees every year.

 

 

In reality, therefore, the OROP in the present for is not amenable to any permanent solution. It is good as a concept of social welfare. The huge amount of money required every year can never be collected and thus the vicious cycle will continue.

 

 

The only way to solve the complex human-financial and societal problem could be implemented if it were to be a one-time solution. And, eventually, we visualse, it will have to be some one-time solution only.

 

 

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the Prime Minisiter's public admission that the government is committed to implementing this OROP but wanted more time to think it out and also public protestation that they were not aware of the intricacies of the problem, it  has been made known that the armed forces are sticking to their resolution to hold a protest demonstration in Delhi  on June 14,2015.If that materialises. It will indeed be a "BLACK DAY" in the military history of India. It has never happened before.

 

 

 

 

The information is also doing round that the Congress party is keenly looking forward to that and might even be fomenting this from behind the scene. If true, that will be like playing with fire that may engulf them also.

 

 

A field report from a responsible friend suggests that the middle-ranking officers are "fuming", alleging that this was all because the bureaucrats in the Ministries have suggested to postpone it and deal it along with the upcoming 7th Pay Commission. "This", the report says," will amount to committing hara-kiri by the present government. The latest date that could be accepted by the armed forces is the Prime Minister making the required statement on the 15th August from the rampart of the Red Fort. “The report continues," Why the MPLAD, that as such gives tremendous scope for corruption, cannot be snapped for two years? The money also flows in refurbishing Rajbhawans and foreign junkets of MLAs and other officials."

 

 

 

 

As laymen, our submission to the honourable Prime Minister would be he must do all that he can do to prevent the proposed demonstration on the 14th June and save the nation witness such an ignominy. But, meanwhile, the government must not give the impression they are deliberately delaying the solution to the issue to gain time and also that they were taking punltive action against those taking extra interest in OROP.

 

 

As laymen on this case, our humble submission to the honourable Prime Minister is:

 

 

He should:

 

 

a)   go to the nation and address it, explaining the issues involved, highlighting that it has to be only one- time measure.

b)  to convene a special session of Parliament on OROP. That will bring all political parties into the fold. Any consequences, therefore, will be shared politically by all and singly.

 

 

c)    alternately, to convene an all party meeting for the same purpose.

 

 

d)  The government may issue a White Paper on the entire issue, clarifying inter alia the reported back stage support to the OROP agitation by the Congress.

 

 

e)   send a team abroad how are other countries handling or have handled this universal problem. The final solution will come only after that.

 

 

f)     keep close watch on those suspected to be fermenting the issue unnecessarily.

 

 

g)   it seems things have reached a stage when it is going on its own motion. And so, the government will be well-advised to strategise and prepare for anti-coup measures though such things are unlikely in such big country like ours.

 

 

Well, Friends, our aim in all this is to see whether, despite all the complexities and difficulties, we can help the armed forces and the government remain on the same page—a joint family is a happy family. In case you get some feed-back, or have some new ideas, please share that with all concerned. With different kinds of threats looming before the natiion, we cannot afford a family with uneasy inter-se relationship. After all, all of us are fighting for the country in our own ways.

 

 

 

                                                       Vandemataram,

                                                           

  Your sevak,

 

 

 

                                                                  D.C. Nath

                                                    (Former Spl. Director, IB)

                                                (President, Patriots’ Forum)

                                                              9811995693

 

 

For information and action, as thought appropriate:

 

1)        Cabinet Secretary

Shri Ajit Kumar Seth

 

2)        Defence Minister

Shri Manohar Parrikar

 

3)        The Union Home Minister,

(Shri Rajnath Singh)

 

4)        The Prime Minister Office

(Attention: Shri P.K. Mishra)

 

5)        The National Security Advisor,

(Shri A K Doval)

 

6)        The Union Home Secretary

(Shri L.C. Goyal)

 

                                                       

 

 

 

   Yours sincerely,

 

 

                                                                  D.C. Nath

                                                    (Former Spl. Director, IB)

                                                (President, Patriots’ Forum)

                                                              9811995693