After Pathankot, what next? Why not?- A Surgical Strike , the need of the hour

Dear Minister,

Hope you take a GREAT LEAP in the leap year!

Before embarking on the serious issue, let me begin this message on a lighter note. There is a community in India about which the most talked about trait is their ability to retort ‘only verbally’ after receiving every slap by merely saying “ ab mara to koi baat nahi, agli bar mat marna”. This retort continues after every slap but the individual does not return the slap; and the slaps continue coming.

By default we as a nation appear to have adopted this as our credo in governance on national security issues. How many more times we need to be slapped to wake us up from the impotent slumber, we seem to have slipped in, almost consciously. Intellectual minions of our nation have contributed hugely towards such profligate behavior on our part.

For those who think that international community applauds our “NO RESPONSE” to continued acts of state sponsored terrorism, perhaps suffer from mental paralysis. Let me quote few examples. During a visit to forward areas in the western sector nearly 15 years back I was with a team of Defence Attaches. During the briefing by local Army Commander numerous instances of Pakistan aided terrorism were mentioned. An European DA asked as to how many times have we retaliated by carrying out similar missions in Pak territory. Local Army Commander answered by extolling the virtues of resilience, tolerance and co-existence ( I guess the poor chap was directed to say these words). Almost the entire gathering of DAs laughed out aloud. Yet another incident relates to a debate on BBC after the Kaluchak disaster in May, 2002. You may recall that our political, bureaucratic and military leadership had already taken the insane decision to mobilize the entire Indian Armed forces after 13^th December, 2001 attack on Parliament, which was essentially a security lapse by Delhi Police/CRPF combine and complimented by our egoist and less than literate parliamentarians on security issues. One of the commentators bluntly asked the host as to why the Indian leadership was not retaliating with 1.3 million strong Indian Armed forces deployed in operational locations? During an official visit to J&K as part of a group, we were taken to meet youngsters apprehended by the Army and lodged in custody. They were in 20’s, few in 30’s. While speaking to them, one of them a graduate said “ Sahab Hamari Taraf se to koi Karravai hoti hi nahi woh aate hain aur mar ke chale jaate hain. Har baar yahi hota hai”.

Mr Minister let me tell you that the entire international community laughs at us for continuing to suffer loss of lives and face repeatedly. Ever since Dr Rubaiya Saeed’s state orchestrated kidnapping and release of five terrorists in exchange for her release, we have been losing nearly 550 soldiers per year on account of Pak aided terrorist violence. In the past 26 years we have sacrificed nearly 15,000 valiant men on the altar of our meek, submissive, indeterminate and hollow leadership. To get the exact figures send your PA to Army Group Insurance office and he will obtain exact number of casualties due to terrorist attack during the period 01 Jan, 1990 to 31^st Dec, 2015. Jan, 2016 figures may not be included because their claims are yet to be settled.

Would you, Mr Minister attempt to take a leaf out of one of your predecessors, Late Mr VK Krishna Menon? It is he, who was instrumental in liberating Goa by employing the Air Power in spite of warning/threat/advice from USA and UK. Even the then PM did not support him wholeheartedly. Nevertheless the great man took the risk. Demented intellectuals of this nation have continued to abuse and curse Mr Menon over the years.

Mr Minister, you have an unique opportunity in time and space. The question is “ Are you willing to grab the opportunity and go down in the annals of independent India as the Raksha Mantri, who truly defended the nation?”

Are you willing to give the go ahead for a SURGICAL STRIKE by IAF fighters/Attack Helicopters to target known terrorists camps in POK?

Incidentally POK is our territory. Hence a strike within our own territory does not mean an act of war with the neighbour. Of course the entire intelligentsia will rise against such preposterous option. Demented and morally coward intellectuals have permeated in the entire decision making process ignoring national security and self respect.

There is nothing HAWKISH or DOVEISH about my suggestion. It has been the need of the hour for nearly two decades and we have failed every time.

Of course if you have the courage to give the go ahead for a surgical strike, please direct the Strategic Force Commander to be ready to launch his wares in retaliation, if it happens. Believe me Mr Minister there will be no retaliation from Pakistan except for verbal abuse. If indeed a nuke is launched, let us absorb it and retaliate to eliminate the scourge of terrorism, once for all.

A word about international geo-stratgic scenario. USA is in election year;too busy to look eastwards. Russia has her hands full with internal problems and Syrian involvement. Europeans are **** scared of the next terrorist strike. Middle east is burning in its ‘own oil’ in form of Shia-Sunni rivalry. China is too busy with South China Sea and building islands. In any case none of these nations care for Indo-Pak border skirmishes. USA no longer needs its air base at BADABER near Peashawar to launch another Gary Powers in U-2.

Now on to some elementary issues. Our concept of airfield security evolves around the eminently potent assembly of one, may be two strings of barbed wire fence. At places even concertina wire and a wall can be found ably guarded by FOOT SOLDIERS deployed every 1000 meters or so equipped with eminently modern SLRs. Most of our guards have their ancestors from OWL family, hence no need for NIGHT VISION devices etc. Would you be kind enough to equip every single guard with most modern rifle, a vehicle and night vision device before 31^st January, 2016? These are available in abundance in Israel. Have these airlifted. Now the budgeting; Kindly reduce the number of Rafales being purchased from 36 to 35. 65 million USD ( COST OF Rafale) will equip every single guard with what I have stated. Should you fail to do so, be prepared to lose many Rafales on the ground in their blast pens. Please do not waste your time by asking proposals from Air Hq and Defence secretary etc. Just do it!

I have purposely not mentioned reactions of eminent personalities in visual and print media. Watching the visual media was like having your mind raped hour after hour with everyone insisting that we will teach Pakistan a lesson. What lesson?

Remember you are a citizen first, Raksha Mantri later. My proposal relates to security of an ordinary Indian citizen. Are you waiting for yet another terrorist act? Come to think of it we happen to be in an extremely vulnerable window in January. We have NSA’s meeting on 15^th, Makar Sankranti on 14^th and of course the national republic day on 26^th. I hope you have been briefed that Pak aided terrorists struck before every meeting of Indo-US officials during Op Parakaram period. They have struck now after our PM’s outstanding statesmanship of stopping over at Lahore.

We have changed from the precept “ Terror and Talks cannot co-exist” to “Terror and Talks can co-exist”. Just modify it to “ Terror, Talks and retaliatory action can co-exist”. The nation wants a VISIBLE RETALIATORY ACTION.

I am not insane in asking you to order a surgical strike. Pak retaliation with nukes to such strike is a myth. Even if it be a reality so be it. But we must strike terror camps in POK ‘as of yesterday’ to strike at the PSYCHE of Hafeez Sayeed and the likes. Then and only then the terror traffic from across the border will minimize, may be extinguish. In any case we should be prepared for a nuke strike the day these fundamentalists get hold of one device.

May God grant you the wisdom and courage to order a Surgical Strike before next terrorist strike, which may not be too far away in time and space dimension. Should you fail to do so, you would have failed the nation as well as yourself, both as a citizen as well as Raksha Mantri. Dialogue will not stop terror strikes because Pak administration itself does not have control over these outfits.

Regards,

Gp Capt TP Srivastava(retd)

Shared by Colonel  N K Balakrishnan ( Retd )

[Tri Service Veterans]