Sudan Civil War

Sudan Civil War

History

    Sudan has experienced numerous civil wars since its independence from Britain in 1956. The most recent and deadliest conflict is the Sudan Civil War, which began in 2013 and is ongoing as of 2023. We call it as Sudan Civil War 2023. 

    The conflict has caused immense human suffering, with millions of people displaced, tens of thousands killed, and the economy and infrastructure of the country severely damaged.

Background

    The Sudan Civil War is a continuation of the long-standing conflict between the government of Sudan and various rebel groups that represent the marginalized ethnic and political minorities of the country. 

    The conflict has been fueled by a range of issues, including political representation, economic inequality, ethnic tensions, and access to resources such as land, water, and oil. The conflict is also influenced by the complex historical legacy of colonialism and post-colonial politics in Sudan.

Causes

    The immediate cause of the conflict was the power struggle between President Omar al-Bashir and his vice president, Riek Machar. Machar was accused of plotting a coup against Bashir, and he was subsequently dismissed from his position. 

    

    This led to a split within the ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), with Machar forming his own faction, the SPLM-In Opposition (SPLM-IO). This faction, along with other rebel groups, began to fight against the government, leading to the outbreak of the civil war.

Impact

    The Sudan Civil War has had a devastating impact on the people of Sudan. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of over two million people, with many fleeing to neighboring countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya. 

    

    The war has also led to widespread human rights abuses, including rape, torture, and extrajudicial killings. The economy of the country has been severely affected, with the destruction of infrastructure and the disruption of trade and agriculture. 

    This has led to food insecurity and malnutrition, with many people dependent on humanitarian aid.

Attempts at Resolution

    There have been several attempts to resolve the Sudan Civil War, but none have been successful so far. In 2015, a peace agreement was signed between the government and the rebel groups, but it broke down shortly afterwards. 

    In 2018, a new peace agreement was signed, which included a power-sharing arrangement between the government and the rebel groups. However, this agreement has also faced challenges, with some rebel groups refusing to sign on and continued violence in some regions.

Future

    The future of Sudan remains uncertain, with the ongoing civil war and political instability. The recent overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and the subsequent formation of a transitional government has brought some hope for peace and stability in the country. 

    However, the country still faces significant challenges, including the ongoing conflict, economic crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Operation Kaveri 

    Operation Kaveri that is launched by the Indian Air Force. This operation involves the evacuation of Indian nationals and other foreign nationals from war-torn Sudan during Sudanese Civil War.

    The conflict in Sudan had led to a deteriorating security situation in the country, with Indian nationals and other foreign nationals living in the country facing significant risks to their safety. In order to evacuate these individuals, the Indian Air Force launched Operation Kaveri.

    Under this operation, the Indian Air Force deployed its aircraft to Sudan and carried out several flights to evacuate Indian nationals and other foreign nationals from the country. The operation involved a significant logistical effort, with the Indian Air Force coordinating with local authorities in Sudan as well as with Indian diplomatic missions in the region.

Conclusion

    The Sudan Civil War is a tragic reminder of the devastating impact of conflict on people's lives. The conflict has caused immense human suffering and has highlighted the need for greater efforts towards peace and stability in Sudan. The international community has an important role to play in supporting the people of Sudan and in helping to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means.

Pakistan summons Indian envoy to protest over surgical strikes

Islamabad: Pakistan today summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale over "surgical strikes" by India in which two Pakistani soldiers were killed.

Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Gautam Bambawale

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry "condemned the unprovoked firing by" Indian forces on the surgical strikes in which two Pakistani soldiers were killed, Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.

"These incidents are a continuation of a pattern of ceasefire violations committed by India. He (Chaudhry) conveyed that the Armed Forces of Pakistan will continue to give a befitting response to any act of aggression," the statement said.

Earlier, Pakistan rejected as "baseless" the Indian Army's claim that it had carried out "surgical strikes" inside the country.

India carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK.

While summoning Bambawale at the Foreign Office, the Foreign Secretary claimed that India has "deliberately escalated tensions" at the LoC in order to "divert the attention of the international community from the grave situation" in Kashmir.

"The Foreign Secretary condemned India's baseless accusation against Pakistan for the Uri attack, within a few hours after the incident. He recalled that it has been a practice in India to blame Pakistan for every such incident but later investigations prove otherwise," the Foreign Office said.

Chaudhry claimed that Pakistan remains a "victim of interference" and "state sponsored terrorism".

In this regard, he referred to the "confession statement of serving Indian Naval Officer, Kulbushan Jadhav", whom Pakistan has accused of "carrying out terrorist and subversive activities, especially in Balochistan and Karachi".

The Foreign Secretary also expressed Pakistan's deep disappointment at India's decision not to participate in the SAARC Summit.

For its part, Pakistan is committed to the objective of regional cooperation, envisaged in the SAARC charter, he said.

Chaudhry also conveyed to Bambawale, Pakistan's deep concerns over "life threats to Pakistan's High Commissioner in New Delhi" and urged the Indian government to ensure his safety and security and that of other officials and their families, in accordance with the Vienna Convention.

Inputs with PTI

Pakistan warns of “water war” with India if decades-old treaty violated

Pakistan would treat it as "an act of war" if India revoked the Indus Water Treaty regulating river flows between the two nations, Pakistan's top foreign official said on Tuesday.

If India revoked the treaty, Sartaj Aziz, foreign policy adviser to PM Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan would treat that as "an act of war or a hostile act against Pakistan."

Tension has been mounting between the nuclear-armed neighbours since at least 18 Indian soldiers in the disputed Kashmir region were killed this month in an attack that New Delhi blames on Pakistan.

India on Tuesday summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner in New Delhi to inform him about two men from Pakistan now in Indian custody who it alleges helped gunmen cross the disputed Kashmir border before the attack. Pakistan denies involvement in the raid and has urged India to conduct a proper investigation.

One retaliatory move being considered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is for India to "maximise" the amount of water it uses including by accelerating building of new hydropower plants, along three rivers that flow into Pakistan, a source with knowledge of a meeting attended by Modi on Monday told Reuters.

The source said India does not plan to abrogate the decades-old Indus Water Treaty. But using more of the rivers' water is still likely to hurt Pakistan as the Islamic Republic depends on snow-fed Himalayan rivers for everything from drinking water to agriculture.

Sartaj Aziz, foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said Islamabad would seek arbitration with the Indus Water Commission which monitors the treaty if India increased the use of water from the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers.

However, if India revoked the treaty, Aziz said Pakistan would treat that as "an act of war or a hostile act against Pakistan."

"It's highly irresponsible on part of India to even consider revocation of the Indus Water Treaty," Aziz told the national assembly.

The treaty was signed in 1960 in a bid to resolve disputes, but India's ambitious irrigation plans and construction of thousands of upstream dams has continued to annoy Pakistan. India says its use of upstream water is strictly in line with the agreement.

India currently generates about 3,000 megawatts of energy from hydropower plants along rivers in its portion of Kashmir, but believes the region has the potential to produce 18,000 megawatts and says it can use more water and still remain within the terms of the treaty.

Aziz said India's provocative posturing constitutes a breach of the Indus Water Treaty and "threats of a water war are part of a military, economic and diplomatic campaign to build pressure on Pakistan", and deflect attention from civil unrest by the Muslim population in the Indian-ruled side of Kashmir.

DETAINED BY VILLAGERS

The attack on the Indian brigade headquarters in the Kashmir town of Uri before dawn on Sept. 18 was the deadliest in 14 years in the disputed Himalayan region and has sharply raised tensions between the arch-rivals.

India on Tuesday told Pakistan's High Commissioner that security forces had in their custody two men - a 19-year old and a 20-year old - who helped a group of gunmen cross the de facto border dividing Kashmir before launching the Sept. 18 raid, and that they were from Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

In a statement, India's foreign ministry said the two men were apprehended by local villagers on Sept. 21, and that one of them had since admitted their role as guides and also identified one of the gunmen as a Pakistani from Muzaffarabad.

Reuters could not independently verify these claims.

A Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reuters

उरीतील हल्ला पाकिस्तान पुरस्कृतच- सुभाष भामरे

नाशिक - जम्मू काश्मीरमधील उरी येथील लष्करी मुख्यालयावर करण्यात आलेला दहशतवादी हल्ला हा पाकिस्तान पुरस्कृतच आहे. आता प्रतिउत्तर देण्याची वेळ आली आहे, असे मत केंद्रीय संरक्षण राज्यमंत्री सुभाष भामरे यांनी व्यक्त केले.
जम्मू काश्मीरमधील उरी येथे असलेल्या लष्कराच्या मुख्यालयावर आज (रविवार) सकाळी दहशतवाद्यांनी केलेल्या भीषण हल्लात 17 जवान हुतात्मा झाले असून, 8 जवान जखमी झाले आहेत. सुरक्षा रक्षकांनी चार दहशतवाद्यांना ठार मारले आहे. या हल्ल्यानंतर भामरे नाशिक दौरा रद्द करून दिल्लीला रवाना झाले आहेत.
भामरे म्हणाले की, आंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तरावर पाकिस्तानला घेरण्याची वेळ आली आहे. आता खूप झाले, प्रतिउत्तर देण्याची वेळ आली आहे. उच्चस्तरीय समितीची बैठक होत असून, या बैठकीत माझी भूमिका हीच असेल. लंडनमध्ये गेल्यानंतर सीमेपलिकडून होणाऱ्या दहशतवादासंदर्भात मी जगातील संरक्षणमंत्र्यांपुढे भूमिका मांडलेली आहे. दहशतवादाविरोधात लढण्यासाठी सर्वांनी एकत्र यावे, असे अमेरिका फ्रान्ससह इतर देशांसोबत झालेल्या बैठकीत भूमिका मांडली होती. पाकिस्तानसोबत असलेल्या देशांनी दहशतावादासंदर्भात गंभीरपणे विचार करण्याची वेळ आली आहे.
- महेंद्र महाजन - सकाळ वृत्तसेवा

रविवार, 18 सप्टेंबर 2016 - 12:27 PM IST

हुतात्म्याच्या पैशांसाठी कुटुंबाचे न्यायालयीन युद्ध

 

जवानाची आई व पत्नी न्यायालयात
केंद्रपाडा (ओडिशा) - कारगिल युद्धात भारताने "ऑपरेशन विजय‘च्या माध्यमातून पाकिस्तानी सैन्याचा पाडाव केला. या विजयाचा उत्सव दरवर्षी 26 जुलै रोजी साजरा केला जातो. याच युद्धात शौर्य गाजवीत धारातीर्थ पडलेल्या एका जवानाची पत्नी व आईमध्ये मात्र आर्थिक मदतीच्या वादावरून 16 वर्षांपासून न्यायालयीन लढाई सुरू आहे.

लान्स नाईक सच्चिदानंद मलिक यांनी कारगिल युद्धात शत्रूला धूळ चारीत शौर्य गाजविले. लढता लढताच त्यांना 28 जुलै 1999 मध्ये वीरमरण आले, अशी माहिती जिल्हा पातळीवरील अधिकाऱ्यांनी नोंदी तपासून दिली. हुतात्मा मलिकच्या कुटुंबाला लष्कर, केंद्र व राज्य सरकारतर्फे 22.70 लाख रुपये देण्यात आले. पत्नी निवेदिता मलिक यांना सरकारी नोकरी व कुटुंबासाठी निवृत्तिवेतनही मंजूर करण्यात आले. अन्य संघटना व व्यक्तींनीही त्यांना मदत केली.

सरकारची 22.70 लाखांची मदत निवेदिताच्या नावे मिळाली. यातील काही हिस्सा आपल्याला मिळावा, यासाठी मलिकची आई मालतीलता (वय 75) यांनी 2000 मध्ये न्यायालयात धाव घेतली. हिंदू वारस कायद्यानुसार मलिकच्या विधवा आई एकूण मदतीपैकी एकतृतीयांश रक्कम मिळण्यास पात्र असल्याचा निकाल केंद्रपाडा येथील दिवाणी न्यायाधीशांनी (वरिष्ठ विभाग) 2007 मध्ये दिला. निवेदिता व तिचा लहान मुलगा सौम्यरंजन मलिक यांनी दोन तृतीयांश वाटा मिळेल, असेही न्यायालयाने स्पष्ट केले. मात्र, या निकालाला निवेदिताने अपिली न्यायालयात आव्हान दिले आहे. न्यायालयाने अद्याप याबाबत सूचना दिल्या नसल्याने ही रक्कम बॅंक खात्यात पडून आहे. त्या वेळी अल्पवयीन असलेला सौम्य आता प्रौढ झाला आहे, असे वकील विचित्रनंद मोहंती यांनी सांगितले. 

-- पीटीआय

कारगिल युद्धातील हुतात्म्यांना 'सॅल्यूट' - नरेंद्र मोदी - - पीटीआय

नवी दिल्ली - तत्कालीन राष्ट्रीय लोकशाही आघाडी सरकारने 1999 मधील कारगिल युद्धात खंबीरपणा दाखविल्यानेच भारताला नेत्रदीपक विजय मिळाला. या युद्धात देशासाठी ज्या जवानांनी आपल्या प्राणाची आहुती दिली त्यांना माझा "सॅल्यूट‘, असे पंतप्रधान नरेंद्र मोदी यांनी म्हटले आहे.

कारगिल विजय दिनानिमित्त मोदी यांनी आज "ट्विट‘ केले. मोदी म्हणाले, ‘1999 मध्ये त्यावेळच्या सरकारने खंबीरपणे घेतलेल्या निर्णयाचा मला आजही अभिमान वाटतो. कारगिलमध्ये घुसखोरी करण्याचा प्रयत्न करणाऱ्या शत्रूंना भारतीय जवानांनी जशास तसे दिलेले उत्तर अविस्मरणीय आहे. भारतीय लष्कराच्या धैर्याचा आम्हाला अभिमान वाटतो आणि भारत या धैर्याला कदापी विसरणार नाही. शेवटच्या श्‍वासापर्यंत जे जवान लढले, ज्यांनी देशासाठी त्याग केला, त्यांची प्रेरणा आम्ही घेत राहू.‘‘
द्रास येथे श्रद्धांजली
लष्कराच्या उत्तर विभागाचे प्रमुख लेफ्ट. जनरल डी. एस. हुडा यांनी आज जम्मू आणि काश्‍मिराच्या द्रास भागात कारगिल युद्धातील हुतात्मा जवानांना श्रद्धांजली अर्पण केली. द्रास येथील ऐतिहासिक स्मृतीस्थळाला हुडा यांनी भेट दिली. कारगिल युद्धात भारतीय लष्कराने केलेल्या नेत्रदीपक कामगिरीचा त्यांनी या वेळी गौरव केला. या वेळी लष्करातील अधिकारी आणि जवान उपस्थित होते.

Kargil

Occassions for Veterans to Wear Medals

Dear Veterans,

A number of queries have been received regarding the occasions for veterans to wear medals and decorations, particularly in connection with International Fleet Review. The relevant regulations as stipulated in INBR - 11 are reproduced below for information of all veterans.

1.   Wearing of Medals and Decorations.   Retired naval Officers and officers who have resigned or relinquished their commissions with permission to retain ranks, and officers who have been granted permission to wear uniform on special occasions are permitted to wear, on appropriate occasions, decorations and medals with uniform under the same condition as officers on the active list.

2.    Occasion for Wearing of Medals on civil clothes by Veterans.    Personnel dismissed from service or discharged on disciplinary grounds will not wear medals on any occasion. Full medals/ miniature medals may be worn by veterans on all functions in the manner as authorised for serving officers/ personnel. However, medals will not be worn at meetings of political nature. The various occasions on which wearing of full medals/ miniature medals by veterans is enumerated below:-
(a)  Republic Day Parade
(b)  Independence Day Function
(c)  Service Day
(d)  Vijay Diwas
(e)  Wreath Laying on Memorial Day
(f)  Reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan and Governor's House
(g)  Standard/ Colour Presentation Parade/ Functions / Passing out Parade
(h)  Anniversary/ Re-union Functions
(j)  When attending State or Military Funerals
(k)  When invited to any official function by any Embassy, Legation or High Commission
(l)   At all Armed Forces functions including ex-servicemen's rallies or re-unions.
(m)  When called upon in aid to civil power.
(n)  When visiting any Military Headquarters on duty.

3.  Wearing of Miniature Medals on civil clothes by Veterans.  The miniature medals will be worn on the following occasions:-

(a)  While attending official and private functions such as Dinner, Cocktails, lunches, tea parties and receptions etc, during day and night.
(b)  Functions held in the messes, institutions in connection with Service day, Units Anniversary, Re- Union functions.
(c)  Functions in connection with Republic day Parade, Independence Day Parade, Standard/ Colour Presentation, reception at the Service Chief's residence on the Service Day, Reception on Passing out Parade etc.
(d)  When invited to any official function by any Embassy, Legation or High Commission.
(e)   At all Armed Forces functions including ex-servicemen's rallies or re-unions.
(f)  Retired Officers and Honorary Commissioned Officers may wear medals and decorations on their civilian clothing under the same conditions as for officers in uniform on the Active List.

Team DESA

[ DESANAVY ]

Celebrating Vijay Diwas is not enough. It's time to reform armed forces

 

 

Rajeev Chandrasekhar : @rajeev_mp

 

This year marks the 44th anniversary of Vijay Diwas, the triumph of Indian armed forces’ win over Pakistan in the 13-day war, considered to be one of the shortest wars in modern history that resulted in the unilateral surrender of the Pakistan Army and led to the creation of Bangladesh.

 

 Vijay Diwas commemorates not just an absolute military triumph, unparalleled in modern Indian history, but also the triumph and heroism of the professional Indian soldier. About 3,843 Indian soldiers died in 1971. About three times that number — 9,851 — were injured.

 

 

 

Surrender

 

The photograph of Lt Gen AAK Niazi signing the instrument of surrender on December 16, 1971, in the presence of Lt Gen Aurora adorns my office and still fills me up with pride each time I see it.

 

As we celebrate the victory and salute the sacrifices of our soldiers, and their display of immense courage and selfless service to our nation, it is important to ensure that, as a nation, we examine if we are doing enough to look after the brave men and women. It is time to have a relook at their service conditions focusing on the economic security and employability of the soldiers, especially those who retire in their early 30s.

 

The recent announcement of One Rank, One Pension (OROP) was a watershed moment for our defence forces and ex-servicemen, and clearly the biggest and most significant welfare measure for veterans in post-Independence India by any government. The estimated cost of the OROP scheme is about Rs 8,300 crore, which will mark an increase of about 15 per cent in the defence budget per year, and put some burden on the exchequer and the finances of the country.

 

Pensions are a long-term liability for any government, and with life spans increasing, creates significant challenges in long-term fiscal planning for governments all over — as is the case with India. There is need to reform the way armed forces service conditions are structured — which have an effect on their pensions.

 

Our jawans are made to retire as early as 34 and officers as early as 54, which for many is the prime of their lives. Because of these early retirements, the government has to bear the costs of these pensions leading to high defence pension costs. Each year, about 50,000 men retire from the armed forces and around 56 per cent of them are below the age of 40. Being from the armed forces, these men are highly trained and disciplined and would be an asset to any organisation.

 

It is for this reason that I have, time and again, reiterated in the past that the government lay special emphasis on reskilling and rehabilitation of the veterans so that they can be absorbed back in the job market of the country. The reskilling of armed forces personnel must be intensified so that instead of retirement. The armed force personnel are provided lateral opportunities in government institutions like paramilitary forces, the police or at different levels of state administration.

 

Employable

The government must invest in the reskilling of the young veterans, make them adapt to new and emerging technology and even train them to become micro-entrepreneurs. The government must do its bit in providing incentives to the corporates in terms of tax incentives to encourage them to hire more ex-servicemen. In May 2013, a written reply to my parliamentary question says that there was no proposal to provide any tax incentives/concessions to companies who agree to hire retired/released armed forces veterans. I sincerely hope this policy is changed urgently by the new regime as such lateral placements would prove beneficial to our veterans and in turn to the government finances itself.

 

Also, I firmly believe that it is a national waste to allow a 35-year-old jawan or a 54-year-old officer to retire in the prime of his life. With better medical facilities and fitter soldiers, it is probably a good time to rethink the retirement age of soldiers.

 

Commission

Along with this, I hope that the long-standing demands of our veterans to have a Veterans' Commission is fulfilled. This demand is long overdue. We need a statutory institution to address the concerns and grievances of the ex-servicemen and their families and help them in their time of need. The government has drafted the National Commission for Ex-Servicemen Bill, 2015, to set up the National Commission for Ex-Servicemen, however it still hasn’t figured in the government’s agenda.

Lastly, with the objective of ensuring that the commitment for the men and women of our armed forces, veterans and their families are enshrined in law, I have introduced in Parliament the Armed Forces Covenant Bill as a Private Member’s Bill. The Bill prescribes a commitment between the people of India and the Armed Forces, serving as well as retired, and their families (including bereaved families), pledging a duty of care and improving support towards them in return for their bravery and sacrifices made for protecting the nation. I hope the government supports my Bill.

 

While we commemorate the heroism of our armed forces and salute their dedication, sacrifice and courage, we must resolve to do more for the brave men and women.

 

[Dailyo]

Vijay Diwas: How India has forgotten the heroes of the 1971 Indo-Pak war

By  K Yatish Rajawat  Dec 16, 2014 08:43 IST

 

There is an old saying in the Army in Punjabi "Jine jeet nahi wekhi usay jeetna kaun sikhayega." Loosely translated it means that if one has not seen victory, how can you teach ‘em to win a war.

 

Today, 16 December, is the 45th anniversary of the 1971 India–Pakistan war, the first war after World War-II that the Indian Army won conclusively. The only war that the independent Indian Army planned, executed and carried out with precision and captured 93,000 prisoners.

 

Indian Army personnel pay their respects to martyrs of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 for the Liberation of Bangladesh, during a function in Kolkata on 16 December 2012. AFP

The trouble is that Indian polity wants to forget the 1971 war. They want to forget the aggressive attitude that once occupied centrestage. Even the Congress which could use it very effectively, as it was after Indira Gandhi’s resolve that enabled the war, never really celebrated it.

 

It was the first major victory for a young Indian democracy and helped strengthen the confidence of the leadership and population. Subsequent generations and populations want to forget it completely. On the other hand the Kargil war which was a misadventure thwarted by Indian Army looms larger in debate and is more celebrated. There is even a Kargil Vijay Diwas, while the 1971 war is referred to as Vijay Diwas. The irony is that the posts that were occupied and conquered in 1971 were the same ones which were occupied by the Pakistan Army in 1999.

 

Why is it important to remember 1971? It was the first time that the Indian leadership decided to take a decisive action on moral grounds. It was the first time that India violated the UN charter. It was the first time that India handled pressure from US, China and Europe. It was the first time that India decided that an error made by the British in division needed to be corrected by force. It was the first time that India decided that the Bangladeshi immigrant problem could only be addressed if the country was given its legitimacy. There were many other firsts and some of them are also the last for a country that has now forgotten its heroes of this war.

 

Successive governments have looked at accomplishments of the Indian armed forces as almost an embarrassment, particularly the Congress which ignored the ’71 war anniversary. The expectation from the current government is not to ignore the anniversary and bring it back into public discourse.

 

There are several reasons for bringing back the victory in the ’71 war into public discourse. It is not only because it was a victory and our armed forces need to be celebrated. Lord Meghnad Desai puts it well, "If we continue to be embarrassed about our Armed forces, we will never be able to establish leadership in Asia. And it is especially relevant now as Pakistan is not a threat, it is a pin prick, our competitive threat lies in China."

 

The ’71 war cannot be discussed without the debacle and disgrace that India faced in ’62 war at the hands of China. We cannot forget that how ill-prepared the Indian Army was for that conflict. We should not forget the lesson that a nation that ignores its army cannot afford peace. This is also one of the reason that Congress cannot celebrate ’71 as it reminds them of the debacle of ’62.

 

The 60’s was a lost decade for India, two successive wars ’62 and ‘65 a drought, importing food grains from US, economy was shot too bits, rupee was devalued, Congress was facing internal trouble. Led by Pandit Nehru, India was on a moral high during the period 1947 to 1961. His idea of a moral world order collapsed in 1962 with India not measuring up to the Chinese. Suddenly, India found itself without friends, even those of the non-aligned variety. India has to court America, and the western powers that it has avoided earlier. Pandit Nehru was also forced to negotiate peace with Pakistan. India was willing to cede a sizeable area to Pakistan as per YD Gundevia Outside the Archives (1969). Gundevia was a foreign secretary during Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s time.

 

Late Narasimha Rao, the erstwhile prime minister says in his autobiographical semi-fictional work The Insider about impact of the 1962 War: "India’s image plummeted considerably after the 1962 debacle. The focus on economic development became diluted. The obsession with victory and defeat in war revived atavistic notions. It reminded the people that India had never won a major war throughout her long history. She had been a perpetual loser in all encounters. Many began to interpret the country’s philosophy and heritage as the foundation of its weakness."

 

Then the ’71 war happened or was planned and executed with perfection by the Indian armed forces. All three forces Army, Navy and Air force played a stellar role in executing a pre-planned campaign. While political experts may be divided about whether it was planned or not, military experts are clear that the campaign was planned and executed one.

 

Lord Desai writes in The Rediscovery of India: "Indira Gandhi had achieved the impossible. She had dismembered India’s main enemy, permanently reduced its territory and humiliated it militarily…[p. 353]

 

He adds, "In Pakistan the event was seen as the first defeat of Muslim armies by a Hindu army in a thousand years [p. 354], Though, Desai says this should not be over rated as there have been several victories before.

 

"The liberation of Bangladesh did several things for Indira Gandhi and India. It removed any residual feelings of inferiority about Indian Army’s fighting powers." But was that all!

 

Brigadier Omkar Singh Gorayya, who was the first Indian military leader to enter Dhaka, and is releasing a book on it next month says, "I find it strange that we do nothing to invest emotional content in a win that has occurred after 800 years of foreign domination. Today 1971 War is all but forgotten by the nation. Today, the anniversary is only celebrated in small cantonment functions, as if the armed forces fought for themselves not the country. It is time we invest some cultural and emotional content in the 1971 War. Geopolitical space is also about perception."

 

It is especially important this year as the world is commemorating the start of the First World War. Indian Army’s exploits in Europe, their landing in Marseilles is being celebrated by the French and here we refuse to recognize the exploits of independent Indian Army victory.

 

If the Europeans can celebrate the exploits of Indian Armed forces so many decades later, can we not pay respect to the Martyrs of the ’71 war.

 

K Yatish Rajawat is a senior journalist, based in New Delhi who tweet @yatishrajawat

 

 

[ First Post ]

Batala’s wounded Lt Col fights his second battle

Vikram Jit Singh, Chandigarh Updated: Nov 28, 2015 15:53 IST

Lt Col Karanbir Singh Natt with his family. (HT PHOTO)

 

On Sunday afternoon (November 22), a Kalashnikov bullet smashed the lower jaw of lieutenant colonel Karanbir Singh Natt at Haji Naka village on the edge of a dense forest, 7 kilometres from the Kupwara Line of Control (LoC). The bullet had slipped into one of the many chinks and exposed flanks of the body armour comprising a bulletproof patka and jacket. Unlike the death five days earlier of colonel Santosh Mahadik, commanding officer (CO) of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, in the same area, lieutenant colonel Natt survived that crippling gunshot wound.

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“The lower half of the face gone, the tongue hanging loose, he was unable to lie back, as the tongue would fall back and obstruct his air passage,” is how an Army Medical Corps (AMC) officer described the unique injury. Lieutenant colonel Natt was the second-in-command (2IC) of 160 Territorial Army (JAK Rifles) and formerly of 19th battalion of the Brigade of the Guards.

 

“Lieutenant colonel Natt has suffered a serious injury to his lower jaw and it is virtually gone. However, he is stable at the moment. We are hoping for the best at Army Hospital Research and Referral (AHRR), Delhi, where he has been taken,” major Anoop, adjutant of 160 TA, told HT from Kupwara.

 

The Army Medical Corps (AMC) team acted like medical commandoes virtually. Here is a gripping account from an AMC officer of the first two days of battling to save lieutenant colonel Natt: “Emergency tracheotomy was done in sitting position, blood transfused. A surgical team comprising a senior surgeon, anaesthetist and a maxillofacial surgeon was rushed from 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar. It reached at 0030 hours (12.30am); the patient was rolled immediately into the operating theatre, and the surgery will take another couple of hours. An AN-32 will take off at 0730 hours (7.30am), advanced landing helipad launched (from Drugmullah, Kupwara) within three to four hours of night so that at sunrise, the patient can be taken to the old airfield (Srinagar) for evacuation to AHRR. An anaesthetist with ventilator and oxygen cylinders is to move to old airfield at sunrise, to accompany the patient to AHRR. Lt Col Natt is stable presently. This is an example of how the AMC operates in emergency.”

 

The EEG (electroencephalogram) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans show no damage to the brain/spine, and the officer is off life-support system at the AHRR. A Facebook comment from Anurag Singh: “Hoping for a brighter tomorrow. Karan’s will and our prayers seem to be working.”

 

The terrorists who shot at lieutenant colonel Natt and colonel Mahadik were from Lashkar-e-Toiba and included two brothers in their 20s.

 

Lieutenant colonel Natt belongs to Batala in Punjab, and his second battle on the emergency rack has slipped from mainstream consciousness but a welter of support, cyber prayers and heartfelt wishes have come his way and that of his wife, Navpreet Kaur, and daughter, Guneeta, on social media groups of ex-faujis and their families. Anindita Paul wrote on the Facebook group Fauji Kids: “Get well soon... nothing can deter a spirit that wants to serve mankind... serve the countrymen.”

 

Course mate Yash Sharma posted a picture of the dashing officer and it has drawn 19,227 shares.

Batala officer critical, kin and Army medics battle hard

Vikram Jit Singh, Hindustan Times, Chandigarh  |     Updated: Dec 03, 2015 19:34 IST

    

Lt Col Karanbir Singh Natt with his family. (HT Photo)

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If the Tricolour flies high in the most daunting of border outposts and bloodiest of battlefields, it is not only because of the courage and professionalism of the Army. Men at proxy war know they can rely on the staunch back-up from the Army Medical Corps (AMC) and the emotional support of families when they fall wounded. It is this rearguard courage and capability that kicked into action to fight the second battle for Lt Col Karanbir Singh Natt, second-in-command of the 160 Territorial Army (JAK Rifles), who has lapsed into coma and is in a “critical” state at the Army Hospital Research and Referral (AHRR), Delhi.

 

Lt Col Natt was shot at the junction of his upper and lower jaws while conducting a “room intervention” operation at Haji Naka village, 7 km from the Kupwara LoC, on November 22. Battalion officers recount that the officer was alert and communicating with gestures till the night of that fateful day despite the wound, which bled heavily and did not allow him to lie down as his tongue would block the air passage. He was operated upon in the field area and airlifted by the AMC to Delhi. “Lt Col Natt is in a state of critical illness. He is in a stupor (coma). Our main concern is the infection of the gunshot wound area. Due to kidney complications, we have put him on dialysis. He is in very good care and we hope he will make it,” Lt Gen SD Duhan, Commandant, AHRR, told HT.

 

Lt Col Natt was wounded five days after Col Santosh Mahadik, Sena Medal (Gallantry), CO, 41 Rashtriya Rifles (Maratha LI), died after receiving a “’full burst” from an AK-47 rifle at close quarters while hunting Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists in the dense undergrowth and forests of Manigah in Kupwara. Lt Col Natt’s family is keeping their spirits high despite the trying circumstances. His father, Col Jagtar Singh Natt (retd), is a veteran from the 22 Punjab and a soldier who fought the 1971 War in the Shakargarh ‘Bulge’ sector and also battled the Mizoram insurgency.

 

Formerly from the 19 Guards, Lt Col Natt had led a missile platoon during the Kargil War. “My son was given a task by the nation and he undertook it. He did his duty without flinching and I am very proud of him,” Col Natt told HT. They hail from Dhadiala Natt village, situated close to Batala in Gurdaspur district. Both the father and wife, Navpreet Kaur, of the wounded officer are at the AHRR while his two daughters, Guneet (11) and Ashmeet (1), are in Amritsar with their maternal grandparents. “My husband is a brave man. There has been a lot of support and good wishes that have come our way. I am hopeful that he will pull through,” Navpreet told HT.

 

So grievous and unusual was the bullet wound that the AMC team had to resort to innovative and commando-like tactics to treat him in the field area and evacuate him speedily. “The forces had laid a cordon around a ‘dhok’, which is a kind of hut used by Bakkerwals in summer. It was not known for sure whether there was a militant in the hut. Lt Col Natt and his assault team undertook the operation to clear the hut. It was dark and the hiding militant fired hitting Lt Col Natt. The militant was also killed later,” Kupwara SSP Ajaz Ahmad Bhat told HT.

 

[Hindustan Times]

Indian Army commanders eyed enemy land for negotiation edge

 

Book Title: 1965-Stories From The Second Indo-Pak WarNew Delhi,

 

Sept 19: When Pakistan launched a full-scale war against India in 1965 and prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri announced a "fitting reply", Army commanders were quick in deciding India would also capture enemy land to get an edge in international negotiations which they felt would be inevitable after the conflict ended.This is one of many accounts in this book, which has been written by Rawat after speaking to a number of veterans.The book includes five key battles from the 1965 war and is backed by extensive research, interviews and profiles of war veterans, and has been termed by the Indian Army as an "authoritative narrative" of the conflict."On the morning of 1 September 1965, the nation woke up to a startling announcement on All India Radio.

 

Pakistan has launched a massive attack with tanks and heavy artilley in the Chamb sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The enemy's objective seems to be the strategic Akhnoor Bridge. Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri has declared that Pakistan will be given a fitting reply by Indian Army," the book says.It quotes Lt. Gen. Harbaksh Singh, the Western Command chief, terming this "the tallest of decisions taken by one of the shortest of men"."The general outline of the 'fitting reply' that Lt. Gen. Harbaksh Singh drew up had the Indian Army holding ground as close to the international border as possible in the Punjab and Rajasthan sectors and destroying any enemy that crossed over. He also planned on crossing the International Border and acquiring a large chunk of enemy territory which would give India a bargaining level in the political talks that would be inevitable after the war was over," the book says.In its account of the Battle of Asal Uttar, the book says Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid was on his recoilless gun, less than 30 metres from the road with his jeep hidden under the cotton crop.As the first tank came within shooting range, CQMH Hamid fired, setting the tank ablaze."We were surprised to see the crew of two more tanks that were following, abandon their tanks and flee," the book quotes Lt. Col. Hari Ram Janu (retd) as saying."We then realised that the Pakistanis fear of being burned alive since their religion says that makes them kafirs," he added.On the first day, Indian soldiers destroyed four tanks by recoilless-gun fire and five were abandoned.Some mines were laid down in the night, but the Grenadiers could hardly sleep when Sabre jets started flying over. The next day saw more tank attacks, with India disabling at least four more, while some were destroyed by the mines.The following day saw CQMH Hamid destroy his sixth tank. He spotted the seventh tank at the same time it spotted him."There was no time to change position in the face of relentless artillery fire. Telling his driver and loader to get under cover, he aimed. Simultaneous explosions rent the air - the tank as well as Hamid's jeep blew up simultaneously," the book says.The book also details the battles of Haji Pir, Phillora, Barki, and Dograi - all through the eyes of the veterans who were in the thick of the action.

 

IANS

 

 

[ One India ]

Ex-servicemen may skip president's function on September 22

To register their annoyance over the shortcomings in 'one rank one pension' scheme, the ex-servicemen are likely to skip a function to be hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee on September 22 to felicitate the 1965 war heroes.

 

Wing Commander Vinod Nebb (retd.), who is protesting at Jantar Mantar with other veterans, told IANS that he has written a regret letter to the President for not attending the High Tea on Tuesday.

"I am with the protesting ex-servicemen at Jantar Mantar. I echo the voice and sentiments of thousands like me. I expect that the other ex-servicemen would also not join the celebration," he said.

Nebb said the one rank one pension's (OROP) offer, as approved by the central government, had so many riders that they changed the actual spirit of the scheme.

 

In the letter, Nebb said: "I would hope it will give you an opportunity to gauge the morale of ex-servicemen like us, as our supreme commander, and at the very least acknowledge the state of our pride and morale that has steadily been crippled by numerous government and its bureaucratic over the last 40 years."

 

"Our prime minister very categorically made the promise of OROP and whilst he had made some change, it still isn't OROP. And, even that change was not granted willingly, we had to fight for it."

"I look towards you as our Supreme Commander and leader of the armed forces to ask why are you silent? Why would you invite me to an event, which to us, veterans, is a symbolic of our blood, sweat and dignity and play to the government's 'show' of respect to us and our achievement?" he asked.

United Ex-Servicemen Front (UFESM) spokesperson Col. Anil Kaul (retd.) on Thursday appealed to former service chiefs not to participate in 1965 war commemoration functions.

The protesting ex-servicemen, however, are planning programmes to honour war veterans among them and war widows of 1965 India-Pakistan war.

 

As the government announced a scheme for providing OROP, the army veterans said the scheme would not provide one rank one pension (OROP) as it has several discrepancies.

The veterans demanded the base year for the OROP should be financial year 2013-14, in place of 2013 announced by the central government. They want date of implementation to be April 2014, instead of July 2014 as announced by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

 

While veterans want rationalisation of pensions every year, the government has provided for review only every five years.

 

Veterans also want the one-man judicial commission to be replaced with a five-member committee with their representation.

 

Another issue is fixation of pension as per the highest pension for the rank, against the government's announcement of it being average of highest and lowest pensions, with protection to those with higher pension.

 

IANS  |  New Delhi  September 18, 2015 Last Updated at 23:20 IST

[Business Standard]

Fifty years and none the wiser - K. Shankar Bajpai

The Hindu Archives

"India is perpetually caught unawares, from the Chinese road in Aksai Chin to their Sumdorong Chu incursion, and let down by its whole mental framework and way of functioning." File photo shows soldiers during the 1965 war.

That war is not on the horizon does not mean India can keep indulging in its sloppy ways. Much that is necessary in wartime should be available for decent, everyday life

 

Next week will mark 50 years since the formal end to fighting in the 1965 War. Anniversary ruminations can expose deficiencies in India’s handling of affairs then that still plague the country. The precise sins of omission or commission might differ, but they all arise from a common root: the inability to approach India’s interest with the minimum levels of thinking, objectivity or discipline, appropriate to the issues involved. With great-power potential and First World capabilities, the country languishes in Third World bad habits.

 

Failures in 1965 ranged from lower levels of routine duty to the highest levels of decision-making. Pakistan seized bits of Kutch because India neglected patrolling, lacked intelligence, had not prepared its military — all faults proving more costly five months later in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Two citations from the Indian Army’s admirably candid Official History of 1965 are particularly stupefying: “The Air Force,... not having been alerted to the possibility of another war over Kashmir, no inter-services contingency were drawn up, nor was any course of action agreed upon in the event of its being called out to support the Army.” (emphasis added). Alerting? To the most obvious contingency?

 

Second, asked if fighting on briefly could earn India a “spectacular” victory, the Army Chief reportedly told the Prime Minister that India was too run down logistically; so it accepted the ceasefire. Actually, history says, 86 per cent of stocks was unused — Pakistan had exhausted 80 per cent. Anything “spectacular”, like Haji Pir, was unrealistic after India’s initial successes towards Lahore and Sialkot lost steam, but it certainly could have delayed ceasing fire to advantage, with intriguing political consequences for Pakistan’s regime. That is not the Indian way of thinking, nor did the country have the will power to withstand pressure from the United Nations, but what about the country’s actual functioning? An Army Chief having/giving such wrong figures? One chat with him and the Prime Minister heads for a ceasefire? Didn’t Defence Minister Y. B. Chavan and his officials know India’s logistics? [Lal Bahadur] Shastriji was a decisive Prime Minister, Chavan perhaps the country’s best ever Defence Minister, Gen. Chaudhuri a highly experienced and respected, if controversial, Army Chief. Forget personalities, India was let down by its whole mental framework and ways of functioning.

 

Today’s India is far stronger, almost that major player in world affairs which, with its size and civilisation, not least the talents of its people, should long since have made it. But greater capabilities have not lessened the country’s incomprehension of using them. Immensely sophisticated weapons, new and more intractable instruments like terrorism, changes in India’s strategic environment — all call for a state far more organised than it was in 1965. But “India resists organisation.” Shaw should more correctly have said India rejects it. Considering the forces, habits and levels of thinking at work, the changes needed to look beyond hope; all the more reason to reflect.

 

That war is not on the horizon does not mean India can keep indulging in its sloppy ways. Much that is necessary in wartime should be available for decent, everyday life.  Imagine the carnage from air attacks on our chaotic cities, given the existing inadequate facilities. If you (wrongly) think these are secondary considerations, India is hardly better placed regarding direct requirements. Staying-power, so vital in war, requires reserves of ammunition, spare parts, fuel etc; India is still hugely dependent on imports with large gaps in vital weaponry.

 

Wrong-footed

India is perpetually caught unawares, from the Chinese road in Aksai Chin to their Sumdorong Chu incursion, not counting 1962 itself, Kargil, Mumbai — you name it. This is not unique: the best-organised have been worse surprised. But stay geared for a suitable response. Many fine individuals notwithstanding, India’s intelligence is unworthy of its needs. In 1965 the country didn’t know of Pakistan’s whole second Armoured Division.

 

Instruments, infrastructure and efficiency are essential, but what matters most is your thinking: statecraft, the arts and aptitudes of serving the state. That obviously presupposes knowing what the state means, and your duty to it. India seems congenitally unable to understand how to use state power for state purposes (as distinct from personal ones). Ditto with strategic thinking: working out optimum means to chosen attainable ends, sensible assessments about what to watch out for, what to aim for. Sounds simple, but demands realism, shrewd appraisals of others’ intentions and capabilities, canny management of your own, not least, reliable efficiency of performance by all relevant instruments of state. Just mentioning such desiderata shows India’s problem.

 

Juvenile approach

Many worrying tendencies are intensifying; what kind of India they will allow is unpredictable. In that larger context, what 1965 reveals about the country’s handling of national interests is directly relevant. The considerations and purposes that shape decisions and performances are not those of serious grown-ups. This infects all walks of life, particularly the politico-administrative complex that most affects our lives. Both components blame but abet each other, sacrificing professional duty to small-minded interests.

 

To classifications of polities in political science as democratic, authoritarian, parliamentary, etc. needs to be added grown up, adolescent, or juvenile. Third World backwardness is particularly marked by immaturity, the downright frivolousness of governance. After decades as an exemplar of democratic success, where does India stand? How do political parties approach their responsibilities in governance encapsulates and caps it all. Citizens suffer while legislatures fiddle. Umpteen bills addressing daily wants pile-up.

 

Democracies must seek compromises; different groups have to reach out to each other. Successive governments here complain that they try but others reject all overtures. Such fish-market relations make it necessary to exercise special skills, especially in anticipation, in judging what is possible and how to make it work. How could the One Rank, One Pension issue been allowed to get so out of hand? One of India’s most remarkable achievements — and blessings — has been that its military has remained wholly apolitical. Doubtless it has its faults, but in a country that owes it so much, with a civil power so extensively dependent on it because of its own inadequacies, any novice must know the vital importance of civil-military relations. The neglect, insensitivity, gross mismanagement to which it has been subjected to are the most alarming aspects of that root ignorance of statecraft that made the country’s 1965 performance so unsatisfactory. But ’65 pales into insignificance compared to what might be if India does not reform itself fast.

 

(K. Shankar Bajpai was former Ambassador to Pakistan, China and the U.S., Secretary MEA and Political Officer in the Indian High Commission, Karachi, 1962-65, and Secretary to Indian Delegation to Tashkent, 1966.)

 

[The Hindu]