Tweet from Maj Gen Satbir Singh SM (@satbirsm)

Dear Friends,

Maj Gen Satbir Singh SM (@satbirsm) tweeted at 11:47 PM on Mon, Jul 06, 2020:

1.) SSC Officers have been given a raw deal. The aim should have been to make SSC so attractive that the most suitable youth willingly volunteers for the profession of Arms for a short period of five years and then offered Second Assured Career through the Act of Parliament.
(https://twitter.com/satbirsm/status/1280204299012763648?s=03)

Maj Gen Satbir Singh SM (@satbirsm) tweeted at 11:47 PM on Mon, Jul 06, 2020:

2.) The following should have been considered:-

*Second assured Career with 5 years of seniority of d same status.

* Be allowed all further promotion in d 2nd Career.
*Once, they have been selected through SSB interview, there should be no further testing to provide d 2nd Career.

(https://twitter.com/satbirsm/status/1280204301541838848?s=03)

Maj Gen Satbir Singh SM (@satbirsm) tweeted at 11:47 PM on Mon, Jul 06, 2020:

3.) * Their potential through military ACRs, and the options given by them, should be enough for their Second Career job.

* A small number may be upto 25% who opt, may be granted Permanent Commission.
*  All those who do not want any Govt service, be granted lum-sum

(https://twitter.com/satbirsm/status/1280204303714533376?s=03)

Maj Gen Satbir Singh SM (@satbirsm) tweeted at 11:47 PM on Mon, Jul 06, 2020:

4.) amount equivalent to four months’ pay per year i.e.20 months’ pay of military officers with 5 years of services for resettlement.

*They be entitled to all awards Gallantry/ Distinguished Service as for regular officers. Any one awarded Gallantry award be entitled pension of.

(https://twitter.com/satbirsm/status/1280204306008829957?s=03)

Maj Gen Satbir Singh SM (@satbirsm) tweeted at 11:47 PM on Mon, Jul 06, 2020:

5.) an officers with 20 years of service.
*They be entitled to following facilities:- (a) ESM status (b) ECHS Facility (c) Medical care in Military Hospital (d) CSD Facility.

Jai Hind! Jai Bharat! Regards.

(https://twitter.com/satbirsm/status/1280204309141979136?s=03

How Indian troops chased the Chinese for a kilometre over LAC in Galwan on 15 June night

Details of what occurred leading up to and the night of 15 June tell us how the violent face-off at Galwan Valley unfolded.

Snehesh Alex Philip 

Representational image

 It was a combination of “treachery” and breaking the terms of an agreement by the Chinese that led to the violent face-off in the Galwan Valley on the night of 15 June that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and several injured, ThePrint has learnt.

However, it was not a one-sided battle and the night witnessed an over 1-kilometre-long chase by the men from 16 Bihar Regiment and other units as the Chinese ran back to the safety of their units posted just across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), sources said.

ThePrint has spoken to a number of individuals in the know and has been able to construct a sequence of events that eventually ended with the Chinese being pushed back from the Indian territory that they briefly intruded into by a kilometre at the mouth of the Galwan Valley.

Before 15 June: A military agreement

The events of last Monday night occurred along the Galwan River, which originates from Aksai Chin, and reaches the Shyok river, also known as the river of death. There is a particular point at which the Galwan river takes a sharp turn left and later meets the Shyok.

Patrol Point 14 (PP 14) is just ahead of this confluence of the Shyok-Galwan river.

Indian troops have traditionally patrolled till PP 14 but has never built a camp or any structure in accordance with the understanding between the two sides at the local level.

Similarly, the Chinese also patrol up to PP 14 from time to time. This is also the spot where the two sides meet to talk.

Early May, a Chinese tent was spotted at PP 14. This is deemed to be in Indian territory and the Indians challenged this construction in May itself and also confronted a group of Chinese soldiers who were attempting to trek down to the Shyok river.

Sources said that the Chinese later dismantled its tent and went back to their side beyond PP 14.

However, both sides had built up troops and were literally in a stand-off at PP 14.

After the 6 June meeting between 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen. Harinder Singh and his Chinese counterpart Major General Lin Liu, commander of the South Xinjiang Military District, it was decided that both sides will fall back by about 2 kilometres from their current positions at PP 14.

Accordingly, Indian troops moved behind and the Chinese did too.

However, sources said that a few days later, India found that the Chinese had reneged on the agreement and erected two fresh tents on a slope, including one which was suspected to be an observation point.

The Chinese were repeatedly asked to remove them and Indian troops forcefully dismantled one of the two tents and set it on fire on Sunday, 14 June.

On 15 June: The big fight

On 15 June, the Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment, Col Santosh Babu, held talks with his Chinese counterpart at PP 14. It was decided that both sides would strictly adhere to the 6 June decisions, which would also mean that the Chinese would have to remove the structure on the slope.

At around 7 pm that night, as reported by ThePrint, Colonel Santosh along with a small group of officers and personnel went up to PP 14 to check if the Chinese had kept up their end of the agreement.

This is where the account blurs. Some sources say initially a Major and some non-commissioned officers (NCOs) had gone to PP 14 and were taken hostage, but others say it was Colonel Babu who went.

What is confirmed is that Col Santosh had about 40 other personnel with him, including officers and unit videographers, when he neared PP 14.

Seeing the tent still present, the CO asked his men to remove the tent. A small group of Chinese soldiers then came forward and began a verbal spat.

Sources said this slowly turned into pushing and shoving. At this time, the Indians outnumbered the Chinese.

This continued for about half an hour, and during the melee, the temporary structure was dismantled.

However, a larger group of Chinese soldiers came to the spot armed with iron rods, stones and even sticks with nails and barbed wires on them.

The Chinese had the tactical advantage here in terms of numbers, weapons and the geography.

The Chinese attacked the Indian soldiers and the Commanding Officer (CO) was hurt since he was at the forefront.

He fell in the icy cold waters of the Galwan River below even as the soldiers fought back with the sticks they were carrying.

The attack on the CO fired up the soldiers, who managed to wrangle the weapons being used by the Chinese away from them and turned it on them. They even fought with sheer physical force, the sources said.

“This was treachery by the Chinese. The attack on the Indian team was planned. The CO had gone there with his men in good faith because talks were held in a positive atmosphere during the day,” a source said.

Sources said that since the fight was happening over a ledge, many soldiers from both sides fell into the icy cold river water.

They added that of the 20 dead on the Indian side, about eight died directly as a result of hypothermia because they had injured themselves by falling on the rocks in the river below. It was Tuesday morning by the time a rescue was possible.

As the Indian side found out about the fight breaking out, back up was rushed in. This included troops from the 16 Bihar and other units that were posted in the area due to the stand off.

The names of these unit are not being disclosed for security and tactical reasons.

While more Indian soldiers armed with sticks rushed in, the Chinese threw stones and rolled down bigger stones onto the Indian team.

In the hand-to-hand combat, many Chinese soldiers were grievously injured, the sources said.

Such was the confusion at this point that each side pelting stones was also hitting their own soldiers.

“The area of the main fight was very narrow. In the melee, at one particular section, the Chinese were again overwhelmed by the Indian troops and they ran off to the main area of PP 14 behind which there was Chinese build up,” a source said.

A group of Indian soldiers chased them and crossed over what is the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an undrawn line.

It is here that 10 Indian soldiers were held captive since the Chinese had a bigger build-up, sources said.

The fight continued for several hours into the darkness till it subsided with both sides pulling apart.

16 June: The morning after

In the morning, both sides decided to halt the fight and rescue the injured and take away bodies.

Some of the soldiers who ended up in custody on the other side were returned following the Major General level talks near PP 14.

Both sides made sure that the injured were taken care of.

However, it was only on Thursday that the Chinese returned the 10 who had crossed over the LAC in the chase.

“It was a clash that began with Chinese treachery. It was a clash of great heroism of the troops posted there who fought back the Chinese and taught the Chinese a lesson not to mess with India,” a source said.

Since the Monday clash, the Chinese have withdrawn from the Indian territory at PP 14 and have gone back to their side in accordance with the decisions taken on 6 June.

The Indians too have gone back but have maintained a strict vigil. The future talks, including the one held on 22 June, will focus on more de-escalation and will follow a policy of specifying how many troops will be at what distance from the LAC, besides new patrolling tactics.

Why Only Hinduism Mentions The Universe But No Other Religion?

Did we ever notice that only Hinduism mentions the universe? The reason is that only Hinduism knows about the vast dimensions and the huge timeframes of the universe of which our earth is just a speck. Ancient cultures like Maya, Inka, Sumeria, and others may also have reached out to the stars, but they were all destroyed either by Christianity or by Islam, and Bible or Quran were enforced as “the truth”.

Only Hindus have still preserved this knowledge which in all likelihood originated in India itself. There are still millions of valuable ancient texts in India, even though millions of others were burnt by invaders on the premise that only one book is needed. In Greece in contrast, there are estimated to be only some 20,000 texts.

Surya Sidhanta is a major text with incredible knowledge about the universe dated – hold your breath – at least 10,000 years ago. The ancient Indians knew that the earth is round or rather elliptical, that it goes around the sun, they knew the distance to the sun and moon; they knew that the distance is 108 times the respective diameter – the reason why sun and moon appear of the same size from the earth. Their knowledge was truly inspired or ‘God-given’.

The Puranas (purana means old and according to tradition were composed by Veda Vyasa around 5000 years ago), which are often dismissed as mere myths, are also a treasure trove of knowledge. They talk among other things about the creation of the universe (the ‘Big Bang’ and ‘expanding universe’ theory were in all likelihood inspired by them) and about the periodic withdrawal after billions of years, about the original, unmanifested One Source and the gods in charge of creation, sustenance and dissolution, who evolved from the One Source. Clearly, the ancient Indians were at home in the universe.

The Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana even claims that there are ‘myriads of universes’, a view which may now be taken more seriously by science after certain experiments in Antarctica had strange results. The timescales which the ancient Indians proposed are incredibly huge.

Now compare this with the Abrahamic religions. Judaism, the parent religion, as it were, of Christianity and Islam claims that the earth is some 6000 years old. Christianity and Islam didn’t challenge this view. Both did not look beyond this earth and actually hold very primitive ideas about it. Christianity taught that the earth is flat and static and that the sun moves over it until 400 years ago. Giordano Bruno, an Italian philosopher, was burnt to death in 1600 CE because he refused to disown the theory that the earth goes around the sun. Imagine – he was brutally killed for stating the truth and only 400 years ago…

Islam too considers the earth as flat and mountains were placed to stabilize it (Q15.19). Like Christianity, Islam also says that not the earth, but the sun moves, and runs to its resting place at night. There was clearly no idea about the vastness of the universe, as Q 67.5. says “We have decorated the heaven of this world with lamps and we made them as missiles for pelting the shaitans and thus prepared for them the scourge of flames.”

So naturally, these religions don’t mention the universe, because they had no clue about it. It is truly unfortunate that they dumbed down the intelligence of the human race. They destroyed the natural urge to discover the truth about us and the universe. Only since Christianity lost its power to punish views which are not in tune with the teaching of the Church, science took off in the West.

There is no doubt that the sudden tremendous progress of science in the recent few centuries was greatly inspired by Indian knowledge. Some western scientists themselves acknowledged this. Einstein said “We owe a lot to the Indians.” Famous scientists like Heisenberg, Schroedinger, Oppenheimer or Tesla studied India’s ancient wisdom. And Mark Twain opined: “Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”

Even in the 1970s and 80s, India’s wisdom had a rather good image, after the Beatles were inspired by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Transcendental Meditation. The contribution of India for example to Transpersonal Psychology was also acknowledged at that time, yet was meanwhile erased at least from Wikipedia.

However, in our modern times, this has changed. Hindu Dharma and Hindus, especially Brahmins, who preserved the knowledge system over many millennia, are unfairly vilified and ridiculed by the mainstream religions. They are accused of ‘oppressing minorities’, of ‘rape culture’ and even of terrorism. It happens rarely that anything positive is said about the Hindu tradition, when it actually produces the most humane mind-set, as it is based on Dharma, which means to do what is right under the given circumstances.

Are the institutionalized religions afraid that they lose their followers, if they come to know about the knowledge still stored up in India?

By Maria Wirth

These are the authors personal views

COUNTERING CHINA

by

Lt Gen PG Kamath (Veteran)

China’s belligerence has always been to remind India of its place that at best it can remain only as a South Asian Power.  She has to be in a subsidiary status to China while she tries in vain to pursue her ill-founded dream of ‘Middle Kingdom’.  China also suffers from a severe inferiority complex as they had undergone a century of humiliation from 1850 to 1950, when China was humbled, subjugated, exploited and literally drugged with opium.  Their Summer Palace at Beijing was raided, looted and burnt.  China in the first of half of the 20th Century was in the throes of a civil war for nearly two decades to emerge as PRC.  Smarting under the humiliation she underwent; she is determined to wreck the world and satisfy her false ego and redeem insults that the world had once heaped on her.    India certainly cannot be a whipping boy for China’s pursuit to avenge the injustice meted out to her in the past. 

How should India deal with China? She has to be paid in her own coin.  China respects strength and if one bow to her, she would insist on bending one’s knees as well.  However, if you are prepared to give her a bloody nose, she would benevolently smile at you and would wax eloquent on China-India; Civilisational links and need for the Asian Giants to cooperate against the Western exploitation; or some such narrative to neuter the situation and wait for a suitable time to crush you down.  India in her all-pervasive naivety always trusted China. It is high time to wake up and deal with China empowered with ‘Chanakya Niti’.

I have tried to list a number of actions we should take to counter China; however, the list is not comprehensive.  All the suggested measures cannot be taken immediately but it should be our ultimate agenda.   The time plan could vary from one year to a decade.  Many more points can be added however, I want to caution the skeptics not to discount any points.  Some of them may not look practical at this point in time but may seem viable in a future time frame.  Please note a decade is only a blip in the life of a nation; one may have to plan for a minimum period of half a century at one time.   

Immediate Concern 

Restore Status quo ante Bellum on the LAC as on 15 April 2020.  Please do not bother about the close collusion between the CPC and Congress; we can deal with the latter’s treachery later.  Now, concentrate to restore the LAC. This is the litmus test to test our political will against China.  India should not get involved in the endless dialogue on this issue as the delay will only legitimise the Chinese Occupation of No Man’s Land at Finger 4 at Pangong Tso.  As per reports he has further built-in areas vacated by him.  The entire process should not get delayed and should follow a strict verifiable time plan.  China will not withdraw easily as Xi needs an honourable exit with some gains in hand.   India need to occupy areas ahead of LAC in other sectors as quid pro quo.  There is a need for us to take initiative in other areas where he is not prepared.  I still do not rule out a local skirmish with weapons that could fulminate into bigger but limited conflict.  

Psychological Operations (Psy Ops) Against China.  India should not hesitate to launch psy operations against China to expose her expansionist actions.  President Trump, Prime Minister Abe, President Putin, German Chancellor, French President, PM of UK, Taiwan and ASEAN should be briefed on Chinese aggression. We should release imageries to show Chinese expansion date wise for the world to understand China’s aggression.  Enough of inert statements, when China has gone ballistics on naming India as an aggressor. 

Overcome the onslaught of Covid-19.  Redouble the effort to find a vaccine and simultaneously give all the resources to states to overcome the surge that is likely to happen in Sep/Oct.  The challenge with the government is to ensure economic growth during the nations fight against Corona Virus.

Review the Intelligence Set up in the country.  It appears that the entire intelligence set up in the country works under the NSA.  I will not discuss this aspect now, as the LAC is still hostile and an eyeball to eyeball situation prevails.  It certainly needs a relook and the overall coordination has to be done by the DIA, who should keep the CDS, three service Chiefs and NSA updated simultaneously.  Ultimately, the intelligence is required to keep the forces posted in order to pre-empt enemy and neutralise his designs.  I have a feeling that the intelligence is held up at NSA Secretariat without proper dissemination to required agencies who need to take action.  Competition among different intelligence agencies and the tendency to breast the tape with vital intelligence inputs is stalling its free flow to the armed forces, who need to act upon it. Whatever be the reason, a thorough review of intelligence set up of the country should be carried out.  Strategic intelligence should have given us an indication of the build-up in Ngari, Hotan and Kashgar Prefectures.  Troops most probably were the local troops available in the Western Theatre Command and it is assumed that troops from other Theatre Commands were not requisitioned. 

Diplomatic Measures

Renounce One China Policy

       Renounce ‘One China Policy’ and insist it would be quid pro quo to China declaring ‘One India Policy’.  The ‘One India Policy’ policy means Indian sovereignty over the entire J&K.

Remove the Ambiguity on LAC in Ladakh

  Ensure meaningful talks when SRs meet for Sino-Indian Border talks.  22 meetings have been held; however, India has only been discussing peripherals with them.  The NSA should be firm and say; in case the claim lines of China in the Western Sector (Ladakh) is not given then there is no point in continuing the so-called fruitless border discussions.  Some timebound inputs have to be obtained.  In the Eastern Sector, there is no need to ask for claim lines as ‘McMahon Line’ should be taken as the final one; that only needs to be demarcated on the ground.   In the Middle sector ‘Barahoti’ is on our side of the Zanskar Ridge that is claimed and occupied by China.  The IB should run on the ridgeline of Zanskar Range going by the watershed principle.  No compromise should be accepted on our claim and it should be articulated in clear and strong terms.

Be firm with China that the border understanding cannot be left to the future generation as required by China but should be sorted out to ensure peace and prosperity between the two countries.

Enhance cooperation and trade with Taiwan and enhance political, economic and military support. Clandestinely give technical support to Taiwan and Vietnam to become a nuclear and missile powers as China had done to Pakistan to pit it against India.

Provide Brahmos Missiles to Taiwan, Vietnam and the  Philippines to dominate the South China Sea.  They should be given land, air and sea version of the cruise missiles. Taiwan would be able to dominate Taiwan Straits as well.

  

Ensure Taiwan is given an ‘Observer’s Status’ in WHO; now, that India is the head of the executive committee.

Bring about an entente between the USA and Russia and wean the latter away from China.  India should enhance its close cooperation with Russia.

Ensure close cooperation and the elimination of distrust between South Korea and Japan as they have a maritime dispute over Dokdo Islet.  Act as an intermediary and ensure that it is solved and their estrangement is removed.   The US would be keen to lead such an endeavour. India should facilitate it.  The aim is to isolate China in the Indo-Pacific.  China’s only friend should be North Korea and Cambodia.

Also, be an intermediary to solve the territorial dispute over the Kurile Islands between Russia and Japan.  If Japan, Russia, South Korea act as one it will send shivers up the spine of Beijing.

Support Japan to her claim over the Senkaku Island chain which is claimed by China under the name Diaoyu.  Support Japan in its renaming the island as ‘Tonoshiro Senkaku’.

Strengthen ‘Quad’ and increase its Membership.  Presently the members of Quad are the US, Japan, Australia and India.  Increase the membership with countries of SE Asia who have a maritime dispute with China; such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.  Singapore is a vibrant democracy and will gladly join the fold.  Innocuously, ensure the containment of China.

Support the littoral countries of the South China Sea and insist the maritime borders should be based on UNCLOS. Incidentally, China has signed and ratified the treaty.   Artificially constructed islands can neither command territorial waters nor an EEZ.  Join the movement led by the USA to ensure the waters of the South China Sea are international waters.

India’s Naval exercises ‘Malabar’ and ‘Milan’ should aim to get all the countries of Quad and South East Asia to participate.

Give impetus to strengthen the Indian Ocean Rim Association.  It has 22 countries and the grouping should have Biannual Naval Exercise with the theme ‘Indian Ocean for Indian Ocean Regional Countries’ and measures to contribute to world trade and development.  It is not understood as to why India is not taking the lead in integrating this group?  It can be a positive counter to Chinese expansion in the Indian Ocean.

Enhance cooperation with Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.  They have borders with China.  Though we modernised Ayni Airbase in Tajikistan, we were not able to capitalise on the dividends.  It would enable us to turn the flanks of both China and Pakistan. 

Give support to the Democratic movement in Hong Kong.  The National Security Legislation imposed on Hong Kong by China is against the Sino-British Joint Declaration.  The declaration rules that the autonomy of Hong Kong will not be interfered by China for fifty years after 1997.  China’s impatience to stifle democratic aspirations of People of Hong Kong has riled the world community and the US has threatened to strip its special status given to Hong Kong for trade and finance that has enabled it to become a ‘World Financial Hub’.  This would adversely affect China’s investments which are mostly through Hong Kong.

Incite Insurgencies in Xinjiang and Tibet.  ‘East Turkmenistan Liberation Front’ an Uyghur organisation of Xinjiang is fighting for independence from China.  The Tibetan Youth Congress is also fighting for Tibetan Independence.  Give formal recognition to ‘Tibetan Government in Exile’ (TGIE) located in Dharmsala.  If China can play around with words and change the LAC perception ad nauseam; we should not hesitate to change our stance towards Tibet due to changed circumstances.  Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between India and China for trade-in Tibet was signed on 29 April 1954 was valid for only eight years and it has not been renewed since then. As the treaty is no more current, we should declare; Tibet is not a part of China.   Geographically India, Tibet and Xinjiang have mutual common land boundaries with each other.  Provide financial, moral, arms and ammunition and training support, and incite and sustain these insurgencies and build resistance movements in these provinces of China.  I am sure the reader is aware that the CIA supported the Guerrilla Rebellion in Tibet in 1950s and 60s from Indian soil. Caches of arms, ammunition and currencies were dropped in Tibet.  We should also forge an alliance between the insurgencies by Uyghurs and Tibet and enable them to form a Joint Front to coordinate and sabotage Chinese assets and execute raids on their security establishments.  Wide-scale subversion should be resorted to as the people of Tibet have immense faith in his Holiness Dalai Lama.   We all know the extent of discontent among the Uyghurs as more than a million has been forcibly put in concentration camps euphemistically called ‘Re-education Camps’.  Both the provinces can be made ripe for insurrection only if the Government of India has the political will to pursue its strategic objective.

Economic Measures

Huawei 5G. Cancel Huawei 5G participation and in rolling out 5G network in India, immediately..

Cripple Chinese Exports. China has become an export-oriented economy and if exports are hit; it will cripple its industries and large-scale retrenchment of workers will take place.  This is a good opportunity to cause resentment among its populace and spur an internal conflict.  We all know how the one-party autocratic rule is having a   stranglehold over its people.  It is a gigantic convent at work.  Any questions raised would be blasphemous.  The pent-up restraints in a billion people can erupt; all it needs a spark to the powder barrel.

Action has already been taken to prevent China from taking over our ventures by monitoring investments from China.  All Chinese FDIs would be monitored by the Government.

The $50 billion trade deficit has to be reduced.  This should be taken as a unique opportunity for India to manufacture goods locally.  Alternatively, as all sources of supply cannot be established within the country so soon; alternate foreign sources of supply should be explored.

Get the Lowest Bid. The international loans and aid that comes to India have strings attached as they have to be given to the lowest bidder and China is generally, the lowest bidder as it can exploit her own people to manufacture goods so cheap that no country can compete.  Have an understanding with Indian companies to underbid and win contracts and the Government thereafter should compensate the Indian firms for the losses incurred due to their underbids.  This will ensure that China would not be able to win any contract in India.

A people’s movement is gaining grounds in India for boycotting Chinese goods; as the ‘Confederation of Indian Traders’ has given a call to boycott goods of Chinese origin.  Uninstalling of Chinese apps and deactivation of membership from those firms which have heavy investments from China is taking place.  The government should encourage the move and start encouraging the State Governments. Maharashtra has already taken a lead on the issue.

Africa is all set to fight against the predatory economics of China.  Utilise the opportunity to make an innocuous expansion of trade and economic cooperation with the African countries.  Most countries have already been conned by China and they are looking for an opportunity to come out of the neo-colonial stranglehold.

The ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership’ a brainchild of Obama was further modified by Trump under a new name ‘Blue Dot Network’ as a counter to China’s BRI. The BDN should comprise the US, Japan, Australia, India and other democracies.  It should provide loans and technology to developing countries under absolute transparency in contrast to opaque Chinese terms that lands the borrower as a surrogate country to China.  

Measures for improvement of Security and Defence

Formulation of ‘National Security Strategy’.  Our country with adversaries in China and Pakistan and surviving under nuclear threat and beset with ongoing terrorism and insurgencies for the past seven decades still does not have a ‘National Security Strategy’.  Let alone planning the defence budgets we have not even identified our threats from the two and a half fronts.  We have still not identified our Political Objectives in case of war and how they translate into Military Objective against both China and Pakistan. The task was given to the NSA and he is still in the act.  It should not be vague and should benchmark our military capabilities year wise in a ‘two and half front war scenario’.  The envisaged capacity building has to be supported by compatible defence allocations to achieve such a capability.  Unspent money should be carried forward.

Assured Defence Budget.  Once the National Security Strategy is approved by the CCS the same has to be signed by the PM.  Thereafter the annual allocation of defence budget should be assured based on the capacity building.  Otherwise; just see as to how our defence budgets are allocated.  Chinese attacked and humbled Nehru in 1962 then there was a sudden increase in the defence budget. It enabled us to do well both in 1965 and 1971 Conflicts.  Again, the country was going to slumber and the present standoff is a blessing in disguise to warn the government to get rid of its penchant to churn out debilitating defence budgets.  It should be a steady three per cent of the GDP.

Ability to Defeat China at Sea for its Belligerence on Land.  Develop the ability to throttle trade of China passing through the Indian Ocean by developing the capability to throttle Malacca Straits, Sunda and Lombak and dominate Ombai Straits in conjunction with Australia to deny the Indian Ocean to China.  Andaman Nicobar Archipelago is well poised to throttle Malacca Straits.  We only need to develop task forces to dominate Sunda, Lombak and Ombai Straits.  It is essential that we have a minimum of three aircraft carriers to harass, delay and throttle Chinese Ships and destabilise their economy.  The Achilles Heels of China is in Indian Ocean.

Change of Allocation of GOI Business Rules.  Even after the appointment of CDS, the major allocation of business rules has not changed in respect to the responsibility for the defence of the country.  It still lies with the defence secretary.  Let us see the present situation. 

Ø    MMRCA initiated in 1999 and after 21 years, we have only one aircraft with us.  Rest of the one-fourth of the earlier requirements are in pipeline. 

Ø    S-400 the anti-air defence missile system has still not been received and the RM has gone to Russia to expedite the supply. 

Ø    The third aircraft carrier plans have been shelved by the MOD citing lack of funds. 

Ø    The Mountain Strike Corps is stillborn as resource allocation for its raising has been stopped midway. 

Ø    The scathing shortage of critical ammunition and the Armed Forces have to scrape the bottom for ‘10 days intense battle’ reserve. 

Ø    Now let us rule out the big-ticket weapons; the basic weapons; rifles, light machine guns and carbines for frontline soldiers are in pipelines for several years. 

Ø    The RM had approved in Jan 2109 to procure cum locally manufacture 6,71,427 AK-203 Rifles. The Joint Venture is between OFB and the Russian firm.  The OFB has not been able to come to any understanding of the prices. Hence, with our enemy knocking at our gates the Defence Secretary and his caboodle have not been able to wind up the act to get the basic weapons for our soldier. 

Ø    During the entire Indo-China standoff the MOD and the Defence Secretary were silent spectators; let alone be responsible for the grand illusory task for the defence of the country. 

Ø    The only talk the Defence Secretary gave was on 22 May 2020; and, instead of highlighting critical deficiency in ammunition and shortage of weapons and equipment; his only refrain was the heavy pension bill of the Armed Forces.  He reels out cooked up figures that the Defence Pension Bill rose from 32000 crores to 1,33,000 crores. 

Let me assure that the Defence Secretary is talking glibly by manipulating data.  Does it mean each of the veterans would have got four times their erstwhile pensions?  Both CGDA and MOD intimidate decision-makers by reeling out puffed up figures. In case the Defence secretary was really doing his job of looking after the defence of the country, where does he have the time to go for a public talk and project cooked up data on defence pensions?  He should be preparing the Armed Forces for war when China had built up across the LAC. 

RM to please ensure that the responsibility to defend the country should lie with the CDS and not the Defence Secretary, who does not have a clue as to how to go about it?

Integrating Armed Forces Officers into MOD. 

A long-pending requirement to keep the naïve babus abreast with the service requirement was recommended by GOM under Mr LK Advani besides by the Kargil Review Committee under Mr Subramaniam.  With the raising of the Department of Military Affairs under the CDS,  the requirement has been met partially; however, no real integration has been done in other departments of the Ministry.  I have just mentioned that the Department of Defence under the Defence Secretary function in their make-believe world of mutually comforting ignorance. He does not even have a middle-ranking officer from the Armed Forces to advise him:  Decrepit state of affairs!

OFB and DRDO to be Accountable to the Armed Forces.

These two organisations function with no accountability to the user, the Armed Forces of the Country.  Look at the perpetual shortage of ammunition; the MOD that exercises control over these two establishments is mutually hand in glove with each other.  Critical projects are delayed at the DRDO. The ammunition is not only in short supply but last year a series of accidents and deaths of troops took place due to defective ammunition.  Last year the training on L-70 Air Defence guns was stopped as an officer and the gun crew were injured.  The barrel of a new howitzer also burst due to defective ammunition. The corporatisation of the OFB is being protested.  The DRDO with 52 laboratories and 7800 scientists has been inadequate, to put it mildly.  Astra Air to Air missiles, Anti-Tank Nag Missiles, Arjun Main Battle Tank and Ballistic Missile Defence have been under various stage of development for the past two to three decades.  Instead of concentrating on their main jobs, they have developed ‘Hand sanitiser’ and ‘Germi Clean’ to sanitise uniform of police personnel. Does it need a DRDO to develop a chamber to warm uniforms to 70 Celsius?  It can be made by a local MSME.  Misplaced priorities have dogged the organisation.  It is only the user who can goad the organisation to focus on their main task and hold it accountable for the delays. 

Conclusion

India has responded with firmness and fortitude and political will has been displayed by the government. It has translated in the offensive military skirmish on the border.  The bravado and bullying of PLA have been replaced with sobriety and sombreness.  India’s face-saving is to ensure the PLA withdraws to status quo ante Bellum as on 15 April 2020.  PLA’s face-saving is to delay and drag the military negotiations for months so that the spotlight over the issue fades into irrelevance.  There should not be any thinning of our build-up until our aim is achieved.  Political will builds Military strength and should outlast Beijing’s scheme of delay and duplicity..

A good lesson for India is not to starve its forces with paltry budget support.  It was China in 1962 that made us focus on our defence.  It made us triumphant in 1965 and 1971.  Similarly, in the past few years, when the Defence was being neglected it is a timely reminder to us to shore up our defences for the two and half front war. The shortages that we are facing are due to two factors; one, political neglect for making naïve and rudderless Defence Ministers and, the second; bureaucratic delays as this breed is not accountable to anyone.   During Kargil operations due to shortage of Bofors ammunition, we ran around with a begging bowl in our hands.  Now the RM has gone to Russia with a bigger bowl.  When will we ever learn?  ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ also means Bharat with ‘Strategic Autonomy’. 

Tailpiece

Chinese build-up and deployment in ‘No Man’s Land’ is not over. There is a likelihood of limited conflict. Please support the Government. Congress and Communists are supporting the Communists Party of China, but our country has learned to live with them since independence and prospering in spite of them. Jai Hind!

About the author:

Veteran Lt Gen PG Kamath, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, is one of the most highly decorated officers of the Indian Army.  He retired as the Commandant, Army War College, Mhow, a crucible for evolution of tactics, strategy and grand strategy; an appointment that is the cynosure of eyes of all Combat Soldiers.

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By the kind courtesy of

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/countering-china-lt-gen-p-g-kamath/?published=t