COURSE SPIRIT

  

It started with a call, “Hi where are you?”, “Indore” was my response, “Oh I thought you were in Mhow”. RCT was on line and I immediately pounced on him,”You must read the blogs, which I send out”, knowing fully well, an Army Commander is a busy person, but then course-mates have a right to pull each other’s legs. I enquired what was he doing in Mhow, now it was his turn to take a dig,”You are retired, but you may like to peruse the papers once in a while, we are here for the ‘Infantry Commanders Conference’”. He said “We must catch up”. There we both agreed and I said I will await his call. I knew these conferences are time consuming so we would probably get a small window sometime over the course of next two days. When next day I didn’t receive any call, I understood, their schedule was quite packed, so I suggested that both he and Andy, the two Army Commanders of our course should drop by on their way to the airport. Both of them immediately appreciated the idea and we locked it.

While Preeti my better half, got on with the preparations, knowing fully well, that there would be a full fledged cavalcade following them, I started wondering, what exactly is this course spirit? In NDA, we were not in the same Squadron or even Company later in IMA, not even in the same academic class, the two of them are hard core Infantarians, I am a Signaller, it was only much later in Service, that with RCT I did the staff course and with Andy, served in Leh and then we went back to Wellington together as DSs. But the spirit did not get kindled during these stints, it was always prevalent and the spark need not even be a physical one, just a phone call is enough. This spirit, as people say is in the air in the academies, highly infectious, as all of us catch the bug without exception. The reputation travels through the word of mouth and even in the academies, we do get to know one another as though each one is a chuddy buddy. We were 300 of us when we joined the NDA and 200 of us who landed up in the IMA, the balance 100 went to the Air Force Academy and Naval Academy. With Army counterparts, we generally do cross paths over the three decades plus service that most us have put in, either on courses of instruction or postings together, with the sister services too, the tri-services  courses like Staff Course, Higher Command, NDC you get to rub shoulders, where our better halves too learn to bond as they have no other option. We socialise with them and chat up about them, so they do realise that they would be missing the fun, if they stayed out of this close bond. The ‘bond’ reminds me of a song in the yesteryear classic film “Rajanigandha”, where the heroine croons, “Kitana sukh hai bandhan men”, meaning the pleasure of this bondage has to be experienced to be realised, she is of course referring to her lover. But the context remains the same, this bond has to be lived through to realise its true worth and meaning in our lives. My Dad was sick, in the ICU, Andy comes calling, puts in a word. My daughter Ananya’s wedding RCT makes it a point to grace the occasion, having promised her.The gestures matter. These are moments to treasure, yesterday too was a similar moment, RCT with Gauri and Andy with Ruchira landed up for a cup of coffee and lit up the place literally. Two warm bear hugs, lots of backslapping and some leg pulling and we were back in the academy. That spirit, which can’t be defined, which has to be experienced, was evident, you can see me beaming with ride at the glorious achievements of two of our stalwarts.

Our quiet lane was buzzing with activity since the day before when the CMP pilot vehicle came to check on the route. The civilian world is suddenly shaken up when they see people in uniform and having watched the spectacle of the cavalcade, I am sure it will be the talk of our neighbourhood for a number of days. We will enjoy in the basked glory. Here you can see an extremely proud father relishing these moments with us. 

BANGLADESH IMBROGLIO

 The recent events in Bangladesh are not just a cause for concern but I think, it is now bordering as a threat in being. Ironically within a century, the lighthouse of Indian civilisation, undivided Bengal has turned into such a morass that no one could have imagined. The land of Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, which even the British had to finally surrender to, when they revoked the 1905 division of Bengal. This abyss that both Bengals find themselves in today, can be traced back to the seeds of radicalisation sowed in the pre-partition era. The riots and violence which was unleashed on the minorities in the predominantly Muslim East Bengal those days was not an aberration. The overt bon-homie between the  communities could not paper over the deep divide within, like a powder keg, just waiting for any trigger to explode. Humanity itself was disgraced and ashamed by the horrendous acts of mindless violence that arsonists indulged in, after the clarion call given by Jinnah of “Direct Action Day” on 16 Aug 1946. Thus the roots of Jamaat-i-Islami are not Pakistani in origin, it is homegrown, of course actively supported by ISI. Jamaatis were not eliminated from Bangladesh after 1971, they were just sidelined, and they were waiting in the wings to strike, when they were in a position to do that.

 

India is guilty of firstly presuming that these Jamaat activists are fringe elements, secondly of underestimating the threat emerging in the East and thirdly of total  intelligence failure at not having been able to see the writing on the wall during the regime of Shaikh Hasina’s Awami League. Even in 1975, when Shakih Mujib was assassinated, we were caught napping and let Bangladesh slip out of our sphere of influence. Indo-Bangladesh relations remained cold during the nearly two decades of rule by military dictators, generals Zia-ur-Rahman and HM Ershad and thereafter by Begum Khaleda Zia’s BNP. The return of Awami League brought the two nations closer,Shaikh Hasina owed her life to India, as she survived the Mujib Family massacre by virtue of being in India on that fateful day. She was successful in getting the economy of this beleaguered nation kick started and India  was happily providing all the support.  Maintaining good neighbourly relations is a win-win for both the nations and augured well for their populace and their economies as well. The close cooperation helped, but unfortunately Bangladesh was hampered by a highly vitiated political environment, where BNP and Awami League were at loggerheads. For any functioning democracy, ruling party and the principal opposition must enjoy cordial relationship and not demonstrated animosity. The differences should be ideological and not taken down to personal levels. If there is a total breakdown of communication between the two, as was witnessed by BNP boycotting the elections in 2024, the election process itself is sabotaged and becomes suspect.

 

In India, the growing chasm between BJP and the Opposition is definitely not healthy. By no means am I equating the two situations, but in seventy eight years of independent India, this is the first time the relations between the two rival groups have stooped so low. While acrimonious debates in the parliaments are par for the course, but in private, the politicians indulged in friendly banter and often even socialised. It takes two hands to clap and both the ruling dispensation and the opposition are to blame for the present imbroglio. 

 

We have to get our act together, the parties must let the parliament run and instead of wasting precious time over frivolous charges of Vote theft and opposing SIR, debate on major challenges facing the nation, with situation in Bangladesh being one of them. Historically, whenever, there is trouble brewing in the neighbourhood, India has to face the brunt in the guise of influx of refugees. Law and order situation in West Bengal is farfrom satisfactory and this will only complicate matters further. We also need to be watchful on the highly porous border, activate our security apparatus and expedite the border fencing. Our intelligence agencies need to be more vigilant and finally the leadership has to steer through this storm utilising every trick in diplomacy, resorting to good old Chanakya Neeti of  “sam, dam dand bhed”.

TRUMP PUTIN IN ALASKA

 

Trump Putin in Alaska, sounds like Johar Mahmood in HongKong, old timers would recall a comedy movie starring IS Johar and Mahmood. While the movie was a fictitious comedy, the Alaska summit was itself quite a farce. Trump won his Presidential election on the premise that he would ensure that Russia-Ukraine smoke the peace pipe within days of his coming to power. Well it has been months and Russia and Ukraine continue to be at each other’s throats. Trump considers himself to be a peacemaker par excellence and has already staked a claim to the Nobel Peace Prize umpteen number of times.

What went on in the tete-a-tete which Vlad and Don indulged in has been a matter of conjecture amongst the global geo-political analysts. The meme world has also gone berserk with one version doing the rounds where Putin tells Trump that he should return Alaska and take Ukraine, Trump declines, so Putin then offers that Trump should retain Alaska and Putin could retain Ukraine. Donald then feels that this deal is a fair one. There is another one where after the summit, Trump hands over a blank white sheet to  Zelensky which Putin had sent and Zelensky then says the sheet is blank, where Trump tells him that he is expected to wave that to Putin and sue for peace.

Be that as it may,  what would a scribe have given to be a fly on the wall there.  I will let you in on a secret, I was there, and have the first hand news of what transpired within the four walls there. After the pleasantries and the customary handshake, no hugs mind you, Putin first told him the ground situation where Russian troops were physically present in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts apart from Crimea which of course has been with Russia since 2014. Trump was stumped, there was no way in hell he could pronounce any of these regions, he started with Zzzz and then gave up, so he just grunted ok. Putin was overjoyed and presumed that Trump had just consented on the current state of affairs. Then Putin put forth his final request that while Ukraine cannot be admitted in NATO but Russia can and should immediately be incorporated as a member. Once Russia joins NATO, then Russia has a security guarantee and the threat from Ukraine is then taken care of. In addition he assured Donald his friend that this feather in his cap is a surefire ticket to the elusive Nobel. Then he invited him to Moscow for the next round to finalise the deal once and for all.

Trump returned triumphant after this highly successful summit, where he had not only secured peace but also assured himself of a Nobel, after all if Obama could why can’t he? His predecessor in his first inning as President fought two wars during his Presidency, and did not broker any ceasefires whatsoever,  whereas Trump had bombed only Iran so far and brokered peace between warring nations cutting across continents from Israel-Hamas, Cambodia – Thailand, Ethiopia-Rwanda, India -Pakisatan and now Russia-Ukraine, the icing on the cake. So obviously, Trump’s claim is genuine. In the ultimate bargain Nobel for Trump is too small a price for the world to return to sanity. Let us all together lend our support to this worthy cause.

Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction and any similarity in events is purely coincidental.

My first day at RIMC

 

2nd Aug 1978, was just another ordinary rainy day in the Doon Valley, except that it was to change the destiny of 15 young lads  who were a couple of years away from entering their teens themselves. Dehradun Railway Station still exuded the old world charm back then, when the train chugged into the railway station well into the dusk on 1st evening, one of these 15 along with his father disembarked from the second class sleeper compartment, after almost 36 hours of train ride from Indore. The youngster sat mesmerised in the train window, as though he wanted to soak the breathtaking sights in, and store it forever in those little grey cells of his. With monsoons at its peak, rivers were overflowing almost as though keen to form an acquaintance with the boy by flowing alongside on the bridges, the clouds had dissolved into the gentle mist caressing his cheeks, as though planting a peck, encouraging him in his pursuit. The railway stations of Haridwar and Rishikesh provided a kaleidoscope with Godmen  in their saffron robes intermingling with the goatherds in their bright colourful turbans, woodcutters attaching their piles of wood on the train windows with hooks, milkmen doing likewise with their milk cans in the lush green countryside, it was almost poetry in motion.

Next morning, huddled in the Shaktiman, Indian Army’s vintage lorry, Yash Saxena, Arun Sabnis, Ranjeet Nambiar,  Prashant Gupta and self along with our fathers landed in the Rajwada Camp. Rashtriya Indian Military College RIMC, for short was called the Rajwada, as once upon a time way back in 1901 the Imperial Cadet College was established in the same premises and where princes of erstwhile Indian States were trained in their martial duties by the British Military trainers. It was love at first sight for most of us,  as we entered the hallowed  precincts through the Thimayya Gate, nestled in the valley, with a small rivulet flowing through it, the Tudor style buildings and the perfect English weather weaved a magical spell on all of us. The white marbled War Memorial standing testimony to the valour and sacrifice of the alumni Rimcollians, boasting of one Victoria Cross and first Param Vir Chakra amongst the many others whose names were etched there, and our tricolour standing tall on the mast welcomed us into their fold with open arms.

As we got off the Shaktiman, my cadet guardian, late Ranpreet Singh was waiting for us to disembark with his umbrella to keep us from getting drenched in the downpour. I have spoken about him earlier too, (https://thesuyashsharma.com/mentoring/), mind you he himself was just an year older but the responsibility on his shoulders was borne with such elegance that my father was convinced, I was going to be in the right hands. We were introduced to the Commandant Lt Col GPS Warraich, a tall sprightly Sikh officer, whose experience was visible in the way he tackled the queries by the parents satisfying them about every aspect of care and wellbeing of their kids. We were allotted our sections there, Yash, Prashant and self were in Chandragupta Section, while Ranjeet Nambiar got Ranjeet Section, Deepak Chughha and Arun Sabnis went to Shivaji  Sections. Others from other parts of the country joined us here, Jaideep Saikia from Assam and Asim Mahapatra from Odisha were assigned Pratap, Raman Preet Sher Gill, Ashok Kataria and Sanjay Verma went to Ranjit Section and Anil Kumar Sharma, Sanjeev Agarwal joined Arun Sabnis in Shivaji. In next couple of days more cadets trooped in, Adhiraj Yadav, a second generation Rimcollian to be, Arvinder Singh representing Nagaland, Jayant Kumar from Bihar, Jagdeep Kairon and Suresh Yadav from Chandigarh.

The experience in the  Cadets Mess was simply overwhelming, 220 cadets lined up behind their tables, Cadet Captain marching in along with the Commandant and other dignitaries. Liveried immaculately dressed waiters serving continental cuisine, left me wondering more than eating, before the plates were closed. The imposing trophy of mounted Bison Head staring at us perched on top of the wall, antique weapons, boards with names of winners of sports events and you will get the picture of the thoughts going through that small little brain of mine at that time. Soon it was time to say adios to my father, I accompanied him to the War Memorial, where he probed me for one last time if I was ok, and then satisfied with the look on my face he returned reassured.Thus began the odyssey, which I dare say carries on …

Today being the friendship day, this is dedicated to my friends and brothers from my alma mater of these 47 odd years.

Is a Constable a Jawan?

 

Are jawans (soldiers) and constables synonymous? I am sure most of us are aware that the two have different roles assigned by the govt. While a soldier is assigned the primary responsibility to safeguard our borders from external threats, a constable is responsible for maintaining law and order within the country. If that be so, why are these terms being used interchangeably by the media and more pertinent question is that why is this being accepted as fait accompli by the military? Media personnel and the masses could even be excused for their ignorance, as they see a person in combat dress and address him as a soldier, but we the uniformed fraternity ought to know the difference and it is our duty to point that out. My civilian friends may feel that I am unnecessarily being a prude or a stickler, after all both serve the govt and their roles are demanding which require dedication and loyalty of the highest order.

In the last couple of decades, since Indian Army has been actively involved in counter insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir as also in the North East, the two agencies have been operating in tandem and at times even in joint operations. This intermingling has blurred the distinction between the two and the end result is this confused state of nomenclature. The Central Armed Police Forces(CAPF), BSF, CRPF, SSB, CISF all are attired in different patterns of combat pattern uniforms. Then there are Assam Rifles and NSG which are even manned/officered by Army personnel. CAPFs are under the Ministry of Home Affairs, whereas Armed Forces fall under the  ambit of Ministry of Defence. During the pre-independence period, the uniforms as also the accoutrement of the two were different, the police forces donned Khaki and Army Olive Green. Army was garrisoned and stuck to their cantonments or were in field areas away from the masses, the CAPFs were summoned whenever the situation demanded a beefing up of  the police forces, but the Army was only called out when the state govt called out to the Centre to control the state of affairs. Army by its sheer might was equipped to handle any and every such quagmire which the state or central machinery found itself in, and dutifully bailed them out each and every time, restoring the situation and handing it over back to the civil administration.

Army is the last resort which is available with any state, like the panacea, it can handle aid to civil authorities, be it floods, earthquake or natural disasters, insurgency, loot, arson, riots or even rescuing kids stuck in open bore-wells. Now that the distinction between the Army and CAPFs are being blurred deliberately, at last it appears so, we as a nation are at a risk as was witnessed during the riots and arson in Haryana when Gurmeet Ram Rahim was arrested and the Dera followers went on a rampage, where Army units had to carry ‘placards’ that they were Army and not the CAPFs.

This article is not to discredit the CAPFs and the stellar role which they play, but just that the identity and uniqueness of the Military can’t be and should never be under any such ambiguity. While Army has a Sipahi or a soldier, Lance Naik, Naik, Havaldar in the hierarchy of Non Commissioned Officers, the Police forces have a Constable and Head Constable. Then Army has Naib Subedar, Subedar and Subedar Major as Junior Commissioned officers, while the Police forces have Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), Sub Inspector (SI) and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)/Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who are selected through state level public service commissions or promoted through the constabulary.

If the designations and uniforms are distinct and different, then why should there be this confusion? Isn’t it high time, there are clear diktats issued to safeguard this distinction and identity. We have observed that in the recent past a number of incidents have been reported where the police personnel have behaved in a high headed manner in their dealings with the Defence personnel, even with senior serving personnel. Punjab incident being the most recent one where a serving Colonel along with his son were roughed up  by the police personnel. This malaise will progressively worsen if measures are not instituted forthwith to address the situation before it ends up demoralising the last bastion of the nation or worse if they decide to take law into their own hands and mete out exemplary punishment to the perpetrators.

NOBEL PIECE PRIZE

 

“Friends, Nobel committee members and my subjects, lend me your ears, I come to claim Nobel, not to seek it…..I am an honour ”Nobel’ man and I have always said it”

You can’t blame Trump for aspiring for the Nobel, he did aspire to be the POTUS and he actually did become one, not once but mind you twice over. Guys guess what, highly inspired by Mr Donald Trump and to emulate him I am nominating myself for the Nobel Prize for Peace. My claim to fame is that I too am an honest peace broker at home, I declare a ceasefire even before the first salvo is fired at home, simply by surrendering to the mistress of the house. Even when it comes to strife within the family or on the streets, whether people turn to me or not,  I too go ahead and announce to all and sundry that I was behind the truce even if no one else is prepared to give me any credit for the efforts undertaken.

Well to be honest, Alfred Nobel himself was the paragon of peace, after all he was the man who literally dynamited the world and brought peace upon many who laid down their lives due to the untiring efforts  of their friends who put it to good use over the last century. While Trump is definitely in the fray but there are many more equally qualified contenders for this coveted prize, for starters, the various Terror groups like the Hamas, Lashkars and Talibans of the world, who with their acts have been delivering the gospels of peace in their own style by putting people to sleep forever. A dead man is the most peaceful man, as the violence buried deep within him has also finally called it a day with his last breath. Then there are the Putins, Zelenskys, Bibis, Munirs of the world who have not been sitting idle themselves but have a been treading this inglorious path for a little longer.

No prizes for guessing who Trump’s sponsors are Bibi and Munir, birds of a feather flock together. Today it is Trump’s turn tomorrow it will be Bibi’s and Munir’s. I just heard that venerable Arvind Kejriwal too has thrown his hat in the ring, having successfully fooled the Magsaysay guys obviously he thinks Nobel committee would be equally gullible. May be these awards are also somewhat in a similar league as Bollywood awards, which are known to be manipulated. American Presidents, quite a few of them have been recipients starting from Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and the last one was Barrack Obama. Wilson was awarded for brokering the flawed treaty of Versailles and spectacular failure of League of Nations, resulting in the Second World War in just two  decades. Obama for may be indulging in multiple conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. So obviously befitting the legacy of Alfred Nobel himself, if the military industrial complex is kept busy with orders pouring in, then Peace award is yours for picking.

‘Peace is an illusion’ isn’t that a well known fact, so anything which is more in the minds than on the ground is subject to interpretations. My perception of peace is not the same as yours and who knows it better than Trump himself, reminding us of the last lines of Kenny Rogers’ classic country song, ‘Coward of the County’ “sometimes you gotta fight when you are a man”.

We all know that great leaders inspire confidence and motivate others by setting a personal example, so here he is! His citation would probably go something like this, “Donald Trump showing clear disdain for rules and orders,  with utter disregard for the safety and sanity of the rest of the world, he single handedly has plunged the world into a turmoil by ensuring that the world peace is now actually in “pieces”.” Don doesn’t appreciate anything in the singular, his principle is obviously, ‘more the merrier’, in his perception probably ‘pieces’ is the plural of ‘peace’ itself, so there you have it, Nobel Prize for Pieces and he is the deserving winner.

TEJAS:CALL FOR TOTAL INDIGENISATION

The recent Tejas crash during the Dubai Air show has been a huge setback for our fledgling aero industry  and our efforts at indigenisation in this crucial dimension of modern day warfare. Air shows world over are technology demonstration arenas, where global powers showcase their wares  and obviously the best of the systems are put on display. This was by no means a maiden effort by Tejas, as it has already participated in a number of air shows and even joint international exercises. In fact two squadrons have even been deployed for operations. Both the variants of Tejas, Mk 1 and Mk1A were deployed in OP SINDOOR . It was formally named Tejas in 2003 and the name may have been derived from the verse,

“Om Namah Shivaya Gurave Sacchidananda-Murtaye
Nisprapancaya Santaya Niralambaya Tejase”                                        

which means, ‘We respect Shiva who is the supreme guide and who is the embodiment of truth, tranquility and bliss. He is independent, full of peace and is full of spiritual light known as tejas’. Like Shiva, it is capable of inflicting destruction in the adversaries camps at cosmic levels. 

 It is a  4.5 generation, delta wing, multi role combat aircraft which has been designed by Aeronautical Design Agency and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. A 4.5 generation differs from the fifth generation fighter as it does not have stealth capability. Stealth essentially implies near invisibility to radars. So barring stealth, Tejas is a highly advanced fighter jet and although it has been more than four decades in making, it has come of age now. Recently with MIG 21s having been phased out finally, Tejas will be the main stay of  the IAF inventory.

 We have the expertise to go to the moon or even Mars, build aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, but when it comes to these lean mean fighting machines, the supersonic jets, we are still struggling. Before I go in to the reasons for this huge void in our military capability, a word about the loss of the precious life of the pilot Wing Commander Namansh Syal, our heart goes out to the bereaved family whose son had made them proud by turning into an ace  test pilot, a rare distinction bestowed upon the best in business. While the inquiry committee will no doubt unearth the reasons for this unfortunate crash, one thing is certain, the pilot ensured that he lived upto the Chetwodian motto of ‘his own personal safety being the last priority’ and prevented  any collateral damage, but in the process laid down his own life. This also reminds me of the Urdu couplet, “Girte hain Shahsawar hi maidan-e- jang mein, Vo tifl  kya gire jo ghutno ke bal chale” meaning it is only the brave and valorous fighters who fall, lesser mortals obviously don’t.

The reasons for any crash is either failure of the systems themselves, sabotage, or may even be a result of electronic or cyber warfare or, sometimes even pilot error. The aircraft is powered by  GE Aerospace F404-IN20 engine, which is the heart of the system itself. This dependence creates a huge vulnerability and exposes our failure at not being able to develop this critical component ourselves. Isn’t it ironic that we have successfully developed and deployed cryogenic engines when we were denied these post Pokharan II in 1998 due to sanctions imposed by the US. But Kaveri engine which was designed for combat aircrafts has not been a successful venture and has taken a back seat with our reliance on the GE engines. Technology denial is the most potent weapon which the world powers have been exploiting over the years. We are acutely aware of the Chinese propensity of installing backdoor malware in their systems, providing them with not only intelligence but also the kill switch to render the systems ineffective when most needed remotely. In modern warfare, these acts are not unheard of and will be used extensively, as PM Modi has been stressing, we have no other option but to rely on just one mantra, “atmanirbharta” or self reliance.

While Tejas will continue to surge the skies and blaze a trail of glory in years to come, we as a nation need to develop our own indigenous engines, then and only then, can we keep our adversaries at bay.