Dear Prime Minister and Home Minister,
As an Indian soldier before I began to gather/place my thoughts on Pulwama incident, I bowed my head in the memory of those killed at Pulwama at the same time hung my head in shame that we could not protect them by providing better equipment viz jammers etc in spite of known threat.
India Express of 18th February,2019, late Jaipur City edition carries a news item on the front page below the headlines and reads;
“CAR BORNE IEDs new challenge——–“. The statement has been attributed to current DG, CRPF Mr R R Bhatnagar.”
Before I proceed further let me quote from recent attacks carried out by vehicle borne suicide attackers.
“On 23rd October, 1983 suicide bombers drove a truck packed with huge quantities of explosives into two facilities of the multi-national force in Beirut and detonated them. At the US Marine barracks 241 peacekeepers were killed and at French paratroopers base there were 58 fatalities. The explosion was so severe that body parts were found nearly a mile away at Shin Bet HQ in Beirut.”
Car Bombs have been exploding every other day all over the world. Automobiles filled with explosives have been used all over the world but our DG, CRPF BELIEVES CAR BORNE IEDs to be a new challenge.
For Mr Bhatnagar:
It appears in 1983 you were too busy preparing for civil services exam and your optional subjects were such that your attention was not drawn to such catastrophic events of international importance. After qualifying as IPS, you became a demi-God and did not need to acquaint and update your knowledge on such ‘trivial and frivolous’ matters. Mr Bhatnagar, if the statement attributed to you in Indian Express is true, you are unfit to hold the post of a SHO, leave aside DG, CRPF.
Back to you Mr Prime Minister:
The coffins and crying scenes are behind us for the umpteenth time. I want you to ask yourself as to what corrective measures, if any, that we have adopted/taken/introduced to prevent such incidents.
There are two issues; firstly in-house corrective measures and secondly dealing with the adversary, in this case Pakistan.
I am afraid I rarely see any visible in-house corrective measures. If current DG, CRPF believes that ‘CAR BORNE IEDs’ is a recent phenomenon, he needs to be removed from his post as of yesterday.
Now the second issue; Mr Prime Minister we have never ever taken Pakistan past the ‘tipping point’ since independence in spite of their repeated flagrant violation of our sovereignty. In 1947 they sent Razakars, we reacted and saved Srinagar by the skin of our teeth; in 1965 they attacked, we reacted. In 1971 they attacked and we reacted. In 1999 they nearly severed Leh-Ladakh and we reacted.
The only time we came close to going past the ‘tipping point’ with Pakistan was during Operation BRASSTACKS during General Sunderji’s time but even on that occasion we opted to withdraw at the last moment citing super power advice/influence/counselling/ intervention.
Mr Prime Minister why must we continue to be decorated with the award of ‘The Most Undecided Nation of the World in matters of National Security’. That is how we are known internationally.
The only instance of India crossing the ‘tipping point’ [i] was during DOKLAM FIASCO with China. I salute your resolve and leadership, which enabled India to beat back the Chinese offensive without a shot having been fired.
Pakistan is a different matter. Let us examine what we have done after Pulwama massacre;
- We have withdrawn MFN status.
- Our foreign office has been busy meeting and briefing AMBASSDORS of various nations.
- Statements purported to yourself viz “The fire burning your hearts, is in my heart too” is irrelevant and emotional outburst.
- AND SO ON
A day after Pulwama incident Pakistani national daily THE NATION carried the headlines, which read “FREEDOM FIGHTER KILLS 44 SECURITY PERSONNEL IN IOK”. Having carried out one surgical strike after URI incident was not an end in itself. Your government, the opposition, the pseudo-intellectuals, self proclaimed military strategists calling themselves as DEFENCE EXPERTS went to town with their versions. But did it change anything? It did not because our actions were nowhere near the ‘tipping point’. Pakistan merely smiled in disbelief of our incompetence and indecision and are doing so even today after Pulwama incident.
Mr Prime Minister, I as an ardent follower of Chanakyan philosophy abhor the decision to go to war to achieve regional supremacy and/or hegemony over our neighbours. But the same philosopher cum strategist advocated that if war is being thrust on you, you must retaliate with all the power and instruments of war at your command.
Coercive diplomacy and finally use of force are the last two steps in that order. Mr Modi, prevailing geo-strategic scenario with US swimming in its own froth, Europe unable to come to terms with BREXIT, Middle east, as always continues to burn, China busy with her own expansionist designs, do you think anyone has time for resolving our problems with Pakistan, that too in a region, which has been termed and called disputed territory? Let us stop fooling ourselves.
Mr Prime Minister Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) is our territory under occupation by Pakistan. Can we not carry out an air strike on few targets of strategic importance near and around Muzzafrabad? I will not name these for security reasons. Are we scared of escalation of hostilities? Cowards should be because to them cowardice, restraint and indecision are synonymous. Nationalists should not worry. We should be able to absorb Pakistani retaliation.
Passes are closed; Chinese intervention is a remote possibility. Mr Modi, the then US president Mr Jimmy Carter ordered operation ‘EAGLE CLAW’ to free the US hostages in Iran. The operation failed because the rescue force had unacceptable accidents as they arrived in Iran. He went on to lose the Presidency. Mr Modi a full fledged war with Pakistan is the only answer to eliminate the curse of terrorism. Let the fear of nuclear holocaust not shackle our decision making for the umpteenth time. Weapons are meant to be used, nukes included, if negotiations, persuasive measures and coercive diplomacy fails. Your decision to go to war might result in BJP winning 2/3rd majority in 2019 elections. Even if the outcome of war is adverse it will still eliminate the scourge of terrorism.
Press reports suggest that you have given free hand to forces. What exactly does that mean is not clear to anyone. If you have followed the events of Israelis existence and survival in most hostile conditions, ‘free hand’ to forces means complete freedom of action and decision making by the field commander, who is faced with a situation. Are we willing to give the authority to local BRIGADE COMMANDER to act and escalate as he deems fit and the nation will always stand by him even if his decision/s turn out to be wrong?
The seeds of PULWAMA disaster were sown the day Army personnel involved in shooting and killing of few occupants of Maruti car, which refused to stop at a check post in J&K were arrested, tried and imprisoned. I hung my head in shame when I heard the then GOC-in-C apologising publicly on national TV for the event. Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah must be planning for a ‘day out’ with Asiya Andrabi.
Gp Capt TP Srivastava
18th Feb, 2019
Memoirs of an Intellectual Journey 