| India resolves to defend borders, LoC in J&K | | New military policy | | Rustam
Jammu, Aug 7: It was on August 1 that Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag declared that India's response to any aggression from Pakistan will be "more than adequate". He took over as the new chief of the 1.3 million-strong Indian Army that day and in his first statement he advised Pakistan in clear terms to behave failing which New Delhi will act against it and act very decisively. He also said his focus will be on his soldiers and "to enhance the preparedness and the effectiveness of the Indian Army" and made it loud and clear that India's response to any beheading-like incident in future would be "intense and immediate". "I can tell you that our response to any such act will be more than adequate in future. It will be intense and immediate…I will ensure that our soldiers are motivated, they are comfortable, competently trained and are provided with latest weapons and equipment," Gen Suhag said while responding to a question. He spoke like a General and it was required considering the manner in which Pakistan had been violating LoC (read Ceasefire) and breaching the International Border between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir since years.
Gen Suhag's comments, coupled with an unequivocal warning, came a day after outgoing Army chief General Bikram Singh said that the "Indian Army gave a befitting reply to Pakistan after an Indian soldier (Hem Raj) was beheaded along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2013. It bears recalling that on Jan 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers had entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border (Poonch) and killed two Indian soldiers, Lance Naik Hem Raj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Both bodies were mutilated, and Hem Raj's body decapitated. Two more soldiers had suffered injuries in the incident that had triggered nationwide protests and fury and outraged the nation, with many demanding a direct action against the rogue Pakistani state so that a moral effect could be produced and Islamabad didn't dare to test the Indian patience in the future.
Indeed, Gen Suhag hinted at the new military policy towards, Pakistan, which cannot be termed as a state in the sense that it is a failed state, non-state and most irresponsible state, which is ruled by thugs, mafia, radical Islamists, a handful of feudal lords, cruel and barbarian Army and so on. It is obvious that he felt the Indian pulse and said what needed to be said to tell Pakistan that India means business and not prepared to barter even an inch of Indian land. That he meant what he said on August 1 became evidently clear on August 5 when the Indian troops took positions and responded with "equal calibre weapons" to Pakistan's firing. In first ceasefire violation this month, Pakistani troops on Tuesday targetted a number of Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the LoC in Poonch district. Firing was initiated by Pakistan's 641 Mujahid Regiment on Indian posts in Sher Shakti forward belt in Poonch sector.
"Pakistani troops opened unprovoked small arms firing at forward posts in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir around 1130 hours today," PRO Defence Lt Col Manish Mehta said, adding that General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Nagrota-based 16 Corps, Lieutenant General K H Singh, had recently said that "the Indian Army has been directed to give a befitting reply to Pakistani troops over ceasefire violations, firing and infiltration attempts from across the border". The statement clearly indicated a change in the Indian military policy towards Pakistan. However, it would be highly desirable if the NDA Government gives a freehand to the Indian Army to deal with the Pakistani aggressors, who had been blooding the state's political scene quite frequently taking advantage of the weak-kneed policies of the Congress-led UPA Government. |
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