WAR BY OTHER MEANS AND POOR GENERALSHIP IN KASHMIR

'WAR BY OTHER MEANS' (WOM) IN KASHMIR: INEFFECTIVE AND INEPT GENERALSHIP .

Defining new dimension of waging war, General Raheel Sharif, former COAS, Pakistan Army, told his audience in a seminar on Security in KARACHI, as quoted by The Dawn of December 05, 2014, "-----Explosions are still a viable tool of war, but implosions are the new defeat mechanisms,-----". He was actually elucidating the emerging concept of 'War by Other Means'

(WOM), which aims at exploiting the internal vulnerabilities of your opponent. Pakistan has been practicing this art since the conclusion of exercise ' ZARB-E-MOMIN (Strike of the Pure) in 1988. It sees an extensive use of "Irregular Soldiers" or what we call as 'Militants/ terrorists' and what Pakistan prefers to call them as its ' Strategic Asset', but disowns them in international forums as "Stateless Actors".

Why does not India and her leaders, both political and military, understand the nuances of this "Designer war" heaped upon India by Pakistan since 1989? Unfortunately, even most military minds, both serving and retired, have failed to understand the reality of this war. It has nothing to do with 'Law and Order' ; it is war, Sir! Most important , it is for Generals to understand and grasp its characteristics and stop reacting to civilian hue and cry.

In recent years, two deadly terrorists attacks in URI , one in in 2014 and the other in 2016 need a close study by those who handle WOM in Kashmir valley. The terrorist attack in September 2016 led to three surgical strikes by India , claiming killing of 29 terrorists in POK terrorist camps. As usual Pakistan denied it but India showed its no - nonsense approach and Pakistan became defensive. Contrast it with what happened in 2014 .

As per reports about 2014 Terrorist attack in URI in an artillery post, it came out that soldiers on the sentry duty on the army camp, did not fire upon the approaching terrorist vehicle due to caution imposed on them after the Anantnag incident. Caution so imposed led to Sentry responding reluctantly to approaching intruders as desired by military procedures. In so doing, reluctant Sentries were knocked out first.

When Anantnag incident of mistaken/ identity -killing took place in 2014, Corps commander and Army Commander had both called it a mistake, obviously giving a wrong message to commanders down the line. And the result was what happened later at URI. . Should not the Army Cdr and Corps Cdr hold themselves responsible for inhibiting the soldiers under them?. Moral responsibility does call for it, if they have an iota of morality, else stop sermonizing soldiers.

"Was it a mistake"? This question goes to army cdr and the corps cdr who jumped to conclusions when some young men got killed due to mistaken identity. Now, what do they have to say? Don't they think that they had inhibited their soldiers by calling Anantnag incident as a "mistake". Soldiers can not tackle insurgency/ Militancy by their one hand tied at the back. Military commanders must not fall prey to motivated criticism by vested interests of local political leaders. In the case of Anantnag incident the Army Commander and the Corps Commander fell prey to this. Setting aside military wisdom , they got carried away by populism and played to the gallery.

We ought to know that terrorists do not roam with headbands. We must accept such genuine mistakes in fleeting situations of “ Hit and Run’ tactics of terrorists, when we deploy the army for restoration of the situation. Soldiers are not there on their own volition. Everyone must understand the real purpose of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act). It is meant to cover unintentional mistakes made by soldiers in the course of the performance of their duty. Any action which prevents or inhibits full liberty and freedom of soldiers, is counter productive and it ought to be countermanded. It was shocking to note when SC ordered registration of FIRs against soldiers in encounter deaths. Unwanted remarks were made by a SC judge recently when he referred to soldiers being “Murderers” . This is no way to fight the WOM. Whole nation has to back up soldiers efforts to win this war of 21st Century.

Encounter killing of Burhan Wani in Kashmir on 9 July 2016 had set the India's English media on fire, more than the protests in Kashmir. Was something grievously wrong done? He was known to have killed Col MN Rai of Indian Army . Was it right? The problem is Indians and it’s military leaders are confused between moralities and security. There is no moral ground when dealing with enemies of the state . And constitutional experts , including Judiciary, Indian constitution vehemently states that anyone who picks up the arms against state wS the enemy of the country. Therefore he ought to be treated as any enemy would be treated.

Maroof Raja , renowned defence analyst and South Asian Security expert, wrote in FAUJI INDIA issue of Sept 2014 "--------Some years ago. when I was speaking to the Core Programme of 16 senior officers of the ranks of Maj./Lt. Generals and their equivalent at the College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad, on the subject of my book “Generals and Governments in India and Pakistan” (by Har Anand Publishers), I was asked why have the Armed Forces been so marginalized even in military decision making in India?

My response was that, the situation was of their own making; and a fact that sociologists have no logical answers to. Moreover, my view was that if you feel strongly enough about something, you should either stand up for it or resign and walk off. This obviously didn’t go down well with my audience! That indeed is the key question. To what extent are the brass hats willing to stand up on a matter of principle?' Let's take two examples of General Rodrigues or even Lt. General SP Raman. They both made remarks that they later withdrew under pressure and rendered a public apology? "

Indian Army's generalship of present days need much to be desired. We see, instead, planned succession of Army Chiefs, predetermined by vested interests. This had come out in the public domain when General VK Singh's 'date of birth' controversy had hit the headline. If this is the way, Chiefs are appointed, one can imagine, how other promotions in the army are decided. Its impact we saw in the Kargil-99 fiasco and things have worsened since.