17 of my brothers have made the Supreme Sacrifice at Uri. It is with a heavy heart that I write this. Let me start by praying for their souls.
And then I ask – Was it their fault?
Our blood boiled when we heard of it on the morning of Sunday, the 18th of September.. We have been hit so many times before, but every time we have chosen to warn them, chosen to make bombastic statements; we condemned, but we did nothing. We voted for a new Govt thinking that the new one will walk the talk. But we have still been hit……repeatedly – at Gurdaspur, Udhampur, Pathankot, Herat, Mazhar e Sharif, Jalalabad, Pampore, Poonch and now Uri. Whose fault is it?
Many of us rightly ask: Why do not we go across the border, in hot pursuit, strike the camps, fire missiles, shoot from the drones…. very much like how the Israelis or Americans do. Why can’t a Nation that aspires to be a Super Power act? What is the million strong Army doing? Why do we have to have meetings after meetings, asking for options, after an event has occurred?
And the answer to all that is, WE……….Yes WE are our greatest enemies. We are in the game of one up-manship; trying to outwit the other man who knows his job. I am talking of the bureaucrats (or Babus), the politicians and a few self-serving top bosses in the armed forces.
If we have to respond quickly and decisively, we need to have fully prepared Defence Forces. Yet, we still have shortages of Officers, Equipment and Ammunition. Requests for modern equipment asked about 4 years back still remain not approved! Why? When we can spend crores of money on cleaning of the Ganga and building Bullet Trains and floating many other Yojanas, why can’t we spend adequately on the Defence Forces and make them 100% Fit for War? So that we can actually use the Sabre when required rather than mere sabre-rattling every time something happens. We keep cutting down the expenditure for the Forces on some pretext or the other. We lower their morale by not paying even the full OROP, but we have money multiple times over, to write off NPAs of banks. We try and brow beat the Armed Forces by pushing their status below CAPF, by not paying them their dues, by not equating them to the Gp A Services, yet we want them to deliver when the times comes. How should they? How can they? Why should they? And yet, despite all this, THEY DELIVER……. Every Time!
If 17 died due to tents catching fire, many rightly asked why were they in tents? Was it their fault that they were in a garrison that existed for many years, yet in tents? The answer to this is the apathy to the expenditure projected by the forces. The Babu’s keep pending it by asking frivolous queries and putting objections. This year the budget for such expense was passed almost 8 months after it was due. In every field area, the progress of these works is slow and funds available are minimal. Why?
There is a way out. Delink the decision of the Armed Forces preparation from the Babudom. A request by the Army formations must be provided on priority. No Babu should interfere unless there is financial impropriety. The men, machine and equipment of the Forces must be fully made up. If we can pay Swachh Bharat Cess when the country is still unclean, we can very well pay Def Cess to ensure the Forces prepare.
Fix the people responsible for this loss by sacking them and pin point responsibility. Make a few specimens if need be. Do away with the post of the Defence Secretary. Civil servants have are clueless about defence issues. Appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to be the single point interface between the Government and the Armed forces. Keep away politicians from the Defence Minister’s job or appoint only a person with some background knowledge of defence as Defence Minister. Appoint a person from the retired plethora of Generals who know their business. Prepare and Train the Army. Provide them the equipment. Pay them the best. So that, when we ask of them to do their job, to put their lives on the line, they JUST DO IT happily and effectively.
Then and only then can the Armed Forces be truly able to deliver appropriate retribution. Only then, will whatever actions we do diplomatically in the International arena can be supported by a substantial threat of Force. Only then will Pak stop its mischief.
Till such time, let us launch General Arnab Goswami and his TimesNow shouting brigade at Pak and trend #DestroyPakistan on Twitter.
Which brings me back to my original question – Was it really their fault for being at Uri?
(Thanks Amarjot for reviewing this article in www.sajanspeaks.wordpress.com)
Very nice write up Sajan. We need to shake ourselves out from this slumber and hit them hard and make them bleed. We need to fight as a nation and bring to bear upon our adversaries our full might.
Nothing can replace the valuable life of our 17 trained soldiers. May they rest in peace and God give their families strength to bear their irreparable losses. The nation is in grief…….
Moideen you have said it all… We can strike back only if we are prepared. We are short of Officers, Modern Arms and equipment.
A professional Army in peace time trains for war and is not used to lay yoga mats for political events or erect pontoon bridges for cultural shows . We should not be mis using the Army. We also need to treat our Army with dignity.
Hope and pray that this horrific incident never ever occurs again.
Dispensing defence secretary and putting a person who knows the job. Thats the need of the hour. Decentralised budget with authority for the person in ground zero can change the scenario I suppose. Thinking write up Sajan.
Very well articulated on such a sensitive and potent subject.
Truly.. Is there a cost for lives in this country ?
No.
Is there a cost for lives of Soldiers who put their lives on the line everyday ?
The answer here too is an emphatic NO.
When will the powers that be, wake up to such acts and formulate a thought process other than to win the next elections and search and ensure that their “Resource fields” are kept “green”…??
Wake up an smell the coffee or tea or green tea or just take a breath of fresh air.. Whatever it is, that keeps each of us going.. ALL 150 crores of us.
And think TRICOLOURS.
Think INDIA.
We all know what needs to be done.
Then what stops us ?
And how many more Sons and Daughters will be lost or irretrievably damaged before this “Bunch of States” decide to look beyond their own goals, aims and selfish interests..
Remember, YOU could be NEXT.
Going by the Law of Averages… IT AIN’T LONG..!!!!
Well written Sajan. But is anyone listening.
My salutes to the 17 martyrs and all those injured in the incident. It was NEVER their fault.
The fault lies with the Commanders at all levels – from the Battalion Commander to the Army Commander. No one has ever put their foot down on what is required and have always done with what we had – with deficiencies in manpower, ammunition, substandard weapons or weapons unfit to fight in such conditions.
Everyone up the channel is well aware of it and if someone speaks the truth – he is surely out of sync and you know what will happen to him.
The situation will never improve until the army calls its own bluffs.
Very pertinent points Sir. Of everything mentioned here the one that strikes home the most is pinning responsibility. “We shall answer them”, ” We shall not tolerate”, or even “We were responsible” are statements devised to dilute responsibility. The day this moves to, “I shall ensure my nation answers back appropriately”, ” I will not be a head of command under whom his men are killed”, “I was responsible”, is the day things will start to change.
So true Sajan…u conveyed all…the situation on ground zero….the prevailing environment of apathy n disdain to everything defence and AF whilest all throttles on towards making India an economic might. Let me remind all the political bosses n their babu chamchas that it doesnt happen like this….a banana republic is never an economic might.. a steadfast and strong military is the armour within which an economy thrives. If the Indian nation cannot display its military might by unleashing AF on the protagonists of such disgraceful n dastardly act then sorry to say that, we are communicating to the world who looks forward to having business with us about our serious shortcoming i.e., to protect the business environment and there will definitely a rethink in business community.
Hope sense n maturity prevails in the politico-bureacratic establishment and the ensurers of independence and democracy, the AF are not denounced and slayed due to lack of Govt apathy.
A tearful homage n proud salute to the soldiers who stood strong and laid down their lives to ensure the people of this great Bharat do not face the unleashed mindless fury from across the borders.
send Arnab goswami his advisors to these area for few months along with def secy anf all secy in MOD along with their staff to saichan for having the taste of tea in MUG ( universaly used by soldier for drinking water, tea ,shaving water,taking Daal for meal, and last but not the least to take water for cleaning the bott.They will stop dictating and shouting on TV debates.
So well portrayed, Sajan. But, the scary part is that there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of this tunnel. Our worthy politicians are still bickering amongst themselves, shouting that their party is better than the other. Not a single diplomatic, economic or political step against Pak yet. What do we have to gain from Pak? Why can’t we cut off all ties with them? And, I have never been able to understand why in the world we should entertain seperatist leaders in Kashmir.
More than praying to God for eternal peace to our comrades, I am constrained to pray to God to grant ‘sadbuddhi’ to our netas and babus.
There is no doubt in my mind that the observations above are bang on target. This is a thankless nation which appoints people without any knowledge of the Armed Forces at the helm of affairs to ‘manage’ the Forces. Look at US & Israel. Look at their response and then ours. We only know how to shout on TV and then surreptioysly degrade the forces. Chanakya had said that a country which can’t respect its army is sure to be doomed. I only hope that the nation doesn’t have to see the day. But now if the People who matter don’t wake up and take corrective actions, the future will only be bleak. The forces will still respond, to the best, to last man, last bullet. But if India doesn’t wake up now, we shall see many more Uri, Mumbai, and pathankot.
बात एक सीमा तक सही है लेकिन मेरे विचार में गलत समय पर कही जा रही है । परीक्षा के समय अक्सर अध्यापक पिछले वर्ष के बकाया पारिश्रमिक भुगतान को लेकर हडताल पर जाने की बात करते है । रक्षा बजट निश्चित रुप से बढाकर सेना को बेहतर संसाधन मुहैया कराया जाना चाहिए लेकिन क्या भूख से मरने वालों की संख्या में कमी लाने क प्रयास बंद कर देने चाहिये । समस्या है भ्रष्टाचार और इच्छाशक्ति का अभाव । भ्रष्टाचार सदैव ऊपर से नीचे की ओर बढता है रही बात बाबूओं की तो बाबू न तो नीतिनिर्धारक हैं और न ही निर्णायक यदि वे निरंकुश है तो यह ऊपर बैठे लोगों की काबिलियत पर प्रश्न चिन्ह है। बाबू वर्ग अनिवार्य प्रशासनिक सहयोगी मात्र हैं ।
Sir,
My practical experience confirms I can comfortably disagree with your opinion on the Babudom ably abetted by the political class across parties.
Regards
धन्यवाद सर , प्रत्येक व्यक्ति अपने अनुभव के आधार पर ही राय बनाता है किन्तु वास्तव में हाथी कैसा है इसे जानने के लिए सम्यक एवम स्पषट द्रष्टि की आवश्कता है ।
Armed Forces are created ,maintained , trained and optimally kept operationally
ready for being launched into battle without any notice to achieve success in its mission . In short to win, there are no runners-up in war . As rightly brought out ;in our scheme of things ,all this is completely out of context , the Def Secretary is responsible to the GOI for waging & winning the war ! Pray forget the fact that99% of the rank & file do not know this jokers name , nor does this poor fellow know the difference between a bazooka & a bandook; punn aside it’s really
the start point of all that ails our defense preparedness & so called strategic meanderings , the Babus of the MOD do all the preparations from arms, munitions ,air &naval craft , as well as acquisition of multifarious other necessities for battle readiness & reserves to sustain a two front war. Some of us recall our Babus with begging bowels in Russia , Israel etc to sustain our Boffors munition for an extremely limited Kargil skirmish , when you enhance the canvas to a twin front War with all three dimensions operationalised!
Just view our current def budget(it’s a laugh ! 1.4% of the GDP!) , just look at your MOD’s different branches , their allocated role & functions ,as well as out-put in the last, say 20yrs – it’s …Zilch !!
Very nice write up Sajal. These Babus will never allow Army to do their jobs, lest Armed Forces come in lime light. Ministers, RM and PM are clueless about the situation and what should be the befitting reply.
Remember Golden Temple. Army was asked to enter Golden Temple with their weapons locked and one hand on the back. Every soldier knew death is imminent yet we entered. Kudos to Indian Armed Forces.
We do not want OROP. We do not want even 7 CPC. Let these Babus and politicians swallow as much as they want. We want our status as it was in 1947.
Sajjan very well articulated. We now need someone to take decisions. Someone with balls. Sorry for that term but it’s the best word to define our current dispensation. Go do it India. Make your Armed Forces the true defenders of your Nation. We don’t need blame games now.
Dear Sanjan, well articulated. The crux of the problem lies on capacity building for these so called punitive strikes. For the last two decades the nation has failed to procure/develop these capabilities. How will u respond. A case in point, the most suitable platform for these surgical strikes are armed UAVs. Very effective, almost pinpoint accuracy and minimal chances of escalation. A case for weaponising our UAVs was taken up about almost 10 years ago??? If we had them we could have struck targets not only in POK but Pak too. Till we have the capability there will only be talk and bluster and Pal knows it. Some good suggestions from u for revamping the system.
Sajan has rightly put the points on the table. If these bombastic statements and shouting on TV can be kept aside for a moment there are more pertinent issues to be addressed it seems. I remember the construction of permanent defence on LC started some 15 years back till then the soldiers used boulders to protect them from fire and observation. The work is still lingering. Accommodation for the army in field areas which are occupied since 1948 still temporary.
The jawan who is putting his life at risk is disowned by the people he is fighting for and ignored equally by the nation. He doesn’t know why is he fighting.
As a nation if we don’t shake up the apathy the future seems to be dangerous.
Hi, very well written. A friend of mine shared and I was tempted to translate and use on our site – http://hindi.webdunia.com/national-hindi-news/uri-terrorist-attack-terrorism-indian-army-terror-attack-116092000003_1.html
Publishing without asking is wrong Sir. And in the penultimate para, meaning has changed. And it would have been good if you gave the original link to my blog so that people can check veracity.
Regards
Sajan
Dear Sajan,
It is a real eyeopener for me…. I akways thought that Equiping our Army with the latest was the first priority for our government and it was practiced… Now I see the real side of it.
Thank you … Keep writing and enlightning us.
Good write up
But can you explain sir how they reached uri and enter into well protected area with so much ammunition. Is this also fault of Babus. Can you not ask for defaulting officers to be taken to task. This simple question we civilian ask
Ajeet KUMAR BHANDARI
Lawyer
Yes Sir. Good Question. I am sure you have read that I had written – we need to sack a few people responsible for the mess and that meant the defaulting people. At the same time, one would appreciate that no obstacle anywhere in the world is insurmountable unless each inch is covered. Having operated in that area, it would not be possible at all with the amount of troops that we have on ground. With the thick forests and undergrowth and rugged terrain, Satellite coverage too would be with gaps only.
Thanks for clarifying. Good question.
Most views written in above trailing post and opinions are making politicians and babus responsible for every thing wrong which has been going on since 1971 war. Be it reduction of AF pension from 70% to 50% and raising babus pension from 30% to 50% or also systematic reduction in pay and status of AF personnel.
Where was the military top leadership all these years. Where is it now? Are we fair and just in our personality. AF have constitutional responsibility to defend the territorial integrity of nation. Why do we keep lowering cutt off OLQs at the SSB to fill up vac on the dorm of MOD. Why do we have selection sys which is not their in other organs of GOI. why MoD / CDA is not made accountable and responsible for any file being delayed for more than 3 days. Why do we accept in our org structure willingly a policy of use and throw whereas babus take care of every bit. This has led to creation of pliant and sumbissive top military ldrsship to politicians and babus.
To sum up we ourself are responsible for decimated and degraded state of affairs of AFs. Solution or revamping also lies in the hands of top military ldrsship. If u keep serving babus and unworthy politicians and they will continue enjoying those aervices and framing rules, regulations and procedures to serve their generation for enternity.
Why our blood don’t boil,, why aren’t we aggressor,, Historically we only have been attacked, converted, our legacial values destroyed but still we don’t learn,, Hope we on the name on Peace, Love, Harmony, Brotherhood not covering our weakness,, Hope we are nation of strong heart & minds, Outsiders come & destroys us and, we don’t wake up,, A man openly kills a girl in market, no one respond, I think, Its time now to re-write or Change History of last 10000 years, Wake up be aggressors – Live & Die Honourably
Basic problem with us is that we got the Freedom with Satyagraha without bleeding! While Nethas and babus enjoy best in their life we soldiers live in discarded tents and face other side with obsolete weapons! Pray for the day where we stand on Top Priority !!!