*Army to match strength as China elevates Command
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 15: Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar today held high level review of security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir with Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda and visited forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Army was likely to upgrade its infrastructure along Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China following elevation of the rank of the Military Command of Tibet even as the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which mans LAC along China, has, for the first time deployed expensive SUV system in Ladakh and other areas along the LAC.
The visit of Defence Secretary to Jammu and Kashmir and briefing by the Northern Army Commander comes only a day after the reports that China has elevated its Tibetan Military Command, a sign of aggression and increased military activity.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar flew-in to Udhampur this morning from New Delhi and visited Northern Command Headquarters of the Army for detailed review of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir especially the anti-infiltration measures taken by the Army along LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lt Gen Hooda gave extensive briefing to the Defence Secretary on the measures taken by Army to curb infiltration this summer along LoC, security scenario on the borders with Pakistan and China in the State, internal situation and various other aspects of security.
The Defence Secretary, according to sources, wanted robust system to be in place along the LoC following inputs that the militants were waiting for infiltration to Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) with arms and explosives to create disturbances. They said Kumar was briefed on all security related aspects including situation along Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Eastern Ladakh.
Later, the Defence Secretary visited several forward areas along LoC in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch for supervising anti-infiltration summer strategy of the Army before flying back to New Delhi in the evening.
Meanwhile, sources said the Defence Ministry and the Army were seized of the elevation of the Military Command of Tibet by the Beijing as the Command has been deployed in parts of LAC with India in Himachal Pradesh and Eastern Ladakh along with other troops and was going to give advantage to the People’s Liberation Army.
“In view of the China’s latest move, which comes just few months after the `Theatre Commands’ raised by the neighbouring country, the top officials of Defence Ministry and Army were in touch with each other seriously debating the move to counter the Chinese aggression,” sources said.
Admitting that the Chinese move amounted to aggression and had potential of increased military activity along the LAC, sources said India was trying to match strength of the PLA by initiating series of measures aimed at boosting strength of its Army, para-military ITBP and raising infrastructure in which India lagged behind previously but was not trying to come to the terms.
“The Defence Ministry and the Army have taken note of the latest Chinese development. We too will raise our strength and infrastructure. We are not much lagging behind,” sources said. However, they added that there was no kind of threat along the LAC as the two countries have recently committed themselves to peace during the visit of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Beijing. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had also met her Chinese counterpart in Russia last month.
Though the top leadership of China has been talking peace, India has decided not to take any chances and was taking all steps to safeguard 3488 kilometers LAC along China in five Indian States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Only a day before, Beijing had elevated the rank of its Military Commander, who looks after Tibet, sending signals of increased military activity.
The Military commander of Tibet will be now under the leadership of the PLA and is likely to be a four-star General, one rank up from existing Lieutenant General-rank person heading it.
Currently, the Tibet Military Command is under the leadership of China’s Western Theatre Command headquartered in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China.
Meanwhile, expensive SUVs usually found zipping across roads in urban locations, have for the first time been deployed at high-altitude border posts of the ITBP along the Sino-India border to transport troopers in Ladakh sector besides Arunachal Pradesh.
Four white-coloured SUVs two Toyota Fortuner and as many Ford Endeavour, with a price tag of around Rs 25 lakh each, have been deployed by the border guarding force at some of its forward locations over 13,000 feet above the sea level at Burtse and Dungti in the Ladakh sector and Menchuka, over 6,000 feet, in Arunachal Pradesh, sources said.
No other border guarding force or Army formations in forward areas have ever used high-end SUVs for troops.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) headquarters here has issued a directive that the troopers and officers will use these vehicles only for operational tasks to prevent their misuse.
While the force has several types of four-wheelers, including those with 4×4 drive facility for high-altitude driving at its border locations, SUV platforms, which are powered by diesel-run heavy-duty engines were required for quick movement in these mountainous areas.
“We were looking for some good high-power vehicles at those heights where regular vehicles are not as adept as an SUV. The Ministry of Home Affairs sometime back approved our proposal and we purchased four such four-wheelers in the first batch.
“I can tell you that none of the senior officers in the force including me have such smart and powerful vehicles for their movement as compared to what our men have now,” sources said.
In order to make sure they are utilized for the task they have been sent for, the ITBP has issued strict instructions that these vehicles will carry troops while on duty and during patrol, officers can utilize them only when leading such tasks, in order to prevent their misuse.
“It’s not that my men will misuse the asset but what has to be ensured and kept in mind is that these vehicles have been sent for a special purpose and there should be no dilution in that task,” sources said.
The force, before deploying these SUVs at border posts, trained a special batch of drivers at the ITBP training centre in Chandigarh, after which they were driven uphill, to their places of deployment.
The interiors of the SUVs, sources said, have been slightly modified to fix radio communication sets and to seat 6-7 troops with their firearms.
The force is tasked with guarding the 3,488 km Sino-India border. Its posts are in some of the harshest areas with locations ranging from 9,000 ft to 18,000 ft where mercury often plunges below zero degree Celsius.
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