Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/NEW DELHI, Aug 9: Defence Minister AK Antony has sought a detailed report from Army chief Gen Bikram Singh on yesterday’s trouble inside 16th Cavalry Regiment when an Army soldier had shot himself dead with his Insas weapon on some dispute allegedly with the officers on being denied leave to go home, which provoked fellow soldiers in the Regiment, headquartered at Maheshar, about one and a half kilometers from Samba.
The issue also figured in the Parliament today when CPM veteran leader Sitaram Yechuri sought attention of the Defence Minister on the matter. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, however, downplayed the issue saying “small incident’’ was being blown out of proportion.
An Army soldier Arun V of Kerala, posted in 16 Cavalry Regiment, falling under Yol (Himachal Pradesh) based 9 Corps (Western Command) had committed suicide with his Insas weapon after receiving a telephonic call, reportedly from his house. He reportedly wanted to go home to address some problem but was denied the leave as he had returned from leave only on June 29 this year.
Official sources said there was complete normalcy in the Regiment today after yesterday’s trouble as all issues of the jawans have been adequately addressed and they were performing their duties as usual.
“Definitely, there was some trouble yesterday after the death of the Army soldier but the entire issue was over now. Everything has been sorted out. The jawans were on their duty like any other day’’, sources said, adding that some officers have been shifted to the Mess.
General Officer Commanding (GOC), 9 Corps Lt Gen A K Bhalla visited 16th Cavalry Regiment today and took ‘darbar’ of the jawans. He listened to them and addressed their issues, which were very minor in nature, on spot.
The Army officer exhorted the jawans to perform their duty efficiently and work in coordination. Asserting that there was no problem in the Unit excepting some problems raised by the Army jawans after the suicide by one of their colleague, sources said: “all issues were over. Everything is normal. The issues were blown out of proportions’’.
They added that a Court of Inquiry has already been ordered into death of the jawan, which would immediately start its job.
Reports said that Army jawan Arun V had been posted in computer section of the Unit but had later been shifted to guard duty on the complaint that he used to receive a lot of telephone calls on his mobile telephone, disrupting the section work.
Reports added that the Army jawan had returned from leave on June 29 this year but was again asking for leave, which was not permissible under Rules as there was no grave situation back home. However, the jawans had reportedly complained of harassment on pretext of leave and other issues.
Sources said all issues, if any, pertaining to leave or excessive use of mobiles or harassment by seniors would be properly looked into during the Court of Inquiry and follow up action would be taken to ensure harmony between officers and jawans.
A PTI report from New Delhi said in yet another instance of friction in an Army unit, jawans and officers of an armoured unit were allegedly involved in a face-off after a soldier committed suicide yesterday in Samba district.
Taking exception to the incident, Defence Minister A K Antony has sought a detailed report from Army Chief Gen. Bikram Singh who is touring Western Command, under which the incident has taken place, sources said.
The Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry (CoI) under a senior officer into the matter. The Army CoI into the Nyoma incident, which was a “much more” serious breach of discipline and failure of command and control, has not yet been completed, they said.
The incident happened after a jawan of 16th cavalry regiment, Arun V, hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, committed suicide with his service weapon after which the Army ordered a CoI.
The sources said the jawan was allegedly facing some issues back home and had asked for leave, which was denied by officers. After his death, the jawan’s fellow soldiers protested against the officers and surrounded their residences.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today downplayed the reported trouble involving jawans and officers in the Army unit in Samba sector saying a “small incident” was being blown out of proportion.
Mr Singh’s response came in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour after CPI-M members referred to yesterday’s incident saying there was breach of discipline in the military camp in the border district after a soldier had committed suicide.
The members were talking about the reported slogan shouting by the jawans against officers after the suicide.
CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said, “It’s a serious matter. Let the Defence Minister respond.”
As Defence Minister A K Antony was not present, the Prime Minister rose to respond and said, “I request the House not to have a discussion on the subject…This is a very small incident. This is a small incident, which is being blown out of proportion. It is not good for the morale of our armed forces.”
The members relented after the Prime Minister spoke.
After the incident, Lt General A K Bhalla, Commander of 9 Corps based in Yol in Himachal Pradesh, went to the area to bring the situation under control and all officers of the 16th Cavalry were moved out of units and residences, the sources said.
Asked if the Commanding Officer was being relieved of his responsibilities, Army sources said Colonel S M Prakash was still in-charge. Prakash has been commanding the armoured regiment since December last year.
This is the third incident of confrontation between jawans and officers of the Army in the last 14 months.
In the last such incident in May, a Commanding Officer, two Majors and two jawans were grievously injured in clashes after alleged ill treatment of soldiers in Nyoma in Ladakh.
The Court of Inquiry into the Nyoma incident, which was a “much more” serious breach of discipline and failure of command and control, has not yet been completed and is expected to take more than two months, sources said.
In an earlier incident involving the 45 Cavalry Regiment where officers and jawans had clashed in Punjab last year during a training session, 23 officers and jawans are facing a CoI.
The Army has taken administrative action against two officers and three Junior Commissioned Officers and 18 personnel including three more officers are still being tried.
Army chief General Bikram Singh today asked his men in uniform to maintain ‘highest standards of discipline’ and ‘value-based leadership’.
The Army chief’s emphasis on discipline assumes significance as it comes a day after an ugly incident of face-off that occurred in an Army unit posted in the border district of Samba in Jammu and Kashmir.
Gen Bikram Singh, who is visiting Western command under which the incident occurred, today interacted with the senior officers of Vajra Corps.
Addressing officers at the military station, he emphasised on the need of ‘maintaining the highest standards of operational preparedness and discipline’.
According to a press statement issued here, Gen Bikram Singh emphasised on value-based leadership, as per the legacy of the Indian Army.
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