India Military Designs and Regional Peace
Posted on July 31st, 2012

By Afshain Afzal

IndiaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has decided to go for fast track to reach to the level of regional super power. When Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is now President of India, met Indian Chief of Army Staff General V K Singh in February 2012 butƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ refused to disclose the details of his discussions many analysts got the hint what is cooking up with regard to Indo-US-Israeli partnership. The new Indian Chief of Army Staff,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ General Bikram Singh who assumed charge on 31 May 2012 is said to have links withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Pakistan. Indian media reports claimed that General Bikram SinghƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s eldest daughter-in-law is a Pakistani citizen. However, Indian Military Intelligence officials have disclosed SinghƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s daughter-in-law, who has converted to Sikhism after marriage, is aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ USƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ citizen, having an Afghan father and a Central Asian mother. There are reports that family of daughter-in-law of General Bikram Singh and her relatives had been living inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PakistanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and applied forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ USƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ citizenship after spending a good period of time inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Pakistan. The very aspect will always keep the new Army chief under the scanner of Intelligence agencies. General Bikram Singh family originally belongs to Kler village, near Rayya inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ AmritsarƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but is permanently living in Indian Jammu andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ KashmirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ state since last two decades.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the latest development, a high level meeting was held atƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New Delhi, which was attended by Indian Defence Minister, A K Antony, National Security Advisor, Shivshanhar Memon, Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma and the three Service chiefs. Operational situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC) were discussed in detail, in which dissatisfaction over state of alertness was expressed and new strategy regarding winter vacated posts was discussed. General Bikram Singh recommended a complete overall of mutation of wars due to its aging. It was pointed out that Indian ArmyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s entire armour fleet is lacking necessary ammunition to check the enemy while whole of the Air Defence is obsolete and require major changes. Indian Air Force has already concentrated on its bases atƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jodhpur, Halwara etc by deploying additional squadrons of Sukhois but during the conference concern was expressed over balance of air power with regard to Pakistan Air Force deployment of F-16s and Chinese JF-17 `Thunder’ jets to counter Indian threats. It is pertinent to mention here that on ground, Indian Cold Start Doctrine (CSD) has miserably failed and Indian Mountain Strike Corps to counterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PakistanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Chinaproved to be white elephant for time being. Air Marshal Arup Raha, Air Chief Western Air Command andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Lieutenant GeneralƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sanjeev Chachra,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Commander Western Army Command expressed limitation on sharingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ real-time information due to obsolete communication equipment. The message was quite clear that all is not OK.

There is no doubt on the wisdom of new Army Chief General Bikram Singh who proposed ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Time Gain StrategyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to build power at par withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ChinaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Pakistan. But one wonders, if he would be trusted inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New DelhiƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ WashingtonƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ after his Kashmiri, Pakistani and Afghan links. On assuming the charge, General Bikram Singh has expressed plans to ease tension withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PakistanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ China. Under the prevailing situation, since bulk of Pakistani forces are engaged in Western theater to counter potential threat to western countries,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New DelhiƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ feels much relaxed. General Bikram Singh is quite comfortable with Washington and Tel Aviv and attempt may be made to use him as pawn in the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Great GameƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. During his tenure inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Congo, he served the western interests to an extent where he openly violated United Nations directives. During his course at USƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Army War College atCarlisle,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PennsylvaniaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ he developed good friendship with American top services officers and was considered as pro-America officer.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ WashingtonƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is provokingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New DelhiƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to launch a small operation inside Northern parts ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PakistanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and Azad Kashmir in the name of cross border terrorism but such misadventure under the command General Bikram Singh seems remote. In such a caseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ WashingtonƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ may take other steps such as attack by third party that may lead further deterioration of Pakistan-India relations.

There are reports that General Bikram Singh has opposed the revocation of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some parts of the state in such a situation. However, same could not be confirmed as he was quoted by a Kashmiri journalist that he promised revocation. If we recall, India’s new President Pranab Mukherjee, in his first presidential speech while highlighting terrorism said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I am proud of the valour and conviction and steely determination of the armed forces as they have fought this menace on our borders; of our brave police forces as they have met the enemy within; and of our people, who have defeated the terrorist trap by remaining calm in the face of extraordinary provocationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. While describing the war against terrorism as the fourth world war, he said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We are in the midst of a fourth world war; the third was the Cold War, but it was very warm in Asia, Africa andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Latin AmericaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ till it ended in the early 1990s. The war against terrorism is the fourth; and it is a world war because it can raise its evil head anywhere in the world.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Pointing indirectly finger onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Pakistan,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ BangladeshƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka, Mukherjee suspected cross border terrorism from its neighbourhood. However, at the same time, Mukherjee was honest enough to accept home grown terrorism when he linked terrorism to enemy within and indirectly expressed his concern over Maoists, Bodos, Tamils, Bangalis, Sikhs, Kashmiris, Indian Muslims and others.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ IndiaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has plans to spend over US $100 billion in acquiring weapon systems and platforms over the next decade to counter external enemies.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ IndiaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has already purchased defence items worth over $8 billion over the last few years whileƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New DelhiƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ acquired the position of second largest FMS (Foreign Military Sales) customer of US in 2011 with imports worth $4.5 billion.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In a nut shellƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New DelhiƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has joined the western conspiracy against the East, especially Muslims. As regard to internal threats, despite the fact thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ General Bikram Singh is regarded as pro-west general in Indian Army, there are high hopes that he would verify the self-engineered Intelligence Inputs and fake encounters against the marginalized people in Indian states before dubbing them as terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New Delhi still has time to open her eyes and stabilize its economyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and pave way for a new era of mutual trust and confidence between the neighbouring countries, in order to workout a joint defence of Indian Ocean.afshainafzal@yahoo.com

4 Responses to “India Military Designs and Regional Peace”

  1. Lorenzo Says:

    India has a very bad future.

    $100 billion for weapons imports! Crazy. India will collapse like the Soviet Union.

  2. AnuD Says:

    Most of India’s threats are within. This author himself think that the Army chief is pro-western. Yet, India wants to spend $100 billion to confront Pakistan which is struggling to overcome its enemies within the similar to India and China which is not stupid as India is to engage with India. For China, India is not the enemy, it is the USA.

    India is out of mind as usual.

  3. Lorenzo Says:

    With an equal population as China, India can’t even get 1/10th of China’s medals at the Olympics.

    Fools wasting money on weapons!!

    More wars India has the better for weapons exporters. They should concentrate on creating more wars for India.

  4. Ananda-USA Says:

    The Dear Old SunGod worshipper, DMK Chief Karunanidhi should wake up from his permanent STUPOR, and consider why Sri Lanka finds it necessary to have China as a close friend and ally, and recognize his own culpability in making that a reality.

    If he overcomes his AMNESIA sufficiently long to recall his persistent support for a Separate State of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, that would be good start.

    If he throws in his detailed maps of the Greater Tamil Nadu that includes the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, that is a prescription like Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” for dismembering sovereign Sri Lanka in the future, he would be getting closer to the answer.

    The poems he wrote praising the late unlamented Velupillai Prabhakaran as he sliced and diced innocents in Sri Lanka to Karunanidhi’s cheers, he would be getting closer to the answer.

    Karunanidhi’s current efforts to reignite Tamil Terrorism in Sri Lanka by presenting himself as the new “Tamil Savior” is only exceeded by the antics of his erstwhile enemy Chief Minister Jayalalitha.

    If he reads his own letters to the Central Govt of India demonizing and accusing Sri Lanka of genocide at the United Nations, he would be well on his way to completing his enlightenment on this issue.

    All of these RACIST Tamil Nadu Politicians find Sri Lanka bashing a convenient tool to gain votes in Tamil Nadu. Most non-Tamil Indians KNOW THIS. They should blame Tamil Nadu Politicians, and other Indian Leaders such as Indira and Rajiv Gandhi with their imperious bullyoing attitudes, for alienating and driving Sri Lanka into the arms of China.

    Sri Lankans resent Indian interference in Sri Lanka that drove us away from our Indian cousins,but we are very happy that it has given us the incentive to throw-off the suffocating Indian embrace, and firmly grasp the hand of friendship extended by China.

    China is by far a more reliable and loyal ally for Sri Lanka.

    To India we echo the poet of the Young Lochinvar thus:

    We long wooed your daughter,
    Our suit you denied,
    Love swells like the Solway,
    And ebbs like its tide!

    ………………
    Chinese presence in Lanka threat to national security: Karuna

    DNAIndia.com
    Aug 1, 2012, 19:02 IST

    Terming reports of Chinese presence in Sri Lanka a threat to India’s national security, DMK chief M Karunanidhi today said the August 12 conference of the pro-Eelam body TESO would discuss it among other things and bring it to the attention of the Centre.

    Citing reports in a section of the vernacular media, he alleged that Sri Lanka was setting up a “temporary camp,” with the assistance of the Chinese Navy in international waters near Dhanushkodi.

    “Should not such issues, a threat to India’s security, be discussed and taken up with the Centre for a solution? We are holding TESO (Tamil Ealam Supporters’ Organisation) meeting for this purpose only (among others),” he said in a letter to party workers.

    Explaining the rationale behind the first meet of the defunct organisation he founded in the 1980s and recently revived by him, Karunanidhi said the conference was an attempt at healing the “wounds sustained by Tamils,” due to the ethnic clash in Sri Lanka.

    Union Ministers Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah and JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav among a gamut of national and international leaders besides Tamil diaspora will participate in the meet, he added

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