Surgical strike 2.0, MoD change now (English version) Rakshak News 06 Mar 19

http://www.rakshaknews.com/vishesh/defense-ministry-needs-to-change-its-point-of-view

Surgical strike 2.0, MoD change now (English version) Rakshak News 06 Mar 19
Post Pulwama, the nation was screaming for retribution. The government’s diplomatic and economic measures had done little to satisfy the masses. Their influence would be visible after some time. National temperature was rising. Political pressure had also begun mounting on the government. Opposition parties had begun questioning the timing, response and failures in intelligence and were demanding that the government respond as also take responsibility. The government already under pressure, was now being pushed to the corner.
For the common India, retribution was only possible through the armed forces. Prime Minister Modi had therefore left the planning to them, while he would personally approve the execution. The armed forces as usual delivered, destroying the designated target without any collateral damage, which could have led to international criticism and ultimately a level of undesired escalation.
This was not the first time that it has happened under the present government. Post Uri, the government had to respond to project the image which the Prime Minister had projected throughout his campaign. It is also a fact that the armed forces had always desired to respond to a Pak strike, but their hands were held back by the government of the day.
While the government gave the armed forces permission to act, there was always a risk of something going awry, which could lead to a negative fallout. Hence earlier governments hesitated to act and accepted Pak’s actions. Even during Kargil, falling for the Pak nuclear bluff and unwilling to risk an escalation, Vajpayee refused to permit the crossing of the LoC, even by the air force.
There is no doubt that such trust and faith in the capability of the armed forces to deliver needs strong and resolute leadership, for which the Prime Minister must be credited. It also indicates that PM Modi was willing to risk that in case of a failure his party could be impacted in the coming elections. In the dog eat dog world of politics, just one mistake can be exploited by opponents, mainly during elections.
Post the successful air force strike, which was accepted by Pak, there was likely to be riposte. The riposte came in the morning, a day later, in the form of an air violation. The same was repulsed and Pak aircraft forced to drop their payloads near army camps but in an uninhabited area, causing no damage. An F-16 was brought down, but in the bargain the Indian air force also lost a MIG 21 BISON and its pilot, who bailed out in POK was arrested. He has since been released.
The armed forces have never let the nation down and delivered when asked. The success of armed forces operations has given a boost to the government. It could be stated that successful conduct of cross border strikes will enable the ruling BJP to project itself and its policies more positively in the forthcoming elections, coming especially as they did close to elections.
However, at the same time, the MoD under Nirmala Sitharaman continues to sit on important issues which concern the morale of the armed forces. They continue to delay and ignore just and genuine demands of the military. They have lowered the status of the very armed forces which have made the nation proud and would possibly be the plank on which the government would fight the coming elections. With Non-Functional Upgradation granted to all but the armed forces, which the government continues to fight in the supreme court, its status remains the lowest amongst the central services.
The Home Minister has already upgraded the risk element for the CAPFs. Despite the euphoria of the strikes and increased hitting back to Pak on its attempts to escalate the LoC, enhancement of the risk element for the armed forces is nowhere on the cards. Is Nirmala waiting for the army to forward a proposal on which her bureaucracy can sit for months.
Multiple other issues dog the services, which the government should now address. These have been raised by service chiefs to the MoD on multiple occasions, but to no avail. How long will it be that the very service which continues to make the nation proud and on whose success the BJP rides, hoping to regain power, is ignored by its own ministry, solely because the bureaucracy which dominates the thinking within the government, holds back proposals which impact military morale.
Is it not time for the PM and defence minister realize that the armed forces of the nation have upheld the nation’s stature and prestige and it is now time to give them their due? If the government continues to take them for granted and ignores them, the same support which the nation has given on the success of the armed forces would now turn against them as elections draw close. Nirmala must now push her own bureaucracy to act in a positive manner, rather than their negative approach, so evident presently.

About the Author

Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar

Retired Major General Indian Army

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