Give offensive capability to Eastern theatre by reorganization
The security situation is almost completely under control in the North East and it can now be handled by the State police and central armed police forces. This should enable Eastern Command formations to focus on their primary role along the Northern borders.
As per reports Army plans to gradually reduce regular units from Counter Insurgency Operations in the Northeast, as the security situation has significantly improved. The Army will then redeploy these troops by the year-end for the primary task — dealing with the Chinese threat in the eastern sector.
As it is, the Kargil Review Committee (KRC), tabled its report in Parliament in February 2000,had underlined the pressing need to evolve a long-term strategy to reduce the army’s role in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
So instead of cosmetic changes, now the Cabinet Committee Security must go for a major change. The Shillong based HQ 101 Area should be overall in charge of Internal Security of North East. For this role, the three Force HQ of Assam Rifles …HQ Additional Director General AR North, HQ Additional Director General AR South and HQ Additional Director GeneralAR East be placed under the Area HQ. In addition all Central Police Forces Units deployed for purely Counter Insurgency Operations be also placed under command the Area HQ.
Then as a next step, 3 Corps, 4 Corps and 101 Area can be further placed under a new Far Eastern Command. There are six mountain divisions already available and under Command these two Corps HQ,. These two Corps now should be given their Aviation Brigade and reserve infantry brigades. once this is done then the geography of the Command Theatre will itself provide them the ability to create a divisional size strike force in each Corps Zone. Thus each Corps can then plan limited offensive across the LAC into occupied Tibet when the time comes. To exploit the success, the new Command should have a division as a reserve.
Once the above reorganization is done then 33Corps, 17 Mountain Strike Corps and Bengal Area will only remain under the existing Eastern Command. The Strike Corps however will have to be brought to full strength. Its division located in Pathankot will have to move to the Eastern Command / Central Command theatre.
Finally will be the raising of the Eastern Theatrewhich then can come up with Eastern Army Command, Far Eastern Army Command, Eastern Air Command and Bengal Naval Area.
To start the above process, On January 12, army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said the army was in the process of reducing its footprint in the Northeast to sharpen its focus on external threats. No such drawdown of troops is currently planned in Jammu and Kashmir though, he stressed.
The internal security situation in the Northeast has improved considerably with a large number of insurgent cadres surrendering before the Army and the security forces. Compared to 2018, there was a 40% increase in the apprehension of insurgents last year, a 60% decline in violent incidents and a140% increase in seizure of contraband, resulting in choking the supply of funds, according to government data.
Excellent coordination with Myanmar (Op Sunrise) has also made it hard for Indian insurgent groups to set up camps and operate from there, said a third official. However, one concern that remains is that the cadre strength of valley-based insurgent groups (VBIGs) in Manipur remains intact.
On the situation in Assam, Army Chief said the army had gradually started disengaging from the counter-insurgency grid in lower Assam and begun handing over the operational responsibility to the state government.
“A comprehensive view of the security situation in lower Assam is being taken post the Bodoland Territorial Council elections that were held in December 2020 and a decision on disengagement of remaining forces will also be deliberated upon subsequently,” he added.
