Even Army Chief Has To Uphold Chetwood Motto For All His Subordinates
By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
A media report said that the Brigade Commander who was in charge of the Uri brigade, the station Commander of the Sunjuwan military camp and the Nagrota army base in Jammu and Kashmir when their establishments were stormed by terrorists in past years may have “to go home”, the government has decided, to take action against the senior leadership for security lapses that may have aided the attacks. Essentially, the government wants these officers to put in their papers and retire. The officers will still be eligible to receive all the benefits that are due to them, a government officials said requesting anonymity.
As per the news report the government has communicated its recommendation to the Indian Army, a senior official in a ” security establishment” said, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Now the first question arises as to who is this “ Government “ and which is this “ security establishment” issuing such directions to the Army. Such directions unless issued by the Cabinet Committee Security must be thrown into the nearest dustbin. No ” security establishment “ has any such authority over the Army. Even the CCS must be prudent enough to not to send such directions directly to the Army Chief but should send it as a recommendation to the Supreme Commander, if it feels so strongly on the subject. It will not be binding on the President as other cabinet decisions, in his role as the Supreme Commander. He will then exercise his own judgement and issue directions to the Chief accordingly.
As per that same news report, a second official of the same mysterious security establishment, who also did not want to be named is supposed to have uttered “The army was communicated that commanders should put in their papers days after the new government was sworn in.” This mysterious Security Establishment probably does not know that Army functions under the Army Act and Army Rules and Regulations.
When a person joins the Armed Forces, some of his Fundamental Rights ( backbone of Democracy ) are suspended. However he gets a “ kavach kundal” like Karna of Mahabharat, that is section 180 of Army Rule. Even the Honourable Supreme Court has time and again reiterated that this Section is mandatory whenever the Character or Military reputation of a person subject to Army Act is suspect. So these Commanders should be Court Martialed and given all the opportunity under Army Rule Section 180 to defend themselves. Even for death sentences by Military Courts, the Honourable way is Firing squad and not other methodologies.
They surely cannot be just forced to put up their papers on whims and fancy of some “ security establishment”. From the days of yore civil and military merged only at the level of the King.In a democracy like ours it has to be the CCS and for certain things only the President. Of Course the CCS has the authority to remove the Chief from his post any time but below him it has to by or thru the Chief after following all the procedures and especially Army Rule 180.
A total of 36 army personnel died in the three attacks, two of which — on the Uri brigade and the Nagrota base — took place in 2016, and the third — on the Sunjuwan camp — in 2018. A group of terrorists sneaked into the Brigade Headquarters in Uri, killing 19 soldiers, on September 18, 2016. Seven soldiers, including an officer, died when terrorist stormed the 16 Corps Artillery Brigade located in Nagrota on November 29, 2016. Eleven soldiers were killed when terrorists attacked the Sunjuwan camp on February 10, 2018.
Army is governed by the Army Act and it has a well established procedure to deal with such incidents. Court of Inquires into the attacks had revealed certain lapses and actions were taken. No civil authority can now be permitted to meddle into this by bringing out their “ bright ideas” like availability of prior information about a possible attack. Entire India has this information right from 1947 regarding a possible attack. Interestingly, one of the base commanders had just assumed charge two days before the attack.
Punishing officers for terror attacks would lead to a “fortress mindset”.Militaries do not work with Police or security mentality. instead of allotting more resources protecting bases or trying to have no casualties by being NON ACTIVE, they go on the offensive against the enemy. For the military Offence is the best form of Defence.
Also if such witch hunt commences then where do you start and where do you end. Do you start with the Sentries manning the forward defences at LOC from where the terrorists had infiltrated. Do you then hold the Platoon Commander or the Company Commander or the unit’s Commanding Officer.
In case you want to blame the Seniors then why stop at the Brigade Commander, go right up to the Army Commander and why not the Chief himself. What about the Raksha Mantri who is responsible for all this Raksha and for not providing the required infrastructure and other wherewithal for maintaining security and what about the babus in his ministry. Finally the PM whose country got attacked ?
The Indian Army spokesperson rightly did not comment on this peace of news. “I have no information,” the spokesperson said in reply to a query by media. Said a news report that a senior Army officer who did not want to be named said “The attacks have been probed. Necessary steps have been initiated already, can action be initiated again?”
The Indian Army must not retire the commanders because of operational issues and certainly not because someone wants it to happen. This should be done based Only the decision a duly constituted Court Martial under the Army Act and following Army Rule 180.
“Being removed from command is disgraceful,” General Bipin Rawat, the army chief, had earlier said when asked whether the army was considering stricter action. The military leadership has to protect the Chetwood Motto ….from Lt to Army Chief, all have to up hold it. Law must also prevail which includes Army Rule 180.
