The new Modi Doctrine for the Armed Forces

By Maj Gen Rajiv Narayanan, AVSM, VSM

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During a TV discussions about the new Modi Doctrine for the Armed Forces, for operations across the Line of Control, on 02 Oct, the major points mentioned were,

• No more ‘pacifism’.

• Make Pak Army pay.

• Make Indian Army Officers accountable.

• ‘0 Infiltration’ Plan.

• Armed Forces Upgrade

One Professor also wrote an article in the Sunday Guardian, on 02 0ct, ‘PM Modi scripts an Army Reset’.

This time, by openly declaring it and launching a coordinated heavy strike against terrorist camps, the discourse and ground rules have been redefined.

The main issues raised by the Professor are,

Greater accountability at highest levels of military echelons, including punishment.

Goes for character assassination of the Uri Brigade Commander, as being more into Golf, than operations.

Modi not pacifist like his predecessors.

Make Pak GHQ pay more.

Avoid cover-ups like during Kargil War.

Poor capital-revenue ratio, and delayed procurements during Manmohan Regime, leading to very low levels of War Wastage Reserves.

Top Army brass have resisted greater accountability.

Accepts that, ‘Babus’ delayed procurement.

The above messages are a measure of how poorly informed the ‘Decision makers’ are of matters military, and surely some arm chair strategists with no field experience has drafted these points as ‘New Doctrine’. The new found change in stance is welcome, but to imply that till now the Army was pacifist and not doing any aggressive actions is twisting of facts to suit a political agenda. This is not the time to score ‘political points’ using the Armed Forces as a front.

One is reminded of Francis Quarles famous poem on Gods and Soldiers, written in 1731. Its echo can still be heard today, in the light of the manner in which the soldiers are being treated,

“Our God and soldiers we alike adore,

Ev’n at the brink of danger; not before:

After deliverance, both alike requited,

Our God’s forgotten, and our soldiers slighted.”

A dispassionate look at these issues is needed to analyse and understand the implication of what has been stated as the Modi Doctrine, and what Professor has written.

…it is in a catch 22 situation, how to respond and with what. Any Army response would further underline it as a terrorist state, terrorists may not be immediately available for sending into J&K as a lot have been neutralised and passes would close in a month.

No more Pacifism.

By this, it implies that the India Army has been a pacifist, and has not responded to all the Pak Army, and non-state actors’ aggressiveness. Nothing could be further from the truth, than this point. Local attacks across the Line of Control have been a regular activity to ensure own dominance ever since the Cease Fire Line (CFL) came into effect way back in 1948. These were called ‘Batt Action’ – short for battalion action, usually against Pak Army. By this statement, the people who are putting this out in the public domain are doing great disservice to the Army, trying to project it as a pacifist!! Yes, no chest thumping has been needed then, and the Governments of the day left it to the local commanders to respond at the time and place of their choosing. 

This time, by openly declaring it and launching a coordinated heavy strike against terrorist camps, the discourse and ground rules have been redefined.

For one Pakistan has been brought to the level of Myanmar.

Second its nuclear bluster has been pricked.

Third it is in a catch 22 situation, how to respond and with what. Any Army response would further underline it as a terrorist state, terrorists may not be immediately available for sending into J&K as a lot have been neutralised and passes would close in a month.

So only some terrorist attacks in hinterland may be attempted using Indian Mujahideen and SIMI or NE militant groups.

They would realise that India has shifted the goalposts under the nuclear umbrella.

The Shimla Agreement has now been formally dumped in the dustbin.

The Pak Army has a country, and it will continue to function ‘irrationally’ as it sees any peace with India as an existential threat to itself and so cannot permit it to occur.

Make Pak Army Pay

Does the Pak Army worry about the body bags? An Army, which defines its notion of Victory as survival and does not bring in Victory or Defeat in wars as a measure of success would not bother about casualties either of its Armed Forces or the terrorists. The Pak Army has a country, and it will continue to function ‘irrationally’ as it sees any peace with India as an existential threat to itself and so cannot permit it to occur.

It also has vast business and commercial interests, in the garb of ex-servicemen welfare under its Fauji Foundation. It contributes, as per Christine Fair in her book on the Pak Army – “Fighting to the End, The Pakistan Army’s Way of War’, more than a third of Pakistan’s GDP!! So its hold in all walks of life is near total, which it would be loathe to give up in a hurry.

Hence the response also has to be in all dimensions, and not just military alone. The Pak Army has been paying a heavy price till now, without media coverage and now it seems that these would come under media glare, which may not always be desirable. Some actions, which have a message across could be announced, like the recent event, but the local responses should stay under the radar as hither-to-fore, to ensure better secrecy and freedom of action to local commanders.

Towards this end, while a multi-dimensional approach has been taken by the Modi government, but the scope needs to expand to cover Military, Trans-Military and Non-Military domains, to curtail and reduce the Comprehensive National Power (CNP) of the Pak Army – since it is the Pak Army that has the country known as Pakistan, and not the other way around, as is usually the case with the rest of the World.

Infiltration can be reduced, as has been done, but to make it Zero is a tall order.

Make Indian Army Officers Accountable

This is a pernicious statement that the Indian Army does not hold its officers accountable. The accountability, and punishments meted out are not paraded in the media. Even the GOC and the Brigade Commander, where the lapses occurred during the Kargil War, were removed from command!!! In the Tehelka Scam of 2001- Operation Westend, ONLY THE INDIAN ARMY OFFICERS INVOLVED WERE PUNISHED BY THE ARMY, while the ‘Babus’ and the politicians involved are still roaming free and NO ACTION has been taken against them till date.

So to imply that the Indian Army has not been punishing the guilty till now smacks of either a lack of knowledge of how the Armed Forces function, or twisting of facts to the detriment of the Armed Forces. Either of which is not in the good interests of the Nation. Need the knowledgeable and the experts in each domain to advise and guide the decision makers – Ministers. Also need to avoid the trap of ‘Zero error syndrome’.

‘0 Infiltration’.

This aspect leads one to believe that this has been written by an ‘armchair’ strategist with no field knowledge. No amount of Technology or additional man power can guarantee this aspect. Israel, with all its technology, fence/wall and with the plains as the border terrain has been unable to achieve the same with Palestinians, so also USA vis-à-vis Mexico.

The Indo-Pak border under question has rugged mountainous terrain, with very heavy foliage and thick vegetation that prevent its penetration by the best of the current surveillance devices. Further, ‘mountains eat troops’; hence it would be uneconomical to have a boot at every inch of the ground. Add to that the few supporters that are available within the populace, which enables them to blend into it thereby making this aspect unachievable. Infiltration can be reduced, as has been done, but to make it Zero is a tall order.

If some items have not been procured, if the War Wastage Rates have been allowed to reduce, if procurements have not occurred despite items having been short-listed, who is to blame and why no accountability being asked for there?

It is for this reason that the ant-infiltration grid is multi-tiered, and so is the counter-insurgency grid. The troops who are deployed there need all the media and government support, and not the hounding as has been the norm of some channels of late. It is only the Indian Army that fights with one hand tied behind its back, to ensure minimal civilian casualties. A casual glance at the civilian casualties across the world in such environments, including ‘internally displaced people’ would be telling.

So, while the notion is noble, needs some ‘tempering’ while enunciating it.

Armed Forces Upgrade.

This has been very tardy, and the Armed Forces cannot be held accountable for it. The Financial Powers are just enough for day-to-day running of the system. Rest is all vested with the MOD, Finance Ministry and Cabinet Committee for Security. Yet not a word has been stated on accountability for such issues at the highest echelons?? Why?

If some items have not been procured, if the War Wastage Rates have been allowed to reduce, if procurements have not occurred despite items having been short-listed, who is to blame and why no accountability being asked for there?

The Armed Forces have always been quick in adequately punishing those who have been found tardy in their functioning, whether in operations, or on staff. Yet this news piece has made much about higher echelons in the military being held accountable for operations, but fails to hold the bureaucracy and the politicians accountable for their lapses in procurement, force sustenance and modernisation. Accountability has to be at every level, and not only for one entity.

The Procurement procedures are much skewed in favour of DRDO, OFs and DPSUs who have repeatedly failed to deliver and have held the Armed Forces to ransom. While the ‘Make in India’ is a good slogan, unless it is backed by some path breaking changes in policies and procedures, nothing much would accrue.

The Armed Forces does not do things in media glare, and such is not necessary. But to accuse the Armed Forces of such perfidy is unwarranted and uncalled for.

Professor writes – ‘PM Modi Scripts An Army Reset’.

Removal of the Brigade Commander

A very immature statement meant to sensationlise and underline that it is only Mr Modi who is making people accountable; couldn’t be far from truth, as mentioned earlier in this article. The Armed Forces have a set process of Court of Inquiry to pinpoint the errors and those guilty of commission and omission, plus the recommendations for further actions. In accordance with these the senior commander(s) then punish the defaulters. So to state, without any such proof that the Brigade Commander has been sacked would be stretching things a bit far.

In a similar vein, to sustain his argument, the Professor has resorted to character assassination of the commander by stating that his priority was Golf. Wonder if the Professor had gone there for a round of Golf and arrived at this conclusion. If it is hearsay only, as it seems, then it does not behove the standing that the esteemed Professor has to be pandering to rumour mongering.

Top Brass resisted drive for greater accountability.

That’s a very loaded statement, and one hopes he has the proof to back it up. As stated earlier, only the Armed Forces have been prompt in holding people accountable for their omissions and commissions, and giving punishments as per the extant military precedents. The Armed Forces does not do things in media glare, and such is not necessary. But to accuse the Armed Forces of such perfidy is unwarranted and uncalled for.

The Indian Armed Forces will always deliver, whenever called upon to do so, and with élan and grace. Expect the same for the media, and other writers rather than half-baked hyper articles to further a political message. Please keep the armed forces out of it…

Manmohan Singh’s Government delays in Procurement

While bringing out the delays and other financial issues, the Professor has conveniently avoided accountability and punishments at the highest echelons for these issues. These are as much important as the conduct of operations, and provide the spine and strength to the Armed Forces. Any tardiness on these issues would have disastrous impact – lessons from the 1962 War!!! So the Professor would be well advised to ask for accountability at all such levels. He need not worry about the Military, as the necessary checks and balances are in place within the Armed Forces. However, these appear missing at these levels.

To conclude, it should be understood and noted that attacks across the Line of Control at the local level has been occurring for many decades. However, the discourse has been changed by announcing these recent strikes on the terrorist camps, and thus the Shimla Agreement has been dumped in its entirety. As per the MoS, Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, India now has unequivocally stated that the entire POK (including Gilgit Baltistan, and the ceded Shaksgam Valley) is Indian Territory, and all future discussions would be on that issue only. India needs to now walk this talk.

To claim that only now accountability is being sought from the Military is incorrect. It is only the Military that holds its people accountable for any omission or commission, but a similar accountability is woefully lacking in the domain of the MOD, who are singularly responsible for all procurement, field force sustenance, and modernisation.

The Indian Armed Forces will always deliver, whenever called upon to do so, and with élan and grace. Expect the same for the media, and other writers rather than half-baked hyper articles to further a political message. Please keep the armed forces out of it, and give it the respect it rightfully deserves. When the nation desires, the Armed Forces deliver, but does the nation deliver what the Armed Forces deserve???