S Ramsagar
Nov 7, 2016
Introduction
India today is at the threshold of progress towards achieving higher standard of life for her citizens. At this juncture it is essential that the country evaluates its needs to ensure that this accelerated progress is not jeopardized. Especially now, when the Government in power is in a precarious position of working hard to prevent divisive forces affect its security.. My presentation today is to analyze these needs, without causing too much of changes in our planning and establish effective National Security to maintain our Nation’s progress.
Present threats to our Nation and Analysis of the Threats
Our country is the only Nation that has adopted and maintained the democratic government from the date of Independence. We are now the largest democracy, as regards population. Many of the nations surrounding us have had turmoil’s leading to military dictatorships or change of government systems. Even though the democratic system develops a nation's economic strength rather slowly, still it provides freedom of thought, speech and a benevolent form of governance. To ensure this system survives and progress is achieved, we will have to analyze the threats to our nation and take necessary counter measures to ensure the democratic form of government continues to exist.
1. Pakistan.
Our Neighbor Pakistan has never forgotten India, for separating East Pakistan from her by creating Bangladesh. We all are aware that Pakistan wants to break Kashmir from India. However friendly, we try to be with her, this mindset of Pakistan will be very difficult to change. We have already fought over Kashmir, but have not been able to bring about a final settlement. This festering problem will continue and India has to take this into consideration when planning any security strategy. Especially to day after the hanging of Afzal ganj, the situation is even more fragile, with whole of Kashmiries turned against India. This situation can be made use off by Pakistan. In fact this is the type of situation Pakistan has been waiting for. The next few years are critical period for India, where-in any thing may happen in Kashmir. Mainly the new government is unable to hold the youth of Kashmir from over reacting and prevent them supporting the terrorists and separators .Bold and positive action is necessary as has been done in Punjab
2. China.
China is a riddle to our beurocrats handling the Chinese foreign policies. The Chinese’s civilization is in fact older than Indians and their philosophy competes with our Chanakyas strategy. They follow Confucius ‘confusing’ philosophy. One example of their strategic thinking is the way they convinced our erstwhile Prime Minister Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru that they with Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai will be for-ever loyal and good friends of India. They further strengthened this belief by establishing Panchsheel and the Non- aligned Movement. There after without any indication attacked India in 1962 and made it clear that their territory claims will remain. Our countries handling of the
TIBET problem, is an example of our inability to understand the Chinese mind. We have badly let down the trusting Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, by not being very firm in our policy that the suzerainty of Tibet should not be violated by china. Once the Chinese hoards occupied Tibet India had no strength to take an aggressive stand on this, internationally. Presently, Chinese economic strength is growing in leaps and bounds. Western world has come to realize that they will have to take into account china as an emerging super power. This thinking has been made very clear by President OBAMA visiting China first in Asian nations and failed to visit India in that trip. Chinese government policies are now being aired in Chinese media that people of Arunachal Pradesh do not require a visa for them to visit China, and they are objecting to the visit of Dalai Lama to that state. This is a clear indication of the Chinese belligerent attitude towards India. At the present juncture it is important for our Nation to understand and analyze all the probable moves China is likely to commit and be prepared for it. In all likelihood it could also be their strategy to force India to spend colossal amounts of funds in fortifying the India China Borders , such that our economic growth is slowed down, leading to recession in India. This will help China to become even stronger than India. In fact ,the regular incursions into Indian territory by the Chinese forces forcing India to play the chess game of border security and then withdrawing back to show to the outside world that China will play ball if India comes to negotiating table to rewrite the LOC with her, without aggressive actions. In addition their friendship with Pakistan is the greatest threat India will have to face in future. In fact, it is understood that in Gilcrist (POK), there are over 8000 Chinese forces located there with the help of Pakistan. Strong alliances with western Nations and Russia will hold China for the period we need to become a strong nation economically and in conventional & nuclear strength.
3) Chinese -'Indian Ocean' strategy. “Garland of pearls”
Here is another example of Chinas foreign policy in favour of strengthening them self, rather than appease the neighboring countries. They have meticulously gone about helping the countries surrounding us, in establishing Harbors with their help. The port of Hattantota constructed in south Sri Lanka by their assistance, and the harbors in Burma and Pakistan are all meant to help her naval forces operate in Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. This garland of ports around India not only threatens our sea trade around Indian waters but also helps China ensure her oil supplies from Arab Nations and sea trade reaches safely through to her by sea and via Burma and Cambodia- land route. It is further understood that she is planning to link the Burmese port to china via Cambodia with an oil pipe line which will facilitate for them to directly transfer oil to china. By this method they will be saving fuel cost for ships traveling all the way through Malacca straits, Singapore straits and china seas. In addition the Chinese have proposed to the western nations and the UN to divide the Indian Ocean into areas of responsibility to individual Sea power nations to ensure safe passage of ships through this region of sea piracy... This is a clever move to establish their naval presence in and around the Indian Ocean area and thereby reduce India’s projection of sea power in this area. To counter this we need a very strong Ocean Navy with air, surface and sub surface naval forces capable of enforcing the nations will without violence.
An example of this power is, during the 1971 war of Bangladesh Liberation, Russia indicated to the Americans the war offensive positions of all the Russian subs around the western nations by surfacing them for 15 minutes for US Satellites to see that they are already in offensive locations. By this move the American Pacific nuclear fleet went back without entering the Bay of Bengal. This is the deterrence power of a Strong Navy. It prevented USA and Russia getting involved in violence.
4) India’s relations with her neighbors.
Our relations with Sri Lanka has to a larger extant soured due to the LTTE Tamil Elam problem of that country. In fact our Priminister could not attend the CHOGAM’s International meeting in Sri Lanka. In time to come, this problem may gradually spread to Tamil Nadu, if not handled carefully. Further with the problems of water supply between Tamilnadu and Karnataka is aggravating the unity of India. It is essential that this problem is quickly resolved by the centre.
Though, we liberated Bangladesh, the continuous infiltration of Bangladeshis into India with its inherent problem of terrorist infiltration has only increased the internal problem of our states Assam, Mizoram Tripura and Naga land. Unless we are able to convincingly get the neighboring states to cooperate on a war footing and stop these easy infiltrations into our nation, this problem will continue.
What is National Security?
First and foremost, we have to understand what strategic defense is necessary to ensure National Security. The concept of strategic Defense has now changed to encompass four systems.
1) Stable government to successfully achieve policies promulgated and planned.
2) High Economic strength of a nation
3) Dynamic foreign policy to an extant, selfish in nature towards our nations Wellbeing
4) Defense strategy in conventional warfare in defense and offence, with a strong Nuclear deterrence.
5) Finally, Motivate and ensure high morale in the armed Forces to ensure motivated participation in battles with the aim of success in all hostilities.
Let me now discuss each of these aspects of strategy leading to national security.
1) Stable Government
Without doubt a nation needs a very stable government to progress all the plans the nation envisages to undertake and successfully execute. Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru had this for 18 years of his Prime Minister ship, but failed to understand the Need for Defense strategy due to his mind living in an ideal world of non-violence and non aligned movement. He imagined that India with all friendly neibhours will never have any problem with her neighboring countries, even though many of them ended up with dictatorial and ruthless presidential form of Governments. With this form of thinking, Nehru downgraded the armed forces very badly till he was stabbed in the back by the Chinese in 1962.It is now never too late to start thinking that India should not be thought of as a weak and soft Nation incapable of taking strong and good decisions for the benefit of our Country, instead of thinking how to appease the rest of the world.
2) Economic Strength
Development of India’s economic strength. Again India chose the wrong policy of social development through government control to that of faster entrepreneurial liberal form of development. This made a very large beurocracy controlling all developmental plans resulting in monolithic organizations executing poorly, all projects and plans. It was only during Shri Narasimha Rao,s priministership liberalization as a government policy was commenced. The paradox is that the Chinese Communists attained their independence a year after India, but liberalized their government’s policies one year earlier than the democratic India did. Here in again our thinking was not in tune with the need of the hour. Finally, Thanks to Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, we are now following the system needed to progress economic strength at a faster rate, keeping in mind that we do not go over board on any one form of quick development. Unfortunately the monolithic Beaurocracy is still playing games with the progress of developments. The present corruption filled Government has only worsened the economic strength of our nation.
One may ask how does economic strength, plays such an important part in National Defense and Strategy.. Firstly, if the country is economically strong, our defense budget can be geared to meet the urgent need of funds for strengthening the defense forces of our nation.. With a strong economy one will have the power to influence the developed and rich nations to bend to our strategic needs, like the small states, Japan (An economic giant) Germany. France, England and ISREAL. All of them put together can wield power to keep their nations secure. To achieve this one should have good governance with officials carrying out their duties diligently. This can be achieved as was done by many western nations having compulsory two year military service. Unfortunately, our nation cannot implement this, as we have a very large population; But this can be done with our IAS, IPS, and other government officials doing 6 months training in Defense academies and 6 months in forward areas with the three services prior to joining the Administrative staff college in Missouri Dehradun. This will instill discipline and motivation to serve the country. They will do their duty in the service of the people with their own interest being kept last as per the Moto of the defense forces, which they would have learnt while training in defense academy and in service with the forces in forward areas.
3) Dynamic Foreign Policy.
India’s foreign policy for many years has been idealistic, even though we were the first to propagate the Doctrine of Chanakya in the technique of governance and relationship with neighboring countries. The lack of ensuring India’s own welfare as compared to the needs of the world as a whole resulted in our economic growth being stunted. The Russians though were very clear in looking after there country and its security, failed badly economically when its population realized how poor they were as compared to the western world. In matters, where country’s welfare was needed to be ensured, we failed badly when Tibet was over run, Kashmir was given the right to prevent any Indian other than a Kashmiri to have any property rights to settle down there with the promulgation of Article 370.We failed to control and prevent the exodus of all the Kashmiri pundits being thrown out by the local Kashmiri Muslims. Similarly article 370 was also extended to the eastern states; all resulting in divisional politics, creating unrest and more troubled areas. With the present trend of coalition governments at the centre due to linguistic and caste/religious politics, the ability of the central government’s policy will always tend to be week, unless all the parties are educated on the need for a common ‘goal in foreign policy’ for our countries welfare and security. The Parliament would need two third majority to amend the constitution clauses to achieve change in policy decisions.
4) Defense Strategy. Unless, all the other above mentioned dimensions are brought under one planning commission, the most important defense strategy of our nation will not be able to reach the levels that needs financial support to ensure National Security. Till date our Nation has not fully integrated the three Services under one command. There has not been a military man with experience serving as a national security adviser to the Priminister.Our nation has no Defense seat in the five year planning commission to plan and provide the required finances for improving the defense forces strength. Further, the morale of the forces has been affectively reduced by the beaurocracy by down grading the status of the forces not only in their salaries but also in their respect ( IZZAT)compared to the civilian society, thereby making services as the last resort for employment by the Indian youths.
Conventional weapons strength. First and foremost the budget for attaining the required weapon systems to keep our frontiers safe conventionally needs to be formulated. This can only be done once the countries threats are fully analyzed as above. Once done, and after taking into account the assessed strengths of the adversaries the requirement of the three armed forces should be established. The funds for such requirements are needed to be provided.
Nuclear Deterrence.
Without doubt the nuclear defense is a must for any country to be treated with respect in the world. We need not go to war using nuclear weapons. There is a lesson for all of us in understanding how the third world war was avoided by USA and Russia having the required nuclear arsenal as deterrence. Further the Second World War came to an abrupt end because of nuclear weapons. Therefore we have to have the strategic planning and budgeting for these essential weapons of Deterrence. There is also a need to establish our submarine strength with nuclear second strike capability.
Establishment of a defense Chair in Planning Commission
As the weaponry of the defense forces have long lead time for successful entry into the operational field, it is definitely a good plan to have a defense chair in the planning commission. They would then work out the long term financial budgeting in the coming five year plans. Presently this is being done by the individual service head quarters.
As all conventional wars will have to be under unified planning and execution, a combined defense chair representing all the uniformed forces and their funds requirements should be planned and catered for in the planning commission for all long term future requirements. This defense chair in the planning commission should consist of all the tree services and Para-military forces along with one member each from the external affairs ministry, economic ministry and the defense ministry with Chairman of the Defense Staff representing all their views to the Government.
National security Advisor.
Last but not the least is the important post of the National Security Advisor to the prime Minister. This post is till date more linked to the external Affairs ministry or the CBI/RAW. The only weakness in this post is the lack of a defense advisor to the prime minister. To ensure that proper advice and picture is available to the Prime Minister, a deputy National Advisor is needed to be appointed from the defense forces. Then the National security will be given the correct importance and actions initiated, will be prompt and correct. A good example is when Indira Gandhi asked Field Marshall Menakshaw to commence hostilities in East Pakistan he categorically stated that the defense forces were not ready to commence the hostile operations. He had to inform the Prime Minister that she would have to relieve him from command and ask another officer to do the needful. Such a situation would not have occurred if the defense forces were in the field of government planning and execution of policy.
Ultimately the Iron Lady took the right decision and followed the advice of the Field Marshall and waited till December to commence the Bangladesh war. She brilliantly used this extra time to explain India’s position to all the major nations and signed the three year Defense treaty with Russia as a defensive measure, which helped us in keeping President Nixon and Secretary of state Kissinger at Bay.
5) Motivation & Morale of the Armed Forces
a) A defense man’s, Morale is pride in one’s self and loyalty to the nation with self interest last.
Now we come to the most important part of National Security. Defense forces to date have been most straight forward in their dealings. They all have pride in themselves with a feeling that they are special. This pride and respect they have for themselves is what a Jawan calls ‘IZZAT’. It is this quality that makes a defense services soldier, sailor, or an airman, perform his duty to the nation without a thought for himself. In his mind there is no second thought for himself, all is for the unit and the Nation. How do we ensure this ability in defense personal? This is achieved when he is respected where ever he goes wearing his uniform. The people of the Nation appreciate the sacrifices he is doing for the service to the country. I now take the Liberty of asking the Right Honorable Chief Ministers of all states to pass a law in their assemblies that ensures, as and when a commanding Officer requests for helping a jawan’s family in his home town the government Official should respond immediately, such that the defense man in the forward area is at peace with himself and his job. This law should include, when a Jawan in uniform approaches an official for help he should be attended to immediately, as a jawan is generally given very little time to proceed on leave. In UK, even today, when a soldier’s body is brought back from Afghanistan, the whole village or county stands along the route to salute the funeral cartage, showering respect and dignity to the family of the departed soldier.
b) Poor state of defense forces Here, I bring to the notice of all the dignitaries, the sad state where in very proud officers, are made to do dharna in front of Janter Manter for what is their proper dues and return all their Medals to the President of India The Supreme Commander of the defense forces .This shows to what extent the morale and pride of the Defense personnel has been degraded .This type of situation should never have happened, but this is due to the failure of the powers in being, not understanding the mind of an officer or a soldier in the Defense Forces.
6) Conclusion
In conclusion, Taking into view, all the above mentioned points, what we now need for the Country’s National Security are:
I) A stable Government with a strong mind to ensure our countries well being.
Which are:-
a) Withdraw article 370 from Kashmere, and the eastern states.
b) Uniform civil code of law as recommended by the supreme court to the congress Government during Rajiv Gandhi’s prime minister ship.
c) Make all education in India a central government subject and remove it from concorant subject in the constitution. This will ensure all the youth of India will have a sense of belonging, whatever is their state. Recommend the medium of instructions be in international Link Language English, with Hindi and local mother tongue as additional subjects; but the marks in these two subjects should not be graded towards the students ranking status.
d) Bring all national River’s and river water supply under the central government and remove this from the individual states control.
II) Develop a strong economic strength and growth by training IAS, IPS and other government officer in defense academies and service in the three forces forward areas, prior to their joining the Administrative training college.
III) A Dynamic external foreign Policy, with a viable defense strategy in conventional And nuclear warfare. Further, make the rest of the world nations understand that INDIA is no more a soft nation.
IV) Defense Strategy should cover
a) Increase in Conventional Weapons strength
b)Defense Chair in Planning Commission
c) Nuclear Deterrence with strong nuclear second strike capability from our submarines
d) Appoint armed forces National Security Advisor.
V) Ensure Defense Forces get back their high sense of morale and Devotion to Duty by bringing their status equal to that of other class I civil servants and their salaries as per original OROP Definition.
Rear Admiral (Retd) S Ramsagar AVSM,VrC,NM, NDA, PSC, NDC, IN is Former MILITARY SECRETARY to the PRESIDENTS of INDIA
The Views expressed herein in are personal and do not necessarily reflect that of the Editor or Security Risks.com
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