GUARDING THE EASTERN THREAT

PN Khera

1. In an exclusive interaction in connection with the Eastern Command special edition

of the Asia Defence News International (ADNI). Lt Gen Bikram Singh, General Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Army Command, told us that it was necessary to
continuously reassess challenges and potential threats that arose from the geo-strategic
environment and the necessity to be ready to face any adversary. Fielding a wide range of
questions, the GOC-in-C pointed out that the Eastern Army guards India’s borders with five
nations including China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh and its responsibilities
spread across several States in the Northeast including West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam,
Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and some districts of
Eastern Bihar.

2. Touching upon threat perceptions and internal security challenges, Lt Gen Bikram
Singh underlined that the entire region surrounding Northeast India was affected by conflict,
tension and insurgency. Activities of various interest groups in our neighbourhood were
well-documented. He also pointed out that the situation in the northeastern States was
more in the “law and order domain” to day and the need to focus simultaneously on
education, economic development, infrastructure building and employment generation
activities. The Army, whenever called, basically created a situation for the civilian
administration to work without hindrance and fear. The GOC-in-C also talked about lessons
to be learnt from counter-insurgency operations, improvements in operational logistics and
the historic victory achieved by the Indian armed forces in 1971 war which resulted in the
creation of Bangladesh. We present some excerpts from this extensive exclusive
interaction.

3. PN Khera: The Eastern Command has a jurisdiction spreading from Kolkata to the
entire Northeast. Would you like to spell out the importance of the command?

4. GOC-in-C: The Eastern Command encompasses nine States of the Union of India
within its area of responsibility. The theatre encompasses the snowcapped peaks of Sikkim
and Arunachal Pradesh towards the north, the jungle-clad hill tracts of Nagaland, Manipur,
Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya in the Northeast, and the alluvial fertile plains of Assam
and Bengal. It is an enchanting diversity of many cultures, blended in the thread of
nationalism, magnificent flora and fauna and nature’s bounty. The area encompassed is
approximately three lakh square kilometres and has over five million citizens within.
Externally, the area of responsibility of the Command is contiguous with five neighbouring
countries, which is nearly 68 per cent of our country’s land boundaries with them. The area
can truly be termed as India’s Gateway to the Far East.

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5. Against this backdrop, the Eastern Command is tasked to ensure the territorial
integrity of the northeastern region of our country. At the same time, our formations and
units are engaged in assisting the State governments in improving the internal security
situation in certain insurgency-afflicted areas so that the law of the land prevails and
mainstream activity and economic development continues unhindered. We are committed
to these tasks with utmost devotion and professionalism.

6. PNK: Your Command area is also a major combat area in the sense that it had to
face the challenge of almost all the major wars forced on India since Independence. Would
you like to recall the key role of the Command in the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars, among
other operations?

7. GOC-in-C: The conflict of 1962 was a cathartic event in India’s history. It was also a
crisis from which the nation learnt many lessons. The war clearly demonstrated the vital
strategic importance of the Northeast. Despite many early reverses in the face of
unexpected aggression, greatly outnumbered Army units deployed in the forward locations
stood fast and gave stiff resistance to the enemy under almost impossible conditions. At the
same time, hastily assembled troops of many units and formations based in the plains,
most of them still clad in the olive greens and armed with obsolete .303 rifles, had to be
rushed for operations in high-altitude terrain in the winter months. These brave warriors,
though constrained to hold tactically vulnerable features without mines or other obstacle
systems and with little or no fire support, remained undaunted against heavy odds and
stood their ground at most places till the very last man. They knew no better reason or
place to die than in the most honourable task of defending their motherland. The war in high
Himalayas also brought home the importance of modernizing the Indian Army and
coordinated higher direction of war. The sacrifice of 2,420 soldiers during the war has
indomitably got enshrined not only in the annals of Eastern Command but that of the entire
Indian Army.

8. During the 1965 Indo-Pak war, Eastern Command was not directly involved apart
from moving a number of units and formations to the Western theatre to contribute to the
overall effort. However, the Command continued to safeguard the territorial integrity of the
nation’s eastern borders against possible hostile exploitation of the situation by inimical
forces.

9. The credit for the success of Indian victory in 1971 Indo-Pak war goes to the Eastern
Command’s lighting offensive in synergy with the Mukti Bahini. Each battle was fought with
great valour against a well organized and determined enemy. In the event of war, Pakistan
had apparently visualized an Indian offensive attempting an initial shallow penetration,
followed by sequential attacks of attrition through the depth of its defences. Its entire
defensive plan rested on contesting the perceived step-by-step advance of the Indian Army,
thereby buying time for a possible intervention/interjection by a certain section of
international community. Towards this end, Pakistan forces were holding fortress like strong
defences on all routes of ingress along the border. In contrast, the Indian Army and Eastern
Command had a plan that was bold an original.

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The Indian Army and Eastern Command continue to draw inspiration form this grand victory
with humility but greater resolve to maintain a continuous vigil in safeguarding our
motherland and its citizens against any potential threat.

10. PNK: Do you think institutions like the Counter Insurgency Jungle warfare school at
Vairengte in Mizoram can be used to help train civilian police and security officers for better
performance in dealing with insurgents resorting to guerilla tactics?

11. GOC-in-C: CIJWS-Vairengte is a premier and specialized institution of international

repute and regularly imparts requisite training to a large number of personnel, including
paramilitary forces and foreign armed forces. It follows the principle of “training the trainers”
– selected personnel who then go back and further train larger number of their colleagues
in their own environment. The prevailing internal security environment has brought home
the critical requirement of training civil police and paramilitary forces in certain specialized
skills. The formations and units in Eastern Command have sustained experience of
operating in insurgency-prone areas and have institutionalized the best practices over the
years. It is only, therefore, prudent that this skill set is passed on to our civil police and
paramilitary forces which may be similarly tasked. It is towards this end that regular training
capsules are being run by our formations in tactics, field craft, navigation, techniques of
countering improvised explosive devices and allied subjects. In the current year alone, over
9,000 civil police and paramilitary forces personnel have already been trained in this field.
Our primary aim is to help the State police and Central police organizations to become fully
capable of operating in insurgency-afflicted areas.

12. PNK: What is your view on the role in the strategic road building and development of
border areas, especially in the Northeast?

13. GOC-in-C: The focus of Eastern Command is also on infrastructure development,

which translates into an integrated and effective road network in the difficult terrain,
characterized by underdeveloped and rugged snow-clad mountains, impregnable forests
and some insurgent-infested areas. The onus of improving the existing road communication
system in the border areas to a high quality and upgraded network to cater to the needs of
economic development and safeguard our frontiers has been entrusted to Border Roads
Organization (BRO), which is regarded as a beacon of hope in these inhospitable areas.
The BRO projects have steadily been undertaking sequential construction of road network
and associated ancillaries not only in the far-flung remote areas but also in the hinterland of
the Northeast. This large-scale infrastructure development is not only beneficial for armed
forces but also provides a facelift and enhances economic activity leading to overall
prosperity. This will also help bridge the gap between many neglected areas of the
Northeast with the mainland. The role and commitment of the organization in national
integration and socioeconomic transformation of the erstwhile inaccessible border area is
indeed commendable.

(The writer is editor-in-chief, ADNI)