They have given their today
for our tomorrow.
My heart goes to their families and near and
dear ones. My salutes to them.
If
you are a Chinese, you would say One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer. If you are
an Indian, you would say Out of Small Acorns Grow Mighty Oaks, whenever Galwan
is discussed. In battle as in life, truth alone prevails, irrespective
of the fact that it is the first casualty of war. However the truth I am
alluding to is the sentiment which all Indian soldiers have learned through
ages from this saying in Mahabharata
There is greater clarity now as to what has happened at
Galwan. There is no doubt that China premeditated an ambush. As per an India
Today report, ‘outside’ troops planned, instigated, and sprung the ambush. A euphemism for specially trained crack troops
for strike operations. I surmise they were handpicked and specially placed
there to teach India a lesson using barbaric weapons which are totally in
contravention to the Geneva Conventions. It has emerged that apart from
casualties, some Indian Officers and soldiers were detained by the Chinese. Equally
some Chinese soldiers were detained by India. Amongst them was the CO of this
crack strike force who probably planned this operation. The Chinese agreed to
release our boys only since we had their kingpin.
From a Chinese perspective, it is indeed creditable that
their Commanding Officer was there on the spot to personally lead and control
his men. However the execution of the ambush indicates poor training and battlefield
leadership. PLA’s ‘peace disease’, ‘micro corruption’ and ‘lack
of combat experience’ bubbled up in Galwan. Many paid analysts project
that fighting in high altitude is a matter of 14 days acclimatization and it is
a walkover for China. ‘Battle readiness’
in super high altitude and ‘acclimatization’ are two different things. In a
battlefield tougher than even Siachen, operational effectiveness is much beyond
acclimatization. It comes with considerable time spent there. The Chinese are extremely
far from that. I hope the Western World realizes that. In fact Chinese deployment
in prim straight lines in the Galwan Valley and elsewhere indicates one of the
two things. Either they do not know the value of dispersion or they do not want
to get into a fight, and all this is a scare and demonstration maneuver. Well,
time will tell. Their influence machinery has also been mocking at our inferior
medical facilities. It boasted how their casualties received better treatment
due to superior medical facilities. By doing so they confirmed that they had
significant casualties despite officially denying them. BTW, the Armies are
deployed in Aksai Chin for battle and not for a medical evacuation or beauty contests.
If the balloon goes higher, I am sure PLA will sorely need those facilities
soon.
A major issue is the Stability – Instability paradox in the
PLA. The PLA might have great equipment, sophisticated infrastructure, faster
communications, and all those paraphernalia for the much hyped ‘local wars
under conditions of informalization’. Their Command and Control structure at Theater
level must be great. At the lower levels, lack of battle experience and
operational adaptability shines through. The higher-level Stability and lower-level
Instability must be exploited. I also saw a video clip of one of their
strategic/ military experts from Beijing. He was talking of getting Pakistan
into the fray. WOW. Even without the first shot being fired they have already
started banking on Pakistan to bail them out on the battlefield! India too hot
to handle for the wannabe superpower. There are reports that some J10s have
been deployed at Skardu. Who is going to fly them? Pakistan wont since they did
not dare cross the LC in 2019. They know what is in store for them. Chinese
pilots operating from Skardu? IAF is
chafing. OR. Are these aircraft being shifted to Skardu for safekeeping?
Oh, by the way, the third Chinese aircraft carrier under
construction at Shanghai has disappeared! Where? Obviously put under
camouflage. Worried that the under-construction behemoth will be the first
casualty of a war in that theater? Something is brewing on the Japanese front
too. The Chinese seem to be sliding into two-front scenario, which is now beyond
them. The longer we keep the Chinese here and under tension the more difficult
it will be for them. A thought for the Commanding Officer we sent back. Has he
been demoted or put against the wall in typical Communist fashion? We will
never know. A country which does not honor its fallen soldiers will not
hesitate to put its soldiers against the wall. Disgrace. There are already questions on Weibo/We Chat after
seeing the response and emotions of last rites of Indian soldiers at their
hometowns. In Typical Chinese fashion
they continue to hide casualties as they did with their infections in Wuhan.
On our side, our officers and men are in good fighting
fettle. Col Babu displayed leadership of the highest order in the best
traditions of the Indian Army. 16 Bihar, 3 Punjab, 3 Medium Regiment, 81 Medium
Regiment and the Sappers and Signalers functioned as a battle team despite
being outnumbered. It just proves the point that modern warfare is an all arms
affair and every hand counts. The Biharis and Punjabis were ferocious in that
no holds barred hand to hand combat that was on. However, the Gunners of 3
Medium Regiment (Sikh troops) and 81 Medium Regiment (South Indians), both pedigreed
and tough unit seems to have tipped the scale in our favor. The role of 3
Medium Regiment needs elucidation. They nabbed the Chinese CO. After having
caught him they refused to part with him till they were reassured that their
officers and comrades detained by the Chinese were returned safe and sound. That
is something great. The bonds of loyalty between our men and their officers at
unit level is fantastic. Irrespective of the consequences, they were not
willing to part with the hapless PLA CO. Such men and units are worth their
weight in gold. And most importantly, Indian Army had four such units lined up
that night. There are 1100 more such units lined for the Chinese to battle
ahead. Eastern Ladakh is an ‘All Arms’ battlefield and I am confident that this
incident will take Indian Army beyond the ‘Infantry Only’ mentality and imbalance
that had set in some quarters. More about that later. Till then 16 Bihar, 3
Punjab, 3 Medium Regiment, 81 Medium Regiment, the Sapper and Signal units whose
personnel were in action need to be commended by the nation. I think these men
of ours, representing the best cross section of India, have taught us the value of jointness in the
larger national sense. I am sure the CDS and all Service Chiefs will take note
of this. Let us get back to Galwan.
Curiously, when the CO, 16 Bihar was targeted and killed by
the Chinese that fateful night, it unleashed an inner unstoppable ferocity in the
Biharis, which spread to the Punjabis, Thambis and Sikhs. When the Chinese CO
was captured, the opposite happened, and it appears that the Chinese troops
cracked. I think the PLA teaches their troops to target the leaders of the
opposition with the premise that if the leader is killed the rest will fall. It
represents a feudalistic last generation thinking. It also appears to be a fatal
flaw in PLA. I would recommend that hereafter we target their leaders
remorselessly.
Let me assure you the PLA is in for the long haul. Having
served there, I recommend the following to the GOC of the fire and fury corps
for his kind consideration.
Firstly.
Please deploy a few low silhouette, highly mobile, 155mm guns with long-range
night sights on the south banks of Pangong Tso opposite to Finger 4. Dig them in nicely, camouflage them and put
overhead cover with ammunition boxes. After that please institute a direct
firing competition with an Ex DG Arty Trophy, for which I will pay out of my old
age pension. Every Gunner who shoots out a Chinese defensive structure on
Finger 4 will be awarded. Flanking fire is always good for safety of own troops.
Direct firing into the rear of the Chinese will achieve Kargil type of results
or better.
Secondly. Please practice your Gorhka boys in infiltration behind PLA lines with
unsheathed Kukris. Every day in the morning, when PLA takes a head count, some
heads could be missing. That is ok. Do not let the kukris rust.
Thirdly. Send some “Nunnus” for sightseeing in depth. They can burst some
Deepawali crackers in and around Kashgar, Hotan, Ngari airfields or and anywhere
else. It will give some sorely needed practice for QRTs of PLAAF.
Fourthly. Pun aside. Our opposition is brutal,
unsoldierly, 100% untrustworthy and 1000% unethical. Do not underestimate these
bat eaters. Our troops must never let their guard down. Now that all that
nonsense of restraint is over, shoot first and talk later!
Lastly. India is behind you. Do not worry about a few disgruntled voices or
our noisy media. We are in a democracy. Let them chatter. They have their role.
Ignore them.
I am also talking of unrestricted, nonlinear, three-dimensional
warfare which is awaiting PLA ahead. Is this a mind game? Yes of course. Mind
games are two way. Are they not? PLA
troops should be nice and jittery by the time the next action starts so that
they can be destroyed in detail. I am an old-fashioned soldier. I am sure the
GOC of the Fire and Fury Corps and The Trishul Division and our Commanders, COs,
Officers, JCOs and men have more tricks up their sleeves. By the time PLA
leaves ‘Tibet’, it should be a fully battle inoculated force!
Overall, Galwan is not a sole summer swallow but an acorn growing
into a mighty oak. It must be built upon. We also need to shift focus back to
Pangong Tso and other emerging situations. China is rattled. The mixed
signals coming from there indicates that. However we have miles to go before we
take the foot of the pedal.
I was tempted to quote from Sun Tzu. However, most of us do
not read him. After Galwan, I realized that the Chinese are also ignorant about
him. That is why the quote from Mahabharata. For those who do not understand
it, the sense is as under
Whenever there is decay of
righteousness, and an increase of unrighteousness, then I (Indian Armed Forces)
will appear through ages, for the protection of the good, destruction of
evil-doers and to firmly establish righteousness.
Jai Hind.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you and complement you for writing such brilliant article.
An outstanding article well written.
ReplyDeleteGreat Analysis and suggestions Sir !
ReplyDeleteVery well written ��
ReplyDeleteA fitting tribute to a gallant action. India is resounding in its response despite our politicians. May our soldiers be glorified in battle.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant article. The first one that paints a comprehensive picture of the Galwan battle and how the chinese are scampering. this battle will go down in history as one of the turning points in the emergence of India as a great power.
ReplyDeleteToo good. Everything is doable. Initiative has to be with us now. Shoot first talk later should be the mantra till they put a permanent white flag instead of Red Chinese flag
ReplyDeleteOutstanding article. Hope our hierarchy deployed out there has taken leaf out of this advice. We should plan and play to our strengths and not let the chinkies set the pace. Shivaji did it to Aurangzeb.should we find the enemy technologically and numerically superior,they should be drawn into a long and unsustainable war of attrition. We would also do well to absorb the Vietnamese method of defeating the Chinese. Last but not the least,the Hanut and Sagat ways of tackling the chinkies. The myth of invincibility that they have surrounded themselves with should be broken once for all. How we tackle the chinkies will have a definite impact on how the Pakis behave here in after.
ReplyDeleteVery well articulated about the various possibilities on our interactions with China
ReplyDeleteWell articulated as always sir.
ReplyDeleteInfact the reference of we taking unrestricted warfare to them is a clincher and call of the day.
I agree with the valour of 3 Fd and 81 who are amazing tps and have proven their mettle.
Amazing read
Brilliant Shankar, as incisive as you always are; remember you since we met in 1986 at SoA. Fantastic inputs for deployment and preparation. Keep going
ReplyDeleteA brilliant analysis, a agree completely. The precedence was set in 1967( Battle of Nathu La and Cho La) by the then Gen Sagat Singh. This trend was continued by COAS Gen K Sundarji and his commanders. But alas their moral boosting strategic victory was nullified by the pact that Rajiv Gandhi signed with china in 80's. The chinese took advantage of week political leadership of india and occupied portion on LAC which were no man's land. This Government has rightly changed the the rule of engagement and given Army and field commanders to act decisively in such situations. I hope that someone will forward this article to the dumbhead idiot Rahul Gandhi and his moronic cohords in congress party.
ReplyDeleteSir,What an inspiring script of the segacity of Indian forces over the Chinese bullying tactics, who thought they would get away with it.
ReplyDeleteMay we grow in strength in our jointmanship at the tactical level.Its time to explore how to give the Chinese a bloody nose at the Fingers too,as you suggested with our Bofors Guns.Its absolutely feasible...Push
Nice strategy sir but what is our leadership doing. Have they lost it completely. Be it defence or beurocrats who advise the PMO and others. What was NSA s role in the advisory. I was told that no one at the top had any time to look at Chinese aggression in Galwan and Pyngangtso lake lake. Am sure , we knew it all along what's coming with a strong built up . We have the wherewithal to know, through satellite imagery etc.
ReplyDeleteNow what's their game plan as to why they did it....we must dwell at it. It's a larger game..we must not ignore.....
And if I am on the otherside then what I am thinking if that's true then we are not even,prepared for it,let alone not imagine those grand plan of Chinese. Please don't forget that they never participated in any Olympics ever and once they did, you know the results.
ReplyDeleteSo talking about no experience of High altitude does not hold any ground. We are ill prepared at its best. And why have we been sleeping
in Galwan like in Kargil...And taking a potshot at sleeping enemy in Uri sector is one thing and taking on the might of China is another. Please try to analyse the connection of Skardu and Galwan or Shyok valley. I hope you are getting me, sir.
Warm regards
And respectfully yours
Gp Capt MK Abrol.
Fantastic analysis
ReplyDeleteSpot On!
ReplyDeleteExcellent as always
ReplyDeleteAs always, a clear thinking Shankar! China needs sorting out .....on all three fronts - diplomatically, economically and militarily. Would you like to analyse steps to be taken by us on each front ?
ReplyDeleteOverjoyed that our forces have this amazing combination of strategy, tactics, valor, and experience. As a global expert in business strategy for 40 years may I humbly suggest something. At the national level there must be a clear VISION of what we want. Unless you have a vision of a fruit orchard for example you won't buy land, plant seeds and won't get fruit. Unless you have a vision of a happy family with kids, you will not get married and start a family. Life will happen randomly to you. If you don't want life to happen randomly to you then a vision is supercritical.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this vision is not provided from Delhi. Well then our 3 military chiefs have to form this vision on their own. Only with a clear Vision will come an Overall Strategy for China.
From this Overall Strategy for China, specific goals can be formed at different levels - and I know from reading this article, we have superbly capable people that can achieve these goals. But it all starts with a clear vision. Without this vision there is no strategy and random events are just happening to us. So to all the senior-most people in our forces my message is this: be bold, seize the moment and define a vision. And from that Vision form an Overall Strategy against China. Yes this is beyond your role as chiefs but there is no choice. Politicians may not be able to form a vision or strategy so fill this gap yourself. Create a vision and a national strategy against China NOW. This is my humble request.
My salute to all our brave men and women.
Extremely well written n truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteExtremely well written n truly inspiring
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