Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Yayavar · Post by **Yayavar** » 14 May 2014 23:50

^^From what I've read it was approved but not formally announced. That was left for the UPA govt. In this case the formal announcement has been made - unless it is the papers hyping it up.

wig · Post by **wig** » 15 May 2014 07:53

some news on the (17) XVII Mountain Strike Corps, which would have its headquarters at Panagarh in West Bengal,
excerpts

The Division at Pathankot, which already has a full fledged air base, would be numbered 72,’’ sources said, adding that it would be equipped with most modernized infrastructure to have capability to counter any possible Chinese offensive. The infrastructure would match the caliber of PLA,’’ they said.
According to sources apart from 72 Div at Pathankot, the Mountain Strike Corps would also have another Div (numbered 59) at its headquarters at Panagarh in West Bengal with striking capabilities to take on the PLA challenges in North East including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim etc. Arunachal Pradesh had always been bone of contention between India and China with latter repeatedly refusing to give regular visa to the people of Arunachal describing the territory as ‘disputed’.
Sources said the Mountain Strike Corps, which is scheduled to be made fully operation by 2018-19 at the cost of approximate Rs 65,000 crores, which could go up due to escalation of prices over the next five years, would have two high altitude infantry divisions apart from two divisions at Panagarh and Pathankot, two independent infantry brigades, two armoured brigades, 30 new infantry battalion and two para special forces battalions.

and

More battalions could come up, if required over the period of times as raising of the Corps would be reviewed periodically by the top brass in the Defence Ministry and the Army,’’ sources said, adding that among the 30 new infantry battalions, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim would get the major share as they shared a long boundary with China, where most of the incursions by the PLA are reported.
The Mountain Strike Corps was slated to have over 90,000 troops including the officers but, sources said, the number was likely to go up to one lakh in view of the increase in demand over the next five years by when the Mountain Corps would be fully operational.
Sources said the Army has already made a start of the launch of Mountain Strike Corps by making operational over 200 major and minor units at different places from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. These units would also help in take other steps required for raising the Corps.

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/200-units ... -div-hqrs/

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 15 May 2014 09:30

Gentlemen, mark my words - positioning of one division in Pathankot could well be a harbinger of a new MSC for the northern sector in future.

maitya · Post by **maitya** » 15 May 2014 11:33

^^^^^
29th Infantry Div is based out of Pathankot, isn't it? So are they palnning to merely upgrade it and move it to MSC, or is it that it will be a brand new div?

Being a major airbase as well, means some amount of "flying artillery" units (maybe a sqn oh LCH), right from the inception, is almost given.

KiranM · Post by **KiranM** » 15 May 2014 12:28

Both Panagarh and Pathankot are in the plains. What about acclimitization for the MSC troops?

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 15 May 2014 12:29

^^^Squadron of Mi-35 is already based in Pathankot. And you're right about 29 ID - but the same is part of 9 Corps, along with the division in Jammu (26 ID).

Pathankot is the last major rail-head in that sector; I think what is happening here is that positioning the division in Pathankot allows it to be moved east if required. Further - it being a reserve division, it might well be used by 16 Corps or 15 Corps, as the case may be. But we still have very little information to understand the big picture.

rkhanna · Post by **rkhanna** » 15 May 2014 15:17

two independent infantry brigades, two armoured brigades, 30 new infantry battalion and two para special forces battalions.

Innocent question so please dont jump me. But isnt having 2 SF battalions attached to Corp level formation reduce them of flexibility visavis training/tactics, etc. Seems like (as always) SF will be continued to be used in a tactical scenario rather than strategic and will serve the purpose of Elite light Infrantry (ala Rangers?) rather than true SpecOps units.

member_20453 · Post by **member_20453** » 15 May 2014 16:23

muraliravi wrote:
ramana wrote:AK Anthony the worst Defence minister strikes again. The guy should hang from his mundu.
What a disgrace to the position.
Ramana Sir,

I am not supporting the decision, but didn't the ABV govt do the same in 2004 when they appointed Arun Prakash as Navy Chief 3 days before demitting office?

Indeed, AK being Def Min has little to do with anything. Gen Suhag is being appointed with a very specific purpose to re-establish fire in the IA by the powers beyond Def Min. Suhag sahab hails from Gorkha Rifles elite infantry, a cool tactician with plenty of guts, from what I hear, he has vast know how and experience in Covert Ops, understands SF needs/men very well. Due to him being Inspector General of SFF, they have been uprated into a 21st century Tier-1 hard hitting Covert Force with few parallels in the world. The man is ideal for the job, a strong msg is being sent to Pak and China. I assure you With Gen Suhag at the helm, IA becomes even more 'not to be ***ked with'

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 15 May 2014 17:53

@rkhanna - it seems lot of information is being jumbled up and our DDM is pushing everything under the MSC ambit. For example, original reports spoke about (I) Infantry bde each for eastern Ladakh and UK Sector; similarly, (I) Armored bde was for eastern Ladakh (14 Corps) and Sikkim sector. As for PARA (SF) being placed under Corps - well, it seems that was idea of some genius at a point in time but was shot down. The Para SF could well be additional resources under Northern and Eastern Command. I remember reading somewhere about each Command HQ having a certain SF battalion level given the external and internal threat level.

wig · Post by **wig** » 16 May 2014 09:04

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/ ... blogs&_r=0

Plenty of Words for India’s Fallen but Questions Are Met With Silence

excerpts

In May 1999, Capt. Saurabh Kalia of the Indian Army’s 4 Jat Regiment, an officer from Himachal Pradesh, led a patrol of five soldiers along the heights above Kargil, in Kashmir. They disappeared.
On June 9, 1999, the Pakistani authorities returned their bodies to India. Captain Kalia’s death certificate was filled with phrases like “both eyeballs damaged,” “multiple lacerated wounds — mouth, upper and lower lip, right shoulder, right forearm, right hand,” and “burned all over the chest.” (The certificates for the other members of the patrol were similar.)

This happened during India’s short but brutal Kargil war with Pakistan. This evident mutilation by Pakistan of Indian soldiers’ bodies inflamed passions across India.

I’ve followed a few army tragedies like Captain Kalia’s. One theme recurs: Words about these deaths come free and easy to many people, especially to politicians seeking votes, this election included. But soldiers’ families often have questions, beyond rhetoric, for which answers are rarely as easy. So I wonder: Why not action, rather than words?

Captain Kalia’s family did not get his body immediately. The army took the body to Delhi for an autopsy his parents did not attend. Only afterward did he come home. His parents told me the mutilations they saw — nose chipped, teeth broken, eyes removed, etc. — were worse than what the death certificate described.

So the family asked for the autopsy report. The army declined. The rules, officials told the befuddled parents, did not permit giving the report to next of kin. “Why not next of kin?” N.K. Kalia, the father, asked me when I visited them. “Who else should see it?”

Mr. Kalia has pursued two other questions over months that stretched to years. One, will India press for Pakistan to be punished for this war crime? No answers. “The nation for which he has sacrificed his life,” he told the news media in 2009, has not “bothered to highlight the plight of war crimes at the international fora.”

Two, why not give Captain Kalia an official bravery award? No answers there, either.

Yet how to reconcile that silence with glowing words in letters the Kalias got from high-placed Indian officials? The external affairs minister at the time, Jaswant Singh, was particularly eloquent:

“Captain Saurabh Kalia made the supreme sacrifice in the defense of our Motherland. He displayed great valor, courage and determination. History will record Captain Kalia’s deeds in golden letters. You have been blessed to have such a gallant son.”

rkhanna · Post by **rkhanna** » 16 May 2014 09:47

@rkhanna - it seems lot of information is being jumbled up and our DDM is pushing everything under the MSC ambit. For example, original reports spoke about (I) Infantry bde each for eastern Ladakh and UK Sector; similarly, (I) Armored bde was for eastern Ladakh (14 Corps) and Sikkim sector. As for PARA (SF) being placed under Corps - well, it seems that was idea of some genius at a point in time but was shot down. The Para SF could well be additional resources under Northern and Eastern Command. I remember reading somewhere about each Command HQ having a certain SF battalion level given the external and internal threat level.

In light of all our new formations, Cold Start etc - Here is interesting food for thought

CTRL + ALT + DELETE
Resetting America's Military

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/ ... om_scratch

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 17 May 2014 05:22

What a great tribute to the Indian soldiers,esp. the Sikhs here!

'To show their contempt for death, some Sikhs had refused to hide in the trenches'
Excerpts from a collection of Guardian reportage from the first world war

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/m ... -world-war

12 Nov 1914: When the Indians Arrived

The people of the Raj – modern India and Pakistan – were not consulted about their participation in the war. More than 1 million soldiers served overseas in the Indian army – and 75,000 died. By autumn 1914, Indians were on the western front.

It was a curious sight to all of us, French or English, the day when the Indians arrived in a dreary little town of Northern France … Suddenly the Indian Lancers appeared, and the pavement on both sides of the street was at once filled by a crowd of soldiers and civilians watching the procession, as a London crowd will do in Whitehall on the day of the opening of Parliament. In fact, those Indians looked all like kings. The Lancers sat proudly in their saddles, with their heads upright under the Oriental crowns; then came a regiment of Sikhs, walking at a brisk pace, all big and strong men, with curled beards and the wide 'pagri' round the ears; the Pathans followed, carrying on their heads that queer pointed bonnet, the 'kullah,' which reminds one of the warriors seen on old Persian tapestries – a more slender type of men, but equally determined, and with faces at the same time smiling and resolute.

… The day after, we heard that during the night one of the Sikh regiment had had to recapture the trench, which the Germans had taken by surprise, and that their bayonet charge was so tremendous that the enemy did not dare counter-attack. Almost immediately after that feat an order came not to allow the Indians uselessly to expose their lives by walking out of the trenches. The fact was that, in order to show their contempt for death, some Sikhs had refused to hide themselves in the trenches and had immediately drawn a fierce fire on their regiment. Fortunately, they did not insist on playing that sort of game; otherwise the Indian Army Corps would have disappeared in one week's time out of sheer bravery. […]

A 'Black Maria' fell quite near a sapper while he was lying on the ground and steadily firing on the advancing foe. It did not hurt him, but dug a hole six feet deep at his side. The sapper – a Sikh, I believe – waited until the smoke had gone, and then jumped into the hole. He soon found that the position was a comfortable one, and started firing from the cover the Germans had dug for him; according to officers who were standing by, he managed to kill some fifteen or twenty Germans by himself, and would have remained there for ever if he had not been eventually ordered to retreat. He was warmly congratulated afterwards, but did not appear to think he had done anything remarkable.

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 17 May 2014 08:30

ASPuar is back. Because the circumstances have suddenly become conducive again, after ten years.

habal · Post by **habal** » 17 May 2014 08:33

& welcome back.
Will the BJP stop the appointment of DS Suhag to top post ? They sure would be tempted since actual handover is in far away July.

ramdas · Post by **ramdas** » 17 May 2014 09:18

Will the BJP stop the appointment of DS Suhag to top post ? They sure would be tempted since actual handover is in far away July.

By all accounts, Gen. Suhag is a soldier's soldier. They should not unnecessarily stop his appointment.
Gen. V. K. Singh should be defense minister, but NaMo should make sure he sticks to constructive tasks like making up supply shortages, procurement of Artillery, etc….

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 17 May 2014 15:10

I dont think so. It would be too much of a blow to the system. VK himself said that the BJP goct may still have appointed him.
Still, Suhag may find that he is having a tough time- Noone expected the first strong government in thirty years, with an absolute majority. So Ideally he should have been appointed by the new govt.

rkhanna · Post by **rkhanna** » 17 May 2014 15:42

By all accounts, Gen. Suhag is a soldier's soldier

Sure, but by other accounts maybe a corrupt one as well..

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 17 May 2014 18:21

There is no need for the new Government to tinker with appointment of General Suhag - that will send a very wrong signal to the Army and Armed Forces. And something which VKS himself would not want to do.

As for VKS - I would not want him to become RM for a simple reason that he was part of the system pretty recently and this will create bad blood in the system. I'd want someone like Arun Shourie as RM with VKS in charge of something like Defence Production. Other option could be to put him in charge of a ministry which requires strong organization and execution skills like surface transport or urban development.

rakall · Post by **rakall** » 17 May 2014 18:52

rohitvats wrote:There is no need for the new Government to tinker with appointment of General Suhag - that will send a very wrong signal to the Army and Armed Forces. And something which VKS himself would not want to do.

As for VKS - I would not want him to become RM for a simple reason that he was part of the system pretty recently and this will create bad blood in the system. I'd want someone like Arun Shourie as RM with VKS in charge of something like Defence Production. Other option could be to put him in charge of a ministry which requires strong organization and execution skills like surface transport or urban development.

Don't think MOD will tinker with the appointment..

Gadkari is said to have done excellent job building flyovers in Mumbai.. He is touted as as choice for surface transport or urban development..

MOD should create a Directorate of Indigenization.. Or if it already exists, then charge VKS with bringing a large scale improvement in indigenous production & procurement.. Absolute focus on Gradual reduction of imports is required..

rakall · Post by **rakall** » 17 May 2014 19:03

ASPuar wrote:ASPuar is back. Because the circumstances have suddenly become conducive again, after ten years.

Same here.. What a coincidence..

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 17 May 2014 21:08

Pre-May 16 thinking will have to be tossed out. With these election results, the people of India have forced a recalculation within and outside India. Time to reboot. I am not sure what that means, but, if it means this appointment has to be reconsidered, so be it. India can least afford to follow traditional thinking and wait for one cog to be constantly oiled. Yes, the IA and Indian services transitions, etc should play a role, but there is a much bigger picture that needs to dictate this decision. Just hope it is not a purely political one.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 17 May 2014 21:12

rakall wrote:

Gadkari is said to have done excellent job building flyovers in Mumbai.. He is touted as as choice for surface transport or urban development.. .

I was surprised to know that Gadkari had constructed Mumbai Pune Expressway , a first in India, and also implemented Toll concept etc when nobody was taking up the project. In fact after knowing that I was forced to change my view about him. He would be an excellent choice for the Ministry.

rakall · Post by **rakall** » 18 May 2014 00:11

chaanakya wrote:
rakall wrote:

Gadkari is said to have done excellent job building flyovers in Mumbai.. He is touted as as choice for surface transport or urban development.. .
I was surprised to know that Gadkari had constructed Mumbai Pune Expressway , a first in India, and also implemented Toll concept etc when nobody was taking up the project. In fact after knowing that I was forced to change my view about him. He would be an excellent choice for the Ministry.

I always thought he was just a shrewd businessman... I changed my opinion last night after he gave a mouthful to some TSP scholar who was bad-mouthing the new PM (on Headlinestoday).. Dude is a tough guy..

The anchor was stupid though.. he shud have never provoked the two parties so much.. Dont know when our media will learn some common sense !!!!

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 18 May 2014 02:22

Welcome back, Rakall.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 18 May 2014 04:27

Tatra scam was unearthed by General V.K. Singh, if put to job he'll get the files and unearth all sorts of other scams going on. Also CBI can be made to unearth rajiv connections in tatra truck issue.

Its very important for a blitz attack to be made on all sorts of arms agents sitting in capital and also maino+journalist nexus on selling arms so all sorts of scams need to be raked up and ConParty bombarded with it; keep them defending on backfoot.

Wronged by criminal conspiracy of mms and antony he'll also go after all these antony scams like ag-westland helicopter deal. Plus if Lt. General Dalbir Singh Suhag isn't corrupt or trying to cover-up for UPA misdeeds then there is no way that NaMo-RSS-Amit Shah will allow that he be unfairly targetted. General V.K. Singh can't be compensated for shortening of his carrier unfairly to gursharan kaur's cousin sister's husband can be made General, but he should be given Defence Ministry as he has won Ghaziabad with more than 5 lakh votes and can't be just counted as an average MP

The thing is that people of mandated for a strong and decisive PM, who takes decisions even if NaMo reverses mms' decision about Lt. General Suhag he won't be seen as wrongdoer by the public. Maybe jats but not general public.

SanjayC · Post by **SanjayC** » 18 May 2014 07:19

rakall wrote:I always thought he was just a shrewd businessman... I changed my opinion last night after he gave a mouthful to some TSP scholar who was bad-mouthing the new PM (on Headlinestoday).. Dude is a tough guy.. The anchor was stupid though.. he shud have never provoked the two parties so much.. Dont know when our media will learn some common sense !!!!

Here is the video:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/nare ... 62224.html

Kakkaji · Post by **Kakkaji** » 18 May 2014 09:30

SanjayC wrote: Here is the video:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/nare ... 62224.html

Rahul Kanwal is a sootiya. This is no way to conduct an interview with the former BJP President, pitting him against a foul-mouthed non-entity from Pakistan.

BJP leaders should stop attending interviews called by such idiotic interviewers and their channels. Foreign policy, and decisions about war and peace are not made over TV debates.

Why even invite Pakis in Indian TV debates? They are all morons anyway.

Gadkari can be a good Home Minister.

For External Affairs Ministry, you need someone suave like Arun Jaitley or Ravi Shankar Prasad. M J Akbar can be a good Minister of State in the External Affairs Ministry.

member_19648 · Post by **member_19648** » 18 May 2014 09:37

^^ thanks for the video...

The shamelessness of these pakis are legendary. Anything happens, they threaten with nuclear weapons. Stop terrorism, we have nuclear weapons, concentrate on poverty and illiteracy and let India do so, we have nuclear weapons, OBL raid, we have nuclear weapons, brush your teeth, we have nuclear weapons. How unabashed, they can threaten to wipe out Delhi and be unapologetic about it, the same if done by India would have led to all hell breaking loose.

chandrabhan · Post by **chandrabhan** » 18 May 2014 10:32

ramdas wrote:
Will the BJP stop the appointment of DS Suhag to top post ? They sure would be tempted since actual handover is in far away July.
By all accounts, Gen. Suhag is a soldier's soldier. They should not unnecessarily stop his appointment.
Gen. V. K. Singh should be defense minister, but NaMo should make sure he sticks to constructive tasks like making up supply shortages, procurement of Artillery, etc….

Gen VKS is not getting in as Raksha Mantri. That discussion is between Rajnath Singh/Sushma. NaMo realises that VKS may have an unhealthy grudge against current order in Army. At best he may be MOS to speed up procurement/Task force. Also Amit Shah is not so much up in pecking order to influence ministries

chandrabhan · Post by **chandrabhan** » 18 May 2014 10:47

Kakkaji wrote:
SanjayC wrote: Here is the video:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/nare ... 62224.html
Rahul Kanwal is a sootiya. This is no way to conduct an interview with the former BJP President, pitting him against a foul-mouthed non-entity from Pakistan.

BJP leaders should stop attending interviews called by such idiotic interviewers and their channels. Foreign policy, and decisions about war and peace are not made over TV debates.

Why even invite Pakis in Indian TV debates? They are all morons anyway.

Gadkari can be a good Home Minister.

For External Affairs Ministry, you need someone suave like Arun Jaitley or Ravi Shankar Prasad. M J Akbar can be a good Minister of State in the External Affairs Ministry.

There are 5 names under discussions for CCS (Def/home/Fin Min/EAM) - Rajnath/A Jaitly/ Parrikar/ Sushma (wants to be)/Gadkari (if not Party Pres). Amit Shah may also become party Pres as the focus is on wresting Maha from crooks.

rakall · Post by **rakall** » 18 May 2014 11:50

Kakkaji wrote:
SanjayC wrote: Here is the video:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/nare ... 62224.html
Rahul Kanwal is a sootiya. This is no way to conduct an interview with the former BJP President, pitting him against a foul-mouthed non-entity from Pakistan.

BJP leaders should stop attending interviews called by such idiotic interviewers and their channels. Foreign policy, and decisions about war and peace are not made over TV debates.

Why even invite Pakis in Indian TV debates? They are all morons anyway.

Gadkari can be a good Home Minister.

For External Affairs Ministry, you need someone suave like Arun Jaitley or Ravi Shankar Prasad. M J Akbar can be a good Minister of State in the External Affairs Ministry.

Can't describe how much this interview infuriated me - mainly the way Rahul Kanwal conducted it.. anything for TRP's? I broke my 3year old vow of not joining twitter to give him an earful..

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 18 May 2014 11:52

Strong leader or mandate not withstanding, the institution of Army does not need to be fiddled with. Especially, when Lt. General Suhag has been declared the COAS designate. The bad blood between him and VKS is too well known - any attempt to undo his nomination w/o first establishing unsuitability about his nomination beyond any reasonable doubt will send out very wrong signal within the Services. The fact that VKS's daughter's FIL is next in line will simply add to the mess - even if that means nothing in reality and has not been programmed.

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 18 May 2014 11:53

BTW - the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is a financial flop big time which will not recover its money. And IIRC, it was financed as part of some loan package (for it and Bandra-Worli Sea Link).

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 18 May 2014 12:22

It was a path-breaking idea when India had no Idea about expressways. Finances do not matter when something is ahead of its time ( at least in India)

And same will be with HSR which NaMo intends to fast track. BTW his first visit to Japan as PM might get Tech and financial support for Shinkansen .

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 May 2014 12:37

maybe we need to move away from amirkhan for heavy diesel locos as well. I kind of doubt japan is big on diesel though as the place is small and totally electrified. diesel is more the amirkhan, canada, russia, australia mineral hauling type application.

anirban_aim · Post by **anirban_aim** » 18 May 2014 13:25

From one of the Fauji Discussion Boards:

The article in the Words of Lt Gen Ata Hasnain about his dad's choice of nations at the time of partition._India Or Pakistan.

Ata Hasnain

Friends who have read the post "Jinnah Made a Mistake......." may find the following story interesting. In 1947, Partition of India had become a reality. Captain Syed Mahdi Hasnain (later Major General SM Hasnain), my late father, was the Adjutant of The Ist Battalion of The Royal Garhwal Rifles posted at Peshawar Cantt. The Unit was under move to Saharanpur along the Grand Trunk Railway route. En route from Peshawar to Lahore the Unit was busy providing protection to thousands of Sikh and Hindu refugees who had been cruelly uprooted following Jinnah's infamous decision to go ahead with the creation of Pakistan. Captain Mahdi Hasnain was himself at the forefront of this effort being the Adjutant of the Unit. At Lahore Railway Station, his Commanding Officer Lt Col Mclean called him to his cabin and slowly put the question to him -" Son, you are a proud Muslim, the only Muslim in this unit. Isn't it time you decided your fate; where would you like to go - to be a part of Pakistan or remain in India. I ask because should your choice be Pakistan I suggest you should stay behind and say good bye to your colleagues". It was as good a question ever asked in a moment of tragedy and at a point when life and death decisions have to be made. Captain Mahdi Hasnain's answer reflected that he had already thought deeply about his fate. His answer - " Sir, I deeply respect your concern but for me my prime duty lies with the safe move of my Unit; I am the Adjutant of this Unit and I will never leave it mid way. As for my choice. I am not sure what the rest of my family will decide but I am aware that nations created on the basis of faith can never last long. There will be instant euphoria which will last for sometime but eventually the nation which is created on the basis of respect for all faiths is the one which will live many centuries. For me, the choice is India and that is where I am proceeding with my Unit". Lt Col Mclean complimented him on his choice and Capt Mahdi Hasnain continued to perform the duties of Adjutant as the Unit continued its journey to Saharanpur. Throughout the journey it picked many hundreds of refugees again; among them was the patriarch of the Kapoor Family which later set up Kapoor & co tailors at Indian Military Academy. He had a lifelong bond with Capt Mahdi Hasnain who unfortunately never commanded 1st Garhwal Rifles (now 6 Mech Inf) but instead raised 4 Garhwal Rifles becoming its first Commanding Officer. I joined the same unit and became its 14th Commanding Officer. Captain Mahdi Hasnain rose to be Major General SM Hasnain, became the first Indian Muslim to command a Division in the Indian Army. He retired with his approval for Lt Gen in his pocket but age was against him. I, his son had the honor to be a Lt Gen, the first officer commissioned in The Garhwal Rifles to be a Corps Commander. The Indian Army and the Nation gave the Hasnain family a total of 10 (ten) decorations, perhaps the highest number to any single family in India. I commanded two active Corps of the Indian Army - 21 (Sudarshan Chakra) Bhopal and 15(Chinar) at Srinagar

nelson · Post by **nelson** » 18 May 2014 20:52

It is unfortunate that such a grounded gentleman and "scholar warrior", Lt Gen S A Hasnain, could not become Army Commander. India will do well if his services are obtained as Governor of J&K.

Baikul · Post by **Baikul** » 19 May 2014 06:28

rakall wrote:
rohitvats wrote:There is no need for the new Government to tinker with appointment of General Suhag - that will send a very wrong signal to the Army and Armed Forces. And something which VKS himself would not want to do.

As for VKS - I would not want him to become RM for a simple reason that he was part of the system pretty recently and this will create bad blood in the system. I'd want someone like Arun Shourie as RM with VKS in charge of something like Defence Production. Other option could be to put him in charge of a ministry which requires strong organization and execution skills like surface transport or urban development.
Don't think MOD will tinker with the appointment..

Gadkari is said to have done excellent job building flyovers in Mumbai.. He is touted as as choice for surface transport or urban development..

MOD should create a Directorate of Indigenization.. Or if it already exists, then charge VKS with bringing a large scale improvement in indigenous production & procurement.. Absolute focus on Gradual reduction of imports is required..

VKS is highly unlikely to get Defence. Traditionally, there have been very strong opinions against letting a retired army officer head Defence. Our political overlords are unlikely to let it happen, indeed the system per se would discourage it actively.

This is OT - Gadkari may get surface transport, but getting it for building flyover in Mumbai would be unlikely, if not an utter joke. There's man in the BJP who built something called the golden quadrilateral....

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 19 May 2014 09:59

rohitvats wrote:BTW - the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is a financial flop big time which will not recover its money. And IIRC, it was financed as part of some loan package (for it and Bandra-Worli Sea Link).

Most of these projects will be like this but the nation needs these investment since it change the economic prospects of these regions very much over many decades

vaibhav.n · Post by **vaibhav.n** » 19 May 2014 10:44

Surface Transport will go to BC Khanduri who did it last time, I am told in a very dramatic and time-bound fashion. He instituted War Rooms with scale maps to track daily progress reports for the babus hanging onto dear life.

The most interesting gup i heard was VK Singh could also be headed in the PMO as NSA, which is an MoS rank to structure policy planning. He is fairly close to NaMo too.