How so? If a battalion is being commanded by a full Colonel, the CO of the battalion would be in his 40s wont he? I can understadn the "fighting" elements getting "blacker" if Lt Cols continued commandiong the battalion and the promotion to Lt Col got quicker..But now, while the latter is happening, the "command" is shifting to the next higher level - so net net the impact is neutralised, isnt it?Those that matter in fighting the actual wars are not in the greying zone. In fact, they are now getting more blacker!
Well, I guess its difficult to have (rather act upon) an "opinion" beyond a point when one is in service!Yes, we have discussed, but then I asked you a few questions that you did not answer:
1. Why was Lt Gen Raghavan not having this opinion earlier?
2. How is Siachen different from other areas of Kashmir. If Siachen is redundant to India's national interest, so should others be. If the Pakistani should occupy Siachen and then the adjoining mountain ridge (I forget the name), then it is hop skip and jump to Daulat Beg Olde and then giving the warm embrace of their all weather friend - China. Another piece of territory handed over ever so kindly to the Pakistanis and Chinese and bringing them close to Leh!
You are referrign to the Saltoro ridge..the conventional wisdom has been a Paki-Chinese linkup for a combined assault on India..Problem, as narrated by the naysayers, is simply the terrain and weather..the sort of terrain and weather in those heights preclude the possibility of any large sized operation to seriously threaten anything..After all the infrastructure building for all htese years, total troop strength on the saltoro is quite modest. (no more than a few hundred)?
For arguments sake, even if there was a link-up on a "vacated" Siachen, what would be the size of the assulting force? Would they be able to advance to Leh without us finding out? Even if they manage to get to Leh, what would be their logistics lines to Leh - lierally hundreds of kilometres from the nearest Paki (and much more from the nearest Chinese) "base"..A bit like Kargil (not the same, but some sort of an analogy)...they moved in a few thousand chaps surreptitiously, but once detected, they simply didnt have the logistcis to sustain the operation in the face of a combined air and land assault..
About the CDS, the last time there was a serious talk about something really fructifying was during Adm Sushil Kumar's time..It was said that he was sounded out to take over as the first CDS..But the Army created a big fuss about a non-Army chap taking over as CDS, and thing died a natural death..(second thoughts, was it Adm Kumar, or someone else? It was the Navy chief for sure)..