Pingu, Fencing and National Security

Maj Gen P K Mallick, VSM(Retd)

As you come down from Khardung la towards Nubra Valley after a backbreaking gut wrenching journey, the first stop we had after 14 km from the pass was North Pullu. A firm and warm handshake by the company commander welcomed us to a beautiful hut. A Jawan gave us lukewarm water to drink followed by a warm glass of kahwah. The Nursing Assistant took the oxygen count in blood and pulse rate. The smiling RMO enquired about our health and assured us that everything was alright. He was ready with his BP equipment, the oxygen cylinder and the medicines were readily available within the hut. It felt heavenly. The paltans in Indian Army are in great hands. I felt privileged and honored to have served in this great organization. May god bless them in all their endeavours. After a short and refreshing break, we went for lunch. The lunch was warm and wholesome and very well laid out. I found Pingu slowly opening the door ajar to have a peep. He needed no more than a small whistle from me to come in and sit, demanding him to be petted.

In all places where army lives, there are cookhouses popularly known as Langars and dogs are always there. They develop a natural affinity with our men. There are stories galore about their activities.

Pingu attends the morning PT parade everyday. He runs with the boys but breaks free whenever he finds a wild rat and goes after them.

Once I was posted at Binnaguri in 1990 and came to Punjab for fighting a war with Pakistan. War didn’t happen but we were all over Kahnuwan, Kalanaur, Tibri, Har Govindpur Khurana, Batala, Khasa, Ajnala and other exotic places. While moving in train from Binnaguri to Punjab we were issued Meat on Hoof (MOH) meaning live animals. Our boys don’t slaughter pregnant animals. One cute lamb cub was born. It was very playful and used to jump on top of the tent of our genial Deputy Commander and a Gorkha officer from GR. Though the camp people had an eye for the cub, nobody could dare as it was a playing partner of Deputy Commander and other officers from Brigade Headquarters. By the time we had left Punjab after one and a half years, this small cub had become a mushtanda. He use to attend all our PT parades and deal appropriately with his horns the people who he didn’t like.

Once I was told by a Vice Admiral who later on became CNS that after the Mumbai attack the Western Naval Command wanted to ascertain the security of Armament installations. Because of explosive content and security reasons, all our Ammunition Depots cover huge areas of real estate. The perimeter defence is manned by people from Defence Security Corps (DSC). They wear khaki and are ex servicemen from armed forces. They are on duty eighteen hours out of twenty four hours in a day on sentry or patrolling duty, twenty four seven, three sixty five days a year. Their jobs are one of the most boring, drab and thankless jobs one ever comes across. The living conditions are also not that good as they live mostly within the posts. Their leaves are also restricted. In spite of all these they are doing a yeomen’s services for the security of our vital installations. Unrecognized and unappreciated. The Western Naval Command tasked their MARCOS Commandos to find loopholes into the perimeter defence and sneak into their armament installations. They carried out a reccee in the daytime and in pitch dark night they came to infiltrate certain areas. To their horror, they found wherever they went the desi dogs created a cacophony. The guards were alerted and people came to check. Throughout the night they tried but couldn’t manage to get in without alerting anybody. This is Indian JUGAAD at its very best.

One more example I had seen was in OP Parakram. A Gorkha unit was employed in southern end of Sudarshan Chakra Division. Major Raj Sinha, by now he must be a two star, was the company commander. I found that they had kept a huge flock of goats. Raj explained that if they are ordered to attack over the enemy minefield : before assault, they will let the flock of goats go before they go in for attack. This is another example of an Indian JUGAAD.

I often hear that technology is a panacea of perimeter defences. Censors, cameras, night vision devices, surveillance, control centers etc are the buzz words flying around. I also love technology. Cost of modernization of defences of airfields? Around Rs 50,000 Crores. When Defence expenditure as part of percentage of GDP is an all time low after 1962 war, people have to explain where is this money coming from. Is it additional allotment or has to be managed within the defence budget. The cost benefit analysis must be done before mooting such projects. Risk analysis must be done. The propellents of these high tech walls like Mexico, Israel, I suspect have business interest.

However MHA seems to have no constraints on funds. At least their projects of high tech-ization of the border fencing seems to suggest so.

We were lucky to have not an armchair strategist but a great go getter Chief of the Army who implemented the fencing along the Line of Control in J&K in record time. Make no mistake about it. It is a very very formidable obstacle system constructed in the toughest terrains the world has seen. The Northern Army Commander was the Chief’s course mate. A ramrod straight inflexible Gorkha soldier from 8 GR was vehement in his objection to the construction of this LC fencing as it would have restricted his offensive maneuver options. The Chief was relentless, visited J&K every month to personally supervise the construction activities and cajoled the Army Commander and ensured that the fencing was up in record time. I’m sure the then Northern Army Commander Rustam Nanavatty will now agree that the fencing had greatly reduced the Pakistani infiltration attempts. The way it was done keeping everybody on board, without asking for any additional fund, mobilization of resources can be a case study of a very complicated project management well executed. Of course times were different. Then there was less of media scrutiny, less interference and there was no social media.

I started with Pingu and now ended with national security issues. Sure signs of age catching up.

I must stop now.

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