Army feels the heat in winter as militants show few signs of let-up

They may be right but this “aberration” is being seen by many here as one fallout of the increased tension and insecurity that’s gripping security forces in the Valley as it braces for a winter of renewed violence.

“Repeated waves of violence which the Valley has witnessed is an unnerving factor,” admits a Major General. Adding that the daily grind of anti-terrorist operations is also affecting troop morale. Since the daring November 3 attack on the Badami Bagh cantonment — in which the public relations officer was among those killed — troops have been under a lot of pressure. In fact, the quick reaction teams of one unit had to be called out at least 19 times in 20 days.

Also affecting the morale has been the manner in which militants have sneaked in to strike right under the noses of the security forces. For example, on August 6 — a day before the Colonel was killed — the company headquarters of the battalion in Chak Natnusa was overrun by a group of militants who got in, helped by some surrendered militants.

They also occupied buildings adjoining the company headquarters. So although there were about 60 jawans at the time of the attack, they could do little. At the end of the day, company commander Captain Mandeep Singh and three jawans were dead and at least 10 were injured. This infuriated the troops and when Commanding Officer Balbir Singh tried to calm them down, cautioning them against getting carried away, one angry jawan shot him.

This unit has since been moved to Doda district and preliminary inquiries have ruled out a wider conspiracy or the involvement of any officer, as was initially suspected. Efforts are also on to find out if the jawan harboured any personal grudges. What is clear, though, is that this incident has sent shockwaves among the troops deployed in the Valley and a number of “corrective steps” have reportedly been taken.

These include barring even military personnel from carrying weapons within cantonments, unless they are on guard duty. But officers say this works both ways. Because during the Badami Bagh shootout had the men within the cantonment been carrying weapons, the militants could have been overpowered soon after they stormed in.

For the militants, however, this incident has been a big psychological boost. Admits an official of the Corps Headquarters: “It did alter the public perception of the invincibility of the Corps headquarters, which is the key agency for counter-insurgency operations in the Valley.” Ironically, the attack came within hours of Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Krishan Pal claiming that the Army had, to a large extent, been able to “degrade” the militants’ ability to strike. And now attacks such as this one have brought about a “siege complex.” Units have devised measures to identify “friend or foe” and are also busy guarding wide areas around military camps.

Nowhere is the fatigue more evident than in the BSF. Troops of nearly 17 BSF battalions are deployed in and around Srinagar. Constantly on the move — jawans have spent time in Nagaland, Tripura, West Bengal, Kargil, Srinagar — they are “mentally tired,” says a senior officer. Their casual leave has been cut from 15 days in a year to 10 days. “And since we can’t give them much respite, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to motivate them.”

For most part of the day, they have to move around in the 19-pound bulletproof jacket and the two-and-a-half-pound steel helmet. “They sleep on the ground for 300 days in a year and it’s only during leave that they get to sleep on a charpoy,” the officer said. It’s not a surprise, therefore, that more and more jawans are opting for voluntary retirement.

(Tomorrow: How surrendered militants are a hindrance, not a help)