Infantry units to get back single class8217; composition

In 1980s8217; it was decided to have mixed troops in one battalion of each of the infantry regiments about 24 in number. Only the Gorkha regiments were exempted from the mixing. The mixing in the battalions was on company lines each of the three companies in a mixed battalion had troops of three classes.

The reversion to single class composition, which was decided in principle during the tenure of Mulayam Singh Yadav as the defence minister, is expected to be completed by middle of this year.

By next month, 13 Sikh, for example, is expected to revert back to its original pure Sikh composition when elements of Madras Regiment and Gharwal Rifles move back to their parent battalions.

Another mixed class battalion, 19 Dogra, which includes company each of Jat, Rajput and Madras troops, is also scheduled to begin moving back to single class composition of Dogras soon. Among other infantry battalions engrossed in the exercise are 24 Rajput, 9 Jat, 16 Bihar and 5 Assam.

Traditionally Army units, particularly the infantry battalions and armoured regiments and artillery batteries, have been organised on the concept of martial races 8211; Rajput, Sikh, Maratha, Dogra, Jat, Mahar, Rajputana, Gurkha and so on 8211; the history of many of which goes as far back as 300 years.

quot;Troops are motivated by regimental ethos. It is the ethnic cohesiveness and shared values that make troops stand up against an enemy,quot; commented an officer. quot;Problems like clash of religious sentiments and emotions, varying food habits and ration scales were common with mixed class composition, leading to disciplinary problems and mismanagement,quot; he added.

Though converting single-class battalions into mixed-class battalions was considered immediately after Independence, it was the disciplinary problem in certain infantry units during Operation Bluestar that the move to reorganise the infantry into quot;all-class mixquot; units gained impetus.

An Army Headquarters paper prepared on the subject in 1990 stipulated that increasing communal divide and secessionist movements accentuate the need for the Army to have a completely national character.

Studies then carried out by the Army at various levels indicated that regional and sectarian ethics had an adverse effect on discipline.

Subsequently, the mixed class policy for formulated in 1991. The policy, to be implemented in a phased manner, envisioned an Army of quot;all-class, all-India mixquot; in the next 25 years. The move had then generated sharp reactions and the case for reverting mixed class battalions had been on for quite some time.

quot;Mixed-class composition is unsuitable for war as intra-unit dissimilarity blunts the fighting edge. They may be suitable for counter-insurgency operations or tackling secessionist movements, but now we have the Rashtriya Rifles, where battalions have troops drawn from different regiments,quot; an officer said.

The only mixed class infantry regiment in the Army is the Brigade of The Guards, which has been such an outfit since its inception. Fixed class mechanised infantry units as well as armoured and artillery regiments will continue to maintain the status quo.