Perspective, please

The nation is naturally shocked at the terrorist strike in an army camp including the suicide attack that killed one brigadier and injured a...

The nation is naturally shocked at the terrorist strike in an army camp including the suicide attack that killed one brigadier and injured a number of top generals. What we need to be careful about is that we do not rush to premature judgements based on inadequate information. The natural question that arises is why were so many of the army8217;s top brass collected in one place making it easier for the terrorist strike to cause greater damage. There are standard procedures, more than four decades old, in the Indian Air Force that do not permit even more than half a dozen aircrew to fly in the same aircraft, leave alone more than two senior three-star officers flying in the same aircraft because the loss would be extremely high in case of a mishap. But that is for transportation and not for the other demands of military leadership.

Common sense would suggest that so many senior officers should not have assembled in one location without precautions, especially in J038;K, and after terrorists had attacked the camp earlier. But this must be seen in the context of the ethos of our army, the nature of the attack, and the judgement that the camp had been cleared of terrorists. There is little to suggest that the terrorists planned to hit the army commander along with so many officers. It is possible to conclude that the aim of the terrorist strike was to force a postponement of the visit by senior officers after the earlier attack, rather than directly target them. At best, the suicide bomber was more 8220;lucky8221; than efficient. A more effective combing operation would have flushed him out.

On the other hand, the tradition of one of the finest armies in the world is encapsulated in the motto etched on the gates of the Indian Military Academy as the beacon for the rest of the life of the soldier: Service before self, where the interests of men they command come only next to the country they serve, and above their own. It would be perfectly logical for an army commander on a visit to the area to drop in to look up a unit just hit by a terrorist attack. This would be vital for him and other commanders to retain the respect of the men they command, especially when he has just taken over command after more than three decades of working for it. Incidentally, our army has the proud record of its generals leading from the front, even being injured by direct rifle fire of the enemy and due to landmine blasts in the battle zones. Their presence with the troops provides the type of reassurance needed to bolster the faith of the jawans in the higher command and the demands of the profession.