Summer keeps Corps chief back

His extended stay in Kashmir may have to do with the retirement of Northern Army Commander Lt General R.K. Nanavaty next month. With Pakistan showing no signs of ending infiltration, the Army top brass felt that changing the key commanders at the same time would affect counter-insurgency operations.

Lt Gen Hari Prasad, DG, Infantry, is slated to take over as the next Northern Army Commander. The headquarters wanted to avoid a situation where both commanders would be replaced simultaneously during the summer months, when infiltration attempts would be at its peak.

Patankar — known in Army circles as the pistol-packing General because of the official-issue Browning strapped to his waist — took over from Lt Gen J Mukherjee in January last year. He has also been credited with improving intelligence gathering leading to better planning and execution of operations. Since then infiltration has been down, as compared to the year before, largely due to the massive mobilisation in the wake of Operation Parakram. The Srinagar-based 15 Corps is the key formation at the forefront of counter-terrorism operations and also commands operations undertaken by the Victor Force, raised to exclusively deal with counter-terrorist operations.

Sources say that Patankar could have moved to Army headquarters as the next Quarter Master General or even as the commandant of the Army War College, Mhow, depending on vacancies that would come up when he relinquishes command.

After the Nadimarg massacre, the headquarters’ strategy to step up counter-terrorist operations included retaining two divisions which had been deployed during Parakram. It has also decided to raise more battalions of Rashtriya Rifles which will add to the 15 Corps’ deployment. Army HQ is keen that Operation Ujala, initiated during Patankar’s tenure, grows adding to the strategy to win hearts in the militancy-affected areas.