Indian Army team in Lanka not to wear uniforms

In a rare departure,members of the armed forces medical team that has been sent to Sri Lanka on a humanitarian mission will not be donning.....

In a rare departure,members of the armed forces medical team that has been sent to Sri Lanka on a humanitarian mission will not be donning their uniforms while treating civilians caught in the cross fire between LTTE rebels and government forces. The 50-member team,that consists of doctors,paramedics and communication operators from the three armed forces,has been instructed to work in civilian clothing and maintain a low profile,officers associated with the deployment have confirmed.

The Indian team,that was flown in to Colombo on Wednesday,will set up a field hospital at the North Eastern town of Pulmodai and has been mandated to treat civilians in the area that are fleeing the war zone. While it is uncommon for armed forces medical teams sent abroad on special missions not to wear uniforms,it has come to light that Sri Lanka was more keen on having a team of civilian doctors from India to work in the war torn area rather than host defence personnel. However,it was decided that the readily available armed forces medical team would be sent in but would work in civilian clothing to remain unobtrusive.

Sources said that the reason given to the Indian team for keeping off the uniforms is that the local Tamil population in the area still equates Indian uniforms with the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) that was sent in to fight the LTTE. Sri Lanka is also concerned that the team may be a prize target for the remnant elements of LTTE that are still on the run in the area.

Significantly,no armed personnel from India will be accompanying the team. The entire security of the Indian medical team will be the responsibility of the Sri Lankan Navy. Team members are carrying one set of uniforms but have been instructed not to wear them. From a security point of view,it is important that they are not identified as armed forces personnel, a senior armed forces officer here said.

While this is perhaps the first time that Indian armed forces medical teams abroad will not be donning their uniforms,officers recall that there was no such restriction in 2004 when more than six medical teams were sent to Sri Lanka after the Tsunami. At that time too,the teams were working in LTTE strongholds that had taken a massive blow from the calamity.

The Government Medical Officers Association of Sri Lanka has protested against the Indian team in Colombo,said a report in the Daily Mirror.