Naresh Chandra report sparks bureaucratic-armed forces row

The report of Naresh Chandra Task Force on Security has sparked a tussle between the South Block babus and the armed forces. The report has recommended to appoint more uniformed officers in the Defence Ministry to increase their say in national security decision making and to replace civilian Defence Secretary by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as ‘a single source of advice’ for the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister. 

The committee led by former cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra lamented that despite the service chiefs and the highly specialized Service Head Quarters’ staff being at their disposal for advice in the management of national security the political establishment is totally relying on the feedback of Defence Ministry civil servants, drawn from diverse backgrounds. 

“According to the report the service headquarters are excluded from the apex structure. The Services have limited access to the political establishment, and can make little or no contribution to national security decision-making,” sources said. To cure the problem, the report suggests posting of more armed forces officers in the ministry, a fact that has not found much acceptance amongst the bureaucracy.

Informed sources told The Sunday Standard, to enhance the status of service Chiefs in decision making processes the Task Force has also recommended the amendments in Business Rules - the “Government of India Allocation of Business Rules” (AoB Rules), and the “Government of India Transaction of Business Rules” (ToB Rules), framed in 1961 under the constitutional powers of the President of India. As per the present arrangement, the three Service Chiefs find no mention in the Business Rules, what is their status and standing vis-à-vis the Defence Secretary – who under the rules is responsible for the “Defence of India and every part thereof?”

“Over the past 64 years, it has become quite clear that the three Service Chiefs are to be accorded the courtesies due to their rank and position, and allowed to administer and operationally deploy their respective Services. However, since they have no locus standi as per Business Rules, their input to the decision-making of the four MoD Departments remain marginal.

“So much so, that the Secretary Department of Defence is deemed to represent the three Services in most forums, and the Departments of DRDO as well as Defence Production need not seek or abide by their advice,” sources added.

With India inching towards completing its nuclear triad and acquiring strategic weapons like inter-continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-V, the criticality of the post of CDS – the Chief’s of the three service chiefs – has increased. As per the report, the CDS will have direct access to the Defence Minister rather than channeling his advice through the Defence Secretary.

“The present system of Chairman CoSC (Chiefs of Staff Committee) is not working well. As the senior-most among the three Chiefs take over as CoSC Chairman he is at the helm of affairs from one to 20 months depending on his residual service.

“In the coming times CoSC will become important in the Chain of command for nuclear weapons; and hence the urgency for CDS,” sources added. In order to iron out the objections raised by the Indian Air Force (IAF) opposing the move, the report suggests appointing the seniormost Chief among the three services to be appointed as CDS and his immediate junior be handed over the rein of that service.

The Government had in June 2011, appointed the Naresh Chandra Committee, and comprising of former defence officers like Admiral Arun Prakash, Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy and former Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen VR Raghvan and bureaucrats like Brajeshwar and Vinod K Dugga, to revisit the defence reforms process and the report of the committee was recently submitted the Prime Minister. The report has been circulated to the various concerned ministries and finally it would be considered by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). A public version of the report is likely to be made available soon for an open discourse, sources indicated.

India-Pakistan begin Siachen talks amidst clamour for demilitarization

Amidst growing clamour from the peace activists from both the countries to turn the world’s highest battlefield- Siachen Glacier- into “Mountain of Peace”, India and Pakistan on Monday began the defence secretary-level talks on the issue in Rawalpindi, the Garrison City of Pakistan. 

Even as Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani has sent feelers about softening of Paksitan’s stand on the issue in the aftermath of an avalanche in the region claiming lives of 140 Pakistani soldiers, nothing “dramatic” is likely to come out of the two-day talks. 

Indian Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma along with his Pakistani counterpart Nargis Sethi will hold talks to resolve the issue. Besides the delegation level meeting, the two defence secretaries are slated to have a one-on-one meeting as well. Sharma is accompanied by defence ministry and foreign ministry officials; and Director General of Miltiary Operations.

The talks are in the series of talks held by the two countries to reach a mutually agreed upon solution on the issue. Last Secretary-level talks were held in mid-2011 in New Delhi without yielding any results.

Both the Armies continue arduous deployment on the frigid heights of Siachen Glacier since 1984, the price paid in terms of lives claimed by harsh weather and money spent by these two developing countries. Even though not a single shot has been fired in the Siachen (literally translating into Valley of Roses) Glacier since 2002, the loss of lives on both side of the continues. India lost 26 soldiers in last one year alone.

The issue came to fore as the Pakistan Army suffered its worst tragedy as 140 soldiers were entombed in the region after a massive avalanche in April. Emphasising that both countries needed to resolve the Siachen issue, General Kayani had blamed India for a tough stand.

The bone of contention is that while India has been seeking authentication of present troop deployment in the region before demilitarization, Pakistan has been insisting on the restoration of troop positions as agreed in 1972 Shimla agreement.

Indian troops are sitting on dominating positions on the Glacier with a great strategic value for acting as buffer between Chinese controller Shaksgam valley and Pakistan occupied Baltistan.

The root of imbroglio is that 1949 Karachi agreement mentions no demarcation of border between the two countries beyond a peak marked NJ-9842 for reference and mentions that thereafter the border lies northward of the Glacier. This leaves a room for interpretation.

Pakistan claims that the line joins NJ 9842 with Karakoram Pass, which is North West of NJ 9842. The Indian position is that the line runs towards the glaciers along the watersheds formed by the Saltoro Range as per the internationally accepted principle of border delineation.