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HomeOpinionOctober belongs to Infantry—Kashmir ’47 to China '62. India must invest in...

October belongs to Infantry—Kashmir ’47 to China ’62. India must invest in the foot-soldier

Autumn 1947 Kashmir, high Himalayas 1962, and steamy tropical jungles of northern Sri Lanka 1987 just happen to be Infantry stomping grounds.

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It is only befitting that the month of significant politico-military anniversaries ends on 27 October when the Indian Army marks it as Infantry Day. No other day specific to a particular arm, or in common parlance, a particular section of a service, generates as much momentousness as does the Infantry Day. It is unlikely, if a particular day reserved for the occasion, Combat Aircraft Day or Submarine Day, would evoke so much noteworthiness. There are a number of military reasons why it is the most important arm specific day. But the most consequential of them all is political.


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Momentous politico-military anniversaries

On 27 October 1947, the Army responded to India’s first politico-military crisis when 1st Battalion, The Sikh Regiment, landed in Srinagar to stem the tide of Pakistani raiders. The Maharaja had barely signed the Instrument of Accession hours earlier on 26 October, and the Infantry was already in action, flown in Dakotas by combat-experienced Indian Air Force pilots. Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, the Commanding Officer, led from the front and fell to enemy bullets at Baramulla the same day, and is India’s first Maha Vir Chakra. Though Baramulla was evicted of the raiders, and Srinagar saved.

Barely a week after that, India had bestowed its first Param Vir Chakra when Maj Somnath Sharma of 4 Kumaon sacrificed his life near Budgam. That both of these brave soldiers were Infantrymen is not a coincidence, nor the fact that both units involved were also Infantry. As were the numerous other units flown into the Kashmir Valley in an airlift that has yet not got its due recognition from the country. What they managed was extraordinary, given the limited resources at their disposal. That they saved the Valley is now well known, and how the invaders were pushed back.

On the 75th anniversary of signing of the Instrument of Accession, events around Infantry Day will be overshadowed, as they normally tend to be. But they still can’t veil the thread that runs through the other anniversaries in October. In 1987, a peace-keeping mission turned into an enforcement operation when five brave soldiers of 10 Para Commando were ambushed on 10 October before hostilities were officially declared against the LTTE. Only their bloodied and bullet-marked 1 ton truck was recovered months later. Twenty-five years prior to that, on 20 October, Chinese soldiers had initiated the 1962 War.

It is simply a coincidence that October hosts three momentous politico-military anniversaries. But it is not a coincidence that the thread running through these three, albeit separated by decades and terrain, is all were Infantry led operations. Autumn 1947 Kashmir, high Himalayas 1962, and steamy tropical jungles of northern Sri Lanka 1987 just happen to be Infantry stomping grounds. The reality, however, is that every terrain and weather is Infantry operational area. In a very real sense, it is the only full spectrum all-weather combat arm capable of operating in any and every climate, urban or rural zone.

No other combat arm, of any service, rendered as valuable a service to India as has its Infantry. And no other combat arm has rendered that service in terms of its stubborn continuity, its varied nature of operations, and with the sheer volume of casualties taken. From Lt Col Rai and his brave Sikhs to now in 2022, no other arm has sacrificed as many lives as has the Infantry. Despite all the challenges thrown at it, the Infantry will continue to make those sacrifices as and when required. That is not unique to India, but budgetary stinginess certainly is.


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Invest in the soldier

Amid much fanfare, India announced long-term plans for a futuristic foot-soldier more than a decade ago. The vision was certainly worthy of a modernist Army in an economically vibrant country. The conceptualisation was captured in a catchy acronym F-INSAS, Future Infantry Soldier as a System. The hypothesis behind the plan being to arm, equip and protect the soldier so as to substantially increase his individual operational capabilities. Virtually a real life robo-cop blended with iron-man features. This too was not unique to India for a number of countries had similar plans during the same period.

Within a few years, however, plans were altered and the project split into two different aspects of futuristic war fighting. While the individual weapon, tactical communications and protection programmes for the soldier continued to be developed, the battlefield management systems were separated. And the new soldier was unveiled in August 2022. The efficacy of the new package has yet to be tested, but it is fair to say that the investment effort is not commensurate with the requirements of the users, and the magnitude of sacrifices made over the decades in the pursuit of India’s security. Kashmir was saved in 1947, and in 2022 remains Indian thanks to the Infantry.

Manvendra Singh is a Congress leader, Editor-in-Chief of Defence & Security Alert and Chairman, Soldier Welfare Advisory Committee, Rajasthan. He tweets @ManvendraJasol. Views are personal.

This article is part of the Remembering 1962 series on the India-China war. You can read all the articles here.

(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)

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