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Recently, the Pahalgam incident shocked the entire country and PM Sh. Narendra Modi has given a free hand to our Armed forces to do whatever is necessary to find culprits and protect our countrymen. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has been facing shortage of human resources and another face of the mirror is the new entrants in the army are Agni veers. Our enemy is not only Pakistan but also others who have the same ideology and its friends in the world. Reports are coming that China has recently reduced their troop numbers by 300,000. Several other nations have also followed suit in decreasing their military personnel. Meanwhile, China has made significant advancements in the armament of its armed forces.
Chinese Army’s Developments
China has commissioned its highly acclaimed lightweight battle tanks, intended for deployment in rugged terrains such as Tibet, to enhance its combat capabilities in high-altitude regions. The advanced Tank, known as Type-15 within the People’s Liberation Army, features a 105 mm gun as its primary armament capable of launching armor-piercing shells and guided missiles. The Type-15 is furnished with a hydro-pneumatic suspension system that ensures exceptional maneuverability and survivability in mountainous landscapes alongside LAC. A nuanced perspective is required when considering Chinese President Xi-Jinping’s directive for the PLA to fortify its combat capabilities while reducing troop numbers. The PLA aims to achieve full modernization by 2035.
India’s Response
In this era the global political, diplomatic, and economic landscape has undergone a complex transformation and the world is on the brink of war.
In 305 B.C., Chandragupta Maurya and his Mentor Chanakaya vanquished Seleucus Nikator, the then viceroy of Alexander’s armies, consolidating fragmented confederacies into a formidable India. During the Maurya dynasty, India stood impervious to foreign invasions. However, in medieval times, India has become vulnerable to external aggressors, and a dearth of strategic foresight. The Indian Government has, on numerous occasions, relinquished territorial claims. following independence, despite British desires for Coco Island to be integrated into India, our leaders dismissed it as insignificant. The sovereignty of any part of a nation, regardless of strategic value, cannot be surrendered to another country. Presently, China has established a Naval Base on Coco Island, which was originally part of Myanmar, granting them surveillance capabilities over our missile tests and ISRO’s space endeavors. Now China lays claim to the Leh-Ladakh region and the entirety of Arunachal Pradesh within our homeland. Pakistan and China have also encroached upon Indian influence in Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, and Nepal, despite their declining economies.
India’s weakness
The shortage of troops in our country is not viable for several reasons. Firstly, India is a highly vulnerable nation surrounded by numerous adversaries and susceptible areas for centuries due to its religious, socialist, and racial diversity.
Secondly, our expanding population has posed challenges, yet the military provides opportunities and fosters a sense of unity among our people, which serves as a cohesive force for our nation..
Third, if our government reduces the troop presence solely in response to alleged Chinese troop reductions, it could be catastrophic. There is no concrete evidence that China has actually decreased its military presence, raising questions about whether this is a strategic move to prompt India to follow suit. Lastly, if our political and bureaucratic leadership aspires for India to be a formidable nation with world-class armed forces and a developed infrastructure, think again on Agni veer Scheme.
Conclusion
Last year, all three branches of the military expressed dissatisfaction with the inadequate funding allocated for ongoing acquisitions, let alone new ones. The Army has a myriad of requirements including Artillery, QRFV’s, New Tanks, and Electronic-warfare Jamming systems, given the threats we are facing. Our defense expenditure is on the rise annually, with a significant portion allocated to the Defense Salary bill amounting to 1,06000 crore rupees and pensions at approximately 1, 11,000 crores. In the recent budget unveiled in July 2024, the allocation is set to increase to 1,86,352 crores for salaries and 1.41 lakh crore for pensions. “Given that future conflicts are anticipated to encompass various terrains such as space, seas, mountains, deserts, and other challenging landscapes, it is imperative to emphasize the crucial role of professionally trained soldiers in securing victory and achieving strategic objectives.”However, there are no favorable conditions and significant scope to downsize the Army, Air Force, and navy. While the recently introduced Defense budget of $75 Billion in July 2024 may seem adequate, it pales in comparison to China’s staggering $231 Billion defense budget.
In the Second World War, Adolf Hitler established a new unit of young soldiers under the command of Himmler in the Waffen SS, known as the 12th Panzer Division. This division consisted of soldiers aged 17-19, who engaged in combat against General Montgomery’s professional troops in Normandy. Montgomery derogatorily referred to them as “Baby units” after these youthful soldiers inflicted heavy casualties on Canadian forces in their initial engagement. However, their lack of experience and strategic acumen ultimately led to their decisive defeat in subsequent battles.
The Indian Army epitomizes a seamless fusion of human expertise and technological supremacy, a delicate balance that could potentially be disrupted by the Agneepath. A fundamental question arises: Will the morale of the soldiers be in sync with the exigencies of intense combat reminiscent of the Kargil war and Galwan clashes? Each soldier bears a dual duty to both their families and the nation. Are the Indian Armed Forces adequately equipped to tackle the evolving challenges of space and electromagnetic warfare in the contemporary era? The Indian forces witness the retirement of approximately 70,000 soldiers annually, exacerbated by the cessation of soldier recruitment post the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, which is anticipated to persist until 2023, resulting in the retirement of 210,000 soldiers within three years. However, the pace of recruitment fails to align with the rate of retirement. In contrast, China has raised the recruitment age to 26 for its military personnel, and has no Agni veer like recruitment. While we adhere to a preference for a younger, more agile force within the age range of 17.5 to 21 years. “Do not solely rely on technology. “As technology needs manpower.” India must have a highly-trained professional Army. So, that our enemies cannot wage war against us and no war will be fought. As India is a country in the world, it doesn’t want to wage war against anyone.
Rahul Dev, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
Endnotes:
(1) V. P Dutt India’s Foreign Policy in Changing World, Vikas Publishing House, 2004.
(2) Manoj Joshi, “China’s Retail Nationalism,” The Tribune Mar 31, 2021.
(3) Manoj Joshi, “All not lost in Aghanistan,” The Tribune 20 July, 2021.
(4) Maj Gen GG Dwivedi (Retd.), “ Agnipath Scheme has lead to an acute Shortfall of manpower,” The Tribune July 2, 2024.
(5) Abhijit Bhattacharya, “India must wake up to CPC’s Penetration,” The Tribune Dec 27, 2021.
(6): www.indiadefencenews.in
(7). China puts into service its new lightweight battle tank,” The Times of India, Dec 31, 2018
(8)P.K Vasudeva, “ Raise Defence spendings to meet challenges,” The Tribune Feb 6, 2021.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.