By Anusha Mishra
Indian Army through the Ages provides a sweeping view of the Army’s history from the mid-1700s till current times. The book covers how the Army has evolved from colonial times into a truly modern, professional service that guards the nation’s borders. It has participated in the First and Second World Wars and, since 1947, has fought four major wars protecting the territorial integrity of the nation. Of these, the 1971 India-Pakistan War which led to the creation of Bangladesh is considered its greatest victory
The Indian Army has extensive experience in Counterinsurgency and Internal Security within the borders of India as well as externally in Peacekeeping activities undertaken under the aegis of the United Nations. It has the distinction of being considered as one of the most professional armies in the world and is a true reflection of the diversity of India.
A unique ethos and set of values, customs and traditions, and the Regimental spirit which is its soul underpins the cohesiveness of this vast organisation. As the Indian Army marches on into the twenty-first century, it is evolving with the times and is ready to answer the call of duty at all times.
About the Authors
The book published by Pentagon Press has been edited by Major General Ian Cardozo, (Retd) and Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh (Retd) both of whom are well respected military authors on behalf of the Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies of the USI of India which is India’s oldest think tank having been established in 1870.
Each of the contributing authors have a deep understanding of the subject they have covered and include Major General VK Singh (Retd), Major General PJS Sandhu (Retd), Major General (Dr) AK Bardalai (Retd), Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) and Neha Kohli.
The Book
The book is laid out in nine chapters each of which has been written by experts in their field. In the first Chapter Major General VK Singh (Retd) Colonel PK Gautam (Retd) and Neha Kohli have given an overview of the emergence of modern Indian Army tracing it back to the Armies of East India Company formed in 1600. They have gone into the composition of the Presidency Armies of that time as well as the changes from 1796 to mid-nineteen century.
The restructuring of the Army took place in 1902-03 under leadership of General Kitchener and his tenure which coincided with Lord Curzon as Viceroy was to witness a bitter civil military dispute wherein both attempted to reconcile civilian control with military efficiency but argued from very different assumptions and the point of disagreement was the relative power and influence of the military member of Viceroy’s council. The critical weakness in British civil military relations in India continued to be felt in the Higher Defence Organizations which evolved Post Independence.
This Chapter also covers the division of Indian Army Post Partition, the consolidation period in 1950’s, conflicts of 1960’s and modernization in the 1970’s wherein an Expert Committee under Lieutenant General (Later General) KV Krishna Rao looked into aspects of defence preparedness, threats to national interests, future strategy, force levels in different time frames and future battlefield environment among others.
The 1980’S saw the period of challenges of modernization and domestic turmoil. Including issues like Indian participation in IPKF and the occupation of the Siachen Glacier, as well as the standoff in Sumdrong Chu. In the 1990’s Internal Security gained momentum as a result of which Rashtriya Rifle units were raised by the then Army Chief General V N Sharma. This period ended with Operation Vijay.
Chapter Two written by Neha Kohli covers the Indian Army in the Pre-Independence era. It includes details of how the Army expanded from 1,50,00 to 1.5 million troops during World War I. An interesting table shows social composition of the Army wherein 20 % were Sikhs, thereafter the table covers new communities recruited under the pressure of World War I.
It also provides a brief narration of the Army’s contribution to two of the defining conflicts of the 20th Century namely World War I and World War II. The Indian Army’s primary war fighting experience as well as training was for warfare on the frontiers of India by weapons that were generations behind the West. Yet with obsolete weaponry and unsuitable clothing they were thrust into the war of attrition in the trenches of Europe and yet they fought admirably and gained a stellar reputation for their bravery and conduct in an alien terrain and brutal mechanized war. Amongst the troops who served there were troops of Indian State forces, and the contribution of various states is listed out.
The interwar period saw reorganisation of the Army saw renewed focus on the issue of Indianization and a demand of opening up of commissioned ranks for Indians which included Cadets going to Sandhurst and setting up of the RIMC in Dehradun for young aspirants from notable families.
World War II again saw the Indian Army holding its own against two finest Armies in the world, the Germans and Japanese. The Indian Army in World War II fought in every major battle and campaign in Europe, North Africa, Burma and Indo-China and was the largest volunteer Army to ever fight in a war with 2.5 million men recruited during the war.
The small wars covered include North West Frontier Province, the Opium War in China, Lushai Expedition into Assam, 1888 Sikkim Expedition, the Anglo-Manipur and the Anglo- Burmese war leading to capture of Rangoon in 1852. Indian troops also fought in the Boer War.
Chapter III by Major General PJS Sandhu (Retd) covers India’s post-Independence wars of 1947-48 and 1962. He talks about the background of Kashmir and how Pakistan wanted to take full advantage of the situation in Kashmir to tilt the balance in favor of the state joining Pakistan. It made its designs to force an accession of J&K within twelve days of signing the stand still agreement on 24 August 1947. He also writes about details of the Top Secret ‘Operation Gulmarg’ being received by Major Onkar Singh Kalat of the Banu Brigade. Thereafter, he covers the details of the battles in J&K and says that the Pakistani officers directing the operations had unrealistic expectations about the endurance, discipline and combat readiness of the militias and the experience gained in the war had a great influence in later tactics of Indo-Pak wars.
As regards 1962, he says that India failed to recognize the ground realities and continued to neglect defence preparedness. There was over reliance on diplomacy and as a result India was taken by complete surprise and the Indian Army was hustled into a war for which it was not prepared, organized, trained or equipped.
Chapter IV covers India’s post-independence wars including 1965 and 1971 wars. After the 1962 War, India had undertaken a large-scale expansion of its Armed Forces, but the emphasis was on China while the capabilities required on the Western Front including Navy and Air Force were still neglected.
In 1965 India was unable to create a favorable diplomatic environment internationally to prolong fighting unlike the situation in 1971 which can be considered as India’s finest hour. India’s strategy in 1971 was to give primacy to operations in East Pakistan to create conditions that allowed refugees to return and focus on the East dictated that the war in the West would be a defensive holding action. All the battles fought both in the Eastern and Western front are comprehensively covered.
In Chapter V the operations covered include Operation Polo, Operation Vijay in 1961, the skirmish at Nathu La in 1967 which broke the myth of the invincibility of the Chinese and gave them a bloody nose and the occupation of Siachen Glacier in 1984. The Siachen Glacier continues to be occupied by the Indian Army till date and Operation Meghdoot was a major victory. The context in which IPKF was deployed in Sri Lanka during Operation Pawan is well covered. The book also gives details of Operation Cactus in Maldives and Operation Vijay of 1999 and includes an assessment of the Kargil Conflict.
Chapter VI, by Colonel Vivek Chadha (Retd) covers the Low Intensity Conflicts and Counter Terrorism in which the Indian Army has been involved in post-Independence. These include deployments in Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, J&K, Punjab as against Left Wing Extremism. The author clearly states that the involvement of the Army for resolution of violent movements was only to create conditions for a democratically elected government to undertake politically negotiated settlements. The Army has remained an integral contributing element to national security and nation building and has always supported and strengthened the national framework of democracy. It is looked up for providing stability and peace whenever a crisis situation develops which is beyond the local government.
Chapter VII, covers the Indian Army and the UN Peace operation Major General AK Bardalai (Retd) writes that India has participated in 49 of the 71 UN Peacekeeping Operations. Going into the details of the various missions and Indian Army’s contribution he states that the principles which India adheres to while participating in peacekeeping operations are those enshrined in the UN Doctrine and India considers impartiality as an important ingredient of Peace-Keeping and its actions are independent of the stand of the parties to a conflict
Since independence the Indian Army has also been the first responders to most humanitarian assistance and Disaster relief (HADR) operations. The performance of the Indian Army has been remarkable and they have always delivered.
Chapter VII covers the ethos, values, and training of the Army and talks about leading by example, giving out examples such as Lieutenant Colonel Desmond Hayde of 3 JAT, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey of 1/11 GORKHA RIFLES and Captain Vikram Batra 13 JAK RIF.
The ethos of the Indian Army is against the divisiveness caused by religion wherein soldiers of different faiths have fought shoulder to shoulder with outstanding results. Undoubtedly the Indian soldiers are best in the world and are imbued with the quality of putting the country above all else
Chapter IX, gives out the details of India’s gallantry awards and War Memorials. The first awardee of the Param Veer Chakra was Major Somnath Sharma of 4 KUMAON and 21 PVC have been given since out of which 20 have earned by the Indian Army. Six personnel including two from the Air Force have been awarded the MVC twice.
War Memorials provide a focus for memory and commemoration in honour of the gallantry and sacrifice of our soldiers. The details of India’s War Memorials both in India and abroad have been covered in great detail.
Conclusion
With rare photographs, detailed maps and extensive bibliography the book is extremely well laid out. Though the canvas covered is extremely wide it can be stated with surety that this meticulously researched book will find its place as one of the most authoritative accounts of the Indian Army.
For those readers who wish to understand the rich history, evolution and the ethos of our Army which has never failed to deliver and the bonds that bind the men in uniform this is undoubtedly the definitive text, and the Editors and contributors deserve to be complimented for the clarity of the text and their observations.
At a time when warfare and Armies are back in the centre of the ongoing narrative this book undoubtedly provides a most detailed insight into understanding the Indian Army.
About the Reviewer:
Research Assistant, Gallantry Awards Portal Project, MoD, Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies, (Formerly Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research), United Service Institution of India.
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