Army Chief tells commanders to assess security situation

Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh Suhag, on Saturday advised the commanders to continuously assess the situation in the sub-continent with respect to the force and security transition taking place and its resultant effect on the nation's security.

On the internal security situation, he stressed on the need to maintain relentless pressure on the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir so that they are not capable of disrupting the forthcoming elections.

The Army Chief also expressed satisfaction on the situation in North-East and stressed upon all stakeholders to be made part of the conflict resolution mechanism.

On the modernization front, General Suhag informed all of the continued support of the Defence Minister and commitment of the Ministry of Defence towards fulfilling the army's requirements. He also exhorted all to streamline and refine in house procedures aimed at preserving and enhancing the life of all service equipment.

The Army Chief expressed hope that the measures being planned to address the issue of shortage in officer cadre would fructify at the earliest. He also expressed concern on the isolated issues of unethical behaviour and directed zero tolerance towards them.

General Suhag asked all to stay committed towards the welfare of the veterans who were the bedrock of the army and applauded the recent initiatives including the functioning of ECHS.

The Army Chief stated that even under the most modern methods of war fighting, the army should not forget that the human dimension would always remain the biggest battle winning factor.

"Hence, the focus must remain on training, equipping and character development of the soldier to ensure that our army remains a modern, potent and combat ready force," he said.

In his address on culmination of the Army Commanders Conference today, General Suhag complimented the Northern and Western Commands on their exemplary response to the flood disaster in Jammu and Kashmir which witnessed spontaneous mobilisation of army resources, both manpower and equipment, without waiting for any formal requisition.

He lauded the selfless commitment of the Indian soldiers involved in the relief and rescue efforts.

General Suhag culminated his talk with his desire that the 'Indian Army must remain the pride of the nation'.