Ex-Service Chiefs Demand Overhauling Of Security System

FORMER TOP Defence service officers have recommended reorganisation of the system governing the country's security, stressing the need for involvement of the three Services' Chiefs in matters of defence. They cautioned against complacency in view of the Kargil intrusions.

Former Chief of Army Staff Gen V. N. Sharma, former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral S. M. Nanda and former Director-General of Military Operations Lt General Satish Nambiar said in the Kargil intrusions were buried many a lesson, which needed to be learnt.

We have had a history of intelligence failures. The latest was last year in Kargil, Gen Sharma said at a talk on "Subrahmanyam Committee Report on Kargil and Defence Budget, 2000" here on Thursday evening.

 

Stating that the tasking of intelligence agencies was more oriented towards politics, he said the intelligence agencies were used by the political leadership to know about political equations and their own prospects. The former Army chief also attacked the Defence Ministry (MoD) saying it was "poorly and badly organised" and had not been revamped for the last 50 years.

Referring to the charges that bureaucrats rule the ministries, including the MoD, Gen Sharma said: We need ministers who are fully involved with their ministries. There are inadequacies in the system. Decisions are not taken. Organisation of the MoD needs to be reviewed, said Adm Nanda.

Laying stress on coordination among the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the MoD, Adm Nanda suggested setting up of a committee under chairmanship of the Prime Minister and comprising the Defence Minister, the Home Minister and the three Service chiefs.

Lt Gen Nambiar said the views of the service chiefs should be considered in the interest of the national security. He regretted that even after almost a year of the Kargil intrusions, "nothing really has moved" as regards the revamping of the security system.

He said the country "should draw a lesson after being deceived by Pakistan last year". The former top officials also cautioned against complacency with regard to the country's defence, saying Pakistan would continue to foment trouble, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, to avenge its repeated defeats in direct wars.

The major lesson from Kargil is: Smile at every country but at the same time is suspicious," Gen Sharma summed up. He said the Kargil intrusion had been the re-enactment of what happened in 1962 when China invaded India despite saying "Hindi-Chini, bhai bhai (Indians and Chinese are brothers)." They also disfavoured use of the Army for counter-insurgency operations.