Letter to COAS by Brig Inder Mohan Singh (Retd)

Dear COAS,

I am addressing you and I hope this reaches you. I'm only going to go by facts as they have existed for decades. I will only focus on armoured corps because I know it better than you and your spokespersons in the media. 

To begin with I was commissioned in August 1971 into 69 Armoured Regiment. After being there till Oct 1993, I went to command 51 Armoured Regiment in November 1993 which I commanded till December 1995. And lest anyone think I was late in command for any non qualification it's wrong. I made it to Lt Col and Colonel in the first selection boards between18 years and 21 years. That was the experience for unit officers of our times. Of the 22 years plus before command of the regiment, I spent 14 years in the unit. 6 years in three tenures away as captain, major and lt colonel, one year in Staff College and one year in UN Mission. Today the COs get command with a total of 16 years service. And not more than half in the units. So I dare say I know more about regimental soldiering than those who can advise you. 

Coming to facts. 

A recruit joining the Armoured Corps has to undergo about 5 months of basic training in Basic Training Regiment (BTR).  Physical training, drill, small arms training, field craft etc. This period just to break him from his civilian mode. 

Then all Armoured Corps recruits go to Driving and Maintenance Regiment (DMR) for drivers training. All 100 percent. Reason, Armoured Regiments have about 80 vehicles all kinds. They spend 4 months in learning driving and more importantly the military way of driving. 

From DMR the recruits go for trade training to Auto Regiment, Electronics Regiment and Armament Regiment. Every recruit has to be trained in two of the three trades; tank driver, radio operator and tank gunner in these establishments. This takes about 6 to 7 months for two trades. 

Thus it's a 15 to 16 month training period. Add to it a months or more leave. Sometimes, and it's often, the training period gets extended because of non availability of equipment for training, ammunition shortages, medical injuries etc. The young soldiers reach the regiments after nearly a year and a half from the day they get into uniform. And this will be brought down to 6 months? I'm confident the Director General Armoured Corps, an extremely competent and capable Lt General whom I know a little and a thorough  professional cannot achieve this. I'm also sure that he and most of the Director Generals of arms and services were not taken into confidence when this top driven policy  decision was taken. Or they did not give an honest view. India has not produced super humans these days that  we can achieve the training standards in about 1/3 the earstwhile period. And that too with more modern equipment. 

Then come to regimental service. With three men crew in all tanks these days ( thank God for the auto loader, no more four crew members); driver, commander/gunner and operator/loader where does this raw recruit find place. He's not given a vehicle to drive for a few years. A gunner doesn't even get tank ammunition to fire the first three to four years or more. This was then, decades back. Now with ammunition shortages I'm sure he won't get it for five years and more. Regiments have to maintain trained tank crews. So what does the new recruit do for first three to five years. He's put through training, passes his grade tests from Grade 3 to 2 and then sent to Armoured Corps Centre and School for a technical course in his trade for three to four months to become Grade 1. Almost all these years spent on training to be a qualified tank crew member, learn vehicle driving to take to Indian roads and traffic. Rest he's on guard duties and other working/fatigue duties well known in the armed forces. 

By calling them Agniveers now all this is condensed into four years and 75 percent sent home. Implies only the 25 percent remaining will be professional tank crews. After four years service? Secondly is this number adequate? Armoured Regiment strength used to be about 600 then. So 25 percent or 150 personnel will man 45 tanks, 80 vehicles, other equipment such as about 500 batteries, about 100 vehicle based radio sets, scores of battery chargers and generators. Nonsense. Possibly Agniveers can achieve it. We could not. 

I think this is possible on one count. No one after 1971 has seen war. Please don't count Kargil and Sri Lanka as war. Not more than four ti five divisions  participated in all in the two.  And also don't consider counter insurgency operations as war. Modern war can be seen in Ukraine. It's live every day. I'm sure the Indian government, unknown to the country and the armed forces has taken a conscious decision that it will not go to war with Pakistan and China. In that case this new policy of Agnipath and Agniveer is good. I actually hate giving this Tour of Duty such high sounding names. 

I'm sure the above problems hold good for mechanised infantry, artillery, signals, EME. You would know more about Corps of Engineers than me. 

The veterans are aware that this policy has not gone down well with the serving class. When a soldier signs in and forgoes all his constitutional rights no one expects him to speak up. Your PSOs, DGs of arms and services will also not speak up. How can they. Two reasons. The decision of the govt is take it or lump it. Secondly all are eligible to be appointed CDS. They will speak in private for sure. 

Maybe some of these trained soldiers will find employment in CAPFs and state govts. Some corporates have also pitched in. Wonder what were they doing all these years. Lakhs of better qualified veterans available. Possibly they were not Agniveers. That's why. Maybe there's something more behind the scene in creating 35000 trained in arms for some role in future. 

You too will be either in the category of few good former chiefs remembered for their courage of conviction and leadership or in those best forgotten. Choice is yours. 

Regards 

Brig Inder Mohan Singh (Retd)

21 Jun 2022.