Coups, Rumours, Independence, et al
Two shocks to the system. One, the Indian Army was planning a coup. Two, the bigger shock, the above news is false. And the next day, another shock: a newspaper as anti-establishment as the Indian Express totally changed its colours!
Let's run through this coup thingie, with my admittedly theoretical, but rather substantial, knowledge of wars, battles, military matters.
One, the troop movements reported were of one brigade of Paras and one brigade of mechanised infantry. Now, one brigade (or even a company) of elite Special Forces (henceforth referred to as SF) can beat the living crap out of the entire Delhi Police. Or any other copper force in the country. With their bare hands. With the cops as armed as they can ever be. And probably even if you tie the SF's right hands behind their backs. But a brigade of light infantry, which is what all SFs basically are, can never sustain a coup. Even when reinforced with another Brigade (or even a regiment) of mechanised infantry, who are anyway infantry in trucks rather than on foot. Modern land battle requires two things - tanks and planes. Where were they?
Two, no General, however coup-minded, likes a civil war (I am talking about India here, not Africa, Central Europe, or other semi-savage lands). He likes fratricide even less. And fratricide is what would it have been if the Para and the NSG met up face-to-face. Of course, I am assuming that the NSG would have stuck to their orders to protect the VVAPs (did a sleight-of-hand here by substituting "asshole" for "important"). Many of the Paras and the NSG would have gone through the SF school at Nahan. Probably batchmates. Some NSG officers are probably on deputation from Paras. So, fratricide. In such cases, no officer can predict what the men will do. At the end of the day, every soldier is a thinking human being. He may, just may, refuse to obey. Unless he is belongs to a rightist force, like the Nazis.
Three, again, I am talking of India, not the Dark Continent, or the darker-parts-of-a-usually-light-continent. Will the people accept a coup? Remember, you have been casting your votes for the last 60 or so years (mostly you have cast your votes for the wrong people, but I'll let your utter imbecility slide for now). You are aware of your rights (and how!). Plus you have added more fundamental rights than are given to a member of the Politburo in Chinkie-land (e.g. the right to spit, to whistle at women, etc.). Will you, the public of India, like to be Pakistan-ised?
Now, coming to the meat of the discussion, the real reason for the Army units to move around in the dark, and scare the shit out of us silly civvies. The Paras are based in Agra, their guns are in Bharatpur, their 'planes (thank God, the new US-made C-130 Hercules) in Hindon. Why does it take our elite troops 4 hours plus to get into action? In the meantime, they are just an unarmed gang? Well, knowing our soldiers, it doesn't take a genius to understand that they'll fight even unarmed, undressed, whatever. But, why do we as a nation want our soldiers to die uselessly? Why don't we trust an elite Para with his weapons?
1857 is why. The British Colonial government, scared after the massacres of British men, women, and children by the rebelling Sepoys during the Mutiny, enacted two important structures (many laws, rules, regulations, etc. come under those structures). One, a soldier off-duty cannot carry his arms. Two, civilians cannot be easily allowed to be armed, and when they are, their ammunition should not be the same as the armed forces. Hence you have a concept of prohibited bores and non-prohibited bores. And getting a gun license is harder (for an ordinary citizen) than passing a camel through the eye of a needle.
One paragraph of "Blame it on the Brits". Enough!
Why did our benevolent, independent government of this "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic" not repeal these laws?
Why today, you and I cannot carry guns, which at some point of time, may be used to counter any future coup?
Why do we trust our boys in uniform to fight like devils and die like heroes, but we do not trust them near their guns?
Why are many (if not most) of our laws dating back from Colonial times?
Why are most amendments made in Colonial laws anti-people (like Arms Act, for example)?
Why has our bureaucracy, once lauded as the steel frame, degenerated into rotten, termite-infested cheap plywood? Within 2 decades of Independence? There were, earlier, British (as well as Indian) young men who joined the Indian Civil Service for the "Service" part. Nowadays, Indian young men (and women) join the IAS and allied services to serve only themselves!
Do we call this Independence? When our politicians are scared of the army? When the Army Chief confesses that the Army does not have enough firepower to counter an invasion? And the goverment is doing nothing!
Hell, I think I'll support a coup. Bring it on, General!
Let's run through this coup thingie, with my admittedly theoretical, but rather substantial, knowledge of wars, battles, military matters.
One, the troop movements reported were of one brigade of Paras and one brigade of mechanised infantry. Now, one brigade (or even a company) of elite Special Forces (henceforth referred to as SF) can beat the living crap out of the entire Delhi Police. Or any other copper force in the country. With their bare hands. With the cops as armed as they can ever be. And probably even if you tie the SF's right hands behind their backs. But a brigade of light infantry, which is what all SFs basically are, can never sustain a coup. Even when reinforced with another Brigade (or even a regiment) of mechanised infantry, who are anyway infantry in trucks rather than on foot. Modern land battle requires two things - tanks and planes. Where were they?
Two, no General, however coup-minded, likes a civil war (I am talking about India here, not Africa, Central Europe, or other semi-savage lands). He likes fratricide even less. And fratricide is what would it have been if the Para and the NSG met up face-to-face. Of course, I am assuming that the NSG would have stuck to their orders to protect the VVAPs (did a sleight-of-hand here by substituting "asshole" for "important"). Many of the Paras and the NSG would have gone through the SF school at Nahan. Probably batchmates. Some NSG officers are probably on deputation from Paras. So, fratricide. In such cases, no officer can predict what the men will do. At the end of the day, every soldier is a thinking human being. He may, just may, refuse to obey. Unless he is belongs to a rightist force, like the Nazis.
Three, again, I am talking of India, not the Dark Continent, or the darker-parts-of-a-usually-light-continent. Will the people accept a coup? Remember, you have been casting your votes for the last 60 or so years (mostly you have cast your votes for the wrong people, but I'll let your utter imbecility slide for now). You are aware of your rights (and how!). Plus you have added more fundamental rights than are given to a member of the Politburo in Chinkie-land (e.g. the right to spit, to whistle at women, etc.). Will you, the public of India, like to be Pakistan-ised?
Now, coming to the meat of the discussion, the real reason for the Army units to move around in the dark, and scare the shit out of us silly civvies. The Paras are based in Agra, their guns are in Bharatpur, their 'planes (thank God, the new US-made C-130 Hercules) in Hindon. Why does it take our elite troops 4 hours plus to get into action? In the meantime, they are just an unarmed gang? Well, knowing our soldiers, it doesn't take a genius to understand that they'll fight even unarmed, undressed, whatever. But, why do we as a nation want our soldiers to die uselessly? Why don't we trust an elite Para with his weapons?
1857 is why. The British Colonial government, scared after the massacres of British men, women, and children by the rebelling Sepoys during the Mutiny, enacted two important structures (many laws, rules, regulations, etc. come under those structures). One, a soldier off-duty cannot carry his arms. Two, civilians cannot be easily allowed to be armed, and when they are, their ammunition should not be the same as the armed forces. Hence you have a concept of prohibited bores and non-prohibited bores. And getting a gun license is harder (for an ordinary citizen) than passing a camel through the eye of a needle.
One paragraph of "Blame it on the Brits". Enough!
Why did our benevolent, independent government of this "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic" not repeal these laws?
Why today, you and I cannot carry guns, which at some point of time, may be used to counter any future coup?
Why do we trust our boys in uniform to fight like devils and die like heroes, but we do not trust them near their guns?
Why are many (if not most) of our laws dating back from Colonial times?
Why are most amendments made in Colonial laws anti-people (like Arms Act, for example)?
Why has our bureaucracy, once lauded as the steel frame, degenerated into rotten, termite-infested cheap plywood? Within 2 decades of Independence? There were, earlier, British (as well as Indian) young men who joined the Indian Civil Service for the "Service" part. Nowadays, Indian young men (and women) join the IAS and allied services to serve only themselves!
Do we call this Independence? When our politicians are scared of the army? When the Army Chief confesses that the Army does not have enough firepower to counter an invasion? And the goverment is doing nothing!
Hell, I think I'll support a coup. Bring it on, General!
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