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The ground forces dominate India's military and defence strategy. India has fought five wars over the unsettled land boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir. Under such conditions, India has repeatedly utilised its infantry divisions to deter conflict and aggression from Pakistan. Therefore, the article intends to focus on how India can utilise its on-ground infantry units and forces to maintain internal security and military attacks from the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).
Illustration by The Geostrata
IMPORTANCE OF INDIA'S LIGHT INFANTRY IN DETERRING MILITARY ATTACKS FROM PAKISTAN
The major motive behind the large number of Indian military assets in India's Jammu and Kashmir is to thwart any military offensive measures by the Pakistan Army. The motive is to prevent Pakistan from capturing the region in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1991. The strength of the Indian Army is dependent on multiple factors.
The troop formations in Kashmir depend on the strength of the Pakistan Army, offensive and defensive objectives and limitations posed by the complicated geography. The importance of ground-level military troops can be seen in the case of the first Kashmir war in 1947-1948.
In this case, India utilised its light-infantry units facilitated by an air assault on Srinagar airport to quickly seize control of the disputed territory by seizing Srinagar and the Kashmir Valley. The ground forces remained an important factor in securing the lines of communication in Jammu. Therefore, ground forces have played an important factor not only to secure Kashmir for India but also to shift the hostilities to the mountains away from the Valley.
CRITICAL RESOURCES OF THE INDIAN ARMY FOR LAUNCHING OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS
The army's presence in Jammu and Kashmir is important for maintaining an advantage in the tough mountainous terrains. The Indian Army possess critical resources and capacity to launch offensive operations. Pakistan has utilised its irregular forces to launch offensives in the area.
In this case, India can utilise its light infantry and security forces to deter attacks. The utilisation of India's light infantry along with security forces has been witnessed in the case of the India-Pakistan War in 1965, where the Indian Army used its regular light infantry security forces to deter Pakistan's attacks.
ARMY'S INVOLVEMENT IN MANNING COUNTER-INFILTRATION GRID (CI GRID)
The Indian Army has concentrated on guarding the frontiers of Jammu and Kashmir. It is concentrating on defending the major towns in the area. The inception of the Rashtriya Rifles since the 1990s has resulted in securing the hinterland of the Kashmir Valley by the newly formed units.
Despite the expansion of the Jammu and Kashmir Police force and the involvement of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF), the responsibility of guarding the Line of Control (LoC) along with the counter-terrorism operations is still handled by the Indian Army.
Therefore, the army, with its responsibility to manning the Counter Infiltration Grid (CI Grid) between the LoC and the hinterland, is essential for guaranteeing the safety and security of the Valley.
INFANTRY FORCES IN MAINTAINING READINESS LEVELS
The infantry and ground forces remain important in maintaining peace and tranquillity across the Line of Control (LoC). In the successive wars against Pakistan, the role of fighter aircraft remained marginal. In the case of the latest conflict against Pakistan in 1999, the fighter aircraft was deployed to deter enemy land action.
However, despite efforts given to the land units as air support, it could not target precision weapons.
In this case, the major fighting operations in the high mountains were conducted by infantry units of India. In the 1965 war against Pakistan, the role of the Air Force remained marginal. Therefore, the role of infantry units remains vital to maintain readiness levels and formations to deter any possible attack in the Valley.
ROLE OF INDIA'S ON-GROUND FORCES FOR INTERNAL SECURITY AND MOBILISATION
In the case of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), the Pakistan Army has deployed the majority of its land-based defence units in its 'Azad Jammu and Kashmir region. The region stands opposite to India's Jammu and Kashmir Valley. The region comprising Gilgit-Baltistan consists of a mountainous territory with narrow valleys, making it difficult to facilitate troop movements by India.
The Pakistan Army holds a tight grip over the Gilgit-Baltistan region for geostrategic purposes. The entire Kashmir front is managed by the Rawalpindi-based X corps of the Pakistan Army, which has huge deployments and significant troop presence in the area.
India has faced difficulties concerning on-ground troop mobilisations in the region. In 2001-2002, India launched Operation Parakaram, mobilising its three Strike Corps in retaliation to the attacks on the Indian Parliament, exposing the difficulties of the Indian Army. Such troop formations by the Pakistan Army demand India to maintain on-ground mobilisations of its ground forces in Kashmir to retaliate against offensive measures.
Kashmir is marked by years of unrest and instability. The scenario is marked by the Kashmiri youth who are alienated. Such a system has made them susceptible to the jihadist ideology. The Indian Army is essential to maintain stability and security in the Valley as the state and local police forces face difficulty controlling sensitive situations.
The military's involvement also brings additional advantages concerning early detection and prevention measures, such as enhanced intelligence gathering, essential surveillance equipment and sophisticated perception management.
ROLE OF THE ARMY IN ENSURING CRITICAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES
The presence of the Indian Army is essential to maintaining its troops for conducting surveillance across the Line of Control (LoC) and critical special operation raids. In response to the town of Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, India launched airstrikes against a terrorist camp at Balakot using smaller force formations.
Therefore, the Indian Army's contribution to improving the security scenario is necessary not only to secure operational objectives but also to replenish stocks like armaments, oil, lubricants, and petrol, coupled with detailed evacuations from the frontlines.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is necessary to maintain the Indian Army and its infantry not only to conduct counter-terrorism operations but also to maintain parity with Pakistan to deter any possible attacks. Therefore, Jammu and Kashmir need constant deployment and maintenance of on-ground forces for special operations using smaller troop formations and controlling sensitive locations.
BY ANIRBAN DUTTA
TEAM GEOSTRATA
Key to regional security in the north, and needs to be treated as such