Brigadier Basant Kumar Ponwar (Retd), a distinguished veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the visionary behind India's modern jungle warfare strategies against Maoist insurgency, has passed away at 77. His extensive career spanned over five decades, contributing significantly to national defence through both the Indian Army and police forces, including founding the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College.
As the Maoists have intensified their attacks on security personnel and infrastructure, the Centre on Wednesday decided to set up six jungle warfare and counter-insurgency schools to train security personnel to deal with the Naxals. "Six jungle warfare and counter-insurgency schools will be set up within this year to train commando forces being raised by the Naxal-affected states," Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta told reporters in Delhi.
The exercise would be carried out at the Indian Army's prestigious Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairangte from March 27 to April 17.
Training together to counter the scourge of insurgency in various contemporary scenarios including jungle warfare, Chakravyuh, the three-day outdoor validation exercise, tested the week-long training, imparted at various counter insurgency modules and at the plethora of firing ranges in the guerrilla warfare school.
Commandant of the CIJW Brigadier Anil Ram told a group of visiting Indian journalists at the Vairengete-based CIJW that following the Chinese Army's interest a platoon of the Indian Army would be specifically trained, which in turn would train the Chinese contingents.
Troops of India and Indonesia participated in joint army exercises in Mizoram.
The training would be part of joint Indo-US exercises code-named Yudh Abhyas. The US contingent would comprise 40 personnel from the 25th infantry division and the National Guards.
With terrorist groups increasingly taking to suicidal attacks, the internationally-renowned Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Vairengte, Mizoram, has introduced a course on suicide terrorism
India, US troops will hold anti-terror drill in the N-E state
'The (Maoist) organisation is in visible decline. Their senior leaders are ageing. Forest life is unforgiving -- older leaders simply cannot cope physically.' 'Earlier, they attracted educated youth from cities. That stream has dried up. Today's recruits largely come from poor village backgrounds and lack ideological depth.'
In a statement released on the eve of General Naravane's visit, the Indian high commission in Colombo described Sri Lanka as India's 'Priority One' partner.
'It is time to use the Indian military's decades-long expertise in fighting insurgency successfully,' advocates Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Though dubbed as the "war hero", the role of Rajapaksa in ending the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam with the death of its supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2009 is quite divisive as he stands accused of violating human rights, a charge he vehemently denies.
Though dubbed as the 'war hero', the role of Rajapaksa in ending the conflict with the LTTE with the death of its supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2009 is quite divisive as he stands accused of violating human rights, a charge he vehemently denies.
Japan could soon be the second country after the US with which India has a logistics support agreement. Besides the LSA, India and Japan may also sign a maritime domain awareness agreement which would enable the two navies to share information. For example, if a Japanese P-1 maritime patrol aircraft detects a Chinese submarine in the Indian Ocean, it would pass on the information to the Indian Navy, reveals Ajai Shukla.
A war hero looks back at the men and the moments that forged India's greatest military victory.
