56Rugged Pajero for jawans posted in Sikkim




The Indian Army brigade facing the Chinese in north Sikkim has an unusual vehicle in its inventory: Mitsubishi Pajeros! The vehicles were specially procured after observing similar vehicles used by Chinese military personnel on their side of the border.


The fact is northern Sikkim is no picnic. Over a distance of 60-70 km, the height rises from 15,000 feet to 19,000 feet. (The Chinese have it comparatively easier, they reach the same heights but rising gradually over 140 km). It puts considerable strain on army personnel not to mention vehicles and equipment. And given the poor state of roads there, the wear and tear is steep. Therefore the rugged Pajero.


It didn't come easily. Apart from the army's stringent procurement procedures, the mandarins in the Finance Ministry were reported to have had many objections. Nevertheless the proposal went through for an undisclosed number of Pajeros and they are doing yeoman service.


Oddly enough, the army appears less tense about the Chinese threat in Sikkim. The answer lies in the fact that units are sitting on the ridgelines and are able to spot any movement on the Chinese side. Then again the Chinese practice of stationing units 20 km from the border provides insurance against any surprise attack. Satellite cover is another insurance. The army also deploys artillery and tanks in depth to ensure adequate backup to the infantry. This is crucial given the problems involved in any air supply effort. There are no airfields in Sikkim, not because they're not required but engineers are yet to figure out how to get around the mountain ranges and lay a proper airfield. There are helipads but the logistics involved in moving tonnes of supplies or personnel at those heights tells heavily on equipment.


Border incidents appear to happen on a fairly regular basis, sometimes as often as every week. But these are rarely the "pushing shoving kind", or anything that degenerates into an armed confrontation. Army sources say that in the last 40 years no shot has been fired by either side. But the famous Finger Area is a bone of contention. The Chinese claiming the Indian border runs further south from its current position.


They are known to destroy stone cairns put up by the army to show where the Indian border begins. But many of these face offs are reportedly polite affairs, the Chinese anxious to make their point of view heard. Officers who have served in the area also say the Chinese tend to be very protocol conscious, the presence of a senior Indian army officer the occasion for an elaborate exchange of courtesies.


But there's no doubt the PLA is, as Defence Minister A K Antony puts it, "aggressively strengthening its capacities". So too is the Indian Army although comparatively our effort is slower, perhaps less focussed and always constrained by infrastructure and other hurdles.

source IBN Live