Indian Army

The Kargil Conflict 1999

The Indian Army

(Bharatiya Thalsena) is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based military operations. Its primary objectives include maintaining the peace and security of the country, patrolling the borders and conducting counter-terrorist operations. It also conducts rescue and humanitarian operations during calamities and disturbances, and has frequently been called upon to maintain the internal security of the country.

The Indian Army has a total troop strength of around 2.5 million (1.3 million active and 1.2 million reserve) and is the second largest standing army in the world. It is a completely voluntary service, with a clause that only entry is voluntary - the military draft never having been imposed in India. Indian Army is one of the major contributors to various United Nation missions. The army has rich combat experience in diverse terrains, considering India's diversity on this front, and also has a distinguished history of serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The force is headed by the Chief of Army Staff, currently General Deepak Kapoor. The highest rank in the Indian Army is Field Marshal, but it is an honorary rank and appointments are made by the President of India - on the advice of the Union Cabinet of Ministers - only in exceptional circumstances. Late General S.H.F.J. Manekshaw and the late General K.M. Cariappa are the only two officers to have attained this rank. Though a Field Marshal is an honorary rank, the officer is held to 'never retire'. and are entitled to uniform and flag as applicable to serving (active duty) officers throughout life.

Latur Earthquake 1993





Kargil Conflict 1999

Indian Border Wallpapers

A second rail link between Pakistan and India



Develop border areas

Photo from AP Photo by RAMAKANTA DEY

Boundary riders

Infrastructure at last

The Xinjiang Highway

Cause

The border of India and Bangladesh was one of a number of disputes that arose as a result of the Partition of Bengal. The Partition of Bengal and Punjab had left a poorly demarcated international border between the two neighbours. The ownership of several villages on both sides of the border are disputed and claimed by both countries.

According to the Bangladesh government, ever since the liberation of Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) by Indian forces in 1971, Indian forces have occupied a small sliver of land along their border near the village of Pyrdiwah. On April 18, troops of the Bangladeshi Rifles (border troops) occupied the disputed village. In the fighting that followed, Bangladesh claims that 15 members of India's border forces, the Border Security Force (BSF) were killed, along with several of the attacking soldiers. However, India claims a far lower death toll.

Indian sources reported that this followed a weekend incident in which 20 Indian troops were taken hostage when Bangladesh seized a frontier outpost in the village of Pyrdiwah. Bangladesh also claimed the village as within its territory.

Indian forces eventually responded and retook the village. Between 10,000 and 20,000 villagers living in the area fled the fighting, with at least 17 suffering wounds. The combat remained limited to the border troops of the respective nations, though mortars were used in addition to automatic weapons fire. Several villages were destroyed or heavily damaged in the fighting. The quick intervention of Indian and Bangladesh governments intervened and defused the tension. Further the Indian and Bangladeshi government started the border talks in March 2002 to solve the border problem..

India claims that Bangladeshi troops overran and occupied a disputed border village near the town of Dauki, and that Bangladeshi troops are holding more than 20 of its soldiers hostage.

Top Indian border security sources claimed that the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel had retreated in Meghalaya sector, while in Assam sector, the Indian border security forces men had vacated positions seized from Bangladesh. .

Bangladesh insists that Indian forces launched an early morning attack on their posts in the frontier district of Kurigram - which lies on the border with Indian state of Assam, On the morning of Wednesday 18 April 2001.

Fresh clashes erupted along the India-Bangladesh border, just hours after both sides voiced regret for the recent killings, though by midnight of April 20 firing had again fallen silent. The article also revised upwards the number of Indian civilians who fled the region to 6,000, and stated that Indian government officials were attempting to convince villagers to return to their homes

2001 Indian-Bangladeshi border conflict

The 2001 Indian-Bangladeshi border conflict was a short conflict between border guards of India and Bangladesh over the poorly marked border during 2001. Though there had been previous incidents of border violations, this one was significantly greater in scale.

Indian Border Security Force

Siddiqa: The question is, how will the two countries connect with each other? To connect with Pakistan , India will have to learn to be the big country, which it is. There are times when India does not seem to have the vision of being the larger state. For Pakistan , it is a matter of learning India is today the friendliest State in the neighbourhood.

Previously, Pakistanis weren't looking beyond Kashmir . But, in these long years, Pakistanis have realised India cannot give Kashmir on religious grounds. While thinking of the Kashmir issue, Indians have to look after Muslims in the rest of the country.

I believe Pakistanis have a stake in Indian secularism. They want the welfare of Indian Muslims. I think we should return to a time before 1965, when borders were soft, there were free visas and policing of people didn't exist. We have no choice but to have good relations with Pakistan . When we have friction with Pakistan , Muslims in India feel the heat and suffer.