From: sarang@saturn.sdsu.edu (Srinath Sarang)
Subject: Re: DEFENSE - Following the Wrong footsteps?
Organization: San Diego State University, College of Sciences
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 20:14:42 GMT

Sreehari Nimmala (chemsn@emory.edu) wrote:
: J.Ainikkal@massey.ac.nz (J. Ainikkal) writes:
: : India seem to be following suit. I do realise the importance of
: : defence, and the need to annihilate Pakisthan if we are attacked or
: : if their support for 'terroism' continues, but we might be going
: : down the wrong direction with our talent(as the U.S. or U.S.S.R.).
: : 
: : Any comments?
: Absolutely there is no need for India to concentrate 'too much'
: on defence. Its sufficient to have enough military power to tackle
: Pakistan(I don't think there is any danger from China). But,
: seemingly India spends(in the process loosing; Bofors case) huge
  I can't comment on whether India lost money on Bofors or what,
but for all the noise that was made about Bofors, India did get
a good gun. Bofors is being used by certain regiments and they are 
happy about it. 

: money on defense deals. This is ridiculous, taking into
: consideration the fact that it can't become a military super power
: in the world. So, India should stop going around to aquire military
: equipment.
  Think of it this way. You may not become a unix wizard but that doesn't
mean that you wont phase out your old equipment even if the equipment became
obsolete. This is exactly what India is doing. A couple of years back it
phased out the age old .303 rifles and inducted the 7.68 SLR.
Now I believe there are plans to induct an Israeli weapon after phasing
out the slr's. You may not become a super power but you need to keep
replacing old equipment as time goes by.
: 
: On a different note, I don't like these *Indian Jawaans* at all.
That may be your view point for you don't know them. I grew up
all my life surrounded by them. I think that you are pretty biased in
your views.

: These fellows are very arrogant and think that they can do
Who isn't arrogant ? Again don't go about generalizing that "these"
fellows are arrogant....
: whatever they wish.I am not sure of their sacrifises, but I know
 Have you sacrificed anything for your country to talk about them ??
Neither have I. 

: that they enjoy a lot, ---free food, free alcohol and whatnot.
Don't you enjoy a lot ?? Well about the free food and alcohol maybe a few
things need to be made clear so that you don't mislead the general readers
of SCI....
AN OR (OR stands for OTHER RANKS , which is what a JAwan is...) makes
about 1500 Rs a month on the average depending upon his work trade in
the army. Now most of them are on duty most of the week. They get only 2 
months of leave in a year. No saturdays and sundays to speak of as they usually
end up with some duty like quarter guard duty. When they are called out to
perform police duties, help flood ravaged areas etc and other duties that go
beyond their normal duties, these poor jawans are on duty 24 hours a day.
Now don't you think that they are entitled to free food in the cookhouse
or "langar" as it is called. Well have you ever had the chance to eat in
an army langar ? I mean the Jawan's langar and not the officers...
Maybe you should. I will gladly take you to one if we ever meet each other in
India. Alcohol again does not flow like water in the army. It is rationed out
once every week or I think its 2 weeks. Mostly its only a peg of rum per jawan.
Maybe you should spend a couple of days or for that matter 24 hours in a 
bloody hellhole like Karghil in J & K or some bloody  outpost in the Thar
desert in RAjasthan. Then let me see what you say about the food and the drink.
You'll (pardon my language) freeze your butt off in Karghil and bake it in
Rajasthan. So don't just comment wildly about something that you
don't know.

: I just give two examples: I saw these fellows literally looting
: food-stalls in a railway station. They thought its their right

  What about the people who take their chance and loot stalls
during riot etc... By the way I don't think that any jawan would try
and commit any crime when he is in Uniform. The Military police are
always around wherever there is a regiment...and every jawan is shit
scared of the Mil. Police. So I don't believe that line... well again
there might have been stray instances some Jawan did commit some crime in
Uniform. Well what do you have to say about the Police Force in India ???

: to just take whatever they want. Second insident is that these
: f***ers used to drive their jeeps and trucks on Madras roads

For your Kind Information: Madras, is not a major base of Army Units.
It has a couple of Ordinance Units, a few Engineering, Supply, Medical
Units. Now I believe it has a unit or two of Infantry. There is no Artillery
to speak of. There exists the OTA (If you know what that is as you speak as if
you know everything about the army in Madras). Well most of those trucks that
they drive have governors built on them and they can't overspeed. Moreover
as I had mentioned the Mil Police is watching always... And finally most of
the Units that I mentioned above don't possess many Vehicles. Whatever they
possess are confined to very small areas around Island Grounds, and Thambaram.
What do you have to say about the Pallavan Transport Corporation sir ?
I mean with respect to accidents and damaging property.

: so carelessly that they killed quite few pedestrians and damaged
: many more vehicles.
: 
: ---Sree
: : John Ainikkal                                     
: : 'Aotearoa' - Land of the long white cloud
 I'd suggest that before you make wild accusations you'd consider the "facts"
that you have on hand. You as an Indian should be proud of your Army.
It's known the world over as one of the best, well-trained and respected
armies. Be Proud of it.....

  Srinath Sarang
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Srinath Sarang
sarang@sdsu.edu
------------------------------------------------------------------------------