THE WELLINGTON EXPERIENCE

(A STUDY OF ATTITUDES AND VALUES WITHIN THE INDIAN ARMY)

The book by US Army officer, Col David O Smith (retd) offers an in-depth analysis of #India’s premier military institution ‘Defence Services Staff College, Wellington’ (DSSC).

(1 of 6) Some of the Key findings include:-

a) The #DSSC’s approach to education sharply restricts useful learning and inhibits the development of critical thinking.

b) In the event of a future war with #Pakistan or #China, the Indian Army may not perform as well as it expects.

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INDIA’S VULNERABLE ‘CHICKEN’S NECK’

SILIGURI CORRIDOR

Siliguri Corridor, also known as India’s ‘Chicken's Neck’, is 200 km long and 60 km wide.

It is a vulnerable artery in India’s geography and is only medium to connect 7 North-Eastern states to rest of India.

(1 of 5) The troubled North-East region of India has many political issues from within including SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS.

This region comprises of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim – a region surrounded Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and China.

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MYTHS ABOUT OFFICERS & TROOPS RELATIONSHIP IN PAK ARMY
 
Myth-1: Only junior ranking officers and troops serve in the field whereas Generals and senior officers do desk jobs in GHQ
 
Reality: NOO.

All ranks including Generals serve in forward areas and hard areas in rotation as… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Myth-2: Officers do not lead in operations and stay back
 
Reality: NOO.

Pakistan Army has highest ratio of officer to soldier shahadat in the world which is 1:8.
i.e., for every eight soldiers in combat, we are losing one officer.

This is a unique achievement and quoted as… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

OF MYTHS ABOUT FREE FACILITIES FOR ARMY OFFICERS

Myth-1: Army officers pay no electricity bills & rent of their official residences

Reality: House rent is deducted at source for all officers. Higher the rank, higher the rent. All pay electricity bills as per govt rates

1/10 Myth-2: Army officers get free house at retirement.

Reality: Officers obtain membership of housing scheme at start of service and pay monthly instalments all along. Remaining amount is paid in lump-sump at retirement…

2/10

Myth & Realities about former Army Chiefs moving abroad after retirement

Myth - 1 : Gen Kayani own an island in Australia n is residing there

Reality: Gen Kayani last visited Australia officially as COAS n lives happily on Golf Road, Rawalpindi

1/7

samaa.tv/news/40008675/… Myth 2: Gen Musharraf permanently moved abroad.

Reality: Gen Musharraf was under treatment in UAE and had written in his will to be buried with Shuhada of Pak Army. He sleeps peacefully in Karachi. Ayla & Bilal Musharraf lived like normal citizens in Karachi all along.

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PAKISTAN-INDIA WATER ISSUES – HOW INDIA STOPPED WATER IN PAKISTAN's CANALS IN 1948

Thread

After partition in 1947, the water system was also bifurcated between Pakistan n India.

India cheated Pakistan when on April 1, 1948, India suddenly n without warning stopped...
1/n ...the supply of waters flowing into Pakistan's Central Bari Doab and Dipalpur Canals.

The boundary award on the partition of the sub-continent had left the headworks of these canals in Indian territory, and in accepting it India had implied her willingness to leave...

2/n

TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS IN PAKISTAN-INDIA HISTORY

Thread

1947/48 - 1st Pak-India War in Oct 47

1949 - Pakistan n India agreed to withdraw all troops behind a mutually agreed Ceasefire Line - 1 Jan

1949 - Agreement on a UNSC resolution calling for referendum in Kashmir

1/n 1954 - Accession of J & K to India is ratified by the state's constituent assembly

1960 - Signing of Indus Water Treaty in Sep

1963 - FMs of India and Pakistan - Swaran Singh and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto - held talks regarding the Kashmir dispute

2/n

THE LAST PRINCESS OF LAHORE - BAMBA DULEEP SINGH (1869 - 1957)

Thread

Post partition, every morning a weak old woman would board the Model Town bus service headed to the city. The conductor never asked her for money or he would invite anger of the last Queen of Punjab.

1/n Princess Bamba Sutherland, the eldest daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh and grand-daughter of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was born on Sep 29, 1869, in London.

Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of Punjab was taken away to England by British after annexing Punjab.

2/n

THE GILGIT REBELLION - 1947
(Excerpts from the book by Maj William A Brown)

Dedicated to the brave & gallant people of GB

Thread

In Peshawar, enroute for Chitral, Maj Brown was told by Lt Col Roger Bacon, then Political Agent in Gilgit, that the Viceroy Lord Mountbatten...
1/ ... had decided (for reasons which were not clear to Bacon and which are still not clear) that the 1935 British lease of the Gilgit Agency from the Maharaja of J & K (a lease which still had 49 yrs to run) was going to be terminated and that the Agency, with a 99% Muslim ...

2/

Purchase of ALASKA from Russia by USA

(What USA Gained and Why Russians Repent)

Thread

On 30 Mar 1867, US Secy of State, William H. Seward agreed to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 mn (Equals $113 mn today; much less than cost of a Boeing 777 which is $320.2 mn).

/1 With a stroke of pen, Tsar Alexander II ceded Alaska, his country’s last remaining foothold in North America, to USA.
Although, there were and still are many who justified his action. The circumstances of 19th century prompted him to take such step. In US, critics thought...

/2

INDIA’S VULNERABLE ‘CHICKEN’S NECK’

SILIGURI CORRIDOR

Thread

Siliguri Corridor, also known as India’s ‘Chicken's Neck’, is 200 km long n 60 km wide. It is a vulnerable artery in India’s geography and is only medium to connect 7 North-eastern States to rest of India.
(1 of 5) The troubled Northeast region of India has many political issues from within including SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS and comprises of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim – a region surrounded Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and China.

(2 of 5)

OPERATION SHERDIL - BATTLE FOR BAJAUR

Thread

On 28 Sep 2008, COAS, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani while talking to command elements of Army and FC in Bajaur Scouts Operations Room at Khar, termed 'Operation Sherdil' a watershed operation, both for the Army and Pakistan.

(1 of 10) Operation commenced on 6 Sep 08, coinciding with Defence Day. Operation Sherdil as it unfolded turned out to be a large scale Battle for Bajaur.

(2 of 10 )
(former DG ISPR @peaceforchange was then commanding his unit, 87 Medium, as a Lt Col)