IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 130- CEASEFIRE BY DESIGN Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

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“The enemy across the line of control has fired at your posts. What are you going to do?” Asked my boss after the evening report.

“Nothing as of now. I have not suffered any casualties. But I will reply at a suitable time and place,” I said. I was hoping that he is not thinking like my staff  that I had chickened out of. I was sure my staff must have already formed an opinion that the The Sardar talks tough, but when it matters, he holds back..

“Okay,” said my boss and ended the conversation. I knew he was one of those ‘chauri chhati wala boss’  broad-chested not just in physique, but in patience.

I got busy passing instructions on what to be done. Accordingly at quarter past four in the morning our troops fired six grenades from the automatic grenade launcher  on the enemy’s yellow flag area (toilets). And all our boys got back under the cover of bunkers. After ten minutes the enemy was raining bullets and bombs at our posts. The firing continued for fifty minutes and the intensity of firing was reduced. There was no damage or casualties on our side.

At noon the observers reported that the enemy was collecting at a cook house in one of their posts. Accordingly, four bombs were accurately dropped at the cook house. Again, the enemy started raining bullets and bombs. But this time they were firing on two of our posts which were at lower height under clear observation of the enemy. Unfortunately for them our troops had prepared these posts well for receiving that kind of treatment. All our troops were safe. But the enemy frustration could be felt as their fire continued for two and half hours.

At eight in the night we got another opportunity; some of his troops were moving on the track behind one of his  posts. We knew they would be clearly visible on the next track bend. Accordingly, they were engaged with the long range direct firing weapons. Not more than 20 rounds were used. Again we got the predictable response of firing the whole night. I was expecting an enemy raid on those two vulnerable posts but it didn’t happen. But by now our electronic surveillance people confirmed that the enemy had suffered a lot of casualties.”

Similarly the next day we engaged the enemy wherever we found him with pants down. Someone up the chain must have appreciated the situation. So, the enemy shifted their fire towards our neighbouring troops.

By nine in the evening my neighbours were saturated and the commander came on phone to discuss the situation. So it was decided that I should do something.

The next hour my troops were conversing on the communication devices which we knew were being monitored by the enemy. In that conversation we gave the impression that we had suffered heavy casualties.

The enemy fire stopped within one hour.  And from a post which was in hearing distance from our post an enemy soldier was found shouting, “Dost, hamen pata hai ki hamne aapka bahut nuksaan kiya hai. Hamari taraf se ceasefire hai. (Friends we know we have caused a lot of damage to you. From our side it is a ceasefire from now.)

I was wondering if such a template can be applied in the Iran war. And the answer is ‘No’. Because after 48 hours of bombardment the target gets inoculated and the effect of bombing fades out. Besides, the US and Israel are still unaware of the pain points of Iran. Or they have not been able to fathom the  tolerance level of pain of Iran. But it appears Iran has rightly identified the max pain point of the world.

Whatever be the situation, the  acute X Diarrhea of the world leaders has to be treated first if some worthwhile ceasefire is envisaged in near future. Jai Hind

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