Chandigarh, November 3
Faced with the increasing incidents of stressed-out soldiers committing suicide or turning their weapons on their own officers and fellow soldiers, the Army has drawn up plans to reorganise the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), its counter-insurgency force deployed in Jammu and Kashmir.
A study undertaken over the past few months has listed a series of measures aimed to cut stress levels and improve man-management in units deployed in anti-terrorist operations, sources in the Army Headquarters (AHQ) said. Intake into the RR, composition of units and service conditions are among the issues discussed.
The study commissioned by the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen J.J. Singh, submitted its findings and recommendations to the AHQ in October, sources revealed.
The study will be circulated to the top brass in the AHQ and later be disseminated to Army Commands for their comments, they added. It is expected to feature prominently in the next biannual Army Commanders’ Conference before the recommendations are cleared for implementation.
The study, according to sources, incorporated inputs from the Directorate-General RR, Adjutant-General’s Branch, including the Discipline and Vigilance Directorate, Military Secretary’s Branch, the Army Medical Corps as well as field formations deployed in anti-terrorist operations.
A significant recommendation by the study is to go in for more homogeneous battalions and units. At present, RR battalions comprise companies drawn not only from different infantry units but also from various arms and services. “The ethos, training and role of each arm is different,” an officer said. “Here we often have infantryman rubbing shoulders with gunners and engineers while deployed in a very stressful combat environment, which has a detrimental effect on the cohesiveness of a fighting force,” he added.
In fact after 1984, the Army had gone in for a “mixed-class” composition, where infantry units comprised companies from other infantry units. For example, a Punjab battalion would have a company from a Madras battalion, or a Maratha battalion would have a company of Sikh troops. This did not work well and in the nineties, the Army reverted them to their original “pure-class” composition.
On the posting of jawans, the study has recommended that personnel with “red-ink entries” are not to be sent to RR units. Red-ink entries in the service book are awarded for misconduct and five such entries entail dismissal from service. Further, if a trooper has been assessed by a psychiatric to be psychologically weak, or has been placed in low medical category, he is to be kept out of RR.
RR is to be the domain of experienced soldiers. Newcomers fresh out of training centres would not be sent to formations deployed in counter-insurgency duties or anti-terrorist operations. The study has also recommended against the use of personal mobile phones by troops and instead suggested that unit STD phones be used for keeping in touch with their families. “Disturbing news at odd hours or when on duty can trigger emotions,” an officer said.
Increase of leave from three months to four months as well as enhancement of certain allowances and perks has been recommended. It is also being considered that as a rule, those who have served in CI operations be given good peace-time postings.
Stress has also been laid on strengthening the buddy system, where soldiers can share emotions and feelings with someone they can trust. This also provides a channel of feedback to commanders if something amiss is noted in behaviour.
Other recommendations put forth in the study include improving man-management by officers, introduction of yoga to combat stress and regular counselling.
