The Mechanised Force in Operation Pawan

Book Price: 699 INR

• The author has drawn heavily from his extensive 32 months hands on experience in all the four sectors of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) mandate, and the informal notes maintained by him and other participants in composing this manuscript. This book carves a niche for itself by covering the three relatively unexplored facets of the IPKF operations, which exercised an overpowering influence on its turn of events. The impact of the politico-military nature of the mission, the forward contingency planning or lack of it, and the very interesting presence of the brigade strength of mechanised force deployed alongside the four field formations under the IPKF. This volume is laid out in five parts. The first part holds a review of the India Sri Lanka Agreement of 29th of July 1987, the basic document for deployment of the IPKF in Sri Lanka, before going on to present an overview of the IPKF military operations in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa sectors which fell in the mandate of the IPKF. An interesting comparative study of the relative combat power of Sri Lanka Army, the dominant Tamil militant group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the IPKF component of the Indian military is also discussed. The second part dwells on the various facets of the Mechanised Force operations. It provides objective answers to questions which should have been asked and yet not asked. Why did the Indian state, known for its averseness to employ mechanised force in counter-insurgency operations, ab initio augment an infantry division with a mechanised infantry battalion for peace keeping role? What was the rationale of this deployment and the task envisaged for it in peace keeping? One of the biggest dichotomies in IPKF military thought lay in viewing SLA both as a ‘resource’ against the LTTE and as a contingency ‘adversary.’ Could this ‘resource’ have been better managed? Other most informative content is the planning and conduct of the successful deinduction of IPKF from Sri Lanka, under the most volatile military conditions. Something which neither the US nor the Russians could achieve while withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan! It is followed by describing the key mechanised force operations which had a decisive impact in shaping the overall battlefield environment. The next part of the book is devoted to the most intangible factor on the battlefield, the ‘Human Factor’ dynamics, with inherent potential to convert defeat into victory or vice versa. It delves into the indefinable elements of ‘sixth sense’ and ‘fear,’ the impact of which is normally brushed under the carpet. It also essays the impact of the human cost of war on the families of the combatants, through powerful narratives by those directly impacted. The fourth part is dedicated to the learnings that emerge from the study of the IPKF chapter of the Indian military and their continued relevance to the current geopolitical milieu. Here the book deliberates on the current trends in military interventions and highlights the most pragmatic path for India. The final section is devoted to a unique philatelic tribute to the IPKF. Numerous action pictures, maps and illustrations have helped to make the book an interesting read.