NEW DELHI: Field Marshal S.H.F.J. Manckshaw (retd), former chief of the Amy staff, recently described as “highly improper” the induction of the IPKF into Sri Lanka without a “proper mandate” and in a “piecemeal manner”.

Releasing a book “IPKF in Sri Lanka” written by Lt-Gen Depinder Singh (retd), who was overall commander of the IPKF, Field Marshal Manekshaw said it was no wonder “that the IPKF could not achieve the desired results as it had no political mandate and the fighting command had too many masters to report to”.

The IPKF suffered too many casualties as the fighting command had no view of objectives which the government wanted it to achieve,

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner here, Neville Kanakaratne, agreeing with the observations of the Field Marshal said the IPKF should have given “specific directions and tasks”, adding that there was obviously political interference at the high level both from Sri Lanka and India.

Field Marshal Manekshaw said even in Assam and Kashmir, the Army high command and their political bosses were keeping things from the nation, for any anti-insurgency operation, it was essential to give the Army a proper political perception and mandate. In his address as well as foreword to the book, Field Marshal Manekshaw, elaborating on the IPKF operations, said the political aim was uncertain, wavering and not firm and troops were inducted piecemeal, untrained, improperly equipped and without proper logistics.

The fighting command had too many masters giving different orders and different assessments. “Was it the Prime Minister issuing directions, was the Army chief giving orders, or was it the DGMO or were the views of the GOC-in-C-Southern Command to be accepted or the views of the Indian   in Colombo”.

He concluded by saying that the fighting command, which includes the soldiers, had the feeling that the Government of India was not certain as to what it wanted the IPKF to achieve.

Giving his personal example, he said both while as GOC-in-C, Esteem Command, and later as Army chief during the Indo-Pakistan conflict of 1971, the late Indira Gandhi, had given him a clear-cut political aim and mandate, “There was only one person in charge, that was me, as the Chief of Army Staff and only one person I had to reply to that was the Prime Minister”, he said.

The Sri Lankan troops much more successful today was because their govt had given them a clear mandate for the military operations against the LTTE.

The Field Marshal, who is more popularly known as “Sam Bahadur”, also criticized what he called “Indian commanders being over-secretive and trying to cover up things”, adding “we must be clear about our objectives and take the Press and the public into full confidence by telling them the truth in all such operations”.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner said the IPKF did not achieve the desired result was due to reasons “beyond its control as there was political interference, both in Sri Lanka and India at the highest level”.

Kanakaratne said recently misconceptions were growing regarding the role of the IPKF in Sri Lanka adding that it was clear the IPKF was neither an “aggressive nor occupying force, but an invitee force”.

Relations between the two countries were on the upswing as indicated by as many as 600 Sri Lankan servicemen getting trained in India each year.

“We don’t send them to any other country”, the High Commissioner added. On his book, which is almost an official account of the IPKF presence in Sri Lanka, Gen Depinder Singh said the aim of the book was to clear doubts raised by recent irresponsible statements by some public men. He said the book was also to give his views about the IPKF operations and to reply to many, what he called, “unanswered questions”.

Article extracted from this publication >>