Guest Column | Lt Gen. Vinod Bhatia (retd) Road to Power The Border Roads Organisation needs to pull up its socks in the interest of national security

To get rich, one must build roads the nation needs an effective and profes- frastructure developed has also helped -An ancient Chinese Proverb sional armed forces capable of defending China integrate and settle its Han its frontiers. China, on the other hand, majority, thus changing the demograph- The 73-day standoff has been having crossed the high Himalayas and ic pattern in this remote and generally apparently resolved at the politico-dip- reached the foothills in certain areas, hostile region. lomatic level. The peaceful resolution unilaterally withdrew, having realised India, on the other hand, shied away should be attributed to a firm and reso- the enormity of the task of sustaining a from constructing roads and building lute stand by the at the face- force without an adequate road network. infrastructure along the Tibet border in off site. The tactical level demonstration The LAP on 20 November 1962 was star- a mistaken belief that lack of roads will of strength was possible as the Indian ing at a long and harsh winter, without degrade the China threat, and deter deep Army deployment at Doka La dominates the means to survive and sustain in the incursions in the event of another war. the Doklam Plateau fortunately duly sup- underdeveloped high altitude captured As a misplaced strategy, India did not ported by a functional road constructed Indian territories. China learned its les- construct any roads along the India-Chi- by the Army Engineers through what son well and has gainfully applied its na Border. In 2010, defence minister is commonly known as an operational energy and ample resources to create a A.K. Antony while addressing a function works. This sort of an infrastructural ad- world class, state-of-the-art, multi mod- organised by the Border Roads Organi- vantage along the 3,488 km India-China al, multi-dimensional infrastructure in sation (BRO) said, “Earlier the thinking border and the (TAR). This was that inaccessibility in far-flung areas (LAC) is lacking in most areas. includes a vast road and rail network, would be a deterrent to the enemy”. He It is also reported that the People’s Lib- airfields, oil pipelines, logistic installa- acknowledged that this was an ‘incorrect eration Army (PLA) has constructed a tions, habitat and warehousing. The in- approach’ and stated that the govern- road joining Merug La (north of Doklam) to South Doklam extending to Jampheri Ridge about four to five kilometre east PAVING THE WAY Army & of Doka La or the earlier face-off site, BRO clear the Jammu-Srinagar creating certain strategic vulnerabilities highway together for India. China has once again demon- strated that roads are the key to military domination along the Himalayan bor- ders. It will be prudent to analyse the infrastructure along the border areas to deduce relevant lessons and chart out an implementable and pragmatic ac- tion plan to ensure continued peace and tranquillity along the LAC. On account of differing perceptions of the LAC, an assertive and aggressive China and a growing new India, the peace and tran- quillity along the LAC will be constantly and continuously under stress, with in- crease in frequency, intensity and depth of transgressions, leading to more and more ‘stand-offs’. The Doklam is likely to be the new normal. The critical question is does India have relevant and future ready organisations and structures to meet the challenges and construct the requisite infrastructure especially along the LAC in an acceptable time-frame. The 1962 war was undoubtedly a de- bacle for India. Wars always bring out certain lessons, both for the victor and the vanquished. Though the Henderson Brooks report stays buried in secrecy, one lesson that India learned was that

50 FORCE | April 2018 Land ment has decided to upgrade roads, tun- border is indicative of a long period of tasked to secure India’s borders and de- nels and airfields in the border areas. The neglect as also the inference that BRO, velop infrastructure in remote areas of approved 73 roads to which was once an effective organisa- the north and north-east states of the be constructed in 2005 and to be com- tion, has outlived its utility. country. The ROB develops and main- pleted by 2012. As per July 2017 update to is connected by two major tains road networks in India’s border Lok Sabha, construction of 73 strategic passes, Zojila which remains open for areas and friendly neighbouring coun- roads was revised with deadlines extend- approximate five months a year and tries. It is staffed by officers and troops ed to 2019-2020, this includes 43 by the Rohtang which remains open for even drawn from the Indian Army. Officers ministry of defence (MoD) and 27 by the a lesser duration. This limited period of from the Border Roads Engineering ministry of home affairs (MHA), of which road days available are just about ade- Service and personnel from the General only 21 roads by March 2017 and 30 quate to meet the ever-increasing ma- Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the roads by July 2017 have been completed terial demands of the people of Ladakh parent cadre. Currently, the organisation and remaining are under construction as and the army for their sustenance during maintains operations in 21 states, one progress was retarded. BRO is construct- the winters. UT (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), and ing 63 out of these 73 roads. The delays The Old Tibet road is the single road neighbouring countries such as Afghan- are attributed to multiple reasons like axis leading to Puh from Shimla in Him- istan, Bhutan and Myanmar. The ROB wildlife conservation and environmen- achal Pradesh. This Axis is prone to major operates and maintains over 32,885 kilo- tal approval, insurgency related security disruptions during monsoons and closes metres of roads and about 12,200 metres hurdles, delay in land acquisition by the in part during the winters. Similarly, the of permanent bridges in the country. The states, inaccessible terrain, inclement roads leading to Harsil, Joshimath, and BRO comprises 18 projects, nine each for weather, poor planning, construction Tawaghat are no better and no closer to east and west. capacities, lack of will to take hard de- the LAC. The floods of June In order to ensure coordination and cisions, funding and more importantly, 2013 are a stark reminder of the state of expeditious execution of projects, the a now inefficient and ineffectiveRO B . road connectivity and susceptibility to government set-up the Border Roads The fact remains that the much-need- weather. , too, remains connect- Development Board (BRDB) with the ed road connectivity along India-China ed from with a single road axis Prime Minister as chairman of the board border is either non-existent or woefully prone to disruptions during monsoons and defence minister as deputy chair- inadequate even for development of the and winters. The 319 km road from Tez- man. Today, the board exercises finan- region, leave aside defence needs. A brief pur to remains in a poor state cial and other powers but is now chaired analysis of roads along the India-China and takes over 10 to 12 hours. by the minister of state for defence, a di- In the middle sector, Indian roads are lution which needs correction. The ROB , 30 to 70 km from the LAC vis-a-vis five though manned by personnel from the km of China, whereas in Sikkim and MoD and raised to ensure infrastructure Tawang sectors Indian roads are 10-15 for security concerns was functioning km wherein China has last mile connec- under the ministry of road transport and tivity to the passes. In the areas of east highways (MoRTH); a not very neat ar- , the state of roads rangement as the funds were allocated on our side is dismal with the LAC being by MoRTH. In a bid to boost border con- 20-70 km from the road-head whereas nectivity, the BRO has now been entirely Chinese roads are mostly up to the LAC brought under the MoD. The ROB ’s bud- and in a few places about 20 km away. To get is approximately a thousand crore summarise, road-heads in India are five with a manpower of 35,000 including to 50 km from the LAC whereas China 1,300 officers. has constructed roads right up to its per- According to wikipedia, to provide ception of the LAC in most areas. With connectivity to the army and border an anticipated increase in the frequency guarding forces, BRO is building 410 two- and intensity of transgressions by Chi- lane class-70 (heavy load bearing includ- na, it is an imperative that requisite in- ing tanks) road bridges along the China frastructure be developed in the fastest border which includes 144 in Arunachal possible time-frame. Pradesh (75 already under construction There is a need to analyse and review and will be completed by 2020), 100 un- the structure, organisation and effective- der construction in Jammu and , ness of the BRO. There is no doubt that 55 under construction in Uttarakhand, the BRO has done an exceedingly excel- 40 in Sikkim and another 25 in Himachal lent work under the most challenging Pradesh. The concern is that the annual and difficult situations in construction capacity and plan of construction by the and maintenance of roads and other BRO as per their own claims and targets infrastructure along our vast and most- is 3 km of bridges. ly troubled borders. The key question is In November 2017, BRO also an- whether the BRO is optimally configured nounced the plan to construct 17 road to meet the growing demands of the and rail tunnels, with a total length armed forces and the aspirations of the of 100 km, on some of the 73 strategic people residing in the border areas. roads on Sino-Indian border to provide The ROB , formed on 7 May 1960, was year-round all-weather rail and road

FORCE | April 2018 51 Guest Column | Lt Gen. Vinod Bhatia (retd)

Board under the Niti Aayog comprising all relevant ministries including representatives from the army and (IAF), fully empowered and accountable to execute and monitor time-bound development. n The ROB should be reconstituted and reorganised from a work charge organisation to a corporation on the lines of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Reforms in established systems and organisations which have failed to deliver are a must to enable them to perform. BRO must restrict itself to only GS road construction. GS works constitute 65 per cent of BROs total expenditure which is approximately BRIDGING THE GAP Army Engineers and BRO restore connectivity between Rajouri and Rs 6,000 crore. Budhal by constructing bridge over Ans river at Kot Ranka The HR management of the BRO has surface connectivity. The fixation with communication network is in place. In- been severely affected post acceptance 73 General Staff (for military use) roads dia needs to revamp the BRO which has of the Sixth Pay Commission recommen- envisaged in 2005 continues, though a in effect become a dysfunctional organ- dation of NFU to members of the GREF. review is long overdue. As the roads are isation on account of human resource The overall command being generally nowhere near completion it is not con- issues of status equivalence and a large and nominally exercised by army officers sidered prudent and pragmatic to plan number of low medical personnel who as existed prior to that stage was affected for more. Even the 73 planned roads are cannot be deployed in mountain and due to a disparity in relative ranks to cre- too little too late. high-altitude region in addition to other ate a situation that has aggravated fur- The yawning gap in the quantity and factors. During a visit the Parliamenta- ther to cause unfortunate and unprece- quality of India and China’s infrastruc- ry Standing Committee on defence was dented management issues. If the BRO is ture near the LAC has multiple implica- appalled to see the progress of work on to serve its stated mission with any mod- tions. Militarily, these implications for the road to Tawang. The Chinese on the icum of efficiency and professionalism, India are far reaching. C. Raja Mohan, other side of the Himalayas have con- the imbalance in rank and status issues a leading expert on China and strategic structed over 60,000 km of road, five air between the military and civil officers affairs, contends that China’s road-build- strips besides the railway line of 1,956 km of the organisation require to be settled ing is unlikely to lead to a military con- length to , which is under exten- foremost. The grant of NFU to civilian frontation between the two countries, sion to Nepal and close to Sikkim GREF officers has adversely impacted he believes that the current expansion and the Doklam standoff site. the traditional primacy of the command of Chinese infrastructure in Tibet con- It is time the government takes imme- and control of the BRO and its projects fronts India with a different set of chal- diate and urgent measures to build the being with military personnel. The grant lenges. For one, it brutally exposes the requisite infrastructure to address the of NFU to services officers is an impera- poor state of transportation networks security needs as also facilitate main- tive to rectify the anomaly. on the sub-continental side — the south- streaming of the border people and en- Fortunately for India the airfields lo- ern slopes of the Himalayas. Raja Mohan sure development of the region. Some cated in the plains are in the proximity of states that the message from China is of the initiatives which the government the borders. Additional air bases are be- clear: on the frontiers, infrastructure is needs to take on priority in a time bound ing planned to be constructed and oth- power in its broadest sense. China has manner are enumerated. ers made operational close to the border. concentrated on the three ‘R’s along the n amend the land acquisition bill 2014 As these bases are located in the plains, LAC i.e. Roads, Radars and Reserves. to exclude 100 km along our northern the air assets can be fully exploited. PLA troops are located on road heads borders and 50 km along our western However, there remains an urgent need and have the ability for quick reaction/ borders, required for defence needs to construct ALGs and aviation bases for action given the mobility provided by i.e. national security. helicopters and UAVs. the road connectivity and early warning n There is also a need to evolve an China respects strength and exploits by the surveillance radars which have integrated infrastructure development the weak. It is imperative that India been liberally deployed all along the plan wherein the NHAI is responsible builds capabilities and enhances existing LAC. In addition to an effective and effi- for constructing the main arteries, a capacities. The ROB needs to be reorgan- cient border management this facilitates revamped BRO mandated to construct ised and the infrastructure development China’s claims to the disputed territories the feeder roads and the army to integrated and adequate funds sanc- and brings civil settlements closer to the ensure last mile connectivity through tioned. Paucity of funds cannot be al- LAC. its integral resources of operational lowed to jeopardise national security.; The roads are the first basic need, the works. In addition to the plan, the airfields, ALGs and logistics installations government should constitute a (The writer, a former DGMO, is direc- can only be constructed once the road National Infrastructure Development tor, Centre for Studies)

52 FORCE | April 2018