Popular Posts

Monday, February 16, 2009

ARTICLE ON FUTURE OF INDIAN COAST GUARD

The following article is written by former DGCG and was published in Deccan Herald on 09 Feb, the writer himself is ex-Naval officer,the article it self is a good fodder for thinking brains.

Will the Coast Guard sink?

By Prabhakaran Paleri

[ The Navy was seemingly unwilling to accept the Coast Guard from the very beginning.]


Has the Navy finally torpedoed the Coast Guard? The Coast Guard is confused about the hasty changes it feels in the offing before the current government demits office. It knows that the Navy had a long cherished dream to make the Coast Guard an auxiliary to it. After 32 years and many futile attempts by the Navy, it feels, it is likely to happen with the introduction of the 'Coastal Command', an antiquated concept, under the Navy.

The government fails to appreciate that the Coast Guard has an organisational structure that is much wider and legally valid than the proposed Coastal Command. And that it will do better to expand and equip the Coast Guard for its charter to enforce law and provide service in the maritime zones as per the Coast Guard Act. Instead, by placing the Coast Guard under the Navy at its beck and call, it is not only the Act, but also the Constitution that gets violated.

Unfortunate

The hastened decision will permanently seal the zeal of the Coast Guard and its future effectiveness as a nonmilitary maritime armed force of modern India . The Indian Coast Guard was a fine service, well accepted by the international community. But unfortunately its problems with the Navy were inveterate that its founders failed to appreciate ab initio. The Coast Guard has been going through a kind of naval blockade and interruption since its inception as if there was a slogan 'to guard against the Coast Guard'.

The Navy was seemingly unwilling to accept the idea of the Coast Guard from the very beginning. That may perhaps lie in the reason that it could not chart an altered course for a 'new found Navy' shedding its role of a Coast Guard. Or perhaps India was not matured enough to accept the Coast Guard as a useful maritime armed force. It has been so with many other countries, which created coast guards with the navies around in coast guard roles. While the world changed, the naval mindset in many such countries remained fossilised within the coast guard mould. Added to that was lack of maritime awareness. India was expected to be different. It remains a puzzle why the Indian Navy failed to appreciate it.

Even the ministry of defence, unlike in the past, reportedly succumbed to the pressures of the Navy with no opposition from the Coast Guard. That is because the Coast Guard has no say. The Black Wednesday in amchi Mumbai proved to be an opportunity for the Navy to expand rather than to introspect.

Dependence

The founders of the Coast Guard would have never imagined the Coast Guard would meet with such a fate. They placed it under the ministry of defence in good faith expecting the Navy to nurture it to grow. Instead, the Navy exploited the paltry resources of the Coast Guard including personnel vacancies for itself exercising absolute authority over it. The Navy indirectly steered the Coast Guard through the directors general appointed by it. The Coast Guard not only became a dogged body dependent on the Navy but also its laundry bag when things went wrong. The latest is the Mumbai mayhem. More will follow.

India , as a responsible maritime state, created the Coast Guard for enforcing 'rule of law' and providing service at sea under international treaties. The Coast Guard is an international service with a human face. The nodal ministry for many of its activities is external affairs. It is now going to be restricted for operations. Was placing it under the ministry of defence alongside the Navy a bad idea? Did the Coast Guard become an unwanted sibling in the family? An Admiral even tried to merge it with the Navy as Indian Naval Coastal Service without reverence to its legal base. The ministry, however, opposed it.

It is not that the government is unaware. Still there wasn't even a dedicated joint secretary to voice for the Coast Guard in the ministry.

The saga of the Indian Coast Guard is about to end. And along with it India 's international image among the maritime community. Long live the Coast Guard.


(The writer is a former director general of Coast Guard)

BLOG'S VIEW

It is up to various readers to comment on the issue, few may think that Coast Guard is doing well under Naval officer as DGCG while opinion of others may be different, well considering the development of Indian Coast Guard since last 32 years, there is hardly any reasons for complaint.

However the actual test of water will start now when both the services are standing on equal strata and may vie for the same pie-Marine power

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear BP,
development of CG since last 32 years is good ,however it could have been better

Anonymous said...

BP,
you will agree that CG got lot of advantages due to total support of Indian Navy and naval officer as DGCG

Anonymous said...

Dear Loverboy,

I do not agree with you that navy is not interested in having coast guard around it. As you seems to be a naval officer (may be Ex)and must be knowing that there have been various attempt has already been made by the elder service as reported by Dr.Paleri and were not agreed to by the Govt. except one i.e. to put coast guard under unified command at A&N. The navy till date is unwilling to let go despite coast guard efforts. Yes i agree with you as far as the present condition of the service. As I am also watching this fine servicefrom the close quarters the coast guard officers have not shown much of affinity towards the service and they have been busy in pleasing their bosses as a result the service has taken the back seat. Blaming coast guard solely for 26/11 is not correct as navy is equally to blame.
It is agreed if the coast guard officers especially those who are in key positions and can really do some thing purely in favour of service and take it as a wake up call and do some thing drastic forgetting their ACRs only then service can be saved. May wisdom prevail in coast guard officers and may LONG LIVE COAST GUARD

Anonymous said...

Dear BP,
What you have to say on naval statement on coastal command made early today

Anonymous said...

Dear Copy Paste,
U seem to be same old eqpt which is still unserviceable and does not consult a mechanic thinking it is fully ops. get lost and go to a garage. ur mind needs some major overhaul. u must realise that u r not one of those bright types. u are a rotten egg who has been made to understand otherwise. its time for introspection, bp. go and sleep.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anoy 25 feb 6:45

It is realy disguting that people like can be like that and still in the services( If You are???)It is really amazed that how people of the defence services can defy the proverb that "In defence services officers are Gentlemen also". Your views expressed in the Blog of BP can not called from any angle that of a either an officer or a gentlemen. This is the blog of BP and he has got full right to write whatever he desire. No body has requested or complled to comment you especially in this stupid way....

BEFORE YOU POINT OUT BP PLEASE LOOK AT YOUR SELF......Please

Anonymous said...

Dear Anony February 27, 2009 9:45 AM

I am sure you are one of the last of the support that bp has left with. do not desert him like others. like his thinking, he has seriously damaged ur thinking and reasoing process. u seem to be one those "yes sir yes three bags full" types who just want to please bosses. u first go and familarise ur stupidself with handwork of this bp and then introspect. bp has been pioneer in inserting / forcing his opinion on other's blog / comments and what not. rights are for all and stop telling me what i can do. if u do not like do not read. do not make bp feel like a small baby that needs protection. so relax and do not over react.

Anonymous said...

Anony above,
If you don't like bp keep out , and dear not only bp any one can write/ express view on any article what wrong in this

Anonymous said...

The views expressed by bp in his blogs had done irreversible damage to the relationship between paramilitary and armed forces.

Time will not be salvation for BP Singh.

Any how I can only wish that one day harmonious relationship between armed forces/ CPO/ Paramilitary is restored to its old glory.

Jaihind

Anonymous said...

Anony above,
I disagree with you,what BP had done is to support the existing equation between AF and PMF in the rank of Ltcol and Second-in-command and asked for higher pay and allowances for PMF.
Please wake up, it is a changing world an AFs can'ot ask more and PMF will get the due.
May good bless you with more wise ideas.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anoy 02 March 09.51Pm,

I don't know that why you feel so that relation between CPMFs and Armed forces have been affected by this blog of ths BP. This blog is a plateform where every one is free to give views. There is nothing personnel as views expressed in this blog or any other blog will have any bearing on the policies of the Govt. I am sure this blog has given a better understanding between the CPMFs' and Armed forcesto the people of both the forces who have atleast one goal common i.e. the country. I am sure these blog will help the people from both the organisations to strive for better quality of life in their parent services instead comparing and and trying for one upmanship. The armed forces are certainly has high regards from the entire country hence lowering the CPMF's (which is not required) will not take armed forces anywhere rather it will certainly lower down its own image.

Hence it is my humble rquest to friends from amrmed forces that without bothering what is there in CPMFs' or abusing BP continue the good work and if possible take along the CPMF brothers along with you.

Jai Hind

Anonymous said...

Dear BP,
Happy Holi to you and your blog readers

Anonymous said...

Dear BP


All this while the faujis were beating their chest for the services rendered by them and assist the govt . No doubt about that

but.....blackmailing.....


read the folowing taken from the other blog

\\pragmatic.nationalinterest.in

----

Army will officer NSG only if their General heads it.

Newsreports suggest that the army has made it clear that it can not spare officers for the expansion plans of the National Security Guards[NSG]. The excuse — the handy one: shortage of officers. Although there are possible ways to provide officers for this immediate requirement of internal security, that is not the point here. The point actually is this.

Insiders say it will be easier to manage personnel related problems due to the expansion of the NSG if the organisation is placed under the Army. It may be recalled that the Army had proposed that a three star general should head the NSG rather than the current practice of appointing an IPS officer to the post.[Indian Express]

So, that is it. India’s internal security or national security be damned. Army can provide the officers, only if the government allows the NSG to be headed by a Lieutenant General. Else, there is a shortage of officers to man the NSG. In plain english, this is called blackmail.

similarly BP you have noticed that navy does that when they have to give officers to coast guard.They want to give officers only for the command billets or the pilot who needs flying hours but if you ask watchkeepers navy has shortage of officer.


Isn't this .....blackmail....
now how my fauji brothers will justify this balckmail.....

Anonymous said...

Dear BP,

Major Navdeep has been writing comments on the following article.
What is the take on you blog. I personaly feel whatever Abhinav has written is correct and same has been referred by you earlier in your blog. Now could you please comment am I thinking correct as you are having all the data?????

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=ViewsSectionPage&id=09fd34ff-451a-4a57-b248-4fb247dfe242&Headline=Snipers%2c+stay+away

Anonymous said...

BABAJI have you taken premature retirement since 16 Feb or has the news paper chap stopped your paper. please write something funny and entertaining to start a new funny debate.

Anonymous said...

Dear BP

Like MP I also feel that you must not stop writing as it encourages the healthy discussion for the cause for the CPMFs'. I don't know its effect on the policy makers but atleast it generates the thought process in the people's mind. Though Mr. MP has said it as satire but you take it on and don't stop your blog. I feel atleast you are creating ripples in both the worlds and creating the awareness. Keep the good work..............!!

Anonymous said...

Dear BP,
Wake up from your slumber and write on some issue.

Anonymous said...

bp tum sote rahe aur un sub ko mil gaya. now thwy r asking even more. jagooooooooooooooo kya ladai har gaye?

Anonymous said...

bp has gone into a shell never to emerge again. probably he has been made to realise his blunders. Its all for good. bp should relax and try his hand on something simplier. God Bless BP and may continue to shower good sense on him.

Anonymous said...

BP Sir,
As you told us the fight for cpo's will only start when PB-4 is extended to LTCols.I feel with the issue of notification we can start our case

Anonymous said...

BP Sir,
Time is now to get the pb-4 for Second-in-Command with GP -8000

Anonymous said...

So te raho Kumbhkarn. jagana jab hum pure tarah lut jayenge.

Unknown said...

To Sukhi,
You pop BP is not well.
Please take over his job and continue the good work conceived by him.
You can also produce the baby named PB-4 for your PMF brethren.