Force weighs three factors

New Delhi, June 12: The Bengal government today sounded out the army for deployment in parts of Darjeeling district but has been prompted to reconsider its request after consultations with the eastern command, a military source said.

Troops with the army’s brigades in Binaguri and Kalimpong are standing by but the formation headquarters covering Darjeeling and Sikkim, the 33 Trishakti Corps, has been asked to wait till further orders.

The 33 Corps has three brigades under it — 27 Mountain (Kalimpong), 20 Mountain (Binaguri) and 17 Mountain (Gangtok). The primary role of the formation is to guard the border with China. “Dealing with internal security is our secondary, not primary, role,” a senior officer said in Delhi.

Only yesterday, defence minister A.K. Antony had rued that state governments were being quick to summon the army for internal security duties. The army was deployed in Calcutta as recently as November 2007 following protests against Taslima Nasreen.

The primary responsibility on what role the army will take rests with the Eastern Command because the Bengal government’s brief was being conveyed there.

The consultations between the Bengal government and the eastern command involved the state chief secretary, the state home secretary, Eastern Army commander Lt General V.K. Singh and the Eastern Command’s major general (general staff).

The Delhi officer said the Bengal government’s request was not being taken lightly “because that (Darjeeling and Sikkim) is a region where we have our own formations and it is very important for us.”

The army wants to be convinced that:

• the situation is “generally grave” and there is a serious threat to civilian life and property

• the state government has employed all its available resources, and,

• the Centre, too, feels that its resources (central paramilitary forces) are stretched.

The army wants the Hill Cart Road, the Sevoke Road and NH31A to Gangtok to be kept open, not only for civilian traffic, but also for its own routine movement. In parts of Sikkim particularly, this was the time when canteen stores will be moved up to prepare for the winter.

A blockade of these sensitive routes will hamper the army’s own movement, the officer explained, and “it is not in anybody’s interest to see these blocked”.