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A remarkable scholar-soldier’s J&K tenure ends

Mohammad Sayeed Malik. Dated: 8/26/2015 12:09:30 AM

SRINAGAR, Aug 25: Whether or not he had got hold of ‘How To Win Friends and Influence People’ before assuming the arduous charge of prestigious Srinagar-based 15th (Chinar) Corps of the Indian Army over two years ago, Lt Gen Subrata Saha is relinquishing his office today after having lived up to Del Carnegie’s universally acclaimed prescription.
In the Army’s battle for winning hearts and minds of the local population in Kashmir, Saha’s scholarly disposition stood him in good stead even as a soldier his tenure would be defined by marked improvement in combating infiltration as well as armed insurgency.
Knowledgeable circles in J&K feel that Lt Gen Saha and the GOC-in-C Northern Army Command Lt Gen DS Hooda made an ideal team for the hard task that was cut out for them respectively.
Gen Saha’s bold initiative marked him out whenever it came to helping the ordinary people in distress. His desire to promote the same spirit within the rank and file was evident in the manner in which he roped in prominent local persons from various walks of life to address troops and familiarize them with delicate nuances of Kashmiriyat.
Social gatherings hosted by Lt Gen Saha reflected a cross section of Kashmiri society from, otherwise, a bitterly divided entity. His direct interaction with social, religious, cultural and political organizations was dynamic mainly because he made all of them feel that the Army had no reason to take sides so far as their mutual differences were concerned. Regular interaction with universities, colleges and schools was a distinct feature of this initiative.
Devastating floods in the Valley in 2014 was a high point with soldiers risking their lives and some of them even losing lives while rescuing stranded civilians in remote villages and towns before even the civil administration took cognizance of floods. The state government belatedly woke up only after the capital city was overwhelmed by flood fury. For three days from September 4 it was only Army that was on the scene across South Kashmir. Saha was everywhere despite his own cantonment being under over 10ft of flood water.
As reports of radicalization of youth in Kashmir gained currency, Lt Gen Saha embarked upon a fresh initiative to stem it. Direct engagement with youth through promotion of sports, cultural and other constructive activities was stepped at various levels. These activities are gaining popularity. Apart from countering radicalization, this particular initiative has certain other long range positive features.
On the operational front, even as the Army continues to remain engaged with its primary task across the troubled border state Lt Gen Saha sought complementary active support of prominent local intellectuals, poets, journalists and prominent people from other walks of life to acquaint, through series of lectures, freshly inducted troops with niceties and nuances of composite culture of Kashmir. Lively interaction at these gatherings attended by senior level officers also showed that certain misgivings which the incoming soldier usually carries with him get dispelled to a large extent.
Promoting positive soldier-citizen relationship is close to this General’s heart. He showed willingness to go that extra mile to promote it. There were occasions when Lt Gen Hooda and Lt Gen Saha appeared upfront to own up and apologise for acts of omission and commission by troops under their command. Confidence building in a conflict ridden place like J&K is a thorny task. The top commanders have also to take care of the morale of forces going into action. Even in best of circumstances it is a tricky affair. That Lt Gen Saha was able to strike that delicate balance speaks volumes of his professional ingenuity.
Those who, like I, had the opportunity of interacting with him would miss the scholar in uniform. But there is enough to remember him for a long, long time to come.
Happy landing, Gen Saha.