Tales from 2007- Hot Pursuit

Hot Pursuit

It was just past 1600 hrs when the signal they had been waiting for came over the Kenwood KX900ER handset that lay on the makeshift coffee table. Men of the Alpha Company of 9 Special Forces smiled grimly amidst wondering where half of their new gadetry had come from. It had been almost 12 years that the foot soldier had waited for this signal to come from the higher ranks.

The Indian population at large always wondered why the Indian Army did not engage the terrorists in hot pursuit into their base camps across the Indian Border. The demands for chasing them into their own dens became strident with the current gung-ho mood after the Pokhran II blasts and the success of Operation Vijay in Kargil. Till 1999, the Indian Defence Ministry and the Office of the Army Chief had ignored the calls as those being from a civilian population, not one conversed with the finer aspects of such an Operation. Recently, the vociferous public demand finally baited the Chief of Army Staff to publicly state that such an Operation was not feasible.

The hundred odd men assembled under the command of Major Bakshi, SM. The weapons check counted a mix of the Heckler and Koch MP5, the AK47, fragmentation grenades, the odd Dragonov rifle with night scopes, solar activated light weight missiles, and between them they had about 400 RDX Five Star bars. The equipment they were staring at were hand held Direction Indicating GPS's, helmet mounted night scopes and light-weight bullet-proof jackets, finger printing touch pads and cameras that did not require a flash.. They started their long march down from their 9,000ft. lookout to the valley floor about 2,500ft. below. The Line of Control (as the International Border known in this sector) was just over 2 km away. And home was under 8 hours away. For most of them atleast. But for all of them, they wanted to see the camera take pictures of them inside Pakistan!

The Indian Army and Para Military forces in the areas north of Jammu are in excess of about 5,00,000 men. The burden is not only on the economy of the state but also on the man in the field. Armies are not to be kept up for Counter-Insurgency Operations (CI Ops) for years together. All this strain on the armed forces is bound to cause concern for the Senior staff and then everyone starts looking out for a solution, no matter how harsh that maybe. The scenario of hot pursuit is one that is frought with danger, not only physical to the individual but also to the stability of the nation. The average Indian, who is fed up of this militancy in J&K looks at giving Pakistan and the militants a good kick and sees this as the only option. In the aftermath of the increasing violence perpetrated by the foreign mercenaries, the Indian Government will have to answer to the civilians as to the action it and the Ministry of Defence is taking to curb this terrorism menace.

Operation Khanjar had actually begun over 48 hours ago when units of 6 Rashtriya Rifles (6RR) and 19 Bn. BSF had laid siege to a village where a group of about 15 hard core foreign mercenaries/militants responsible for the latest series of bomb blasts in Srinagar were holed up. RAW and its operatives had confirmed that this group to belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen which was using the Base Camp that 9SF had targeted for over 4 months. It was to be a sweet wait.

Internationally, India has been a rising star, on the economic and diplomatic front. The recent visits by the US President and the Russian President Vladimir Putin to India, subsequently the visit by our PM to the US, and the expected visit by Madeline Albright, make India a very popular country overseas. Economically India is one of the largest consumer markets in the world. Industrial nations have a vested interest in seeing that India does not go the South East Asia way economically. Given the size and the make of our economy, there is really no way that India could go that way, save one way. War.

The CO of 6RR was asked to provide a means for escape to the militants and he took this with a pinch of salt. He thought what a waste of an operation. He assumed that this was probably another Government initiative of releasing militants thinking that they would support the Government against other militant groups. Reluctantly, he agreed. It was about 0300 Hrs, that the militants found the gap and broke out of the village and headed for the border about 30 km away. By 1730 Hrs that evening, the No. 2 Platoon of Alpha Company had crossed the border under cover of darkness two hours ahead of the retreating militants. The remaining men started up about an hour behind the militants. By 1930 Hrs the 'Khanjar' was underway. At a Forward Landing Strip about 35 km East of the border a group of pilots and gunners readied a flight of 4 Mi 25s. At the other end a flight of 4 Mi 8s were loaded with a Speciality Extraction Team from Delta Company, 51Bn NSG. All the men on that airfield were wishing that they could be the ones to go in first and hoping that they would not be required to go in second.

What has brought the United States into the Indian fold is the fact that we could be a boon to their Industry, but at the same time, we are the only possible answer to the Chinese domination of South Asia. Possibly two decades from now the only strong economies would be China and India. Industrially advanced nations are realising after the failed sanctions after Pokhran II, that barely over 10% of Indian economy is export oriented. It simply meant that if they ever tried to really squeeze India, the 90% internally churning economy would ride out anything that they threw at us and probably would make for a more belligerent India. Besides protecting or pampering India on a Pakistan /India conflict, the world at large realises that India sits on a healthy Forex Reserve. As of October 2000, Indian Forex Reserves are about $34 Billion (roughly translated to about Rs. 1,56,400 Crores). In comparison the Gulf War had cost roughly US$ 10 Billion. The Reserves are a bait to goverments with large construction companies, defence contractors, investment bankers and the like, and no sane economist would like for it to be blown up in a fifteen day frenzy where Dassault and IAI got all the money and none went to Bechtel or Halliburton.

The Scouts of the leading Platoon reached the crest that looked over the collection of Nissan Huts that made the base camp at 2130 Hrs. There were about 50 odd huts and a few fires were lit. On the previous recce patrols to scout the area, Lance Naik Satnam Singh and Lance Naik Mahadeo Pant had noticed that the militant base had never organised security, the fact that they were in the State of Pakistan probably made them lax. This time however there was a lookout as they were expecting the retreating militants, but at the same time, preparations were being made for wine and food to celebrate the explosions that rocked the Government buildings in Srinagar 72 hours ago. They led the platoon along the crest till they had reached approximately the opposite side of the camp. By the time they took up positions to cut off any assistance (which was unlikely) the militant group had already entered the Base. Suddenly firing broke out bringing on a wave of panic on the leading Platoon. The panic subsided when they realised that the militants were celebrating their return after a successful run into India.

As you read this article, you wonder what is being done to conclusively end this militancy problem. A certain amount of cynicism has crept into the populace that no one wants this problem solved. The constant trouble and increasing fears of terrorism are going to galvanise the common man into action. Indians are going to start demanding to put an end to this conflict one way or another. The voices are going to get stronger and the Government is going to be forced to act. The reasons for saving the Hot Pursuit option till later is because the Kashmir situation may just out of hand or the Pakistani Chief Executive may take the chance in solidifying his control by raising the Indian bogey to the sky. And the Indian government may not want war to be the only solution to show their resolve.

The attack began with the Dragonovs taking out the militant look out who was left out of the fun high on the crest. Singh, Pant and their men led by Lt. Rajiv Mathur, ran alongside the rear approach road tossing out the RDX Five Star bars with timers set between 1 hour to 4 hours. They were the first to enter the Nissan Huts and begin the systematic elimination of whoever they found inside. The soldiers with the AKs were instructed to fire first so that the sounds would not attract instant attention. The celebrations in the open area between the Nissan Huts continued and a fresh round of firing into the sky erupted. By this time the remaining men of Alpha Company entered the fray. The militants not used to being ambushed, some reacted bravely and died almost instantly. Some sought to reach the safety of the nearby jungles and rushed between the Huts. They were caught by the men using the MP-5s at almost kissing range. Others rushed into the huts for protection and their arms. The very fibreglass huts that protected them during winters proved their undoing. Fragmentation grenades thrown in killed everyone inside, and for those who didn't die the RDX Bars would finish them off 15 minutes later. Lt. Mathur was taking pictures with a low-light camera connected to a satellite link relay transmitting to a low-level orbit satellite. His team was fingerprinting every dead person that they came across, using touch sensitive pads with a 72 dpi resolution, far in excess of the 20 dpi instruments Mercedes Benz uses so proudly on its Driver Recognition Devices. The digitised prints were also being linked to the satellite relay. Lt. Mathur wondered where this equipment came from and wondered who this data was going to, and had to snap back to the job at hand. Major Bakshi's voice came over their micro-earpieces, time check 30 minutes to withdrawal. Return fire had claimed two lives on the Indian side and their bodies were being removed almost immediately. Firing ceased within 8 minutes of it starting. A head count found 33 militants dead. The photography and fingerprinting took another 15 minutes while the team mined the Base with the missiles and all but a few RDX Bars. The solar activated missiles were left on tree tops to surprise any rescue or salvage team that would make it there in the morning.

It does not seem feasible to stop the Kashmir problem by our wishful thinking. The support for the militants has been active from the very people in Pakistan who are now its rulers. The people of Pakistan have to pride themselves that they are probably the only Democracy in the Islamic world and that they can set an example to other Muslim nations. The sorry state of their economy has been brought about by their own negligence in punishing their thieving politicians and bureaucrats.

Exactly 45 minutes had passed before the last of the 9SF troops left the Base and headed over the crest. Major Bakshi and his team had deployed the solar powered missiles to go off at first light That would be unnecessary as there would not be anyone left except probably a rescue team and that too was unlikely for a day or more. A young Pakistani Captain to 4 Sind listened to the gunfire and was extremely irritated at the militants because the Indians would now fire at them for days making getting food and going to the makeshift toilets impossible. 'Damn militants, damn ISI,' the young Pakistani Captain thought. Then the silence. He was just happy to hear nothing. His inexperience in gunfire sounds and his general irritation with the militants aided the Indians the most. Just then his radio set came to life and it was his Forward Post telling him something, so he strained his ears to the earpiece. "Helicopter? What helicopter?" was all he said when the RDX Bars took off, almost a 100 of them taking all the Nissan Huts with them. Captain Afsar Khan thought of his father in Army HQ and wondered how he got posted here to begin with, before his mind could try and evaluate the small rising fireballs to his south. His vitriolic towards the militants began with double the vigour. The proud, the silent men of 9SF who wear the 'Balidan' badge, ran the 12 Km to the Indian border. They caught up with the earlier 2 Sections that deployed the missiles and were designated to carry the wounded and the dead, just about 1 Km before the border. The men handed over the wounded and dead to other men and the run for the border continued as if it were a sprint to the 400m finish line.

The seriousness of the fact that their country survives on economic dole from the World Bank and the IMF is probably well hidden from the population. Only when they take matters to the streets to demand to set their own democracy in order and to lead themselves out of this morass, can the troubles in Kashmir come to some sort of a peaceful closure. India's economic strength and its diversity have made it a very stable country for foreign investment and then other countries have a vested interest in keeping India a safe investment. Increasing economic power in the decades will by default make us the regional superpower. Neighbouring countries will try and drag us down and one of the means is terrorism and sponsoring militancy. Indian response to the situation in Kashmir has to be strong, non-ambiguous, and final. Diplomatic overtures extolling the willingness to take on Pakistan on an economic (their Forex Reserves are about US$1.5 Billion, approximately INR 6,900 Crores) and military front not fearing their Chinese supplied missiles and nuclear weapons. A show of force is required from the Indian side and it should be firm and the impact lasting.

Major Mathur SM, led his men across the border where the dead and wounded were evacuated into Mi-8 helicopters to the nearby Brigade HQ for medical treatment. The standby Mi-8s lifted off and slunk in Eastward, the Mi-25s didn't come back to the Theatre of Operations, but there was only cursing on board all 8 helicopters, they could almost taste it and then it was gone. "Bastards, 9SF."

The plebiscite, the conversion of the LoC into the IB, the return of tourism, the apple trade, Kashmiri Brahmins to their havelis and peace to the Indo-Pak region on the whole, anything could happen. The dreams are there. Let peace happen.

0335 Hrs IST, The Crisis Room, Northern Command HQ, India. The American Military Attache opened the door and left with his communication equipment. The General Staff of the Northern Command had seen their men perform through the eyes of a KH-11 Spy Satellite.

0415 Hrs PST, The Residence of the Pakistani Chief Executive: The Staff Officer on duty was jarred by the strident ring of the phone. The General's ADC was told that the US President was online and would like to speak to the Chief Executive.

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We have changed names of individuals, Units and certain equipment that will be actually used in such a mission. ********************************************************

Tales from 2007- Let Kashmir Burn

Four years ago I wrote this, to keep some close friends amused. Its no long amusing that 4 years and nothing seems different.

Let Kashmir Burn

Apropos to our earlier articles trying to get people to become proactive over the Kashmir

issue, we now try and analyse the media portrayed picture of this 'despondancy' that we

are reeling under.

The media finally shows what the Government wants it to show. They have access to

Srinagar and other cities to film whatever and interview whoever they want. Beyond the

tar roads where the villages lie, where the militants lurk, there is only the army and the

paramilitary forces without as much as an agenda with them.

Certain villages are demarcated as 'Out of Bounds' for our own military. This is either

due to the connivance of our political alliances or due to the very fact that there is now a

tacit understanding between the military and the Afghanis on areas of truce. Strange as it

may sound such pockets of peace do exist, and no one complains.

There are problems for everyone, India, Pakistan and the powers within that will unearth

a proverbial 'can of worms' if the matter in J&K can be resolved, if all it can be. Pakistan

needs the J&K issue to keep its population engrossed in something other than the bad

state of affairs its economy and politics. The Pakistani Army is better at governing its

own country than managing affairs of defence and is back at its hobby of ruling the

country again. A return to democracy can be followed up only by a population that

decides to get out of the morass they are in right now, but they will realise that only if

they are given time to reflect away from India, so well portrayed as the aggressor there.

The Indian Government has to day a phenomenal number of troops there. The Army

strength is probably over five Corps strong. With the creation of the third Corps, there

are about 20+ Batallions of Rashtriya Rifles, and innumerable other Batallions drawn up

from the lower states under the guise of Internal Security.

For the past ten years, the Indian Army has learnt to function with about 2,50,000 plus

of its troops involved in Kashmir living in an almost war like scenario. If this problem

were to get over and Pakistan were to become a friendly nation, the Top Brass of

the nation would have a very real and present danger of keeping these many troops

pleasantly occupied. The Paramilitary forces number three times as much as the Army,

on conservative estimates, BSF, TA, CRPF, ITBP, CISF and innumerable other units

from other organizations are in excess of 7,50,000.

The property taken over from fleeing Brahmins, apple orchards, etc., wouldn't it be hell

if you had to sit down at the end of it all and have to return it to rightful owners? What

would you do with self-styled Commanders of factions of the J&K Liberation armies/

factions? Where would you find gainful employment for Kashmiri youth who have lived

off Indian Government dole money ever since they were born? Who would account for

all the subsidies that have lined private coffers from the thousands of crores that have

disappeared from the subsidies that J&K gets?

We could let the damn state starve for all the trouble the people there give us. Let

them buy rice that the rest of the nation does. Let them work for a living. Give them

employment building a canal connecting the Ganges to the Cauvery, or whatever,

let them earn a living instead of buying rice at Rs. 2 a Kg. and then feeding terrorists

at night, amongst other things. Albeit at gunpoint. A spineless population we do not

need. The rot of our system is evident in the psyche of the average Kashmiri. They

want freedom, or Pakistan, but they say that their Apples will be sold in the markets of

Bombay. They know the merchants of Lahore will plunder them in broad daylight, and

they will not be able to do a thing about it. The people want cake and to eat it too.

Given our strengths, don't you find it strange to see a problem continuing for over ten

years and only getting worse? The Punjab militancy needed a 'Super Cop' to end things

ruthlessly. There too there was backing from across the border. How did it end then?

Public support helped the Government use force and finish the matter. What is up in

Kashmir then? We have 25% of our army, and about three times as many paramilitary

forces there. We have the strength, but apparently someone has calculated that there is no

urgency in ending the problem anytime soon.

The 10,00,000 strong army has learnt to deal with approximately a 1,000 dead a year with

a blink. No one cares about the paramilitary forces. We are sure that the Forum-ites here

would be hard pressed to find accurate figures of paramilitary losses over the past ten

years. Why? No one in the powers-that-be really seem to care about ending the situation

in J&K. Monetarily, has there been a significant change in our defence budget due to

the insurgency? Nothing that the DM has complained about to date. Just the demands

for more money to upgrade weaponry when Pakistan is not even getting spares for the

weapons they have. The nation has learnt to deal with the situation and the press playing

the role of pacifier, has made sure that the population of India becomes immune to any

newer levels of atrocities committed there.

What to do with an Army that is occupied with sharpening its nails and nothing to kill,

someday that is going to get us. There are already incidents of Officers being shot dead

by their own troops, so much so that the Units are happy with field postings as holidays

are guaranteed there, as opposed to peace postings where the shortage of men takes up

more than half your annual leave. This is apparently OK with the planners of the Army.

So, we firstly do nothing long term about stating a solution to a problem. Deal with that

cancer like it was the flu. The we play around with the manpower and create problems

that will surface over the next decade, but the Generals of today would be retired by then

to write about how wrong things are and pass expert judgement during Kargil-like crises.

Money is not a problem, manpower is not either. What to do later is. So ladies and

gentlemen of the Forum, people who disagreed with our earlier article, will definitely

find that this line of reasoning to their liking. The few who understood have refrained

from comment, and the ones who commented on the 'ownership' of the Forex missed the

point. So maybe they agree here, that there is nothing we can do.

Let Kashmir burn.

Indian Foreign Policy- Comments from early 2010.

Indian Foreign Policy Track -2010

The time has come for India to make a stand on the international stage and redeem itself for the absolutely novice-like muscle entry into Sri Lanka under the guise of the IPKF and the subsequent shameful withdrawal without having achieved a thing, other than bloody-ing over 70,000 troops in combat.

Loosing a Prime Minister to the same hordes, in a suicide attack that the entire Southern Indian Politician cadre was aware of – was in my opinion the nadir of our foray into extending ‘India’ into the South East.

The nation has another chance of redeeming itself once again and this time as well, with one of our own neighbours. However, unlike the presumed ‘dimunitive’ Lankans, this one is in Pakistan.

The blackmail game that the Pakistanis are playing with the US needs to end, and that nation brought down to its knees or better still a creation of independent states, much as the CIA and the ISI would have liked to see happen to India by 2020. The extreme beggar-like and prostrate behavior put up by the Pakistanis using their own cache of nuclear weapons and their own commanded Taliban- to extort money from the only country in the world that does not want to call their bluff, the United States- is so shameless that it really needs a bullet to the back of the head of that nation. Diversion of those US funds to support terror against/within J&K bothers us less, than the blatant game of chicken that they play- and what possibly irritates more is the fact that they are getting away with it.

Not to sound deliberate or insensitive, if our Nation did not punish the perpetrators of the Parliament attack, you thought we would attack Pakistan for harbouring and encouraging the masterminds and doers of the Mumbai 26/11? You surely must be joking. When the seat of power in this country was attacked, we rolled out the Army and recalled every course-going Young Officer, and disrupting holidays, wedding, honeymoons, bank loans- what did we achieve? A well meaning Corps Commander was sacked on the behest of the United States, who kept guaranteeing the Pakistanis that India would not attack them, and enable them to move two Divisions to the battle that the US was trying to contain in the West. Nice. After grinding the entire machinery of our armed forces for nine months, we were back to status quo- and this time around, I don’t think the ASC even flinched when the Mumbai Hotels and a Synagogue were turned into an abattoir. I am sure not one uniformed Officer thought that there was going to be any kind of retribution towards Pakistan for the carnage that happened.

Can you see how we have raped the ego and morale of our own? When Army officers sit back and laugh at the apathy of our Government, the lack of guts, the lack of decision, the lack of knowledge of the options that lie ahead of us… God forbid that there is a war with Officers like this believing in the countrys’ leadership.

Many a time some readers pre-empted the point of the article by chasing the lead, and rushing top praise our brave officers and men, and think that I belittle them- that is not the case. Battles are indeed won by individual and group shows of resistance, attack, defying death, and in unfortunate cases- delaying death to the point where victory came to us before the chariots of doom. Wars- are not won like this. Wars are won by Government giving directions to the Armed Forces leadership. Choices of how the war should end- Strike Corps aligned to the IB- such a waste, when you know that if Pakistan survives as an entity, we will have to taste the waters of the Indus and return with probably about 8000 causalties to show.

I am sure given the pathetic response to the Parliament attack, if there was a war, we are neither prepared for the our Strike Corps reaching the Indus, nor are we tactically thought out if a nuclear weapon of piddling magnitude be dropped on its advancing coloumns- or worse- if the garrisons at Sukkur and Rahimyar Khan make a corridor for the Strike Corps to move to the Indus, nuke the rear and entrap the entire Strike Corps and its entire support mechanism, you would have about 30,000 troops- within Pakistan. The bumbling fools who lead our country, and their sheer lack of depth of listing options are going to fail us again.

It is time to move to diplomacy and assault Pakistan in its very heart, and heartlands. The unending bluff of its nuclear weapons and the threat of the Taliban getting to them should be called on and its time that the United States realizes that its continual funding of the Paksitani state is only going to be prolonged by the wonderful act that the ISI and its entire puppet-political nexus is staging for them.

I tell our leaders, forget 26/11- we have not done a thing about it, and you as a collective soul are incapable of action- so just forget the assault on Mumbai, stop making it your war cry, as there is nothing more pathetic than a drooling nation crying over spilt milk, rather we look like the ‘rudaali’ who come to exhibit their professional talents at wailing at any funeral, any death that pays them to cry their heart out without even knowing if it was the worst village rapist who died at a victims sickle.

Reduce the LoC strength, to show solidarity with the ‘battle they are having to prevent the spread of the Taliban.’ Its probably the US that has ensured them, as they always do, that we will not take undue advantage of the reduction of troop strength- if the fools know that reduction of troop strengths along the IB is a meaningless expression of worry. The Pakistani Rangers man the IB, and they as a nation are free to move two Brigades around without the fear of loosing an square inch of territory. Indian leadership does not have it in them to launch a war, and therefore the US should just call in the Pakistani leadership to remove all their forces from along the IB and deploy them in the west and crush the Taliban, recover the Swat Valley and reinforce their command over the NWFP. But, my friends, in this giant charade, this will not happen. The US wouldn’t want India to get too strong would it?

India should now start asking for opening up four more axis’ of trade into Pakistan, and not just keep it to the song and dance that such openings get in J&K. Barmer- Mirpur Khas, Jaisalmer- Rahimyar Khan, Fazila-Okara, Firozpur- Lahore. Abandoned railway stations, silent bearers to the horrific slayings at the time of independence like awaiting in towns like Munnabao and await salvation that they may serve the people of what was once a united nation. Routes abound to open trade and start the business community of Pakistan thinking between the Taliban and India, we present a MUCH better alternative as one would choose a wife with lesser evils to spend ones’ life with.

Openly invite the Pakistani Armed Forces Officers to our Counter Insurgency schools, teach them lessons on use of own Artillery as we did in Op Sarp Vinash, offer to send our Officers as Instructors to their schools. Offer cheap technology to convert their dud 1000-pounder bombs to laser assisted munitions, help them fly their F-16s. Help them combat the Taliban. Its time to think like a Big Brother, and not the Bully-act that we did in the South, 25 years ago.

Opening trade in the middle, offering assistance at the north and their west, leaves them with little option to deride us, and it would reduce the India ‘bogey’ from their consistent public policy. Given our Arms-down and trade-up move, they would have to re-think the bluff on their India-front, and that would enable the US to move and isolate the nuclear weapons that the Pakistanis keep threatening the world- if you don’t keep us up as a nation, the Taliban will get the nukes.

The professional setup that the Pakistani Armed Forces are, I am sure that they have their safety features in place and their fall-back plan will always be that the parts the nukes are disassembled into, will be within hours of PAF bases that house the F-16s and Mirage-IIIs. Army Cantonments and PAF bases that can house/service and sustain these aircraft are not like 27 in number. I am sure that the CIA, the US DOD, and the Indian RAW and the Army’s MI can whittle that number to two airfields in that nation.

Target these two locations. Develop men or women who can take control of the Sind, and the Punjab into independent entities and create a buffer state that would thrive on trade and learn to enjoy the freedom that the Taliban threatens to take away from them. Give them work, give them hope, and give them something to look forward to, maybe just a truck carrying bicycle tyres or tomatoes that grow in abundance in the deserts of Rajasthan- if not the more exotic Basmati rice that we so happily export to any country with Dollars enough to buy them.

The Taliban, not contained, one day will take this farce run by the ISI too far- and eventually the north will collapse. And then the battle will come to our door step. Insurgency in J&K is currently sustained by the ISI, and when their prodigies reach the border themselves, then Kashmir, UP, Bihar, Bangladesh will be the corridor that they will start to carve out for themselves.

Buffer states, sustained by our trade, sustained by our military education, sustained by the taste of money and freedom will only be our help.

Its time to create a Sind, a Punjab and leave them as if they were our extended states. Let them be entities with a life of their own, and let them keep the advancing Taliban at bay.

If we loose this opportunity to intervene and protect ourselves with a ‘Commonwealth of Broken Pakistani States’ then we are faced with the Taliban at our doorstep within the coming 18 months.

And the real fear, is that our old politicians would have just gotten older, and the Armed Forces would still have no clue on what to do with these hordes on the fence.

Individual valour will continue to be expressed, and good men in uniform will continue to die- with Actors, Cricket players and businessmen contesting the current general elections in India, the article is to be read by the men who roam the dark corridors of foreign policy, and its’ upto them to educate, cajole and/or threaten the elected few- to act and lead them and our country to becoming a regional superpower and sustain our nation for atleast the next five decades.

Seven One Day Monsoon rides around Mumbai

Working with a real estate firm in Mumbai, I had the opportunity to extensively travel around the Mumbai region. I am putting up seven maps for your reference, mostly all doable on Saturday (0600 to 2030Hrs)- so you relax at home on Sunday. These are the ones I did.

I have another set of maps for two day rides, but I would need more time to assemble and post that.

All these roads are good (no off raoading, unless you want to) and safe to travel on, and all should be really scenic come June15th.

1. Powai- Kolad- Tamhini- Lonavala- Powai (345Km)

Powai, Maharashtra to Powai, Maharashtra - Google Maps

2. Powai- Kon Gaon- Kalyan- Malsej Ghat- Karjat- Chowk- Powai (359 Km)

Powai, Maharashtra to Powai, Maharashtra - Google Maps


3. Powai- Nagothane- Murud-Janjira- Alibag-Vadkhal- Powai (306 Km)

Powai, Maharashtra to Powai, Maharashtra - Google Maps


4. Powai- Kolad- Tamhini- Paud- Lonavala- Khopoli- Pen- Panvel- Powai (376 Km)

Powai, Maharashtra to Powai, Maharashtra - Google Maps

5. Powai- Mahad- Shirwal- Lonavala- Powai (453Km)
Powai, Maharashtra to Powai, Maharashtra - Google Maps

6. Powai- Kalyan- Malsej Ghat- Otur-Bhandardara Dam- Asangaon_Powai (352 Km)
Powai, Maharashtra to Powai, Maharashtra - Google Maps

7. Powai- Mahad- Mahabaleshwar- Panchgani- Pune(Chandni Chwk)- Tamhini- Kolad- Powai (2 days- 563Km)

Powai, Maharashtra to Powai, Maharashtra - Google Maps

Here is the consolidated eprint article and comments from readers:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/99060-7-one-day-routes-mumbai.html

Finally I had time this long weekend to indulge in my hobby- driving and riding andd writing, and this weekend the agenda was to share drives that I have done in bits, parts and full.

I finally posted them on a Forum to make it more accessible to others.

Do take a min and review the same, with the monsoon coming in, I am sure you will just about have 7 weekends to indulge with family and friends.

For those of you not in Mumbai, you must know someone in Mumbai - forward it.

Skoda Fabia Review

This review too was written in May 2010.

After the coming of my Scorpio, I had to sell my Honda 1.5EXI (1998 model, the flat bonnet one), which had done about 80,000Km in its 4 years with me (total 130,000 in 8 years). The height differences of the drivers’ seat started to make it extremely uncomfortable to drive the Honda after getting used to the commanding position of the Scorpio. Uncomfortable highway driving, intersections and near-misses with autorickshaws helped me make up my mind on selling the same. Else, the Honda remains my favourite car for road-holding, reliability and low-maintenance costs.

The Fabia, with its adjustable seat, steering, and robust build took the family’s fancy and it arrived from Autobahn almost as quickly as it was ordered. The 1.4TDi turned in an average of 12.7KmpL on its very first tank of diesel and I wondered ‘Skoda?’

All the way to its service at 10,000Km, the car had settled down between 13.5 in the city and about 14.7-15.2 on highways. I must agree that speeds of 120+ and at times upto its rated 155 were more often seen than not. An amazing drive in Rajasthan- Mumbai-Mt Abu Road- Jodhpur-Jaisalmer- Barmer- Mumbai in the summer of 2008 saw it working without a sweat. A broken AC Condenser refrigerant pipe was attended to at the Skoda dealership in Jodhpur at 6PM- coordinated by Autobahns staff in Mumbai. I remain grateful to the staff to get the AC working else the 45 deg temperatures would have had me broiled. Rs 1200 to get the pipe braised. Gas+labour free.

A blistering drive from Jaisalmer to Tanot, Longewala and back, saw the car do 130+ consistently along the wonderful border roads. Maybe I will go back to see the scenery one of these days :-P

The fuel tank of 55- often saw me do over 600Km of good driving without the pesky stop… and once it felt great to do Mumbai-Goa on a single tank of gas, as opposed to the Kolhapur stop that the Scorpio would demand after doing 400+.

ABS- this works. It has saved my family once.

Roaring across the desert at 140 near Pokhran in Rajasthan, a milk-can carrying Mahindra pick-up pulled on to the road and I was forced to slam the brakes, swerve into the desert and get back onto the road. The ABS allowed me to steer thru the sand and get back onto the road. All this happened in a strange calm and not for a second was there a sense of panic in the vehicle. Like seat-belts, I would say it’s a must. If you can afford it, buy the ABS version of any car that you are looking at.

The rushing sand+shrubs under the car damaged the ‘kaichi’ and this set me back about Rs 29,000 on my return to Mumbai.

The service provided by Autobahn was good, but very annoying that they always were a day late in giving the car back, and their check-out always made it a chore for my driver to wait for a couple of hours to get the car out, even after reaching them on the time they said that the car would be ready.

Tires lasted for the entire duration of the 48,000Km that the car was with me. Rotated every 5000Km, no early wear-tear was noticed.

Wipers, front and rear- excellent wipe.

In Jan 2010, the AC would start-stop intermittently. The problem got worse and a local AC mechanic diagnosed it to the ‘carbon’ on the radiator fan motor, requiring a replacement finally in April. 10500+Labour- AHA! That reminds me, they had a computer breakdown that day, and its been 3-4 weeks since that, I have paid an ad-hoc 12K for the same, and I don’t have a receipt for it. They were to call me back and refund any excess payment… I am just too tired to deal with such a shabby service center.

No suprises, till the time the wife drove- like she did in the earlier Lavasa Rally with the Scorpio, she took the Fabia this time and –WOW- the steady driving, and low upper speeds, the car returned 24 KmpL. I loved the average, but I hate to drive like that. I am at peace with my 13-15 range. The car has potential to perform, to answer my ‘Skoda?’ but its insane to drive that car at 60Kmph on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

It felt at home doing 155 from Baroda to Ahmedabad- end to end on the 97Km long tar road… possibly the best single piece of closed road in India.

Worries of replacing all 5 tires (approx 21,000) and maintenance issues that would follow this kind of usage after 50,000 Km made me sell the car- not too soon though. The Radiator fan…

Other than the AC pipe, which was replaced in Mumbai along with the kaichi (not under warranty), nothing else required replacement under the warranty. No bulbs, no fuses, no horn, no nothing.

The solidity of the car, the doors, the hatchback door, the ‘planted’ feel on the highways, has spoilt me for other vehicles.

Possibly the only vehicle reaching its standards is the Polo, of which I await the diesel option- I hear they got the Govt approval for the engine (clearing of BS IV norms?) just last week- and maybe that’s what we will buy. I dread to think that the Fabia is then my only remaining option.

For people who drive gentler/lesser, there are many other cars- i20, Figo, Punto, Beat, Swift… I have nothing against them.

Drive alert and wear your seat-belts.

My first Scorpio review

This was an article I wrote in May 2010 just when I sold my first Scorpio.

In the past 4 years I drove my Scorpio SLX (the model without the pata-suspension) over 185000Km, and suprisingly, a few 'repeating issues' came up over this distance. I finally sold it last week and am waiting for the delivery of the VLX-BS IV, of which M&M and Global Gallarie keep changing the delivery dates.

0. Music system removed within first 500Km and replaced with a standard Pioneer head unit and standard 6x9 Pioneer speakers encased in floor mounted boxes. This remains a sore point ever since they reinforced the rear portion above the back door and prevented you from installing 5x8s.

1. Rear suspension bushings every 25-28K Km. Cost of replacement 8-8,500/- The rear of the vehicle starts to sway at speeds over a 100, and it gets worse over the next 2K Km, that you cant even drive on a open city road over 50Kmph. Replacing the bushes was the only answer, and there was no solution to this over the past 4 years. The wheel bearings stood up to the use/abuse and ever had to 'open' the suspension, well other than to replace the bearings.

2. Clutch - every 25,000Km till when at 80,000 (third clutch) they said the company had revised the design/material/vendor... after which the next clutch change was at 145000.

3. Bridgestone tires (first set lasted 65K Km). Apollo- big mistake- 35000, then Bridgestone for the next 50K, and currently on Bridgestone. But the front tires in both brands aquaplaned at 40+ speeds, and if you 'splashed water,' the front tires threw up water on ones own windshield. I wonder which joker from M&M checked the front air dam design to enable this?

4. Amazingly personal service from Nagaur in Rajasthan to Cochin to Sriganganagar, and Amrtisar to Indore. This is the MAIN reason I am buying the same vehicle again.

5. Diesel average was between consistent between 8.4 to 8.8 KmpL. But to give credit to more reasonable driving, when the wife drove it over the first Lavasa Womens Rally, she managed to eke out 13.5KmpL. M&M should design the tank to have a range of 700Km for it to be a real nice tourer.

6. One Bosch fuel injector blown at 22500Km. AC Compressor replaced at 90000Km, but no issues ever on that count. Both were replaced at company cost under the extended warranty. BTW- The AC--Chilled, instant, on-demand, immaterial of external environment vagaries.

7. Electrical system perfect. Never a blown fuse.

8. Poor wiper blades, replaced with Bosch blades, every monsoon. Body panels, rubber linings- perfect- never a leak in Mumbai monsoons.

9. Seat fabric prone to staining even with the 'sweat' from cold water bottles.

10. One irritating cross-member under the front seats that prevents the middle seat passenger from 'extending his feet atleast another 3-4 inches. Poor design for making a seat brace.

11. Excellent mirrors at all speeds.

12. Speeds- The new vehicle did 155+ when gunned, but settled down to a highway max of 135... It would run faster than that to about 150, but IMHO 130-135 was where it just about would stop talking to the road. The only thing that would hamper speeds was the clogging of the air filter, which would really impair acceleration and limit the top speed to <100Kmph. Change filter, instant 'back to normal' performance.

13. Body/Paint- Zero complaints. No fade or deforming, no loose panels, no peeling/flaking seen anywhere.

14. Final - First gear started to slip under load, the 1st and 3rd gear sprockets were 'eaten' to shreds. Rs. 16,000 to open the gear box, replace the 2 gears + the main shaft.

14. Repeat. Across the nation- prompt and amazing service.

Anyone with notes like this on the new mHawk-Scorpio?

Images- Poonch to Cochin are being prepped, and will be up over the weekend for those interested.

Regards,

KD.

Aircel and one-nation theory

Its criminal when we call ourselves one nation, and I wonder whom we are kidding. Just to get a raw perspective you should meet the makers of the ad showing the 'supposed' army officer using Aircel- and find out how many man hours it took them to name the lead role player... names from the south were not approved, just as names from the north were rejected... there was chaos in naming the actor.

It is better for our nation to go federal, and allow just defense and foreign affairs to be ruled from Delhi and end this farce of being a nation that never was.

Compartmentalising our nation is the only way forward, so that we can restrict corruption to the top one or two levels and the rest of the country can go ahead and work without this fear.

One visit to Gujarat and you will realize that its not going to be some industrially backward state of the north east, but the most modern one in the west that will demand to break away from the Union. There is no connection mental or physical between the Gujarat led by Mr. Modi and Chattisgarh. Roads, industries infrastructure are stripping the other states by leaps and bounds and therefore soon a day will come when they will realize its not worth the burden of carrying along beggar states that pull down them down economically.