Officials in the security establishment said the proposal to withdraw the Army from Kashmir hinterland has been under discussion for about two years and is at an “advanced stage” now with the involvement of the Union Ministry of Defence, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, armed forces and the J&K police. It is proposed that the CRPF would fill in for the army personnel removed from the Valley to meet the challenges of both law and order and counter-terror operations.

 “The matter is under serious discussion at inter-ministerial level and it is understood to be feasible. In a way, the decision has been taken and it is a matter of when it will be done. Ultimately, however, it will be a political call,” a senior security establishment officer said.

Texts and calls to the CRPF, J&K Police and the Army did not elicit a response till the time of going to press.

According to officials, the Army maintains a strength of around 1.3 lakh personnel in the entire J&K of which around 80,000 are deployed on the border. About 40,000-45,000 personnel from the Rashtriya Rifles have the mantle of conducting counter-terror operations in Kashmir’s hinterland.

The CRPF is said to have a strength of close to 60,000 personnel in J&K, of which more than 45,000 are deployed in Kashmir Valley. J&K Police is 83,000 strong. Apart from this, a few companies from other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) remain deployed in the Valley. The figures for CAPFs fluctuate depending on the security situation in the Valley.

The idea behind the deliberations is to not just claim normalcy in Kashmir but also make it visible. The government claims that terrorist violence incidents and killing of security personnel in J&K have reduced by almost 50 per cent since August 5, 2019, compared with the same period before it. “Since the August 5, 2019 decisions, violence in the Valley has steadily reduced. Stone pelting has almost vanished and the law-and-order situation is largely under control. However, a large presence of the Indian Army in the hinterland would sit oddly with claims of normalcy,” a Union home ministry official said.

Political call

Political parties in J&K as well as some wings of the government have been pushing for a complete withdrawal of the Army. This has gathered momentum in recent months with many in the government impressing upon the political leadership that the claims of normalcy may be followed with action such as the phased removal of Army from the Valley’s districts.

According to another government official, the ideal situation, as discussed during the deliberations, would be to hand over the mantle of counter-terror operations in the hinterland to Jammu and Kashmir Police.

“However, at the moment the Union Territory police force is not being viewed as fully prepared and having the wherewithal to replace the Army on its own. So, the idea is to have J&K Police along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) fill in for the Army when it is withdrawn. They have also demonstrated over the years their capability in Srinagar where the Army is not present. The details of it, in terms of how many more CRPF personnel would be required for this and how the entire command structure will function, is being worked out,” the official said.

Sources in the security establishment said that in the discussions it was proposed that the Army be withdrawn in a phased manner. “May be the Army can be withdrawn first from a couple of districts such as Anantnag and Kulgam. Following this, the situation on the counter-terror front and the response of the people would be assessed. Depending upon the results, further steps towards more withdrawals would be taken. That’s how it was done when the Border Security Force (BSF) was withdrawn from hinterland Kashmir in the mid-2000s,” another official said.

The official said that one proposal discussed is to remove the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian Army in three phases and replace them with CRPF. The RR, set up in 1990, with a mandate to conduct counter-terror operations in the Valley hinterland, never had a permanent mandate, the official said.

Another official, privy to details of the discussions, said as of now the Army is only talking about decreasing the strength and not removing RR completely. The Army, according to defence sources, is already planning a resizing.

“They (RR) are affiliated to various infantry units. By continuing to deploy them for such long periods in internal security duties, you are bleeding the Army units. Army is meant for major tactics and battles. RR has been excellent in the Valley. But time has come to send it back to its core duties,” the official said.

The Army, defence sources said, is already working on resizing the Rashtriya Rifles. The plan is to reduce the 63 battalions of RR by two companies each (each RR has six companies now). It is being discussed if one force headquarters (five in all) and a few sector headquarters (total of 15) of RR can also be reduced, even as the drawdown plan is yet to be finalised. This could add up to over 15,000 troops.

Counter-terror operations in the Kashmir Valley are carried out by the Indian Army with the support of CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police. Since the onset of militancy in the Valley, the Army has had a primary role in not just stopping infiltration at the border but also thwarting terror attacks and eliminating militants inside Kashmir through the creation of Rashtriya Rifles in 1990. It did this with J&K Police and the BSF till 2004-05 and has been supported by the CRPF and local police since. Also, in Srinagar, all counter-terror operations since 2005 have been carried out by CRPF and J&K Police, with the RR being kept out.

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The CSWS is a special purpose weapon designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune. It can engage targets located around the corners as the system bends and captures video feed thus saving soldiers from any surprise counter attack and is best suited for urban, close quarter situations.

“The development was completed in March 2019 and has since cleared user trials with various Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Procurement by CRPF and J&K police is under advanced stage,” a defence official said.

The development began about a decade back. In July 2020, the DRDO transferred the technology to the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Pune and the Zen Technologies Limited, Hyderabad, for production, the official said.

A few systems were used in the recent India–Japan bilateral army exercise Dharma Guardian–2022 which concluded on March 10 at Belagavi in Karnataka. Indian troops briefed the Japanese side on the system and both used it while practising room intervention to neutralise hostile elements.

The CSWS is equipped with weapon, camera, laser, infrared illuminator and torch in front portion, while display, electronics, battery and swivelling mechanism are located at rear portion, the official said. The body is made from high–grade aluminium alloy to make it lighter and durable.

Features like day night firing capability, colour display, digital zoom, zeroing facility, hot keys, high power battery along with status display and compliance with JSS 5855 makes it a very potent system for security forces engaged in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terror (CI/CT) operations, the official said.

Many superior features

This indigenously designed and developed system has many superior features compared to its contemporary international systems and available for 9 mm GLOCK 17/19 and 1A1 Auto Pistol variant, the official said.

The industry has been part of the development phase which enabled them to absorb the technology better, one of the officials said emphasising on the effort to involve the domestic industry as part of the ‘Atmanirbhar’ initiative.

The official said the prototypes during development and for the trials were produced by the two industries based on design given to them to ensure there are no gaps in manufacturing at a later stage. “The technical trials are done and the system is fully ready. It is also a good option for export,” the official said.

In the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, both the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Army had projected requirement for corner shot weapons to equip their troops for urban warfare where security personnel get exposed while trying to locate or flush out terrorists. Both had then floated tenders for procuring them.

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Union minister for home affairs, Amit Shah said during the debate on the Bill that as per the intent of the original law, Special Protection Group (SPG) focussed on the prime minister’s security, as he was constitutionally the Head of the Government. It looked after the prime minister’s personal security, health, communication and secured the prime minister’s office (PMO) and the prime minister’s residence. It must not be made a status symbol and its mandate must not be diluted in deploying the specialized force for the security of a particular family, without naming the Gandhis. Shah also stressed that the Government was responsible for the security of 130 crore Indian citizens, which included the said family.

The home minister noted that there was a perception that the amendment in SPG Act was brought only for the purpose to remove the SPG security cover for the Gandhi family. Opposed to that, the Gandhi family’s security level was not being removed but was changed from SPG to Z+ with ASL (Advance Security Liaison) and 24X7 ambulance provision. This had been done on the basis of threat perception as per the original version of the law and the family’s security cover was at par with that of the home minister, defence minister, etc.

Taking a dig at the opposition benches, Shah said that the person who would be at the greatest disadvantage because of the amendment in the Act is the current prime minister, who would lose SPG cover five years after he demits office. He also remarked that the SPG security cover of several previous prime ministers had been removed in the past, but there were no protests previously.

The Government, earlier in August, downgraded the security cover of former prime minister Manomhan Singh, from SPG to Z+ of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The security cover of several other very important persons (VIPs), too, was downgraded.

The SPG protectees travel in special bullet proof or armoured cars. Under the SPG Act, the commandos carry ultra-modern assault rifles and the state governments are bound to meet the security cover demands of the SPG. An SPG protectee is entitled to use special choppers or aircraft of the Indian Air Force for transport.

Deciding on Level of Protection

The home ministry takes the decision based on inputs from intelligence agencies, which include the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). They largely give a subjective measure of threat to life or injury to a person from terrorists or any other group, based on information from their sources.

Certain individuals, by dint of their position in government, are automatically entitled to security cover. These include the prime minister and his immediate family. The home minister and officials such as the national security adviser (NSA), too, generally get security cover on the basis of their position.

Since none of the intelligence agencies in India is accountable to any statutory body, barring the internal oversight of the home and external affairs ministries, VIP security is sometimes seen as open to manipulation. A number of protectees, it has been alleged, were under security cover for political reasons and not necessarily due to any real threat.

 The elite ‘Black Cat’ commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) are deployed to protect VIPs for whom the threat perception is the highest.

Protection Levels

There are largely six types of security covers: X, Y, Y+, Z, Z+ and SPG. While SPG is meant only for the prime minister and his immediate family, other categories can be provided to anyone about whom the Centre or state governments have inputs about facing a threat.

The X category on an average entails just one gunman protecting the individual; Y has one gunman for mobile security and one (plus four on rotation) for static security; Y+ has two policemen on rotation for security and one (plus four on rotation) for residence security; Z has six gunmen for mobile security and two (plus eight) for residence security; Z+ has 10 security personnel for mobile security and two (plus eight) for residence security.

There are various kinds of cover within these levels. These include security of residence, mobile security, office security and inter-state security. Different VIPs are given different kinds of cover depending on threat perception.

Then, different forces may be engaged for residence and mobile security. Many protectees get residence security from state police and mobile security from a Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).

What is the SPG?

The SPG is a force raised specifically for the protection of the prime minister, former prime ministers and their immediate family. The force is currently 3,000 strong and protects only four people – prime minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka Gandhi.

The elite force is highly trained in physical efficiency, marksmanship, combat and proximate protection tactics and is assisted by all central and state agencies to ensure foolproof security. SPG special agents assigned to the prime minister security detail wear black, Western-style formal business suits, with sunglasses, and carry a two-way encrypted communication earpiece, and concealed handguns. They wear safari suits on occasions.

Then there are special operations commandos who carry ultra-modern assault rifles, and wear dark-visor sunglasses with inbuilt communication earpieces, bulletproof vests, gloves and elbow/knee pads.

History of SPG

The SPG was raised in 1985 in the wake of the killing of prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. Earlier, Delhi police (before 1981) and Special Task Force (raised by the IB in 1981) provided residence and proximate security to the prime minister.

Following Indira Gandhi’s killing, a review committee of secretaries recommended formation of a special group under a designated officer and for Special Task Force (STF) to provide immediate security cover both in New Delhi and outside as a short-term measure.

In 1985, the Birbal Nath Committee set up by the home ministry recommended raising a Special Protection Unit (SPU), and 819 posts were created under the Cabinet Secretariat. The SPU was then re-christened SPG and the post of Inspector General of Police (IGP) was re-designated as director.

For three years, SPG functioned under executive orders. In 1988, Parliament passed the SPG Act. Then, the Act did not include former prime ministers. When VP Singh came to power in 1989, his government withdrew SPG protection given to his predecessor Rajiv Gandhi. After Rajiv’s assassination in 1991, Singh faced much criticism and the SPG Act was amended to offer protection to all former prime ministers and their families for at least 10 years.

In 2003, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government again amended the SPG Act to bring the period of automatic protection down from 10 years to “a period of one year from the date on which the former prime minister ceased to hold office” and beyond one year based on the level of threat as decided by the government. During the Vajpayee regime, the SPG cover of former prime ministers such as HD Deve Gowda, IK Gujaral and PV Narasimha Rao was withdrawn.

Who are the National Security Guard?

The NSG was founded as a special commando unit for surgical strikes against organised terrorist attacks within the country. It was envisaged in the wake of high casualties and damage during Operation Blue Star in 1984.

According to NSG’s website, it is a “Federal Contingency World Class Zero Error Force” to deal with terrorism. It says it is a force “specially trained and equipped to deal with specific situations and therefore to be used only in exceptional circumstances to thwart serious acts of terrorism”.

Yet its mandate of the force has been diluted over the years with the burden of VIP security. NSG has two groups of personnel and officers: Special Action Group (SAG) and Special Ranger Group (SRG). SAG is drawn from the Army and focuses on counter-terror training and action; SRG is used for VIP security.

NSG personnel have always been in high demand among politicians. The force has often argued that Black Cat commandos, as NSG personnel are popularly known on account of their combat dress, has become a status symbol and the government must take it off VIP security duties. That has not happened. NSG is not a protection unit; its core ability is in handling terror, hijacking, etc.

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Prime minister Narendra Modi at Rajpath on the occasion of the 69th Republic Day Parade.

The men who protect the PM. While those in suits form the inner ring of PM’s security set up, the others come out during Republic Day and I-Day for outer security cover

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CRPF Gets Gadgets Used by SPG

Although Special Protection Group (SPG) cover has been withdrawn from the three members of the Gandhi family – Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra – none of the vehicles, equipment and gadgets previously being used by the SPG have been withdrawn. Now, it is the CRPF that is using them to provide Z+ security to these three VVIPs.

However the official transfer of vehicles, equipment and gadgets from NSG to CRPF would take some time, the Gandhi family will continue to commute in the designated Range Rover SUVs which they had used under SPG protection.

In a smooth transition from the SPG to the CRPF, the latter has been providing security to Gandhis and two others as per Z+ security norms. The other two protectees who had SPG cover in the past are former prime minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur. Manmohan and his wife’s SPG cover was withdrawn prior to Gandhis.

While an SPG protectee is guarded by nearly 100 SPG commandos, the one with Z+ cover is guarded by a team of 55, which includes at least 10 National Security Guard (NSG) commandos. The CRPF deploys its strength (number of personnel) as per the location where the Z+ protectee has been visiting. Also, the team providing Z+ security cover to Gandhi family members have NSG commandos in it who have earlier served at NSG.

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