Army as First Responder

After the stampede in Kumbh, "If the Kumbh had been managed by the Indian Army, this tragedy wouldn't have happened. There are enough people willing to serve selflessly in our country." Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party leader, tweeted after the incident, "it is necessary that the administration and management of the Maha Kumbh should be immediately handed over to the Army." These were also the thoughts of many devotees who were present.

- (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.)

This is the Indian Army, quiet, always in the background, but ever ready to be there when the nation needs it. It never seeks the limelight but is omnipresent. This is largely because of its deployment in almost every part of the country. This role of the Army, being there when the public needs its presence the most, has earned it national accolades. It is the most respected national institution today. There is no natural calamity or accident where it has not been involved in relief and rescue tasks.

India's varied geography and climate make it vulnerable to natural disasters. Almost 60 per cent of our landmass is prone to earthquakes, 12 per cent to floods, 6,000 kms of coastline susceptible to cyclones and 70 per cent of the country's cultivable land prone to droughts. Hilly regions remain at risk of landslides and avalanches. While India has national institutions including the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) at the central level and similar institutions at state levels, it needs additional trained troops. This flows from the Army.