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Indian Army appoints new commanders |
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The Indian Army appointed several commanders to key posts over the past week as part of routine transfers and postings. Lt. Gen. Shamsher Singh Mehta has taken over as Chief of the strategic western command, which provides the bulk of the forces currently engaged in the military standoff with Pakistan.
Mehta, who led negotiations with Russia for the purchase of the T-90 tanks a few years ago, headed the Army’s prestigious training command before he was shifted to the Chandigarh-based western command.
He succeeded Lt. Gen. Surjit Singh Sangra, who has retired. Sangra headed the Army’s internal probe last year into irregularities in defence purchases that were uncovered by a Web site’s investigative reporters. A highly regarded soldier, Mehta is expected to play a key role in supervising operations along the tense western frontier with Pakistan as India currently has no plans to withdraw its forces from the border. India and Pakistan had amassed nearly a million troops along their frontier in December last year following an attack on Parliament that was blamed on two Pakistan-based terror groups.
In other appointments, Lt. Gen. R.B. Singh has taken over as the Chief of the crucial Leh-based 14 Corps, which is responsible for guarding borders with Pakistan and China. Singh replaced Lt. Gen. Arjun Ray, a high-profile commander who sought premature release from service.
Lt. Gen. Mathew Mamman took over as the new Director General of the Rashtriya Rifles, the Army’s counter-insurgency force that is deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states. Lt. Gen. Gambhir Singh Negi took over as commandant of the Indian Army’s Infantry School. Negi, who succeeded Lt. Gen. D.B. Shekatkar, is a highly decorated officer with wide-ranging command, staff and instructional experience. In addition to commanding a battalion of the Gorkha Rifles regiment, he has headed a division in Jammu and Kashmir. Commissioned into the famous third battalion of 3 Gorkha Rifles regiment in 1965, Negi is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College. Lt. Gen. Shantonu Choudhry was appointed Chief of the Indian Army’s training command in Shimla.
Choudhry, who was commanding a corps in the western sector, is a highly decorated officer who has held several command, staff and instructional appointments.
Commissioned in the Artillery Regiment in 1963, Choudhry has served in the insurgency affected northeastern region and Jammu and Kashmir. He has also served in the Military Operations Directorate here and been an instructor in the Defence Services Staff College.
During his tenures in Kashmir, Choudhry commanded an artillery brigade and Kashmir valley-based “Victor” counter-insurgency force. He has also been Additional Director General of Military Intelligence at Army headquarters.
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