Krishnaswamy Sundararajan
Encyclopedia
General Krishnaswamy Sundarji (28 April 1930 - 8 February 1999), was India's Chief of Army staff from 1986 to 1988. Widely respected as a scholar warrior, he was regarded as one of the most promising Generals of Independent India
. During his army career, he had commanded the Operation Bluestar under orders from Indira Gandhi to attack the Golden Temple
shrine. He introduced a number of technology initiatives for the Indian army. He was also questioned for his role in recommending the Bofors Howitzer in the Bofors Scandal
.
His formal or official name was Krishnaswamy Sundarrajan, but he was popularly known by the informal name of Sundarji.
, in an Iyengar
Brahmin
family with a very modern outlook. He joined the Madras Christian College
only to leave it before receiving a degree. Dr A.J. Boyd, who was then the highly distinguished principal of the college, was sorry to see him leave. He was looking forward to Sundararajan later becoming a doctor though he reconciled himself to the country gaining a soldier.
Subsequently, he graduated from the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington, Tamil Nadu
. He also studied at the Command and General Staff College
at Fort Leavenworth
in the US, and the National Defence College
in New Delhi
. He held an Master of Arts
in International Studies from Allahabad University
and an M.Sc. in Defence Studies from Madras University.
He had married Padma Sundarji when he was a Major serving with the MAHAR Regiment, an infantry Unit in the Indian Army. Padma spent the best years of her life giving him company throughout his various postings.When he was serving as General Officer Commanding(GOC),First Armoured Division. She died at Army Hospital, Delhi CANTT in 1978 of lupus. He had two children, Pria and Vikram, from this marriage. Later, he married for the second time.
, where his work involved two of the most troublesome areas of North-West Frontier Province
and then in Jammu and Kashmir
.
In the period following India's independence (and separation from Pakistan),
he was involved in action in Kargil
, when a host of mercenaries supported by
Pakistan invaded Kashmir.
In 1963 he served in the UN mission in the Congo
, where he was chief of staff of the Katanga
command and was mentioned in dispatches for his gallantry.
In 1965 he was once again back in action in India, to fight in the Indo-Pak war. The war was a complete misadventure by Pakistan. But it could have gone either way. This might have made Sundarji realize the crucial role, technology could play in winning wars, placed as he was in command of an Infantry battalion.
He played an important role as Brigadier General
Staff of corps in the Rangpur
sector of Bangladesh
, during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. This war led to the liberation of Bangladesh.
He became a Major General
in 1974.For the first time in the history of Indian Army, an Infantry Officer became the General Officer Commanding(GOC)of the elite First Armoured Division. He was chosen by Gen. KV Krishna Rao to be part of a small team for reorganizing the Indian army
, especially with regard to technology.
. He came to head the mechanized Infantry regiment
, which he had himself shaped, by inducting various battlaions from Indian army's premier regiments.
articulate military spokesman for nuclear policy.
In 1984, he led Operation Bluestar, intended to evict Sikh
extremists who had occupied the Golden temple in Amritsar
. The Indian army marched into the gurudawara with their boots off. He was to later say - "We went inside with humility in our hearts and prayers on our lips". According to his wife, Sundarji emerged a changed man after this operation.
In 1986, he was appointed the Chief of Army Staff. After taking over as the Army Chief, he wrote a letter to his soldiers warning of deteriorating standards, and the evil of sycophancy.
As army chief, his operations at Sumdorong Chu in 1986, known as Operation Falcon, has been widely praised. The Chinese had occupied Sumdorong Chu and Sundarji used the air force's new air-lift capability to land a brigade in Zimithang, north of Tawang. Indian forces took up positions on the Hathung La ridge, across the Namka Chu river, where India had faced a humiliating defeat in 1962. The Chinese responded with a counter-build-up and adopted a belligerent tone. Western diplomats predicted war and some of prime minister Rajiv Gandhi
's advisers blamed Sundarji's recklessness. But Sundarji stood by his steps, at one point telling a senior aide, "Please make alternate arrangements if you think you are not getting adequate professional advice." The confrontation petered out.
He was also involved in Operation Brasstacks
, a large scale mechanised artillery and war gaming effort in July 1986 near the Pakistan border, which led to similar Pakistani buildup. The situation was defused through diplomatic talks in February 1987.
was sent to Jaffna
to disarm the LTTE. However, the Indian army had no experience with the unconventional jungle warfare and faced a high rate of casualties. Among the few successes was the bombing of the LTTE controlled jetties by the Indian Navy Marine commandos (MARCOS) then known as the Indian Navy Special Commando Force.
The IPKF force was withdrawn in 1990.
Government struck a $1.3 billion defence deal with A B Bofors
of Sweden
. Sundarji had recommended this gun, which he felt was as good as the French Sofma, which had been favoured earlier. When news emerged of a 3% payoff in the deal, with possible links going up to the highest levels of government, Sundarji tried to have the deal cancelled.
In 1996, Swiss bank documents were released to the Indian government,revealing that the bribe money had been channelled through several front companies to Ottavio Quattrocchi
, an Italian businessman and close personal friend of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi
. The Central Bureau of Investigation
asked General Sundarji to testify before the agency on his role in the deal. This is what he had said in an interview at that point.
The Bofors scandal and the (slight) shadow it cast on his reputation of integrity left Sundarji scarred with a severe distaste for politics.
Post his transformation of the armoured corps Sundarji went on to create the Mechanised Infantry. With emphasis on speed, technology and mobile weaponry it is now an integral part of the Indian Strike corps.
Sundarji was amongst the core team that created Indian nuclear policy. As a senior general in the Army along with Admiral Tahiliani, Sundarji wrote the Indian Nuclear doctrine. Post retirement, he was unhappy with the lack of response among politicians regarding nuclear security, and wrote the book Blind Men of Hindustan in 1993.
Sundarji can also be credited for shaping modern Indian army thinking. In his stint as the commandant of the College of combat at Mhow, he practically rewrote the war manual with emphasis on speed, decisive action, technology and his abiding love - armour.
Sundarji was one of the few to predict the total rout of the (soviet trained) Iraqi forces in the first gulf war. Writing for a major Indian magazine - India Today, he was amongst the few who clearly saw what superior air power and technology would do.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. During his army career, he had commanded the Operation Bluestar under orders from Indira Gandhi to attack the Golden Temple
Harmandir Sahib
The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib , also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab . Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev...
shrine. He introduced a number of technology initiatives for the Indian army. He was also questioned for his role in recommending the Bofors Howitzer in the Bofors Scandal
Bofors scandal
The Bofors scandal was a major corruption scandal in India in the 1980s; the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and several others were accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply India's 155 mm field howitzer...
.
His formal or official name was Krishnaswamy Sundarrajan, but he was popularly known by the informal name of Sundarji.
Early life
He was born on 28 April 1930 at Chengelpet in Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, in an Iyengar
Iyengar
Iyengar or Ayyangar is a caste given to Hindu Brahmins of Tamil origin who follow the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Sri Ramanujacharya. They are found mostly in Tamil Nadu as they are generally native to the Tamil Nadu state of the Republic of India...
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family with a very modern outlook. He joined the Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
only to leave it before receiving a degree. Dr A.J. Boyd, who was then the highly distinguished principal of the college, was sorry to see him leave. He was looking forward to Sundararajan later becoming a doctor though he reconciled himself to the country gaining a soldier.
Subsequently, he graduated from the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington, Tamil Nadu
Wellington, Tamil Nadu
Wellington is a town in The Nilgiris District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Wellington is home to The Defense Services Staff College , a premier tri-service training establishment that imparts training to middle level officers of the three wings of the Indian Armed Forces, friendly foreign...
. He also studied at the Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
in the US, and the National Defence College
National Defence College, India
The National Defence College of India, located in New Delhi, is an institution of higher learning of the defence forces of India. The institution was inaugurated on 27 April 1960 and is the only military institution in the country that imparts knowledge on all aspects of national security and...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. He held an Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in International Studies from Allahabad University
Allahabad University
Allahabad University , is a premier Central University located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Its origins lie in the Muir Central College, named after Lt...
and an M.Sc. in Defence Studies from Madras University.
He had married Padma Sundarji when he was a Major serving with the MAHAR Regiment, an infantry Unit in the Indian Army. Padma spent the best years of her life giving him company throughout his various postings.When he was serving as General Officer Commanding(GOC),First Armoured Division. She died at Army Hospital, Delhi CANTT in 1978 of lupus. He had two children, Pria and Vikram, from this marriage. Later, he married for the second time.
Life as a soldier
Even as a young soldier he proved himself to be a leader, a man of foresight and wisdom. He was commissioned in 1946 into the Mahar RegimentMahar Regiment
The Mahar Regiment is an Infantry Regiment of the Indian Army. Although it was originally intended to be a regiment consisting of troops from the Mahars in Maharashtra, the Mahar Regiment is one of the only regiments in the Indian Army that is composed of troops from all communities and regions of...
, where his work involved two of the most troublesome areas of North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
and then in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
.
In the period following India's independence (and separation from Pakistan),
he was involved in action in Kargil
Kargil District
Kargil is a district of Ladakh, Kashmir, India. Kargil lies near the Line of Control facing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Baltistan to the west, and Kashmir valley to the south. Zanskar is part of Kargil district along with Suru, Wakha and Dras valleys...
, when a host of mercenaries supported by
Pakistan invaded Kashmir.
In 1963 he served in the UN mission in the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, where he was chief of staff of the Katanga
Katanga Province
Katanga Province is one of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province. Under the new constitution, the province was to be replaced by four smaller provinces by February 2009; this did not actually take place.Katanga's regional...
command and was mentioned in dispatches for his gallantry.
In 1965 he was once again back in action in India, to fight in the Indo-Pak war. The war was a complete misadventure by Pakistan. But it could have gone either way. This might have made Sundarji realize the crucial role, technology could play in winning wars, placed as he was in command of an Infantry battalion.
He played an important role as Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Staff of corps in the Rangpur
Rangpur, Bangladesh
Rangpur is one of the major cities in Bangladesh. Rangpur is considered as the centre of northwestern Bangladesh. Recently established public university of Bangladesh named as "Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur" is situated in the southern part of the city. Earlier Rangpur was the headquarter of...
sector of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. This war led to the liberation of Bangladesh.
He became a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1974.For the first time in the history of Indian Army, an Infantry Officer became the General Officer Commanding(GOC)of the elite First Armoured Division. He was chosen by Gen. KV Krishna Rao to be part of a small team for reorganizing the Indian army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, especially with regard to technology.
. He came to head the mechanized Infantry regiment
Mechanized Infantry Regiment
The Mechanized Infantry Regiment is the newest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of three regular battalions. Establish in 2007 its battalions equipped with Type 63 and WZ551 armoured personnel carriers make up the Mechanized Infantry Brigade .-History:The Mechanized Infantry Regiment...
, which he had himself shaped, by inducting various battlaions from Indian army's premier regiments.
The senior general
It was about this time when India had tested its own Nuclear bomb. General Sundaji had long been an advocate of a nuclear policy, and now emerged as anarticulate military spokesman for nuclear policy.
In 1984, he led Operation Bluestar, intended to evict Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
extremists who had occupied the Golden temple in Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
. The Indian army marched into the gurudawara with their boots off. He was to later say - "We went inside with humility in our hearts and prayers on our lips". According to his wife, Sundarji emerged a changed man after this operation.
In 1986, he was appointed the Chief of Army Staff. After taking over as the Army Chief, he wrote a letter to his soldiers warning of deteriorating standards, and the evil of sycophancy.
As army chief, his operations at Sumdorong Chu in 1986, known as Operation Falcon, has been widely praised. The Chinese had occupied Sumdorong Chu and Sundarji used the air force's new air-lift capability to land a brigade in Zimithang, north of Tawang. Indian forces took up positions on the Hathung La ridge, across the Namka Chu river, where India had faced a humiliating defeat in 1962. The Chinese responded with a counter-build-up and adopted a belligerent tone. Western diplomats predicted war and some of prime minister Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
's advisers blamed Sundarji's recklessness. But Sundarji stood by his steps, at one point telling a senior aide, "Please make alternate arrangements if you think you are not getting adequate professional advice." The confrontation petered out.
He was also involved in Operation Brasstacks
Operation Brasstacks
The Operation Brasstacks was a codename of a large military exercise undertaken by the Indian Army in Rajasthan region of India during November 1986 and March 1987. It was one of the largest mobilizations of Indian Armed Forces in the Indian subcontinent. Many regard this as one of the most...
, a large scale mechanised artillery and war gaming effort in July 1986 near the Pakistan border, which led to similar Pakistani buildup. The situation was defused through diplomatic talks in February 1987.
IPKF in Srilanka: Operation Pawan
In 1987, the Indian government agreed to a Sri Lankan request and the Indian Peace Keeping ForceIndian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990...
was sent to Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
to disarm the LTTE. However, the Indian army had no experience with the unconventional jungle warfare and faced a high rate of casualties. Among the few successes was the bombing of the LTTE controlled jetties by the Indian Navy Marine commandos (MARCOS) then known as the Indian Navy Special Commando Force.
The IPKF force was withdrawn in 1990.
The Bofors Scandal
In 1986, the Rajiv GandhiRajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
Government struck a $1.3 billion defence deal with A B Bofors
Bofors
The name Bofors has been associated with the iron industry for more than 350 years.Located in Karlskoga, Sweden, the company originates from the hammer mill "Boofors" founded 1646. The modern corporate structure was created in 1873 with the foundation of Aktiebolaget Bofors-Gullspång...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Sundarji had recommended this gun, which he felt was as good as the French Sofma, which had been favoured earlier. When news emerged of a 3% payoff in the deal, with possible links going up to the highest levels of government, Sundarji tried to have the deal cancelled.
In 1996, Swiss bank documents were released to the Indian government,revealing that the bribe money had been channelled through several front companies to Ottavio Quattrocchi
Ottavio Quattrocchi
Ottavio Quattrocchi is an Italian businessman who was being sought until early 2009 in India for criminal charges for acting as a conduit for bribes in the Bofors scandal....
, an Italian businessman and close personal friend of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
. The Central Bureau of Investigation
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
asked General Sundarji to testify before the agency on his role in the deal. This is what he had said in an interview at that point.
- Question (George Iype): Didn't you tell the Rajiv Gandhi government to scrap the deal when the scandal broke out?
- Gen. Sundarji: Soon after the corruption charges began pouring in the foreign and Indian media, I immediately rushed to the office of the then Defence Minister Arun SinghArun SinghArun Singh is a former union minister of state for defence in the Government of India. He was minister in the government headed by Rajiv Gandhi .Born into the princely family of Kapurthala, Arun Singh attended Doon School and later Cambridge with Rajiv Gandhi...
and told him: "Let us scrap the deal."... I insisted that the government should terminate the deal with the Swedish firm as by then only six Bofors gun had arrived in India.
- Q: What did Singh tell you?
- S: He told me to write my request on a piece of paper and submit it to the Defence Secretary, S. K. Bhatnagar, so that he can take up the matter with the Prime Minister's Office. I did that and waited for days to get an answer from Singh. But one day Bhatnagar came to my office and told me to redraft the note and change my stand.
- Q: What did you do then?
- S: I told Bhatnagar that I could not agree to the suggestion. I then called on Arun Singh and asked why the government was insisting that the deal should go through. He told me that the PMO feels that the cancellation of the Bofors contract would jeopardise India's security. By 1987 April, only six Bofors guns had arrived in India. I tried to convince Singh that the Bofors gun would not affect the country's security and defence preparedness.
- Q: Did Arun Singh agree with you?
- S: It seemed to me that Singh agreed with my views. But he told me that "the order from above and obedience from below theory" is the order of the government. Singh soon left the Rajiv Gandhi government in disgust.
The Bofors scandal and the (slight) shadow it cast on his reputation of integrity left Sundarji scarred with a severe distaste for politics.
Sundarji as a Thinker
Sundarji was amongst the most far-sighted armoured corps commanders in the Indian Army. Despite being commisionned in the Infantry he was a keen student and admirer of tank warfare. He pioneered various operational guidelines, challenged his commanders to push the machines and men to the limits. In various exercises he is known to have ordered tanks full speed up sand dunes in the Thar desert at 70 degrees. Amongst other things he designed the flamboyant all black uniform of the Armoured corps.Post his transformation of the armoured corps Sundarji went on to create the Mechanised Infantry. With emphasis on speed, technology and mobile weaponry it is now an integral part of the Indian Strike corps.
Sundarji was amongst the core team that created Indian nuclear policy. As a senior general in the Army along with Admiral Tahiliani, Sundarji wrote the Indian Nuclear doctrine. Post retirement, he was unhappy with the lack of response among politicians regarding nuclear security, and wrote the book Blind Men of Hindustan in 1993.
Sundarji can also be credited for shaping modern Indian army thinking. In his stint as the commandant of the College of combat at Mhow, he practically rewrote the war manual with emphasis on speed, decisive action, technology and his abiding love - armour.
Sundarji was one of the few to predict the total rout of the (soviet trained) Iraqi forces in the first gulf war. Writing for a major Indian magazine - India Today, he was amongst the few who clearly saw what superior air power and technology would do.