автор: Col. Prakash Ved

Col. Ved Parkash was commissioned into the famed Sikh Regiment of the Infantry, leading fighting arm of the Indian Army in 1957. His first posting was to 3SIKH, when this battalion was actively engaged in fighting the Naga insurgency then at its pack in the Naga Hills. With 12 years of service he won a competitive vacancy to attend Defence Services Staff College Course in 1970, an acme of professional excellence for Army officers. During his second tenure (1970s) in the North-East, he commanded 18 Assam Rifles Batallion in the Mizo Hills. Here are two interesting and significant coincidences: If for his first tenure, his unit was headquartered at Naga leader Phizo»s village, Khonoma, in the second, his unit was located at Mizo leader Laldenga»s village, Lungleh. Thus he not only fought the Naga and Mizo terrorism and insurgencies at their virulent worst but also studied their wider aspects at close quarters. He also served for two tenures in Jammu and Kashmir, again getting an opportunity to study the Islamist terrorism there. The author took part in the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars. He was serving at the Army Headquarters, New Delhi when he retired in 1989.