Rattan Chand Sharma, Commandant (Retd) BSF Joined: December 21, 2022 The author retired as a commandant in the Border Security Force. Before joining the BSF, he served in the Indian Army as a short service commissioned officer. After retirement, he had a brief stint in the academia. Currently, he is a commentator on security and strategic issues and regularly contributes to various well-known journals.
In this op-ed, former BSF Commandant RC Sharma contends that expanding BSF jurisdiction to 50km without completing border fencing is security theatre that damages federal relations while leaving India's borders vulnerable.
In this op-ed, former BSF Commandant RC Sharma strongly advocates for the 8th Pay Commission to recognize CAPF personnel as true soldiers and give them their due NFU and other financial benefits.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, former BSF commandant, writes that with the current political situation in Bangladesh turning rapidly anti-India, the BSF must shun its old approach of using non-lethal force to prevent infiltration and nefarious cross-border activities.
In this op-ed, former BSF commandant RC Sharma writes that radicalization in India is not a communal problem but a national crisis, and gives a two-step solution to curb it.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, former BSF commandant, argues that for India to neutralize the threat from homegrown, educated professionals radicalized to carry out terrorism, it must counter radicalization in educational institutions.
In this op-ed, former BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes CAPF cadre officers have proven their competence and combat capabilities and the Supreme Court has now definitively ruled in their favour. The Centre must immediately implement the judgment.
In this op-ed, former BSF Commandant RC Sharma warns that every election season turns border security into a gamble, with troops withdrawn from frontline duties to guard ballot boxes. He argues that illegal immigration and infiltration spike during these periods – and offers practical alternatives to break this cycle.
In this op-ed, former BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes that the government must address the legitimate concerns of the Ladakhis, or risk converting disappointment into chronic unrest that serves only India’s adversaries.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, argues that the CAPFs are constitutionally recognized as armed forces of the Union but suffer from a manufactured identity crisis due to inconsistent government nomenclature and denied rightful benefits.
In this op-ed, former BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes PM Modi’s long-overdue Manipur visit is a welcome step, but the state’s problems are intricate and require delicate handling that rises above political mathematics and considerations.
In this op-ed on India-Bangladesh border, RC Sharma, former BSF commandant, writes PM Modi’s emphasis on demographic changes reflects legitimate security concerns, but addressing this effectively demands nuanced approaches.
In this must-read op-ed, veteran BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes the Centre’s review petition on the Supreme Court judgment on CAPF cadre officers exposes the very colonial mindset that PM Modi’s “Panch Pran” seeks to eliminate.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes that in the seeming thawing ties between New Delhi and Beijing, India must not lower its guard while the frontier paradox with China persists.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes that the Supreme Court judgment on CAPF recognizes the genuine nature of CAPF cadre officers’ grievances. Therefore, the Centre must not drag its feet in immediately implementing the apex court’s order.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes that since the Supreme Court has ruled the CRFP, BSF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB as “organized Group A services”, the Centre must implement the judgment and fix the leadership issue in these CAPFs.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes that in the light of the changed security dynamics with Pakistan, India’s western border-security paradigm requires major restructuring.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes the promotion of Pakistan Army chief’s elevation to the rank of field marshal is neither nominal nor ceremonial but deeply strategic.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, writes that the BSF is an armed force by definition, design, and role. He explains the points with facts and urges the nation not to categorize it as a police force.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, writes that after the Border Security Force’s sterling performance in thwarting Pakistan’s cross-border designs during OperationSindoor, the force must now do a brainstorming to address whatever shortcomings it has becoming an even more potent force.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, highlights the critical role that the Border Security Force played in thwarting Pakistan’s designs after India’s airstrikes conducted under Operation Sindoor.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, analyses whether India’s quick acceptance of the ceasefire with Pakistan, which brought an abrupt end to Operation Sindoor, was premature and the strategic impact of the brief military operation.
In this op-ed, Rattan Chand Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, writes that the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent political reaction in the country has rekindled the hope of successfully combating terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir while bringing stability to the Union territory.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, former BSF commandant, writes that the recent terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam shows that the scourge of terrorism and militancy in J&K is not area specific. To effectively fight it, the Indian establishment must shed its myopic view on the proxy war.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, former BSF commandant, discusses the recent developments regarding Bangladesh and its deepening ties with India’s top two adversaries, possible implications for the northeast, and how India should navigate the new strategic challenges posed by Dhaka’s interim regime.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF Commandant RC Sharma writes in the light of the recent Kathua encounter that to finish militancy in Jammu & Kashmir, intelligence and structured force deployment would be the key.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, former BSF commandant, says the Centre’s target to eradicate the decades-long Naxalite insurgency by March 2026 is achievable if it can strategize things correctly.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, says the prevailing political chaos in Bangladesh and the interim Muhammad Yunus regime’s growing hostility towards India makes it crucial that New Delhi immediately takes countermeasures. He also proposes a radical way to secure the strategic Siliguri Corridor.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, says the India’s budget allocation for border security and management is less than adequate. He gives his reason why it is so while exhorting the government to do more.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, says the complexity of the challenges posed by Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus administration demands sophisticated strategic thinking, decisive action, and careful calibration of diplomatic and security measures by India. Please have a look
In this op-ed, veteran BSF Commandant RC Sharma argues that resolving Manipur’s conflict requires political leaders to prioritize peace over partisan interests and take decisive, principled action.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant RC Sharma says India’s police forces need not wait for wholesale reforms to improve their public relations and how they conduct themselves as there is ample scope to do so within the current framework.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, discusses the importance of consolidating India’s western front to tame Pakistan and suggests a path to end Islamabad’s sponsorship of terrorism.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, discusses the escalation of the Manipur ethnic strife with the recent use of drones and rockets and gives a 4-point formula to restore peace.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, highlights the importance of human intelligence in counterinsurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and ways to strengthening it.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant RC Sharma writes that the India-Bangladesh border is among the most difficult to guard, control, and manage, and suggests ways to meet the challenges.
In this op-ed, former BSF commandant RC Sharma discusses the unprecedented spike in militant attacks on security forces in the Jammu region and lays down a framework on how to contain the situation.
In this op-ed, former BSF commandant RC Sharma discusses the implications of India-US security cooperation will likely to have for New Delhi in the rapidly changing geopolitical dynamics, especially in the Indo-Pacific region and its neighbourhood.
In his latest op-ed, veteran BSF commandant RC Sharma writes that the momentum gained by the recent success by a joint BSF and DRG operation in Bastar’s Kanker against Naxalite insurgents must be maintained by restrategizing future operations.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant RC Sharma writes that we must welcome veterans in politics, but there must be a cooling-off period for them before joining and an ethics code must govern their conduct.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant RC Sharma writes on the India-Myanmar border and presents a strong case to build a fence and to bring back the free-movement regime.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant RC Sharma writes on the perpetual state of militancy in Jammu & Kashmir and suggests ways to pull it out of the quagmire.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant RC Sharma discusses the high rate of attrition in the CAPFs, analyses the causes, and suggests some changes to tackle the concerning issue.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant Rattan Chand Sharma says our border-guarding CAPFs have much to learn from the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. He also suggests a few things that the border-guarding and security establishment can adopt.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant Rattan Chand Sharma bats for for placing border-guarding CAPFs under one command both in India’s settled and unsettled borders. He says duality in command makes harms India’s security interests.
In this op-ed, veteran BSF commandant RC Sharma calls upon the Centre to deploy the BSF on the India-Myanmar border and relieve the Assam Rifles to focus solely on counterinsurgency. He puts forward cogent arguments to support his case.
In this article, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, says the Manipur violence is becoming a national security threat and gives some suggestions to the Centre to stop it from spreading to other states.
In this article, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, discusses the ongoing Manipur violence and calls to resolve the inter-community strife there with “aggressive” peace posturing.
In this article, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, discusses the ongoing Manipur violence with possible solutions to resolve the inter-community strife there.
In this article, RC Sharma, former BSF commandant, makes a strong case for the implementation of the National Police Commission’s 6th Report, in which it recommends that two cadres be created within the IPS to cater to paramilitary forces and other central police forces.
In this op-ed, former BSF commandant RC Sharma writes that in the wake of former J&K governor Satya Pal Malik’s comments on the February 2019 Pulwama attack, which was then followed up by remarks from former COAS Gen Shankar Roychowdhury, an honest and thorough probe must be carried out to put to rest all speculations.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, former BSF commandant, makes a strong case for BSF cadre officers to lead the force considering their professional competence and experience gained by being being integral part of systematic command hierarchy for 57 years.
In this op-ed, former BSF commandant Rattan Chand Sharma writes that to defang the Punjab separatists, the state and Centre must come together and give a healing touch to the people in the state with genuine grievances. He also suggests several issues that need to be resolved urgently.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, says the current spurt in radicalism in Punjab is an ominous sign for the country and state. Since it is still in its infancy, it can be nipped in the bud to prevent Punjab from sliding into the dark days of 1980s.
In this article, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, opines that India must shed its hesitancy and passive attitude in dealing with China to end the LAC imbroglio. He says India must respond in a manner that earns China’s respect.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, says there are ominous signs of militancy being revived in Punjab and to tackle this, the state and its police must change the way they are handling looming danger at present.
In this op-ed, RC Sharma, veteran BSF commandant, says the recent Tawang clash between Indian and Chinese troops is a part of the pattern of aggression China started showing since Galwan 2020, and this will continue unless India takes countermeasures.