Unity Over Division: Ensuring Justice Without Institutional Conflict | OPINION

Serving military personnel, veterans, as well as the general Indian public is outraged. The cause of their frustration is the assault on Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son Angad in Patiala on the night of March 13–14, 2025.

The pictures of the injuries sustained—Colonel Bath's dislocated arm and his son's head injury—have been circulated online.

This troubling incident, involving twelve Punjab Police personnel, has not only riled up sentiments but also raised serious questions regarding accountability, institutional trust, and the relationship between India's Army and police forces. The incident demands a swift, transparent, and impartial investigation.

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But simultaneously, there is another issue that requires urgent attention: the perception of delayed justice and perceived institutional indifference. The absence of visible Army representation during the recent hearing at the Punjab and Haryana High Court reinforced a troubling narrative that had been floated around in some pockets as soon as news of the incident broke.

The buzzword of the hour is "institutional abandonment." If left unaddressed, these perceptions risk undermining the morale within defence ranks and broader public confidence in India's security apparatus.

However, careful scrutiny is necessary to understand the nuances of the situation.

From the earliest stages, the Army's Western Command took decisive, albeit less visible, actions to ensure justice for Colonel Bath and his family. Just two days after the assault, senior Army leadership proactively engaged state-level authorities to push for a timely investigation.

At the joint press briefing on March 26, Lieutenant General Mohit Wadhwa, Chief of Staff, Western Command, unequivocally emphasised "the need for a fair and honest investigation in a transparent and time-bound manner to punish the guilty and restore the faith in the system.” The communications—subtext and all—were clear as day. The Army reiterated its commitment to institutional accountability and justice.

Some criticisms, however, continued to pop up. On social media and messaging apps, the view became that Col. Bath and his family were left to fend for themselves in court during the hearing, with only lawyers, not the Army, present to show support.

However, a clarification of the procedural context of the recent hearing is essential here.

According to High Court regulations, only parties explicitly named in a petition can represent or speak during the court proceedings. Colonel Bath's petition was filed in a private capacity against the State of Punjab. Since the Union of India or the Army were not formal parties in this case, this limited their ability to officially participate or make representations during the hearing.

Nonetheless, demonstrating institutional solidarity, a uniformed officer from the Western Command was indeed present during the court proceedings, visibly expressing the Army's commitment and continued support for Colonel Bath and his family.

This approach was measured and prudent but did inadvertently create perceptions of institutional hesitance.

As word spread around via the grapevine, the binary of Army absence and overwhelming police presence at the court hearing took shape. The narrative took a rather unhelpful "Army versus Punjab Police" shade.

In private circles and on social media, such talk has become troublesome– threatening to slowly erode the public faith in the amiability between these institutions. If sentiments such as these build up, the synergy needed for joint operations is likely to take a hit, too.

This is not just some conceptual coordination this author is mentioning.

Historically, Punjab itself offers compelling lessons about the transformative impact of Army-police cooperation. During the violent insurgency of the 1980s and early 1990s, institutional unity played a pivotal role. In the landmark Operation Black Thunder (1988), the Punjab Police and paramilitary forces conducted internal operations at the Golden Temple while the Indian Army established secure outer cordons.

This clearly defined operational partnership avoided the devastating mistakes of Operation Blue Star, minimising casualties and preserving public trust. Under DGP KPS Gill's leadership, joint intelligence teams and integrated operations between the Army, Punjab Police, and CRPF weakened insurgent capabilities, dramatically reducing militant strength from 6,000 fighters to fewer than 300 by 1993.

Such lessons remain relevant today. Recent joint Army-police operations reinforce that collaboration is indispensable for Punjab's security. The commitment to Army-police collaboration is clearly reflected through structured inter-agency training initiatives.

The Indian Army's Western Command regularly offers specialised training to Punjab Police, enhancing their capabilities in counter-terrorism, bomb disposal, anti-sabotage techniques, and urban warfare tactics. Notably, these initiatives include comprehensive two-week intensive courses aimed at strengthening Punjab's elite SWAT teams, focusing specifically on handling Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and managing high-risk urban combat scenarios.

Moreover, the Western Command maintains regular strategic coordination with the Punjab Police through high-level meetings and unified security frameworks, enhancing mutual trust and operational cohesion. This structured coordination model activated swiftly following the unfortunate incident involving Colonel Bath, reinforcing transparent joint commitments towards impartial investigations and public accountability.

These collaborative frameworks are not simply symbolic gestures. In 2024, coordinated efforts between Punjab Police and central agencies led to the seizure of NATO-marked pistols linked to Pakistan-based smugglers and criminal networks—highlighting ongoing cross-border threats. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav emphasised that such successes depend on robust inter-agency coordination, emphasising the broader importance of institutional unity.

However, adversaries continuously seek to exploit perceived institutional divisions. The 2024 Tarn Taran arms seizures exposed Pakistani ISI-linked smuggling networks leveraging internal vulnerabilities. Strategic analyses repeatedly warn that misinformation and psychological campaigns by external actors aim precisely at weakening trust among India's security agencies. Constitutional unity and inter-agency cooperation are vital defences against such adversarial exploitation.

Proactive measures must be urgently implemented to preserve institutional harmony.

By firmly demonstrating solidarity, transparently pursuing justice, and proactively implementing structural reforms, we protect individual rights and our national security.

Punjab is an important border state that is crucial for national security. Civil-military relations have to be cordial, with mutual trust as the bedrock of institutional interactions. We should ensure that forces inimical to our national interest are not able to cause rifts by building a false narrative. We all need to be vigilant and stand behind our Security Forces.

Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.