With regards to the number of Troops in Kashmir, the actual figure is classified.
Based on reliable estimates the number ranges from 300,000 to 600,000.
There have been cases of an increase in police and paramilitary forces.
There are even reports of a decrease in Indian Troops in Kashmir.
Sources:-
http://www.cotf.edu/earthinfo/sasia/kashmir/KAtopic5.html
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/kashmir-fewer-troops-more-peace/article559791
6.ece
http://www.voanews.com/content/indi...in-kashmir-by-a-quarter-113602524/166895.html
I don't want you, of all people, to fall into this trap. I have very high expectations of you.
Let me explain.
Until recently, there were two Army Corps in the general vicinity of Kashmir; now there are three. Please follow the rest of VERY carefully.
There is XIV Corps in the far north, consisting of two divisions (locations, numbers already given earlier, and I am getting bored of this), one facing the LOC at Dras (that's where the Kargil thing happened, so you can guess why) and one facing the PLA.
There is XV Corps in the Valley, more or less, two divisions again, one at Gurez, one at Baramula.
There is the XVI Corps down outside the Valley, south of the Banihal Pass, watching to see that there are no Akhtar Maliks or Eftekhars; this time, of three divisions, one at Rajauri, one at Jammu, and one at Yol (don't sweat it, it's near Dharamshala, in the hills behind, in deep echelon).
So there we have it, two divisions in the Valley, more or less. A division is 15,000 troops and perhaps another 8,000 support staff for a three division Corps; even though XV Corps is two division, let us go on the generous side. That gives us (15,000 + 8,000 =) 23,000 x 2 = 46,000 max.
Let's go for gold; let's assume three divisions per Corps and all three shoehorned into the valley, treading on each other's toes. That's 23,000 x 3 x 3 = 207,000 max.
You can add another 100,000 RR and armed police; nothing goes beyond 300,000. And the actual figure is closer to 60 or 70,000 policemen.
So the realistic figure is 93,000 soldiers and 70,000 police. Do the math.
As I say this, there is a very slow build up on the XIV Corps front, one armoured division being built in stages, now at the moment, two or maybe three armoured regiments strong. This is speculative, as my own guess is that it will finally look like a mechanised division with an integral armoured brigade. Even that taken into account lowers the figure, as armoured formations typically have fewer soldiers on the complement than infantry.
There you are, then.
Junagarh and Manavadar both acceded to Pakistan....we all know what happened to them...
No,no, long story, and I'm not in the mood. One of my colleagues has already warned me in personal mail that I am getting testy and crotchety, so perhaps we will leave this for some other date.
