Indian Army’s Legendary '61 Cavalry' To Loose Ceremonial Horses. Government Assigns it Fighting Role With Tanks.
NEW DELHI - Indian Army’s only mounted cavalry regiment, the 61 Cavalry, is set to say goodbye to its horses, with the government approving a proposal to equip the it with tanks, two senior officers said on condition of anonymity. With this, one of the world’s last remaining horse-mounted cavalry regiments may be riding into the sunset.
The famous 61st Cavalry is being converted into a regular armored regiment on the basis of a recommendation made by the Lieutenant General DB Shekatkar (Retd) committee in a report on sharpening the army’s combat edge and trimming its revenue expenditure, said one of the officers cited above.
The Jaipur-based 61st Cavalry is likely to be equipped with T-72 tanks, said the second officer cited above. “Three independent squadrons of other regiments are being amalgamated under the headquarters of the 61st Cavalry to form the new tank unit,” the officer added.
The regiment’s 300-odd horses will become part of a new equestrian node, he said. 200 horses of 61st Cavalry are in Jaipur and around 100 horses are with its squadron in Delhi.
Lieutenant General Shekatkar, who headed the 11-member expert committee named after him, said the recommendation to mechanize the 61st Cavalry was taken after scrutinizing the track record of the unit.
“It has not taken part in any operation during the last 25 years. Nowhere in the world is playing polo or taking part in equestrian sports the main occupation of any army unit. It’s in the army’s best interests that it (the unit) operates tanks instead of horses,” Shekatkar said. He said the President’s Bodyguard, also a mounted unit, has the well-defined role of performing ceremonial duties for the country’s President.
“It has not taken part in any operation during the last 25 years. Nowhere in the world is playing polo or taking part in equestrian sports the main occupation of any army unit. It’s in the army’s best interests that it (the unit) operates tanks instead of horses,” Shekatkar said. He said the President’s Bodyguard, also a mounted unit, has the well-defined role of performing ceremonial duties for the country’s President.
The decision to mechanize the mounted regiment, steeped in tradition and sporting history, has evoked mixed reactions. While some in the army argue that the regiment’s military heritage should have been preserved, others counter that it makes more sense to assign the 61st Cavalry an operational role rather than limiting it to ceremonial functions and sporting events.