Its defence firms supplied key components to Tehran

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, April 17

Major components used in missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel on Saturday night were of Chinese origin. Iran’s attack was repelled collectively by Israel, the US and the UK as they shot down 99 per cent of the 300 missiles and drones.

The task was relatively eased out as the US and UK have been tracking China for decades and knew the capacities of the ammunition carrying “kamikaze” drones and the expected trajectories of the ballistic missiles used by Iran.

The US Department of Defence has been producing annual reports on China’s military prowess. The intelligence agencies track China and threats posed by it.

Red written all over

• China exported anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, fighter jets, tanks and anti-tank guns to Iran
• Played key role is setting up Iran’s missile technology, transferred missile guidance systems
• Signed an agreement in 1996 to sell parts to Iran’s Defence Industries Organisation
• ‘Shahed’ drone powered by engine made by Beijing Micropilot UAV Flight Control Systems
• Iran’s largest missile factory near Esfahan built with China’s assistance

On Saturday, Israel multi-layered air defence system kicked in and was aided by interceptor missiles fired by US ground stations in West Asia, fighter jets and even warships stationed in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Israel.

Iran’s “Shahed” armed drone that is capable of destroying itself at a target is powered by an engine made by Beijing Micropilot UAV Flight Control Systems. The Chinese company provides the same to Mado Import and Export Company Ltd, Iran.

All missiles use sensors, seekers and optical instruments for navigating and hitting targets with precision. The missiles fired by Iran carried components that were produced by three Chinese companies — Wuhan IRCEN Technology Co Ltd, Raybeam Optronics Co Ltd and Sunway Tech Co Ltd. These three companies supply parts to Iranian companies — Rayan Pardazesh Pezhvak Company, Rayan Laser Test Company and Rayan Electronic Farda Company

China has officially exported to Iran anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, fighter jets, tanks and anti-tank guns. Just after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, China played a pivotal role is setting up the former’s missile technology. Chinese transferred hundreds of missile guidance systems and computerised machine tools to Tehran and in August 1996, signed an agreement to sell Iran’s Defence Industries Organisation things like gyroscopes, accelerometers and equipment needed for components for missile guidance.

China then started training and technology in construction of missile production facilities. Iran’s largest missile factory, located near Esfahan, was originally built with China’s assistance.

Started in 1987-88, this facility served as an assembly site for Iran’s SCUD-B missile kits. In addition to production assistance at Esfahan, China has also helped build a ballistic missile plant and test range east of Tehran, and is suspected of producing solid-fuel rockets at an Iran’s defence facility.

Sustained vigil against Naxalism needed

THE encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division on Tuesday, resulting in the killing of 29 Maoists, underscores the government’s efforts to contain the Naxal menace. While the operation marks a significant victory in the fight against Naxalism, it also serves as a reminder of the persistent threat posed by left-wing extremism. Continuous vigilance, especially in the light of the upcoming elections, is the need of the hour. The operation, conducted by a team of the District Reserve Guard and the Border Security Force, has shown the effectiveness of intelligence-driven strategies in neutralising Naxal threats. The recovery of a substantial cache of arms and ammunition is a big blow to the Naxal network.

With Naxalism posing a significant threat to development, peace and the future of the youth in the affected areas, a concerted government campaign to tackle the problem is underway. It is evidenced by the steady decline in Naxal violence over the past few years. A multi-pronged approach, encompassing security measures, development initiatives and community outreach, reflects a comprehensive strategy aimed at addressing the root causes of left-wing extremism. Initiatives such as the Aspirational Districts Programme demonstrate a commitment to holistic growth in Naxal-affected regions.

However, the prevalence of improvised explosive devices remains a weighty threat, highlighting the need for relentless demining operations. Also, allegations of fake encounters conducted by security forces need to be probed. Proactive steps and sustained vigilance are needed to pave the way for long-term peace in the disturbed areas. As the nation braces for the elections, heightened security measures are imperative to ensure the safety of voters and the smooth conduct of the electoral process, particularly in regions vulnerable to Naxal violence.

Mendhar/Jammu, April 17

Three ready-to-use improvised explosive devices (IED), each weighing between three to 20 kgs, were recovered from a terrorist hideout in the border district of Poonch on Wednesday, officials said.

They termed it a “major breakthrough” ahead of Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir.

The IEDs, planted inside steel containers of five-kg, 10-kg and 20-kg capacity, were found hidden inside a cave hideout during a joint search operation by the police, CRPF and Rashtriya Rifles in the forest area of Sanai-Gursai in the Mendhar sub-division, the officials said.

They said the bomb disposal squad later destroyed all the three IEDs in a controlled explosion, scuttling terrorists’ plan to carry out blasts in the Union Territory.

“We received an input about the likely hideout and suspicious movement in the upper Sanai at 4 am and subsequently launched a joint ‘search and destroy’ operation with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Rashtriya Rifles.

“Three IEDs, one weighing 15 to 20 kgs, second eight to 10 kgs and third three to five kgs, having two mechanisms for initiating charge were recovered and destroyed,” CRPF officer Rajnesh Yadav said.

Yadav, who is second-in-command of the 246th battalion, said the seizure of the IEDs foiled terrorists’ plan to carry out an attack.

“This is an election time and terrorists are always on the lookout to disrupt elections by carrying out any sensational act,” he told reporters at the scene.

The officials said no one was arrested during the operation which concluded with the safe disposal of the seized IEDs.

ANI

Srinagar, April 17

In a glaring display of bravery, the Indian Air Force evacuated two civilian patients, who were in need of immediate help, from Kargil to Srinagar on Wednesday.

The IAF An-32 aircraft performed the evacuation operation after the two civilians sought IAF assistance through the local civil administration.

“An Indian Air Force An-32 transport aircraft evacuated two civilian patients from Kargil to Srinagar today. The patients, who were in need of immediate medical help, sought IAF assistance through the local civil admin,” the Indian Air Force said in a post on X.

Kargil is located in higher altitude areas of Ladakh.

Last week also, the IAF performed a brave operation in which an Army jawan, who severed his hand while operating machinery at a forward unit location in Ladakh, was saved from a successful and timely airlift operation. The jawan was able to save his ‘hand’ following a successful surgery and is now on the path to recovery.

It’s vital for India not to fritter away the military gains atop Siachen Glacier

Maroof Raza

Strategic affairs analyst

IT’S been 40 years since the first batch of Indian troops was moved posthaste to the Siachen Glacier to prevent Pakistani occupation of the world’s highest, coldest and perhaps the most demanding frontline. Operation Meghdoot was launched by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) on April 13, 1984.

Siachen is wedged between the Shaksgam valley and Aksai Chin. It carries a key strategic benefit for India.

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Clearly, there was more to the boundary claims of both sides than met the eye. The Pakistanis were working towards a plan hatched in China in the 1960s to not only connect northern parts of Aksai Chin but also to harness 100 million acres of freshwater resources (which Siachen possesses) that China and Pakistan direly need — Pakistan for building more dams and generating hydroelectric power and China for realising its ambition of becoming a microchip giant. Apparently, every 10,000 litres of fresh/river water can be mixed with desert sand and chemicals to produce a 30-cm square sheet of silicon wafer. And there are a lot of glaciers in that area (242 in the Shaksgam valley itself in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) that Pakistan handed over to China in February-March 1963, months after India’s 1962 debacle.

Siachen is wedged between the Shaksgam valley and Aksai Chin. So, it carries a key strategic benefit for India. India’s military presence on the icy heights around the glacier was initiated with the government’s permission in 1984 on the recommendations of Lt Gen ML Chibber, then Northern Army commander. He said: “But the strategic importance of the area was not a major consideration, nor was our purpose to capture any territory… It was simply to ensure that we were not presented with a fait accompli like that in Aksai Chin in the early 1950s.” Since the Chinese invasion of 1962, New Delhi had been understandably sensitive to cartographic ambiguities at its borders.

In fact, the origins of the dispute over Siachen lie in a cartographic controversy. The Line of Control (LoC) of today is the 1949 CFL (Cease Fire Line) with some modifications. This de facto boundary line begins north of Jammu and ends abruptly at a mountain height called NJ 9842. Beyond that lies the glacier in no man’s land, as per the India-Pakistan agreements of Karachi (1949) and Suchetgarh (1972). But since the 1970s, several international maps had begun to depict the Siachin Glacier as part of Pakistan. This included the National Geographic Society’s Atlas of the World, University of Chicago’s A Historical Atlas of South Asia and The Times Atlas of the World, published in London. All these showed the CFL extending from NJ 9842 in a northeasterly direction right up to the Karakoram Pass and onto the Chinese border. This, until then, had not been done even by Pakistani maps.

Apparently, this cartographic confusion came from some maps that were initially produced by the US Defence Mapping Agency, which depicted the LoC running from the vicinity of NJ 9842 northeast to the Karakoram Pass in the 1970s and the 1980s. The best explanation for this error by America’s mapmakers appears to lie in the possible ‘translation’ of air defence information zone (ADIZ) markings into a boundary line, which provides zoning boundaries for air traffic controllers in civil/military aviation. This gave the impression of the extension of the LoC from NJ 9842 to the Karakoram Pass, and thus became an article of faith for the Pakistanis. However, there can be several ADIZs that could pass through one country, and these are not national boundary lines. But the publication of such maps by many of the world’s leading atlases further encouraged the Pakistani army to contest the sanctity of the LoC beyond NJ 9842, and that’s where the Siachen area lies.

Initially, under then President Gen Zia-ul-Haq — prodded on by ambitious military commanders — Pakistan made plans to occupy the glacial heights around Siachen. Military men would know that you can defend territories by occupying heights. And in this case, the Saltoro Ridge is our wall against Pakistan’s adventurism. Holding on to the western wall of the glacier in the initial stages amid a lack of acclimatisation led to hundreds of casualties. But the Indian Army held its ground, with logistics provided by the IAF. In the 1984-87 period, our soldiers gained complete dominance over the glacier by controlling the heights. All this took Pakistan by surprise and its many attempts to dislodge Indian troops since then have been unsuccessful. Now, they talk about going back to the pre-1984 positions because the Pakistani army is embarrassed to admit these reverses in public, thanks to the grit and determination of our forces.

And as Pakistan now cannot take back what the Indian Army holds on the Saltoro Ridge, its troops have to camp (and look up in awe at India’s soldiers) from the lower valleys, even as its military brass has spread the lies of its failed operations in Siachen for 40 years. A section of the Pakistani media has created the opinion that the maintenance of troops along the glacier is unaffordable for India. On the contrary, India can easily afford it. At a cost of about Rs 2,000 crore per annum, Siachen takes up a small part of India’s defence budget, which has now risen to over Rs 6.21 lakh crore.

Primarily, the bilateral talks are centred around India’s insistence that Pakistan acknowledge the gains that Indian troops have made along the glacier and accept the 110-km-long Actual Ground Position Line before any troop withdrawal takes place. The Indian Army wants ironclad guarantees from Pakistan following the Kargil experience of 1999, including verification of troop positions and signed maps that confirm India’s military gains. But the Pakistanis are unwilling to do this. If India gives away the hard gains made by many gallant men, the scenario will be similar to the disastrous Simla Agreement of 1972

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 16

The Jallianwala Bagh Chair of Guru Nanak Dev University organised a national seminar on ‘Situating Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in the Indian National Movement’ to commemorate 105 years of the massacre. Prof Harish K Puri, former Chairperson, Ambedkar Chair of the University, was the keynote speaker. In his address, he presented his main argument as to how the Congress Inquiry Committee leaders, especially Mahatma Gandhi, eroded the fear from their minds and came forward to give evidence against the British government in the aftermath of the incident.

During the event, two books based on studies conducted by researchers on the Jallianwala Bagh were also released. The first book, titled ‘Re-visiting Martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre’ by Prof Amandeep Bal and Dr Dilbag Singh addresses the issue of number of people killed and wounded in the incident. Addressing the issue of documenting the exact number of those killed or wounded, Dr Amandeep Bal said, “It is impossible to solve the mystery about the exact number of the people killed and the wounded after 100 years. There was martial law till June 1919 and the British government did not start collecting the information till August 1919. Much of the information was lost in its aftermath and during the cover-up by the British regime. During our two years long research, 55 more persons in the killed list and 101 wounded have been identified from the Compensation Files of 1922 and two from surveys made during the time. All the available lists have been documented in the appendices in the book, which presents an extensive account of our study. Also, 34 children who were among those killed have been identified, though there were more as the age of many has not been given,” she shared.

The other book, ‘The Jallianwala Bagh Journals’ by author Sarmistha Dutta Gupta is a response to the massacre as an experiment in public history. Dutta Gupta has attempted to create a comparison between the concept of building structural memorials and memories of a generation, drawing on family and community memories of people of Amritsar on the incident. Critically remembering Rabindranath Tagore’s long and deep engagement with the Jallianwala Bagh episode, where he gave up his knighthood in protest to his opposition of Nehru’s idea to build a memorial on the site, Sarmistha shared that it made an integral part of her journey of tracing people’s stories and their emotional connections with the site of the massacre. She has drawn on a lot of her own observations during her visit to the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Site in 2016.

Prof Jagmohan Singh, nephew of Bhagat Singh, in his valedictory address, spoke on why the British kept referring to the revival of 1857 in the events preceding the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. “It was the fear of Hindu-Muslim unity, which was visible during protests and Ram Naumi festival and it frightened them,” he said.

During the technical sessions, Prof Harish Sharma spoke on Manto and his literary work on Jallianwala Bagh while Prof Sukhdev Singh Sohal addressed a session on Ghadrite reading of the massacre.

Our Correspondent

j ammu, April 17

Three ready-to-use improvised explosive devices (IED) were recovered from a terrorist hideout in the border district of Poonch on Wednesday, just days before the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in J&K.

The powerful tiffin IEDs were recovered in Mendhar sector of Poonch. The recovery was made from a terrorist hideout in the area and the explosives might have been used during the elections.

The police, Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who recovered the explosive termed it as a ‘major breakthrough’ ahead of Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Massive search operations were launched in the area to know about more such explosives hidden in forest area.

One of the IEDs, planted inside steel containers weighed over 15 Kg, wasfound hidden inside a cave hideout during a joint search operation by the police, CRPF and Rashtriya Rifles in the forest area of Sanai-Gursai in the Mendhar sub-division.

As per sources the bomb disposal squad seized the IEDs and destroyed all on them in a controlled explosion. Security forces had received an intelligence input after which the search operation was initiated in the area. The Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K police accompanied the other security forces. 246 battalion of CRPF also accompanied during the search operation.

A senior police official said security forces are on their toes during the election time and are following every lead which is being generated through intelligence agencies regarding terrorists or terror hideouts. “This operation was also launched after an input by intelligence agencies. Search operations are continuing in forest areas of Rajouri and Poonch district,” said the official.

“We received an input about the likely hideout and suspicious movement in the upper Sanai at 4 am and subsequently launched a joint ‘search and destroy’ operation with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Rashtriya Rifles.

“Three IEDs, one weighing 15 to 20 kgs, second eight to 10 kgs and third three to five kgs, having two mechanisms for initiating charge were recovered and destroyed,” CRPF officer Rajnesh Yadav said.

Yadav, who is second-in-command of the 246th battalion, said the seizure of the IEDs foiled terrorists’ plan to carry out an attack.

“This is an election time and terrorists are always on the lookout to disrupt elections by carrying out any sensational act,” he told reporters at the scene.

The officials said no one was arrested during the operation which concluded with the safe disposal of the seized IEDs.

Elections in Poonch which is a part of Anantnag constituency will be held on May 7.

In an interview, Rajnath Singh said if Pakistan’s intention is clear, it should act decisively against cross-border terrorism.

ANI

Washington, April 17

The US has encouraged India and Pakistan to avoid escalation and find a resolution through dialogue, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday (local time).

Asked whether the Biden administration is concerned about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks that India will not hesitate to kill terrorists in their homes, Miller said, “As I have said before, the United States is not going to get into the middle of this. But we do encourage both India and Pakistan to avoid escalation and find a resolution through dialogue.”

Miller, while addressing a press briefing, said that he will never preview any sanction actions and that the “US does not discuss sanctions openly.”

When asked why the US has not imposed any sanctions on India over the alleged assassination plot of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Miller, said, “I am never going to preview any sanction actions, which is not to say that there are any coming, but when you ask me to talk about sanctions, it’s something that we don’t discuss openly.”

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist and has repeatedly issued threats against India. As per the US Justice Department indictment, an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, who is currently in custody, has been charged with the murder-for-hire of Pannun.

The US Justice Department had earlier claimed that an Indian government employee, who was not identified in the indictment filed, had recruited Gupta to hire a hitman to allegedly assassinate Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities. Last year, India formed a committee to inquire into the allegations of the foiled assassination plot.

On April 11, PM Modi said that in the 10 years of the BJP government at the Centre, “terrorists are being killed in their own homes.” Addressing a public rally in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh, PM Modi highlighted the major decisions taken by his government, emphasising that it was under the NDA regime that Article 370 was abrogated from Jammu and Kashmir.

“Today, there is a strong government in the country. Under this ‘mazboot Modi sarkar, aatankwaadiyon ko ghar mein ghus ke mara jata hai’. The Indian tricolour has become a guarantee of security even in the war zone. After seven decades, Article 370 was scrapped from Jammu and Kashmir and a law was made against triple talaq. It was our strong government that ensured 33 per cent reservation in Parliament and the poor in the general category also got 10 per cent reservation,” the PM had said.

India has repeatedly emphasised that it will not tolerate cross-border terrorism and that it cannot keep aside terrorism to improve ties with Islamabad. New Delhi has also said the onus is on Islamabad to create a conducive atmosphere in which there is no terror, hostility, or violence.

In an interview with ANI, Rajnath Singh said if Pakistan’s intention is clear, it should act decisively against cross-border terrorism.

“If Pakistan attempts to destabilise India through terrorism, it will have to face the consequences. Pakistan needs to control terrorism. If Pakistan thinks that it is not capable of controlling it, if they feel they are not capable, then India is a neighbour, if they want to take India’s help, they should. India is ready to provide all assistance to combat terrorism,” Singh had said.

“They are our neighbours, and if their intention is clear that terrorism should end, they should do that themselves or take help from India. We both can end terrorism. But this is their call; I am just giving a suggestion,” he added.

Asked about his ‘Ghus Ke Maarenge’ remarks made in a recent TV interview, Rajnath Singh said that India will do everything to combat terrorism.

“We won’t allow terrorists to operate within Indian borders. We will do everything to stop it,” he said. Asked if such action can be taken across the border, he said, “We will see what happens.”

He joined the erstwhile Royal Indian Air Force in November 1939 during the Second World War

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, April 16

The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) oldest surviving fighter pilot, Squadron Leader Dalip Singh Majithia, flew into eternity at the age of 103 on Monday night at Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, where he had a farm.

Born in 1920 at Simla (now Shimla), Sqn Ldr Majithia joined the erstwhile Royal Indian Air Force in November 1939 during the Second World War, during which he flew combat missions over Burma. He logged over 1,100 sorties on 13 different types of aircraft types.

One of his most important achievements as a flier was the successful landing on an unprepared airstrip in Kathmandu in April 1949, after his uncle Surjit Singh Majithia, the first Indian ambassador to Nepal, responded to that country’s request for establishing an air route.

After a rigorous selection process, he underwent basic flying training at Karachi Flying Club on Gypsy Moth aircraft. In August 1940, Majithia joined the 4th Pilot Course at the Initial Training School in Walton, Lahore, where he was awarded the best pilot trophy. He then proceeded to No.1 Flying Training School in Ambala for advanced training for six months, finally earning his wings in May 1941.

Majithia served the newly established IAF Volunteer Reserve and was assigned to No.1 Coastal Defence Flight at St. Thomas Mount in Madras. Over the next 15 months he flew Wapiti, Hart, Audax and Atlanta on coastal security missions including searching and bombing submarines and undertaking aerial patrols over the sea.

After the coastal defence flights were disbanded in 1942, he moved to the 151 Operational Training Unit at Risalpur for training on the Harvard and Hurricane aircraft. The following year he was posted to No.6 Squadron under the command of ‘Baba’ Mehar Singh, a legendary figure in the IAF.

In January 1944, he was appointed as the Flight Commander of No.3 Squadron which gave him the opportunity to fly alongside Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, then a Major, as well as Asghar Khan, who later became the Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, according to historical excerpts.

His next posting was as the Flight Commander of No.4 Squadron at Arakan, where he took part in bombing and strafing missions in the Burma theatre. Later, on recovering from illness, Majithia was posted at Air Headquarters in charge of operations.

Within two months, he was deputed on a mission to Australia that involved flying onboard a C-54 Skymaster to Perth via Colombo and Coco Islands. He served as IAF’s Liaison to Joint Chief of Staff in Australia. It was during his tenure in Australia that Majithia met Joan Sanders, a member of the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service and the two got married in 1948.

Upon his return from Australia, Majithia retired from IAF in March 1947 and settled in Sardarnagar near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. The couple had two daughters.

Col HP Singh (retd)

DURING a meeting with turbaned Indian diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu in 2022, US President Joe Biden said: ‘He looks so distinguished. This is how ambassadors should look like.’ Hearing these words, I felt proud to be part of the ‘turbaned gentry’.

Dastaar (turban), derived from Dast-e-Yaar, is a Persian word which means ‘the hand of God’. In medieval India, members of the royalty, the nobility and the upper castes used to wear a dastaar. With the passage of time and social reforms, it became the headwear of a large section of the population in the subcontinent. The influence of Western culture has gradually relegated the wearing of the turban, once a sign of social status, to special occasions, leaving largely the Sikhs to maintain this tradition that is deeply embedded in their religious and cultural identity.

This distinct identity has its benefits as well as challenges. I feel a sense of camaraderie whenever another turbaned person comes into view, especially in alien lands far away from Punjab. On numerous occasions, turbaned strangers have wished me ‘Sat Sri Akal’ with folded hands.

A turbaned man invariably attracts attention at a gathering. During my training days at the National Defence Academy, where the cadets with a crew cut appeared identical, it was the turban that stood out. While on a United Nations mission, soldiers from other countries, visibly intrigued by my headgear, would request for a selfie with me.

In the turban is wrapped the wearer’s pride and self-respect. Adorning it, he becomes the ambassador of his community, faith and country when abroad. Just as the uniform of a soldier restrains him from misconduct, the turban prevents me from indulging in acts that could bring disrepute to it. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. While a king wears his crown on ceremonial occasions, a ‘Singh’ is crowned every morning, constantly reminding him to maintain his dignity.

Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced, globalised world, the relevance of the turban is being questioned. Don’t you get tired of wearing that ‘weight’ on your head all the time? Doesn’t it restrict you from performing activities that others enjoy but you cannot? I have become adept at explaining why I use seven yards of cloth just to cover my head when a sari of the same length covers the entire body.

At times, pride and honour overcome the pressures of fashion or convenience. Perhaps there will always be some ‘turbanators’ who will keep the ritual alive, invoking the spirit of Pagri Sambhal Jatta, the more than a century-old movement associated with Bhagat Singh’s uncle Ajit Singh. Tradition, after all, is not the worship of ashes; it is the preservation of the fire. Incidentally, April 13 is not only Baisakhi day but also the International Turban Day.