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Former Officers Question Modi Diktat on Jawans Attending Commanders’ Conference

“Seeking innovation and novelty”, Modi had called for the participation of personnel below officer rank in these meetings, which officials say could end up “diluting” the services command-and-control structure.

Former Officers Question Modi Diktat on Jawans Attending Commanders' Conference

Chandigarh: The participation of personnel below officer rank (PBOR) in the ongoing Combined Commanders Conference (CCC) at Kevida in Gujarat, following a recent government directive, has been widely castigated as “disruptive, disturbing and uncalled-for” by serving and retired Indian military officers.

Many said such a move, reportedly at the behest of the Prime Minister’s Office or PMO which had mandated the attendance of junior commissioned and non-commissioned officers, and jawans at the two-day CCC, could eventually end up  “bypassing or diluting” the services long-nurtured and critical command-and-control structure.

“The CCC is an important annual event where inter-service synergy on national security issues is achieved through mutual consultation,” said Brigadier Rahul Bhonsle (retired) of the New Delhi-based Security Risks consultancy group.

The relevance of opening this up to PBORs needs careful consideration for obvious reasons, especially with regard to overall command structures, added Bhonsle one of the few retired officers commenting on this unexpected move involving PBORs, who is willing to be named.

Other veterans – and serving officers – were more forthright, but preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, either from the administration or the services or both. One former three-star Indian Army officer declared that India’s armed forces were not a “political party that called for all-cadre representation in its highest forum, and neither is it a panchayat”. It is a professional institution, developed over centuries with form, tradition and operational experience that is conditioned to operate in a hierarchical structure to fight wars, he declared.


2 accidents in 2 weeks kill 2 Army and BSF men, Ordnance Board ammo in spotlight again

A photo from the site of the 23 February accident at Akhnoor | By special arrangement

 photo from the site of the 23 February accident at Akhnoor | By special arrangement

New Delhi: Ammunition manufactured by the state-run Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has again come under the spotlight with two accidents resulting in two fatalities over the past two weeks. Both incidents involved the dependable 105mm field guns of the Army and the BSF.

The first incident took place during a live firing training in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu on 23 February. It led to the death of Gunner Sayan Ghosh of the artillery regiment and left two others injured.https://518c9bcbd80521c4b3b29511f845d94f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Describing the accident, a defence spokesperson said the barrel of a 105mm gun suddenly burst into pieces and the flying splinters hit the three soldiers.

The second incident occurred at the Pokhran firing range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Tuesday. BSF constable Satish Kumar died in the accident, and three others were injured. While the BSF has not issued a statement in this regard, sources in the force said the accident was caused by a “premature blast” in the muzzle of a 105mm field gun. 

In both cases, the respective forces have ordered a court of inquiry. However, BSF sources told ThePrint that faulty ammunition is the prime suspect in the Jaisalmer incident.

“The projectile burst just as it exited the muzzle, leading to the death of one constable. Two others were injured. An investigation into the incident will be conducted. It is a case of premature muzzle blast,” a BSF source said.

The ammunition for the guns is manufactured by the OFB, which has courted scrutiny for the equipment it makes earlier as well. 

Reached for comment on the Akhnoor and Jaisalmer incidents, OFB spokesperson Gagan Chaturvedi said it can only be offered once the accidents have been investigated. 

“All accidents are investigated by a defect investigation team comprising representatives of all stakeholders. This is yet to be undertaken and hence no comment can yet be offered,” Chaturvedi said in a written response to ThePrint.

The OFB, he added, has consistently maintained that accidents are “complex phenomena” that are attributable to a number of causes, including design, storage, maintenance, and shelf-life-related issues.

“Any investigation, therefore, has to be holistic in nature,” the OFB spokesperson


Also Read: Ordnance factories are now a ‘hurdle’ for armed forces. Corporatisation is the way out


Quality concerns

The OFB, which functions under the Ministry of Defence’s Department of Defence Production, is one of the oldest state-owned production entities.

Sources in the defence establishment said there have been a lot of problems with regard to quality of ammunition produced by the OFB, an issue they have flagged at multiple levels.

In September last year, the Army, in an internal note, said the use of OFB-manufactured equipment had resulted in over 400 accidents between 2014 and 2019 and led to 27 deaths.

According to the Army’s assessment, it had disposed of ammunition worth Rs 658.58 crore within its shelf life between April 2014 and April 2019.

The OFB, which has 41 factories, countered the claim by issuing a statement where it said only 19 per cent of the accidents involving defence ammunition between January 2015 and December 2019 could be attributed to the board.

It also sought to note that 19 of the 27 fatalities cited in the Army assessment occurred in the 2016 accidental mine explosion at a depot in Pulgaon, Maharashtra.

The accident, the board said, involved anti-tank mines that had been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and were manufactured strictly according to their design. “Design deficiencies were subsequently noticed and suitable changes are being evaluated,” it said.

The government is keen on corporatisation of the OFB but efforts to this end have not been successful yet.

In July last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the conversion of the OFB “into one or more than one 100 per cent government-owned corporate entities”.

On Wednesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a high-level meeting to explore possible actions to make ordnance factories more robust in keeping with the prevailing and futuristic defence requirements of the country.


Also Read: Not bullets but explosives cause maximum injuries to Army personnel: Study


Veer naris’ honoured at Military Station

‘Veer naris’ honoured at Military Station

Some Vir Naris were honored at Abohar Military Station. Tribune Photo

Our Correspondent

Abohar, March 5

As a part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, ‘veer naris’ were honoured by the Army during a function held at the Military Station today.

They were honoured in the presence of former servicemen. A ‘victory torch march’ was also organised. Children participated in ‘run for fun’.

Four ‘vijay mashals’ have been sent to different parts of the country that would return to Delhi after completing the year-long tour. One of the ‘mashals’ was given a rousing reception recently at the Major Surinder Prasad Memorial, located near the alma mater of the 1965 war hero, who was was awarded the Vir Chakra posthumously.


Released from Sonepat jail, Dalit activist Shiv Kumar says was thrashed by cops daily

Claims beaten up thrice each day, one of the cops spat on his face & was asked to walk while his feet bled

Released from Sonepat jail, Dalit activist Shiv Kumar says was thrashed by cops daily

Shiv Kumar joins a protest against the farm laws at Matka Chowk in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune Photo: Vicky

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 5

After the sessions court at Sonepat granted bail to labour rights activist Shiv Kumar (24) on Thursday in an attempt-to-murder case on the “grounds of parity”, he arrived at the PGI today after his release from the jail. He was earlier granted bail in two cases of rioting and extortion on Wednesday.

Also read: Dalit activist Shiv Kumar’s medical report reveals 2 fractures, broken toenail beds

At the hospital, after doctor’s consultation, an X-ray was performed on him, the reports of which will be out on Saturday, said his friend Jasminder, who accompanied Shiv’s father Rajbir and another friend Ankit. Joined by some members of the Students for Society (SFS), Panjab University’s student organisation, the trio marched straight to Panjab University, outside the VC’s office where members of PURSA staged a hunger protest.

Of police ‘brutality’

Shiv Kumar, president of the Mazdoor Adhikaar Sangathan, sat on a chair, with plaster on his right leg, and narrated the tales of brutality meted out to him at the Kundli Police Station. “From January 16 to January 23, I was beaten up every day at least three times daily for a minimum of one hour. The cops would ask me where the organisation’s getting funds from,” he said.

Shiv tailed the memories of his arrest from the Kundli border. “I was at the washroom near a KFC outlet at Kundli. Safai karamchaaris asked me to get out. Some four or five people, dressed as civils, put a cloth on my face, pointed two pistols at me and asked me to walk with them. I screamed for help, but in vain. After walking a while, they asked me to sit me in a car. At that time, I got to know they were police,” he said.

“They drove me to a police station, Staff One behind Purani Kachairi near Gur Mandi in Sonipat. There, they removed my clothes, at beat me up brutally, like an animal. My hands were tied. They hit my feet. My toes were bleeding. Then, they hit my hands in the same way. Cops would get tired, but the beating wouldn’t stop. Pattey maarey hai, stretch khol dena, koladi pherna, chappal maarna…. one of the cops even spit on my face. This is how they tortured me for three hours. Then I was asked to walk, while my feet bled,” he said.

The police, said Shiv, would not allow him to talk to his parents despite repeated requests. “I gained strength from Bhagat Singh. He was beaten up too. Also, a comrade’s words gave me support, he would say: ‘pair toot jaye, honsala nahi tootna chahiye’,” Said Shiv.

The police has slapped charges of extortion on Shiv, but that, says, Shiv is absolutely baseless. “I feel it was a backlash of labourers siding with farmers on the ground level. We maintain a diary and have helped a minimum of 300 labourers with their salaries amounting to some Rs5 Lakh. I’ve been part of the sangathan and its founding member since 2018,” he adds.

‘Sleepless nights’

Shiv still gets sleepless nights thinking about the days he spent in jail. “I was presented in court on January 23 at night, somewhere between 10 pm and midnight, while others were presented during daytime. I was locked up in the car and the IO and another police officer spoke to the judge. They came with remand orders. I was then left at the Kundli police station for 10 days. There, I was mentally harassed and verbally abused even though they didn’t beat me up during the remand time,” he said.

Shiv still wonders why other people who were jailed with him, one arrested for peddling heroine, other for theft or robbery, weren’t beaten up as much as he was?. “They we’re asking me the same question. But I didn’t have any answer. On knowing about me even they’d support me,” He said. Kumar said, he would be leaving for Tikri and then Singhu tomorrow. Today, he also visited protesters at Matka Chownk and Sector 37 traffic lights.


Delhi Police summon Punjab farmer who had died in December for January 26 violence

Jagir Singh, 90, died on December 31

Delhi Police summon Punjab farmer who had died in December for January 26 violence

Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument on Republic Day. Tribune file

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 6

In a bizarre case, the crime branch of Delhi Police has summoned a farmer, who died on December 31, to join an investigation for the January 26 violence.

As a matter of fact, the three brothers named in the notice were never associated with the farmers’ protest, says the family.

Bhupinder Singh, son of Surjit Singh (88) said, his father and brothers, Jagir Singh and Gurcharan Singh, were never a part of the farmer’s protest.

Women protesters on their way to Gurdwara Rakabganj refuse to remove ‘flags’, detained
A two-year-old was also held

“Jagir Singh, who had died at the age of 90 on December 31, was bedridden for last one year due to old age. He was a farmer and landowner all his life, but never participated in the protest.”

Singh said his father Surjit Singh, and his younger brother Gurcharan Singh also did not participate in the protest over the three farm Bills.

“My father is 86 years old and suffers from age-related issues. He lives at our village, Neholka of Kurali. His brother Gurcharan Singh, who is a retired government teacher, lives in the city and is no longer associated with farming now,” he said adding, “We received the notice on February 24 and were shocked as we did not know how to deal with the matter. We contacted the legal team of Samyukt Kissan Morcha. They have assured us all possible help.”

He said they also want the Punjab government to help them and other people facing such notices.

Buta Singh Burjgill, state president, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta), said the Delhi Police have sent such notices to many other people who have died much before January 26.

“They are creating a fear and are also sending notices to people on the basis of registration numbers of vehicles that came for langar sewa or other services in the protest. We have told people not to go to the crime branch directly but contact our legal team instead.”

Opinion: How the police let down Delhi riot victims


Ready for talks, but mere modifications in farm laws not acceptable: Rajewal

‘Our demand is the same, we want withdrawal of the three farm laws’

Ready for talks, but mere modifications in farm laws not acceptable: Rajewal

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal

New Delhi, March 6

On completion of 100 days of the farmers’ stir, Punjab’s Balbir Singh Rajewal on Saturday said the farmers are ready for the next round of dialogue with the Central government, but they will not accept the three contentious farm laws with modifications.

Speaking from the Western Peripheral Expressway in Kundli in Haryana, where the farmers organised a blockade from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in a bid to intensify their protest, Rajewal said this protest is just a “symbolic” one against the government on these farm laws and it will become “bigger”.

“This is a symbolic protest. It will become bigger… We are ready for talks if government invites us (farmer leaders). But our demand is the same. We want withdrawal of the three farm laws. We will not accept the modification in these laws,” Rajewal said while speaking to IANS.

The 77-year-old farmer leader, who has been leading the current agitation against the Narendra Modi government’s farm laws along with other key farmer leaders, said that the farmers’ strategy is to add more states in the demonstration which completed 100 days on Saturday.

Rajewal, the leader of his own BKU faction, is credited with having drafted the constitution of the BKU. His vast experience and in-depth knowledge of agriculture in Punjab has made him the ‘think tank’ of this agitation.

Hundreds of vehicles were stopped as protesting farmers blocked the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway to mark the completion of 100 days of their agitation at the Delhi borders.

The call for blocking the KMP Expressway was given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the agriculture-related legislations. The 136-km KMP Expressway is also known as the Western Peripheral Expressway.

Thousands of farmers are sitting on the Delhi borders since November 26 last year against the three farm laws enacted in September 2020 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The farmers say they are “black laws” and “anti-farmer”.


Defence Minister reviews modernisation of forces

Defence Minister reviews modernisation of forces

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Combined Commanders’ Conference in Gujarat. PTI

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 5

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday participated in discussions with senior military commanders to address the ongoing modernisation of armed forces, especially focusing on creation of integrated theatre commands and infusion of modern technology.

Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

Focus on growth

We as a country are looking to strengthen our ability to create secure and stable environment that can facilitate India’s economic growth.

Rajnath joined the Commanders of three armed forces for deliberations at the ongoing Combined Commanders Conference-2021 at Kevadia in Gujarat. Delivering the inaugural address, the minister dwelt upon a wide range of issues affecting the defence and security of the nation. He spoke at length on the emerging nature of military threats, critical role of the armed forces in meeting these threats and the anticipated changes in the nature of warfare in future.

The minister expressed his appreciation and respect to the selfless courage displayed by the soldiers during the eastern Ladakh standoff with the PLA.

Deliberation during the day was over a wide range of issues, some of them held behind closed doors.

India’s resolute response on its borders has helped in positive and peaceful resolution of certain significant issues, he stated. (With inputs from PTI)


‘India-China border tensions reflect growing Chinese aggression and assertion’

‘India-China border tensions reflect growing Chinese aggression and assertion’

Photo for representation purposes. Reuters

Washington, March 6

The current India-China border tensions reflect a disturbing trend of growing Chinese aggression and assertion in the region and towards allies and partners of the United States, President Joe Biden’s pick for top Pentagon policy job, Colin Kahl, has told lawmakers.

In his submission to the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing for Defence Under Secretary for Policy, Kahal, however, expressed the US resolve to stand by its allies and partners.

“The India-China border tensions reflect a concerning trend of growing aggressiveness and assertiveness by China in the region, including towards allies and partners of the United States,” said Kahl.

“We will, however, continue to stand by our allies and partners and support their ongoing efforts to deescalate the situation. If confirmed, I will continue to monitor the situation closely as both parties work towards a peaceful resolution,” he said, in his written answers to the questions for his confirmation hearing.

The past decade has seen promising trends in the US-India defence trade and technology relationship, he said, adding that if confirmed, he would work to sustain these trends, including through a focus on major procurements and high-end technology.https://1896aa2bb12d16882331ea70fd16b648.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Responding to a question on India, Kahl said if confirmed, he would continue to operationalise India’s status as a “Major Defence Partner” by positioning the US and Indian militaries to cooperate more closely to advance shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

“To this end, I would support efforts to strengthen interoperability, expand bilateral and multilateral security cooperation across the region and deepen defence trade and technology sharing,” he said.

He added that he would also leverage regular senior-level bilateral and multilateral engagements with likeminded partners to bolster the relationship. PTI


Myanmar asks India to return 8 police who fled across border

Myanmar asks India to return 8 police who fled across border

Photo for representation. Reuters file

New Delhi, March 6

Authorities in Myanmar have asked India to return several police officers who sought refuge to avoid taking orders from a military junta that seized power in the Southeast Asian country last month, an official in northeast India said on Saturday.

Around 30 Myanmar police and their family members came across the border seeking refuge in recent days, as the junta’s suppression of protesters has turned increasingly violent, with dozens killed since the February 1 coup.

The senior-most official in Champhai, a district in the Indian state of Mizoram, told Reuters that she had received a letter from her counterpart in Myanmar’s Falam district requesting the return of eight police “in order to uphold friendly relations”.

Deputy Commissioner Maria CT Zuali said on Saturday that she was “waiting for the direction” from the India’s Ministry for Home Affairs in New Delhi.

Although there have been instances recounted on social media of police joining the civil disobedience movement and protests against the junta, this is the first reported case of police fleeing Myanmar.

In the letter, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, Myanmar authorities said they had information on eight police personnel who had crossed into India. The letter listed details for four police, aged between 22 and 25 years, including a female officer.

“In order to uphold friendly relations between the two neighbour countries, you are kindly requested to detain eight Myanmar police personnel who had arrived to Indian territories and hand-over to Myanmar,” the letter said.https://fbe084a4d927541f94c1c5df60a9130b.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

India’s Home Ministry did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters. India’s Foreign Ministry responded to a request for comment by referring to a statement given at a media briefing on Friday which said the ministry was still “ascertaining the facts”. Reuter