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IAF jawan missing, family demands probe

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 14

Family members of a missing IAF jawan today met Bathinda SSP and demanded a probe into the matter.They said jawan Vipin Shukla had been missing for the past six days but despite lodging complaints, nothing had been done by the Air Force and police.The family members said Sukhla was selected as airman and was now deployed at the canteen of the Air Force at Bhisiana.The missing airman was living with his wife and children in a government quarter at Bhisiana, they added.SSP Swapan Sharma said a police officer had been deputed to look into the matter.

Sergeant’s wife gets bail in suicide case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 14

A local court today granted regular bail to the wife of a 27-year-old Sergeant of the Indian Air Force in an abetment of suicide case. She was granted bail on the bail bond of Rs 25,000.Her counsel contended that her husband made her nominee for taking all benefits, thus, they had no bitter relation. And why was the FIR lodged after 24 days of the incident by her in-laws. It was further argued that the in-laws had also moved a Maharashtra court, demanding his financial benefits to be given to them. Thus, false allegations were leveled against her for claiming the same amount.Savita Swapnil Ghagare (24) was arrested on February 2, almost seven months after her husband Swapnil Babaso Ghagare, a resident of Maharashtra, committed suicide by hanging himself at his house in Sector 47. The Chandigarh police arrested his wife for abetment of suicide.The victim, Swapan, posted at the 3 BRD Air Force Station had committed suicide in June, 2016. Police officials said the victim had an altercation with his wife before he committed suicide.The victim’s mother had complained to the police that Sawpan’s wife Savita forced him to take the extreme step.After investigating the matter, the Chandigarh police arrested the deceased’s wife and registered a case under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Sector 31 police station.


HC allows wife of BSF jawan to meet him

HC allows wife of BSF jawan to meet him
Tej Bahadur Yadav

New Delhi, February 10

The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to allow the wife of the BSF jawan, who went public through the social media alleging poor quality food being served to soldiers, to meet and stay with him for two days at the base where he was posted at present.The direction by a Division Bench of Justices GS Sistani and Vinod Goel came after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain informed the court that BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav is not under any illegal confinement and he has been shifted to another battalion, 88th Bn HQRS at Kalibari, Samba, in Jammu.Taking note of the submission, the Bench said if the wife had an apprehension that her husband was under threat, she and their son be allowed to meet the soldier.It also said, “We should not get into logistics of any kind, the wife must be allowed to meet him and let us burst the bubble.”The Bench directed the ASG, who was representing the Centre and BSF, to make all possible arrangements for the wife to meet her husband and there should be no difficulties while she visits the place. The direction came after the jawan’s wife, Sharmila Devi, moved the court by way of a habeas corpus plea, alleging her husband is untraceable.  — PTI


Secret nuke city’: India dubs Pak’s contention ‘figment of imagination’

'Secret nuke city': India dubs Pak's contention 'figment of imagination'
External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup. File photo

New Delhi, February 8

Reacting strongly, India on Thursday termed as “figment of imagination” Pakistan’s contention that it is building a secret nuclear city, saying it is a “diversionary tactic” to deflect attention from issues like Pak-sponsored terrorism and harbouring of terrorists.“These are completely baseless allegations. The so-called secret city appears to be a figment of the Pakistan imagination. India has always been in compliance with all its international obligations. This is a very strange statement coming from a country that does not have a separation plan and has a strong record of proliferation which is well known to the world.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“India has very different credentials. So, clearly this shows a lack of comprehension. Furthermore, there is no doubt that this is a diversionary tactic by Pakistan which aims to deflect attention from the real issue at hand – the continued state sponsorship of terrorism by Pakistan and its harbouring of internationally designated terrorists,” External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.He was asked about remarks by Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria that “India is building a secret nuclear city… It has accumulated a stockpile of nuclear weapons which threatens to undermine the strategic balance of power in the region.”Questioned about comments by Pakistan Planning and Development Minister of Pakistan Ahsan Iqbal regarding peace talks with India after the ongoing state assembly elections in five states, he said it is not state elections in India but state terrorism by Pakistan which has stood in the way of a peaceful bilateral dialogue.“It is high time Pakistan gets the diagnosis of the problem right. It should not remain in denial on the impact of cross border terrorism on the bilateral relationship. Both the problem and its solution are within Pakistan’s reach,” Swarup said. — PTI


India-Pak unity the only way to thrive

Mutual hostility between two nations that have in the past shared a common heritage, culture and history is self-defeating. A united subcontinent can be a formidable force. Can two poor nations so situated afford to be in perpetual conflict?

A house divided against itself cannot stand. — Abraham LincolnTHE partition of Punjab between India and Pakistan in 1947 is perhaps the most important event in the history of modern India, second only to its Independence. We are reaping its consequences in terms of geopolitics, erosion of civil liberties, communalism of politics and poverty.The end of World War II marked the start of the cold war between the Soviet Union and the West. A Russian presence in the Indian Ocean was seen as a threat to the Middle East and its oil under western control. Therefore, the declared British policy was to transfer power to a strong united India to prevent a Russian entry therein. The failure of the Congress and the Muslim League to reach a settlement made Partition inevitable. The demand for Pakistan did not originate from the Muslim-majority provinces of Punjab, Bengal, Sind and the Frontier but from the United Provinces (UP).  In UP, the Muslim minority feared an existential threat from Hindu organisations such as the RSS, the Hindu Mahasabha and the right wing of the Congress. Punjab was ruled by the Unionist Party, a coalition of Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus led by Sir Sikandar Hyat Tiwana, who dismissed the concept of Pakistan as “Jinnahstan”. His successor Khizr Hyat broke with Jinnah on this issue. In 1946, Jinnah and his Muslim League managed to communalise Punjab politics by painting a doomsday scenario where the Punjabi Muslims would be at the mercy of the Hindu majority in India once the British left.  The same argument was used by the Hindu and Sikh leaders in reverse. Hence the Partition.The Governor of Punjab, Sir Evan Jenkins, repeatedly warned that the partition of Punjab as proposed would result in widespread massacre and damage to property. His warning went unheeded. A million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were brutally murdered and another 15 million forced to migrate from the land of their forefathers. Millions lost their properties and thousands of women were raped, abducted and forcibly converted to another faith. The damage of Partition is permanent. It altered the geopolitics of this region. China is strategically located as a Pacific Ocean power. It borders Russia, Central Asia, South Asia and South-eastern Asia. In contrast, India’s strategic location has been greatly reduced. Undivided India would have bordered the Islamic world and been an influential interlocutor on the world stage. This advantage shifted to Pakistan and China. Pakistan’s strategic alliance with China to balance India has allowed the Chinese armed forces to establish a strong military presence in the subcontinent for the first time in history.The Kashmir conflict which is directly related to the partition of Punjab has made the subcontinent amongst the most dangerous, bloodiest and costly places on earth. Pakistan inserted Pathan tribal insurgents and their copycats into India as an extension of its military strategy. The Pathans have since evolved into the Mujahideen, the Taliban, regional ISIS and Kashmir jihadis. Two armies who fought as one in the world wars face each other with hostility. Both are nuclear powers with the capacity for mutual destruction. The apprehension of a nuclear device falling into “Islamic jihadi” hands is real.The violence and chaos caused by the holocaust in Punjabinfluenced the Constituent Assembly into creating a strong executive armed with draconian powers and weak legislatures. Gurnam Singh, a retired High Court judge and Chief Minister, felt that India did not evolve into a traditional liberal democracy. It was a hybrid system, half-democratic and half-colonial where power was transferred from nominated British officials to an elected Indian executive without accountability.  He cautioned Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that the system was open to abuse of power, corruption and intimidation of opponents by implicating them in false cases or branding them as antinational. Little wonder that in a system with weak checks and balances, Prime Ministers can take major decisions like “notebandi” by an executive fiat, without reference to the public, legislature or even the Cabinet. In Pakistan, Jinnah promised a nation where all citizens were equal and there was “no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another”. Partition ended such sentiments.  Inevitably, a state founded on sectarian violence and fear of a large Hindu neighbour turned to the military and the clergy for its identity and survival. This system has little space for non-Muslims, liberal democracy and social reform. India and Pakistan are a house divided against itself. They are an anomaly: Both are sovereign states and also an integral part of each other by their origins, history and culture. Both states can pay heed to the three Franco-German Wars (1870-1945), which cost a hundred million lives. Today, the one-time enemies are close allies and economic partners to their mutual benefit. For the same reason, India and Pakistan need to be friends not enemies. Punjab was the cradle of Hinduism, Sikhism and the evolution of Islam in India. It had seen many invasions and religious conflicts. However, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh elites were integrated by a common language, culture and shared economic interests. The forced migration of Hindus and Sikhs radically changed the religious, social and intellectual structure of West Punjab. However, 70 years of separation and conflict cannot totally erase millenniums of shared bonds.  The way forward is for the people of both Punjabs to rediscover their roots and common interests by free interaction as a first step towards reconciliation between the two nations.  Secondly, the RSS Chief has a choice between an “Akhand Bharat”: a confederation of India and Pakistan he advocates, or politics of division to win elections. As long as the Muslims feel insecure there can be no peace in the subcontinent. Thirdly, the Muslim clergy must rise above dogma and meet the concerns of their own and other communities.  So far it has refused to come to terms with the damage it has caused. No doubt any radical departure from the status quo will meet with strong resistance and even violence on both sides. However, our politicians and opinion makers must appreciate that great issues are settled by statesmanship, courage and common sense in the face of seemingly insurmountable hurdles.  The writer, an educationist, is the President of the Guru Nanak Education Trust, Ludhiana.


How The Indian Army Battles Extreme Winter Conditions by Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain

How The Indian Army Battles Extreme Winter Conditions

SNAPSHOT

Yes, some positions which the Indian Army occupies are dangerous. But it has to be done for national security. Remember Kargil?

Every few years the Indian Army deployed in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir battles extreme winter conditions, which bring heavy snowfall, avalanches and extreme cold spells. From Siachen to the Pir Panjal and from the Ladakh Range to the Shamshabari each zone or sector has its own peculiarities. The altitude may be higher but precipitation is low and vice versa in some areas, while wind and blizzard like conditions prevailing over an extended period of time accumulate huge piles of snow. Contingent upon angles of slopes, type of rock composition of the mountains and direction of the sun, different areas hold snow differently. The Shamshabari range and its adjoining ridge lines have huge snow slides and avalanches, with little predictability about the time or exact location. The Pir Panjal too does not hold its snow too well. It’s Eastern Ladakh, which has high snow accumulation but few avalanches. The Siachen Glacier’s Saltoro Ridge has sharp drops where avalanches are predictable.

The reader will get a good idea from the fact that an area such as Uri sector is as low as 4,000 feet above sea level but it is surrounded by heights of the Line of Control (LoC), which rise to 14,000 feet within a short distance, making slopes extremely steep. On certain ridge lines in this area, snow accumulation in bowls goes up to 50 feet and on ridge lines up to 20 feet. Avalanches are a regular phenomenon here and just like the glacier permanent habitat in flat areas or bowls becomes almost impossible to occupy due to snow levels. Ridge lines are inhabitable, but full picquets are known to sometimes slide away with snow avalanches.

The cycle of extreme winter usually comes once every three to four years or so. Casualties are then high and even civilian population in rural areas is affected. However, social media (not media) makes every smartphone owner an expert in winter management with doubts cast over the Indian Army’s expertise, levels of commitment and training to meet the challenge. ‘Knowledgeable’ people advise the Army to get expertise from other organisations. It’s important for the Army to explain why casualties occur in certain winters.

It must be brought to public notice that the Indian Army’s expertise on high altitude, glaciated and ‘white shod’ operations is respected the world over. Our medical proficiency to cater for such contingencies is considered even better. The government ensures clothing, equipment, boots and other paraphernalia, including heating devices, dry cell batteries and fuel for warming and drying which are are all available in plenty. The logistics preparation for stocking supplies, fuel and basic replacement equipment begins a year before the winter and its implementation goes like clockwork through the year, in fact an exercise worthy of study by management training institutions.

Simultaneously, newly inducted units undergo training and each unit prepares its winter standard operating procedures (SOPs) along with training the avalanche rescue teams (ARTs). By September each year, an elaborate and updated set of instructions are issued to formations and units that carry out their checks. Fixed nylon rope which assists in movement over snow is checked for strength, relaid, tightened and made ready for snow conditions. The High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), located at Gulmarg, has the best expertise and is often consulted by units for training of specialists in skiing and rescue.

The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) in Manali has elaborate arrangement for collection of data and issues warnings from time to time when snow accumulation becomes high. It also maintains elaborate maps with historical avalanche records, which helps in predicting extreme weather conditions. However, no amount of scientific research has been able to pinpoint occurrence in terms of time and exact place of an avalanche.

Why do casualties occur in winter when sufficient training has been imparted and the best logistics are planned and implemented. As brought out prediction is well nigh impossible but avalanche prone areas are known in advance so habitat is avoided at such places. There are compulsions which force certain vulnerable areas to be occupied with risk. There are also contingencies which are human related. Let me elaborate with anecdotal references. The deployment of 10 men below the snow wall at Sonam in Siachen/Saltoro which led to them being buried under 35 feet of ice in February 2016, was a compulsion because it was the staging area with the logistics element for another crucial deployment which cannot be held without this backing. The Sonam wall was known to be firm in winter and more vulnerable in summer, but it collapsed for no explainable reason; some say a low level seismic activity preceded the collapse.

Another case of a different kind will explain just how frail human existence can be in such areas. Jawans are supposed to move and perform all duties in buddy pairs in all operational areas. However, a jawan at an isolated forward LoC post, carried out clearance of snow from the running communication trench; the snow shovelled out accumulated in a soft pile on the side. He rested an hour in the afternoon due to a pending night duty on ambush. On waking he proceeded to answer the call of nature but did not sound his buddy nor did he take him along, as is customary. Outside his bunker he slipped on glass-like ice and went head first into nine-foot deep soft snow piled by him on the side of the trench. He struggled to get out but could not because his head was at the bottom. No one could find him for a few hours until his footmarks gave indication of the location where he was buried alive. He died an unfortunate death frozen and choked.

It’s not as if avalanches occur only once SASE gives a warning. Life cannot come to a standstill. Although posts are well stocked, mail, stores, equipment and leave parties have to move. Officers are rotated on posts and Commanding Officers like to be with the men when things get difficult. Such movements take place at night when the snow is firm. For 72 hours after a heavy snowfall all movement ceases as per SOP. However, any number of scientific factors taken into consideration cannot explain how an avalanche occurs seven days after the last snowfall and that too at midnight, just when a leave party is on its way.

The Gurez valley where the current incidents have taken place this year is narrow with sharp slopes on both sides. The February 2012 avalanche which wiped out 21 lives of an Army sub unit, rumbled down the slope and had so much power that it travelled almost 400 metres on plain ground throwing lorries in the air and crushing some shelters. Jawans died while eating their food. No amount of warning from avalanche sentries could have helped them.

I have been informed on social media that some concretised hardened shelters have been prepared for Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) habitat in the Joshimath area. Avalanches can actually move over such structures leaving the inmates safe. These will be extremely expensive and time-consuming to construct, but in limited numbers in extremely vulnerable stretches of Gurez or some areas around Shamshabari they may prove invaluable in saving lives.

The last information necessary for the public to be aware of. Your jawans do not pull back from most areas along the LoC. If they did the sanctity of the LoC would be suspect and terrorists would risk getting through unchallenged. In some very crucial posts physically and psychologically fit jawans having availed full home leave, are inducted in December and continue at the post without relief for six months. There only connect with the outside world is a TV, radio or trunk dialling link. A sick jawan cannot be evacuated because the route is choked or avalanche prone and the helipad is 400 metres away and cannot be beaten in the prevailing weather conditions. Remember what happened in Kargil in 1999. We vacated some high altitude posts for winter but the Pakistanis risked creeping up and occupying them before we could return. Over 500 good men were lost in recovering that ground. With an untrustworthy adversary there can be no guarantee of mutual withdrawal for winter. Our officers and men have thus to grit their teeth, pray to their gods and hope that their training and inherent toughness will let them survive such contingencies.

Suggestions regarding pull back and use of technology for surveillance sound good on paper and those of us experienced in this type of warfare can deduce that sensor, satellite or drone surveillance over unoccupied posts cannot prevent it from being occupied. It will still need to be recaptured at the cost of lives as response can only be reactive.

The Indian Army has tremendous experience in winter management but will suffer winter casualties unless we are ready to risk Kargil like occurrences. In a nation where an inch of ground lost even for tactical reasons invites public wrath, those offering advice of withdrawal for winter must re-examine the national collective conscience. Perhaps we need to build a consensus for both Indian and Pakistani armies coming to some agreement about mutual pullback from some vulnerable areas in winter. Can that happen under present state of relations? That is a million dollar question.


Time to grasp the nettle

A chief of defence staff must be superior in the chain of command to the service chiefs for him to be effective and empowered

The expert committee led by Lieutenant General (retd.) D.B. Shekatkar has recently submitted its report to the defence minister. The panel, composed mostly of retired senior military officers, was appointed in May 2016 and was tasked with looking at “Enhancing Combat Capability and Rebalancing Defence Expenditure”. Among its many recommendations is the appointment of a single-point adviser to the Defence Minister. Since Manohar Parrikar has already spoken of his desire to move in this direction, the recommendations of the Shekatkar panel assume greater importance.

PTIDefence Minister Manohar Parrikar has already expressed his desire to move in the direction of a single­point military adviser

The panel has reportedly recommended the new post should be a four-star appointment – equivalent to those of the service chiefs. This top four-star officer is envisaged as a coordinator, who won’t impinge on the operation or administrative functions of military chiefs. The creation of such a post should be accompanied by the integration of the service headquarters with the Ministry of Defence. However, the panel has apparently recommended against integrating the three services into joint commands. This is seen as an American model tailored for expeditionary role rather than homeland defence and hence unsuitable for the Indian context.

While the committee’s recommendations are well-intentioned and such reforms long overdue, the proposed institutional design is deeply problematic.

The idea itself is hardly new. The Group of Ministers (GoM) following the Kargil Review Committee called for the appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a singlepoint military adviser to the Defence Minister. This stemmed from the lack of integrated planning and operations between the services during the Kargil War. In fact, this is a problem that has plagued the armed forces in every conflict since 1947. The appointment of a CDS was expected to usher in top-down integration among the services and better coordination between the services and the government.

The Vajpayee government created a new joint headquarters of the Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS). But it baulked at appointing a CDS and instead appointed a Chief of Integrated Defence Staff who would run the HQ IDS until the CDS was appointed. This half-baked solution persists to date. In fairness, HQ IDS has managed to bring a degree of coherence to issues like procurement and joint doctrine. But this is hardly adequate. More importantly, it has allowed the political leadership to perpetuate an illusion of reforms while continuing to resist the appointment of the CDS.

Then again, in the early years after the GoM report, the services themselves were a divided house on this. The air force resisted the creation of a CDS – apparently on grounds that it would pave the way for institutional domination by the army. This came handy to political leaders and bureaucrats in deflecting questions about their own unwillingness to institutionalise the system. Towards the end of the UPA-II government, the three service chiefs jointly wrote to the prime minister expressing support for the creation of a CDS.

Meanwhile, the government had appointed another panel led by Naresh Chandra to examine why the GoM’s recommendations of were not fully implemented and to suggest a new road map for security reforms. This panel suggested that instead of a full-fledged CDS, the government appoint a permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee with a fixed tenure. By giving the chairman a fixed term of, say, twoyears, it was hoped that he would have enough time to work on key issues of integration between the services. Now the Shekatkar panel has come up with another halfway house.

Any institutional solution along these lines is unlikely to deliver the necessary levels of integration. If the CDS does not outrank the service chiefs, then his ability to function as the single-point military adviser to the government will be undoubtedly circumscribed. At best, it will amount to an incremental improvement on the existing HQ IDS. Worse still, it will yet again create the illusion of progress and delay real reforms . The idea that such reforms should be imposed gradually or piecemeal is seriously mistaken. In most countries that have achieved institutional integration, the process has been driven politically from on high.

The CDS must be empowered fully. There should be no doubt about his being superior in the chain of command to the service chiefs. The appointment should be followed by the setting up of integrated theatre commands. The supply and logistics commands could be integrated. It is an indispensable prerequisite for ensuring “jointness” in war fighting. Simultaneously, the service chiefs should prepare to relinquish operational control over the services and become what their titles suggest: chiefs of staff, responsible for raising, equipping and training of the forces. The chain of operational command should run from the Defence Minister through the CDS to the integrated theatre commanders.

Something is not always better than nothing. As the case of HQ IDS shows the half-life of such institutional short-cuts tends to be very long. More worryingly, it helps anaesthetise the system and masks need for real reform. Enhancing the combat capability and effectiveness requires full-blooded measures. It would be sad if the government perpetuates or aggravates the problem by using palliatives. It would sadder still, if the government were forced to consider real reform by another external crisis.

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J&K: How lessons from past can power future by Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd)

After a particularly harrowing year, now is the time in J&K to be more optimistic. We can move ahead by strategising. Serious ideation, instead of negative reviews, is required and a window is available for that. The world is witnessing a change in the strategic environment. Tackling core issues is the need of the hour

J&K: How lessons from past can power future

POWER of RESILIENCE: A file photo of Kashmiri people busy shopping in the Sunday market at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. Tribune Photo/ Mohammad Amin War

THE year 2016 had so much negativity for Jammu and Kashmir that in the new year every article or essay related to the state is tending to be negative. Recalling the year gone by; the state of polity, level of alienation or the continued Pakistani role, are among the subjects being discussed by analysts but rarely do we find suggestions on the way forward.  2016 will probably be most remembered for the reverse in the tide although we have witnessed equally serious situations in the past and bounced back to full control thereafter. There have been constants in all these situations as well as dynamic and fluctuating aspects too. Strategic planners, who are reviewing and re-examining future strategy, need to be aware of the reverses and the bounce backs of the past. They have to be aware of the constants, the imponderables and the “definitives”. It is not as if India sat back on its haunches and did not respond in equal measure and more when its security was threatened in Jammu and Kashmir. What perhaps it did lack was the killer instinct to resolve the issue or send an appropriate message to adversaries that there was no question of their success in the face of India’s comprehensive resolve.There are different ways of looking at the situation and this can be done by reviewing what happened at some junctures in the 28-year asymmetric conflict in the state. In 1996, militancy was still at a high but the mercenary content from outside South Asia was diluting. A bold decision was then taken to go in for elections, with the full knowledge that neither was the situation conducive for electioneering, nor would the turnout indicate any major success. This was just a year after the Al Firan kidnapping incident which had sent shock waves around the world. Alienation was high, Kashmir’s media and intelligentsia were spewing venom at the Indian government and Army but militarily some success had been achieved with the setting up of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) headquarters in south Kashmir. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao had succeeded in building a political consensus of  sorts with his February 22, 1994, joint parliamentary resolution indicating India’s full resolve to not only defend its stance on Jammu and Kashmir but also recover all its former territories. The Indian position on Jammu and Kashmir and human rights was projected at the 1994 meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission at Geneva by none other than a delegation which had the presence of Atal Behari Vajpayee and Salman Khurshid. Could there be a better message of political consensus on a national security issue? This brilliant period of national consensus diplomacy needs reiteration in today’s environment. It was India all the way. Later, 1996 proved to be a crucial year in which the democratic process was re-seeded in Jammu and Kashmir after a fairly long time. The effects of it may not have been immediate but the long-term effect was profound.In 1999, the situation was the worst in a decade. North Kashmir had been denuded of troops with the move of 8 Mountain Division to Kargil. Tension on the LoC remained high even after withdrawal of the Pakistani troops in Kargil. There were incidents in Gurez, Gulmarg, Lipa and elsewhere even post-withdrawal. The so-called Fidayeen had just commenced their suicide attacks in mid-1999, which had got all security forces in a defensive mode, at least for some time. Yet, the Parliamentary elections were held, though again with low but a marginally better voter turnout. There was no flinching from the difficult task. I remember running battles with terrorists and sounds of blasts all around our location at Avantipura on polling day. In 2003, the LoC was still alive with heavy artillery exchanges when we decided to commence construction of the LoC Fence. As the then Commander of the Uri Brigade even I had serious doubts about its viability. However, the ingenuity and energy of the troops in taking ownership of respective segments ensured that the terror mathematics was reversed in three years. Along the way, President Pervez Musharraf announced a unilateral ceasefire.  We supported it and played along. There was no change whatsoever in the levels of alienation or activities of the separatists but the effect of changed strategy of focusing closer to the LoC, led to reduction in successful infiltration and dilution in terrorist strength in the hinterland. This had a cascading effect on future operations. The period 2001-7 was the consolidation stage. The Army had the sagacity to fully support Mufti’s “healing-touch” campaign, even as it undertook proactive operations against the terrorists and achieved spectacular results.In 2008-10, the separatists changed strategy and took their struggle to the streets. There was paralysis of administration and chaos in the streets but it could not be sustained. With an outreach programme for the youth, the public at large and greater political activism, we turned 2011-12 around. This gave Jammu and Kashmir probably its most peaceful period in two- and-a-half decades and its best tourism and horticulture figures in some years. Infiltration was reduced to the lowest ever and the ratio of security men to terrorists killed during the year was also by far one of the best. A hope was rekindled in the public. Unfortunately, new militancy, lack of continuity, out-of-context demands by the state government, without considering the security situation and a general apathy by the leadership allowed a drift. This resulted in the mayhem of 2016, post the killing of Burhan Wani. The current situation has been described as an ominous silence awaiting outburst from pent- up passion. 2017 could witness this or, going by our past record, fresh initiatives could come from any quarter. This could once again witness a turnaround, this time hopefully sustainable.There is no need for despondency among those who matter in India’s strategic discourse. Such campaigns by our adversaries are open-ended, without pegged way points to objectives. The world is witnessing a change in the strategic environment. This is the time when those with a grasp of geopolitics have to be in sync with those looking at geo-strategic aspects. Initiatives must include incentives for Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. A general theme giving sustained peace a chance, along with means by which all core issues can be discussed by the people most affected, could be the need. For that, leaders have to come forward, shed inhibitions and take issues by the horns, as was done in the past. The stakes of peace must be dwelt upon minds and hearts   with a resolve that 2017 will never be a repeat of 2016.The writer, a former General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, is now associated with the Vivekanand International Foundation .


PUNJAB POLITICS A VIEW

Navjot to have ‘larger’ role in Punjab politics?

Navjot to have ‘larger’ role in Punjab politics?

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12

Former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu today met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the Capital. Sources said during the 30-minute meeting, the two discussed modalities on the former cricketer joining the Congress.“Sidhu did not join all these days as he considered the pre-Lohri period as inauspicious,” said a party activist. By inference, he may join on or post-Lohri. However, the Congress did not give any date.A Congress leader said Sidhu may join the party in Chandigarh. He claimed he would have a “larger” role in Punjab politics and that Rahul would “carve out” that role. The indications came a day after Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh said it was up to the Congress high command to decide whether to make Sidhu Deputy CM, should the Congress win the Assembly poll. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The Congress has withheld the Amritsar East seat in its third list. Sidhu’s wife Dr Navjot Kaur is a sitting MLA from here. The Congress is likely to field one of them from here.

Five former Akalis in Cong’s third list, local cadres seethe

Five former Akalis in Cong's third list, local cadres seethe
Rajwinder Kaur Bhagike, Deepinder Singh Dhillon and Davinder Ghubaya

Aditi Tandon and Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12

A day after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi publicly acknowledged at a national convention here that nominees in the Congress are often foisted from outside, his party fielded several newcomers in Punjab, leaving the local cadres seething. In the third list of 23 candidates announced today, the Congress cited “winnability” to nominate five former Akalis. They are Kamaljit Singh Karwal from Atam Nagar; Rajwinder Kaur Bhagike from Nihalsinghwala, sitting Akali MP Sher Singh Ghubaya’s son Davinder Ghubaya from Fazilka, Pritam Kotbhai from Bhucho Mandi and Deepinder Dhillon from Dera Bassi.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Most of these former Akali leaders had joined the Congress in December last year —Kotbhai and Bhagike on December 6, Karwal on December 15 and Ghubaya on December 21. Deepinder Dhillon had joined the Congress in February last.Among the others nominees are kin of state leaders, including former minister and Sanaur MLA Lal Singh’s son Rajinder Singh (Samana), former Jagraon MLA Gurdeep Singh Bhaini’s son Major Bhaini (Dakha), former Punjab minister Ramesh Dogra’s son Arun Dogra (Dasuya), Lok Sabha MP Santokh Chaudhary’s wife Karamjit Kaur (Phillaur), Ludhiana-based hotelier Jassi Khangura’s relative Bhupinder Sidhu (Ludhiana South)  and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Ram Rahim’s relative Harminder Singh Jassi (Maur).Sitting Ludhiana North MLA Rakesh Pandey managed to get the ticket despite massive resistance from a section of central Congress leaders with Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh stoutly backing the five-time MLA.The nomination of Tejinder Bittu from Jalandhar North, where ex-minister Avtar Henry was seeking a ticket for his son, has triggered a revolt. Trouble is brewing in areas like Sham Chaurasi with the Congress denying the ticket to former Union Minister Santosh Choudhry’s family and fielding district leader Pawan Adhia. The nomination of newcomer Amit Vij, son of Pathankot leader Anil Vij, is also causing problems.Senior Pathankot Congress leader Raman Bhalla, a contender for the seat, said: “I am shocked that the party has fielded Amit Vij who lives in Delhi. In Bhoa they have named Joginder Singh who runs a mining business and is known to be Bikram Majithia’s partner. I am writing a protest letter.”In Ludhiana, there’s angst over Karwal’s nomination. Also, local leaders are surprised over the nomination of Bhupinder Sidhu, who mainly lives in Canada. Ludhiana Congress leader Pawan Dewan questioned Sidhu’s nomination, claiming the latter was not even an applicant.Santosh Choudhry said she was hurt at the denial of the party ticket to her daughter. “Wards of other leaders have managed the ticket. Why?” she wondered.By giving the ticket to Bhai Harnirpal Singh Kuku from Kotkapura, the party has prevented the damage that he may have otherwise caused to Muktsar candidate Karan Kaur Brar. Kuku was seeking the ticket from Muktsar. Likewise, by fielding Karwal from Atam Nagar, the party has tried to counter Simarjit Singh Bains of the Lok Insaf Party. Karwal is a former associate of the Bains brothers.

Party faces rebellion

  • Jalandhar: Supporters offormer Congress minister Avtar Henry expressed their disappointment with theparty’s decision to fieldformer Jalandhar Improvement Trust chief Tajinder Bittu from the Jalandhar-North constituency. They offered to resign en masse as a mark of protest.
  • Kotkapura: Hours after the Congress announced to field former Akali MLA Harnirpal Singh Kuku from Kotkapura, several local Congress leaders submitted their resignations to Ajay Pal Singh Sandhu, a ticket aspirant from the segment.
 full19689-1

 

 

A poll laced with shoes

Punjab deserves a better discourse

Yet another shoe has been hurled. Unlike on most previous occasions, this time it hit the target, and it was none less than the Chief Minister of Punjab. This is an abominable act that goes not only against all norms of civilised behaviour, but also, in the political context, is a direct assault on certain firm assumptions in a democracy. No matter what the provocation, no one may in an ordered society take recourse to violence — real or symbolic — to convey his anger, frustration or set right any injustice. For any immediate cause, there is the recourse of the police and courts. For anger against an elected government, there is the ballot, the ultimate weapon in the hands of even the least empowered.Punjab is going through an extremely impassioned election. Up against Parkash Singh Badal is an AAP candidate who came into the limelight only after having himself hurled a shoe at a Union minister. That act of gross misbehaviour was applauded in certain political quarters; the AAP even rewarded him with a nomination. Over the past few days, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann has referred to a possibility of people stoning SAD leaders. After the shoe incident SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur has mentioned how AAP workers may come to harm in case Akali workers turned violent. This is messaging of the worst kind. There have been incidents of party workers clashing, villagers acting hostile towards leaders, or candidates themselves using intemperate language. It is very unfortunate that top party leaders have not condemned such incidents in the strong terms expected of them.The Election Commission is now in charge of law and order in the state. It must respond to all such incidents with such alacrity and severity that political parties and their workers may not find it profitable to incite anyone to violence. The parties too need to reconcile what they do in the heat of the moment. They will have to live with the consequences — for themselves as well as the state — once the elections are over. No one would want a disturbed state to take over.

We have had enough, say angry Jalalabad residents

We have had enough, say angry Jalalabad residents
A milestone being used by a butcher to support his chicken cage near Kandhawala Hazar Khan village in Jalalabad. Tribune photo

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Kandhawala Hazar Khan (Jalalabad), January 12The GPS fails as we near the destination. A man points towards a milestone used by a butcher to support his chicken cage. It is empty. An arrow directs right for Kandhawala Hazar Khan. Five minutes on the narrow straight road dividing young wheat fields, we are among a group of men. It is this Dalit vehra on the periphery of the village where Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s cavalcade was stoned three days ago.“Akalis are facing the wrath here,” Sunil Kumar, a young labourer, cracks the conversation. He says not long ago, the entire village had voted for the Akalis. But people are now fed up. He tells how Dalits have not been given benefits of government schemes and the sarpanch is working only for the landlords.He asks us to come with him. Almost every Dalit woman shows a pit in her house which was dug as they were promised a grant of Rs 15,000 for the construction of toilets. If someone says her calf died after falling in the pit, another says her husband was injured as he toppled after stepping on it.The houses are of mud, but the village roads are concrete. They are called “bomb-proof roads” in this side of Punjab and Sukhbir is often ridiculed for these.We enter Gurbans Singh’s house, a mud, windowless darkroom. He points to an elderly paralytic woman crawling on the cold floor. “She is my wife. They don’t give her share of wheat as she doesn’t have an Aadhar card.” He points at her crippled fingers. “Officials say she can’t have the card as they can’t get her finger prints.”Go further into the village and farmers complain how they were not given compensation for the cotton crop damaged in 2015 or how Akalis in connivance with local arhtiyas duped them when it came to procuring their paddy. Babu Singh, who owns 16 acres of land, tells that before him all his four generations were Akali supporters. “This time we will not vote for the Akali Dal,” he says.If someone talks about not getting atta-dal, others talk about unfulfilled promise of providing 5-marla plots. That the money is being siphoned off by the Akali henchmen in various schemes is a common allegation.It was an election rally of 10 surrounding villages on Sunday. The rest of the story is known. Dalit men and women were not allowed to go near Sukhbir. They started raising slogans and were beaten up by the police. When the cavalcade started moving away from the village, stones were pelted.Late night, the police came in large numbers. “As far as I could see, there were only police vehicles on the entire street,” says Kala Ram. They were looking for his son Gulab Ram. They forced their way into the houses and hurled abuses at the women, says Simbo, whose son hasn’t returned since Sunday evening.After the incident, most of the youngsters left the village. “More than 20 still haven’t returned,” says Kumar, adding that sarpanch Gurdeep Singh has threatened them with social boycott.Kumar then takes us to the periphery of the village. In the middle stands a tall dark green dome. Punjabi couplets are written almost on every wall. He says this is one of the biggest dargahs of 18th century Sufi poet Bulleh Shah built after the Partition, when a man brought a brick from his dargah from Pakistan. “Jhooth aakhan ta kuj bachda aey. Sach aakheya bhambar machda aey,” reads one of the couplets on the wall.Five minutes on the road, the same milestone guides us back to National Highway-10. The afternoon sun is shining upon us; the cage is now filled with chickens. It seems the butcher has arrived.

Badal family grew richer by Rs 13 cr in five years

None owns a car | Sukhbir richest at Rs 32 cr | 3 tractors worth Rs 9.4 lakh | Cash Rs 82,500

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, January 12

 

Congress candidate Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi files papers from Guruharsahai. Tribune photo

Chief Minister P

Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring files papers from Gidderbaha. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

arkash Singh Badal’s family is worth Rs 76.87 crore and among all the members, his deputy-son and SAD president Sukhbir Badal is the richest.  Sukhbir, as per the nominations filed today, has declared his total net assets (after deducting liabilities) worth Rs 32.69 crore. His wife and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has shown her total assets worth Rs 29.68 crore. At Rs 14.5 crore, the Badal Senior owns the least among the trio. The combined assets of the Chief Minister, his son and daughter-in-law and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal have shown an increase of Rs 13.1 crore over the past five years. During the 2012 Vidhan Sabha elections, Parkash Singh Badal had declared his total assets worth Rs 6.75 crore while Sukhbir’s net worth was Rs 45 crore. Harsimrat had declared her assets worth Rs 12.02 crore during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll (total previous worth is Rs 63.77). Surprisingly, the family does not own a car, though they have three tractors worth Rs 9.4 lakh. Two tractors are owned by Sukhbir (worth Rs 5.5 lakh) and one by Parkash Singh Badal (worth Rs 3.9 lakh). Harsimrat doesn’t even own a tractor.They have total bank balance of Rs 1.12 crore, which includes Rs 34.7 lakh with Parkash Singh Badal, Rs 65.27 lakh of Sukhbir and Rs 12.66 lakh of Harsimrat.The trio owns immovable property worth Rs 67.76 crore, including agricultural land worth Rs 15.78 crore. This comprises Parkash Singh Badal’s land of Rs 8.53 crore, Harsimrat’s of Rs 5.59 crore and Sukhbir’s land of Rs 1.65 crore. The total movable assets are worth Rs 48.8 crore.Sukhbir has liabilities of Rs 39.7 crore while his wife’s are of Rs 5 lakh. The CM has none.Their worthMajithia’s assets: Rs 11 crore

  • Total assets: Rs 11,89,66,30
  • Cash in hand: Rs 15,000 with his wife Ganieve Kaur: Rs 12,500
  • Fixed deposits: Rs 21,46,393 his wife’s: Rs 24,66,007
  • Investments in bonds, debentures: Rs 11,11,42,977 his wife’s: Rs 1,40,22,265
  • Wife’s insurance policy/postal savings: Rs 14,72,100
  • Jewellery & valuables: Rs 26,50,000 his wife’s: Rs 30,15,000

Sodhi owns Rs 7-lakh guns 

  • Watches: Rs 6 lakh
  • Guns: Rs 7 Lakh
  • Vehicles: Honda Accord, Cheverolet Cruze
  • Gold: 700 gm worth  Rs 21 lakh
  • Movable assets: Rs 35.57 lakh his wife Tina Sodhi’s Rs 22.67 lakh
  • Immovable: 13 acres agricultural land at Mohan Ke Utar village worth Rs 1.5 cr, 4.3 acres at Kotbilia village worth Rs 2.5 cr; house in Sector 4, Panchkula, worth Rs 4.5 cr; commercial building in Ferozepur worth Rs 70 lakh
  • Fixed deposits:  Rs 16 lakh

Warring ‘poorer’ by Rs 2.2 cr

  • Total assets: Rs 1.69 cr
  • Movable assets: Rs 1.15 cr
  • Immovable assets: Rs 1 cr
  • Liability: Rs 45.92 lakh
    • Cash in hand: Rs 60,000
    • Jewellery: Rs 2.6 lakh
    • Vehicle: Toyota Innova
    • Assets in 2012: Rs 3.9 cr

Twenty-six of 117 MLAs kept mum in House in their five-year tenure

Cong MLAs Balbir Singh Sidhu, Sardoolgarh Ajit Inder Singh raised max questions

Gurminder Singh Grewal

Samrala/ Khanna January 12

Political parties are busy declaring their candidates from various seats for the upcoming Assembly elections and people are also hopeful that the MLAs concerned will raised their issues in the Assembly, but 26 of 117 MLAs have failed to take up any single issue in their 5-year tenure. Out of ministers apart from Tota Singh and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, other 16 ministers kept mum. This was the information gathered under RTI from Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat provided on January 3 by the Under Secretary-cum-Public Relations officer. As per the information, 17 MLAs of Akali Dal, seven of BJP and two of the Congress failed to take up any issue during their tenure. Of these, about 12 managed to get tickets again while ticket of five had been dropped. Some others were still waiting to get a ticket. The MLAs who didn’t take up the issues also include two times and three times elected MLAs. Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu topped in raising questions. He raised 89 questions, including eight in writing, while Congress MLA Sardoolgarh Ajit Inder Singh Mofar raised 77 questions. Akali ministers Tota Singh and Daljit Singh raised 23 and 25 questions, respectively, while most others kept mum in the Assembly. Darshan Singh Shivalik topped from Akali Dal with 61 direct and two written questions. Akali Dal MLAs who did not speak in the house at all were Amarpal Singh from Ajnala, Ashwani Kumar from Pathankot, Avinash Chander from Phillaur, Balvir Singh Ghunas from Dirba, Des Raj Dhuga from Sri Hargobindpur, Dinesh Singh from Sujanpur, Bibi Farjana Alam from Malerkotla, Gurbachan Singh Babehali from Gurdaspur, Harmit Singh Sandhu from Tarntaran, Indervir Singh Bolaria from Amritsar South, Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu from Talwandi Sabo, KD Bhandari from Jalandhar North, Manoranjan Kalia from Jalandhar Central, Mantar Singh Brar from Kotkapura, Bibi Mohinder Kaur Josh from Sham Churasi, NK Sharma from Dera Bassi, Nand Lal Chaudhry from Balachaur, Bibi Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Parkash Chand Garg from Sangrur, Pawan Kumar Teenu from Adampur, Sarup Chand Singla from Bathinda, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Som Parkash from Phagwara, Surinder Singh Rathan from Garhshankar, Virsa Singh Valtoha from Khemkaran did not raise any question about their area, while two Congress MLAs including Amrik Singh Dhillon from Samrala and OP Soni from Amritsar Central also did not raise any question during their period.Meanwhile, women members including Karan Kaur Brar, Aruna Chaudhary and Bibi Guriqbal Kaur raised 44,47 and 38 questions, respectively, including direct and written questions. Interestingly Captain Amarinder Singh also did not raise any question during his tenure before his election as MP from Amritsar. At present, the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat had removed the website on which this information and RTI is the only way to give information about it.What RTI says

  • As per the information under the RTI, 17 MLAs of Akali Dal, seven of BJP and two of the Congress failed to take up any issue during their tenure. Of these, about 12 managed to get tickets again while ticket of five had been dropped. Some others were still waiting to get a ticket. The MLAs who didn’t take up the issues also include two times and three times elected MLAs.
  • Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu topped in raising questions. He raised 89 questions, including eight in writing, while Congress MLA from Sardoolgarh Ajit Inder Singh Mofar raised 77 questions.
  • Akali ministers Tota Singh and Daljit Singh raised 23 and 25 questions, respectively, while most others kept mum in the Assembly.
  • Darshan Singh Shivalik topped from Akali Dal with 61 direct and two written questions.

Donning new role, General goes door to door

Donning new role, General goes door to door
Former Army Chief and SAD nominee General JJ Singh campaigns in Patiala. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 12

“Without pity, without remorse” is how former chief of the Indian Army General Joginder Jaswant terms the poll battle against Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh.Ensuring to reach at every gathering at the scheduled time, the former Army man is finding it tough to go by the clock as was the case in the Army where punctuality was a key factor to success.Walking through the dusty lanes in the inner heart of the city, guided by his local SAD workers as navigators, former Army chief and Akali Dal candidate from Patiala Gen JJ Singh promises “to be a de facto” MLA from Patiala and not like Capt Amarinder and his wife Preneet Kaur, incumbent Patiala MLA, whom he terms as “dummy leaders”.Talking about the state politics and his stint as Army chief JJ Singh has a lot to talk about his battles fought in the past and his being a tough task master. “I will ensure that the people of Patiala see development and get rid of corruption,” he says as he skips talking about the local issues that are haunting the city for the past few years.“Battle has just started and I am happy with the crowd response. Door-to-door campaigning is something which is new for me but I have started liking it,” says the 71-year old.As a former Army chief, Gen JJ Singh gets some curious onlookers in the gathering who wants to have a glimpse of his. “I will stay here, roam the streets like a commoner and despite being in the Army and then a Governor, I assure you that you would see me often,” he says.Addressing a gathering in the Sher-e-Punjab market, majority consisting of urban Sikhs, the talking point is the cut beard supported by Gen JJ Singh. A few Akali workers are seen smiling at each other on their party now fielding a Sikh with his beard trimmed. “Times have changed. Liquor traders, Sikhs with trimmed beard, realty tycoons and parachute candidates are all making hay in SAD. We have little choice but to accompany them as the party wants it,” they said.To a query, Singh claims that all is well within the party and the local Akali workers are now standing like a wall with him. Whatever be the case, the Patiala voters have an interesting choice to make.

 

Congress list of 23 candidates

Here is the list of 23 Congress candidates: 

  • Kamaljit Singh Karwal Atam Nagar
  • Rajwinder Kaur Bhagike Nihalsinghwala
  • Davinder Ghubaya Fazilka
  • Pritam Kotbhai Bhucho Mandi
  • Deepinder Dhillon Dera Bassi
  • Rajinder Singh Samana
  • Karamjit Kaur Phillaur
  • Bhupinder Sidhu Ludhiana South
  • Major Bhaini Dakha
  • Harminder Singh Jassi Maur
  • Arun Dogra Dasuya
  • Rakesh Pandey Ludhiana North
  • Tejinder Bittu Jalandhar North
  • Pawan Adia Sham Chaurasi
  • Amit Vij Pathankot
  • Joginderpal Singh Bhoa
  • Harpartap Singh Ajnala Ajnala
  • Santokh Singh Bhalaipur Baba Bakala
  • Joginder Singh Mann Phagwara
  • Mohinder Singh Kaypee Adampur
  • Harjot Kamal Moga
  • Nathu Ram Balluana
  • Harnirpal Singh Kuku Kotkapura

Badal ‘bahu’ inciting violence, says AAP

  • AAP has demanded removal of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur from the Cabinet and registration of a case against her for “inciting violence”. It also complained to the EC.

Black flags shown to Sukhbir in Jalalabad

  • Sukhbir was shown black flags at Jalalabad Tehsil by lawyers for “not attaching” 44 villages in Jalalabad police circle for works relating to criminal cases and police matters.

He denied CM siropa, now backs Jarnail

He denied CM siropa, now backs Jarnail
Balbir Singh

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 12

Former Golden Temple ‘ardasia’ Balbir Singh has given up the idea of challenging Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi and would instead support AAP nominee Jarnail Singh.Balbir, who shot to limelight after denying ‘siropa’ to CM Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal at the Golden Temple, said his decision was based on the feedback he received from ‘Sikh Sangat’. He had announced to take on CM Badal, alleging that the state government did little to check sacrilege incidents.He subsequently uploaded a video on the social media seeking advice from the Sikh community on whether or not to enter the poll arena. “My sole aim was never to see Badal in power again. The Sikh population from across the world supported my cause overwhelmingly. But a majority of them calculated that my candidature could divide anti-Badal votes and defeat the purpose,” he said.Balbir said he would support Jarnail and even campaign for him. “He is fighting for the cause of Sikh panth and anti-Badal policies,” he said.

Manpreet files nomination papers on Day 2

Manpreet files nomination papers on Day 2
Congress candidate Manpreet Badal files his nomination papers along with his family members in Bathinda on Thursday. Photo: Vijay Kumar

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 12

Congress candidate Manpreet Singh Badal today filed his nomination papers from the Bathinda Urban constituency with Returning Officer, Bathinda, SDM, Sakshi Sawhney on the second day of the nominations.Manpreet was accompanied by his son Arjun Badal, daughter Rhea Badal, nephew Mannat Johal and Rajan Garg inside the SDM office. Manpreet’s family has total assets worth around Rs 40 crore that includes properties in Chandigarh, Haryana and Rajasthan.As per the affidavit filed before the Returning Officer here, Manpreet declared assets of around Rs 40 crore, with movable assets to the tune of around Rs 3 crore and immovable assets worth around Rs 38 crore.He has declared his gross total value in the form of cash, vehicle and jewellery at Rs 3,17,005, Rs 18,54,484 of his wife Venu, Rs 18,487,551 of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), Rs 1,48,940 in the name of his son Arjun and Rs 3,98,884 in the name of his daughter Rhea.Manpreet owns nine vehicles, including Fortuner, Honda CRV, three jeeps and two tractors.The Manpreet family owns a house in Chandigarh which is worth Rs 17 crore and it also owns a house in Gurgaon, worth Rs 1.25 crore. They also have three commercial buildings in Chandigarh. The family also has a liability or loans of around Rs 7 crore.After filing the nominations, Manpreet said the Congress would address issues of people after coming to power. He condemned the incident in which a shoe was thrown at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in a village of his constituency. But he claimed that he was not shocked as the “misrule” by them has led to anger in the public.

Total assets worth Rs 40 crore

  • Manpreet Badal’s family has total assets worth around Rs 40 crore that includes properties in Chandigarh, Haryana and Rajasthan. As per the affidavit filed before the Returning Officer here, Manpreet declared assets of around Rs 40 crore, with movable assets to the tune of around Rs 3 crore and immovable assets worth around Rs 38 crore.

Balbir Singh Sidhu seeks PUDA chief’s transfer

Balbir Singh Sidhu seeks PUDA chief’s transfer
Congress candidate from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu addresses a press conference in Mohali on Thursday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Our Correspondent

Mohali, January 12

In a complaint to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu sought the transfer of the Chief Administrator, Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA).Releasing a copy of his complaint to CEC Nasim Zaidi at a press conference here today, Balbir Sidhu accused PUDA Chief Administrator (CA) Manvesh Singh Sidhu of using his office for campaigning purposes and pressuring the staff and others to support SAD-BJP candidate TPS Sidhu.Balbir Sidhu sought the immediate transfer of the PUDA Chief Administrator to some other state for a free and fair elections.In the complaint, the Congress candidate said the CA was a close relative of the SAD-BJP candidate, who was also from the IAS cadre and was contesting the election after resigning from the post of Secretary, Punjab Mandi Board.Balbir Sidhu said the PUDA CA had been on the same seat for the past five years due to the blessings of political high-ups, who were also very close to him.Copies of the complaint have also been sent to the Punjab State Election Commissioner, Chandigarh, and the District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mohali.

‘SAD candidate an outsider’

At the press conference, Balbir Sidhu also termed SAD-BJP candidate TPS Sidhu as an “outsider”. He said residents of Mohali could not trust TPS Sidhu as he was not even aware of their problems. He was now promising everything in the world to the residents. He wondered why TPS Sidhu did not do this when he was the Mohali Deputy Commissioner. The SAD-BJP candidate was only making false promises to ensure his win, he added.Balbir Sidhu said he had spent half his life serving the people of Mohali and vowed to serve them till his last breath. The misuse of power and the fleecing of people would not work here, said the Congress candidate.

Deepinder Dhillon is Cong candidate from Dera Bassi

Deepinder Dhillon is Cong candidate from Dera Bassi
Deepinder Singh Dhillon

Satinder Pal Singh

Dera Bassi, January 12

Congress National president Sonia Gandhi today ended all speculations about the party ticket for the Dera Bassi seat. Sonia Gandhi made it amply clear that Deepinder Singh Dhillon is the party candidate from Dera Bassi. An announcement to this effect was made by the Congress high command today.Deepinder Singh Dhillon is all set to take the electoral plunge in the Assembly elections to be held on February 4. He is the party candidate from the Dera Bassi Constituency.Dhillon would thus be fighting against SAD-BJP candidate and sitting MLA NK Sharma, and AAP’s Bibi Sarabjeet Kaur, wife of late Capt Kanwaljit’s Singh, a former SAD minister.Dhillon is seen as a candidate who can make the going difficult for SAD-BJP candidate and sitting MLA NK Sharma given that he knows the ‘ins and outs’ of the SAD-BJP in the Dera Bassi Constituency and could manage to bring in more party members into the Congress fold.Party insiders said the decision to field Deepinder Singh Dhillon from Dera Bassi was a deliberate one in view of his close association with this Constituency and the special bond that the people here shared with him.The party also expects that an overwhelming public response to Deepinder will send a strong signal to potential allies that the Congress is not a spent force.“We are more than happy to welcome him. He is a local face and it is more a homecoming for him. Now, the Congress will be taking Akalis with a bang,” said a local Congress leader.

About Deepinder Singh Dhillon

Deepinder Singh Dhillon, a confidant of former Minister of State for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur, quit the Congress in 2012 after he was denied Congress ticket for the Dera Bassi seat. Dhillon contested the 2012 Assembly elections from the Dera Bassi Constituency as an Independent candidate. He was just second to NK Sharma in the last elections and had got 51,248 votes as an Independent.Dhillon was expelled from the Congress before the Assembly elections on January 22, 2012, after he announced to contest as an Independent candidate from Dera Bassi. Later on, he joined the SAD and was appointed the District Planning Board Chairman, Patiala.Dhillon’s elevation to the plum post had left many a senior SAD leaders of Patiala district red-faced. Notably, the names of most of the SAD leaders were missing from the hoardings installed to congratulate Dhillon.Dhillon even contested the Lok Sabha poll in 2014 against Preneet Kaur and AAP candidate Dharamvir Gandhi. He had finished third in a three-corner contest where Congress candidate Preneet Kaur was the runner-up and AAP’s Dharamvir Gandhi won.In 2016, Dhillon was expelled from the SAD for his alleged anti-party activities. Deepinder blamed Akali MLA from Dera Bassi NK Sharma for leaving him with no option but to quit the SAD and join the Congress.

Tough ride for Congress candidate Tajinder Bittu

Avtar Henry, Raj Kumar Gupta set to oppose him

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 12

It will not be an easy ride for Congress candidate Tajinder Bittu, who has got ticket from Jalandhar (North), as he is sure to face dissidence not just from former Congress minister Avtar Henry but also former MLA Raj Kumar Gupta.As the news spread, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, son of Delhi CM Shiela Dikshit, went to Henry’s place and tried to placate him, but failed in doing so. The party workers, who had gathered there in large numbers, gave him two-day time to get the decision reverted. Henry has so far maintained that he would go by what majority of workers would suggest.Workers, however, continued to allege that Bittu was an outsider in this constituency. He is an agent of the SAD. If the ticket is not changed in two days, we will plan future course of action. There have been reports of Henry mulling plans to shift to the AAP or contest independently. The AAP ticket currently is with businessman Gulshan Sharma.Four MC councillors, PPCC secretary Balwant Shergill, ex-councillors Mahesh Puri Pappi, Gian Chand Sodhi, Avtar Singh, Haripal Sondhi, Nirmal S Nimma, comrade Raj Kumar, Rakesh Kumar Gannu, Desh Deepak, Om Parkash and Surinder Kaur were among those who resigned today in support of Henry.Likewise, former MLA Raj Kumar Gupta (80), who too was a claimant of the seat has called a meeting of his supporters tomorrow noon to discuss his plan. His son Pawan Gupta (51), who is two-time party councillor, said, “The entire Aggarwal community associated with us is angry at ticket not coming to my father. This will affect the party in two constituencies –Jalandhar (Central), where my father was MLA in 2002, and Jalandhar (North), where we had been waiting to get ticket. Our community has 20,000 voters in both the constituencies.”He further rued, “We were hoping that we would be adjusted in Jalandhar (North). But today, the party announced ticket for Tajinder Bittu, which is not acceptable to us. If our supporters suggest us to contest independently, we may go by them.”

Cong bet on Mann in Phagwara

Our correspondent

Phagwara, January 12

The Congress today declared Joginder Singh Mann as its candidate from the Phagwara Assembly constituency. Mann, who belongs to the Valmiki community, is the nephew of veteran Congress leader and former union home minister Buta Singh.A former state minister himself, Mann has won the seat three times and lost twice since 1985. The AAP have nominated Jarnail Nangal while BSP has announced Surinder Dhadhey as its candidate. Sitting MLA Som Parkash and Mohan Lal are seeking the BJP ticket.Meanwhile, no nomination paper was filed in Phagwara on the second day of filing nomination papers today, Returning Officer and SDM, Phagwara, Balbir Raj Singh said this evening.

Cong leader Chaudhary Surinder banks on his legacy, aims to focus on jobs

Cong leader Chaudhary Surinder banks on his legacy, aims to focus on jobs
Chaudhary Surinder Singh meets residents during a door-to-door campaign at a village of Kartarpur in Jalandhar. A Tribune Photograph

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

“I am the grandson of Master Gurbanta Singh, son of Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, and I want to serve people.” This line was posted on the Facebook wall of Chaudhary Surinder Singh which is enough to tell about his proud lineage which residents of Kartarpur can swear on!

One may assess the political importance of the Kartarpur constituency that right from the government of former Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon in mid-1950s, incumbent MLAs from there remained important ministers. Political standing of the family may be judged from the fact that whosoever defeated Master Gurbanta Singh and Chaudhary Jagjit Singh became a minister in recognition of the fact that he defeated a political heavyweight.Piara Ram Dhanowalia of the Republican Party defeated Master Gurbanta Singh in 1967 and became a minister in Justice Gurnam Singh’s first non-Congress government. Avinash Chander of the SAD, a political novice at the time, was rewarded with the position of the Chief Parliamentary Secretary by Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, on defeating political stalwart Chaudhary Jagjit Singh. Again, Sarwan Singh, an Akali, defeated Chaudhary Surinder and became a minister in recognition of his success in trouncing a strong opponent.Having been promised the ticket from Kartarpur by PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh following the death of Chaudhary Jagjit Singh in August 2016, an official announcement for Chaudhary Surinder Singh’s candidature came recently.So what are the top agendas? “The major focus will be made on providing employment to youth here. We would make strenuous efforts to bring some corporates to further enhance the employment opportunities in the constituency,” said the Dalit leader, who is a fitness freak.Will he be able to revive the lost glory of the historic furniture market of Kartarpur?”I don’t think there is a need to do that as a majority of the manufacturers had already shifted to other professions after facing tough competition from the Chinese market. However, we will encourage entrepreneurship efforts in the area,” said the Congress leader.As Kartarpur had always remained a constituency where a candidate has only won by a mere margin of 500 to 1,000 votes, what impact it will have on the Congress prospects after the arrival of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is reported to have attracted around 10,000 to 15,000 persons from a database of 1.5 lakh voters?”No, I am hopeful that our traditional vote bank has remained intact and will not be disturbed with the arrival of other political parties in the area. All that which ensure my win is my proud legacy and my will to serve people,” claimed Chaudhary Surinder.

Chaudhary Surinder Singh

  • Party: Congress
  • Qualification: MA History
  • Constituency: Kartarpur
  • Poll record: Contesting for the first time.
  • Focus: To provide employment to every family in the constituency. Will make strenuous efforts to bring some corporates to further enhance the employment opportunities

It’s Kaypee-Tinu face-off in Adampur after 15 years

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 12

It will be a repeat of 2002 as former minister Mahinder Singh Kaypee, whose candidature from the Congress was announced today, will contest against sitting MLA Pawan Tinu from the Adampur Assembly segment.Kaypee and Tinu had come face-to-face 15 years back as both of them had then contested from Jalandhar South seat (now Jalandhar West after the last delimitation). Tinu, who was the BSP candidate then, had lost to Kaypee by 13, 485 votes.The situation was different in the constituency. “Tinu was a candidate from a weaker party. He is now a sitting MLA of the Akali Dal and is riding on party’s achievements, including the foundation stone laying of airport in the constituency, laying of sewage works and upgrade of Bhogpur sugar mill. Kaypee was then banking on the fact that his father and five-time Congress MLA Darshan Singh Kaypee, had been killed by militants just 10 years back. Kaypee, who has been out of power for 10 years, has now come on a different turf,” said a political observer from Jalandhar.There are other factors on which the fight will depend. It is believed that Pawan Tinu has been facing dissidence within the party with Akali leaders including councillor Darshan Singh Karwal and his two brothers, and SGPC member Gurcharan Kaur Kalra, while political observers say Kaypee has no such dissidence as two other claimants from the party have got adjusted well. Satnam Kainth, who contested the last time, is now the candidate from Banga while Seth Satpal Mal had joined the Akali Dal and is now the candidate from Kartarpur. The presence of the AAP and the BSP candidates from the reserved seat too would be other deciding factors.

 


VVIP CHOPPER DEAL Court issues fresh summons against accused

Court issues fresh summons against accused

New Delhi, January 7

A special court on Saturday issued fresh summons against three accused in a money laundering case related to the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal in which it had earlier issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW) against British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James.Special Judge Arvind Kumar re-issued the summons against India-based firm M/s Media Exim Private Limited and its directors R K Nanda and J B Subramaniyam while asking them to be present in court on February 22. The firm was set up by James, Nanda and Subramaniyam.The court passed the order after advocate N K Matta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, informed it that the summons issued against the three accused on the last date of hearing could not be executed.It had on November 31 last year issued an open-ended NBW against James and summons against other three accused in the case, saying, “There is prima facie evidence against the accused.”The NBW was issued against James after ED had told the court that the alleged middleman was out of India and pressed for an arrest warrant against him to bring him here to face the trial. An open-ended NBW (arrest warrant) does not carry a time limit for its execution.In June last year, ED had filed a 1,300-page prosecution complaint (equivalent for charge sheet) in connection with its money laundering probe in the case.It had said the agency’s investigation into the case had found that James allegedly received Euro 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from M/s AgustaWestland which was nothing but “kickbacks” paid by the firm to execute the deal for sale of 12 helicopters to India in favour of the firm in “guise” of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. — PTI


Ex-servicemen want removal of anomalies in pensions Officers want parity in status with IAS, IPS officers

Tribune News Service

Hamirpur/Bilaspur, December 25

Ex-servicemen of Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts are happy with the implementation of “one rank, one pension” (OROP), but want the issue of parity in status with IAS and IPS officers sorted out.However, shrinking job opportunities for ex-servicemen after they are discharged from the service or voluntary retirement is a major issue and as the number of ex-servicemen seeking jobs is much higher than the jobs available.“No doubt, though ex-servicemen have been benefitted financially after the implementation of OROP but the key issue of parity in status with IAS and IPS officers remains to be sorted out,” said Brig BD Dogra.Julfi Ram of Lehri village in Bilaspur, who retired as a Sepoy, said he had received two instalments under “one rank, one pension” in March and August 2016 and was benefited to the tune of Rs 1.13 lakh.Kaur Singh of Domahar village in Ghumarwin, who took retirement as a Subedar, said though the instalments had been received, the revised pension benefits from January 2006 had not been given. “The basic pension was raised to Rs 10,400 after 2006, but I am getting basic pension amounting to Rs 8,425 and in case this anomaly is not rectified, we will have to approach the court”, said Rajender Prasad, who retired as a Havildar in 1996.Two widows of Domahar village, Vyasa Devi wife of Nardev Singh and Parvati Devi wife of Budhi Singh, said they had not received the enhanced pension after the implementation of OROP. “We have not even been told how much pension will be disbursed under OROP,” they said.The ex-servicemen, based in their villages, were not in touch with developments taking place with regard to the implementation of OROP and other issues concerning them. They said a quarterly newsletter should be published and circulated among ex-servicemen to keep them abreast with the latest developments.“While in service we were told that there were so many jobs for ex-servicemen, but the ground reality is different. There are fewer jobs for ex-servicemen and even the Sainik Welfare Boards are not able to do much and we are facing problems in bringing up our children and meeting other liabilities after leaving the Army,” said another ex-serviceman Dyal Singh of Hamirpur.Ranjit Singh, who retired as a Havildar and takes care of the Sainik Welfare Board at Ghumarwin, said there would be difference as the arrears would be decided as per the length of the service but at least the Modi government had fulfilled the promises made to ex-servicemen.