Current Events :
COLOMBO–The six-month-old Sri Lankan coalition government has declared that it will under no circumstance permit a Chinese military base to be constructed in the country.
The assurance came amid concerns from India thflagsat China is looking at constructing a military base in the island nation due to its strategic location.
“There is absolutely no such thing and we assure that we will never permit anything like that in Sri Lanka,” Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva told Asia Times.
His comments came just days after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe-led government gave the green light to resume construction on the $1.5 billion China-funded Colombo Port City project which was suspended a year back over environmental issues and on grounds that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had not followed proper procedure while signing the deal with China.
The project, which is the largest foreign-funded investment on record in Sri Lanka, was inaugurated in September 2014 under Rajapaksa’s presidency, who relied heavily on China for investments.
Keheliya Rambukwella, who was spokesman for the government of former President Rajapaksa, claimed that even during Rajapaksa’s tenure, there was no proposal by the Chinese to establish a military base in Sri Lanka.
“They (China), however, extended us assistance when we were at a critical stage during the war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),” he said.
During the over quarter century war in Sri Lanka, which ended in May 2009, China supplied the Sri Lankan government with necessary weapons to fight the LTTE.
The United Nations estimates that at least 40,000 civilians died during the final stages of the war which saw gross human rights violations.
Rambukwella said the rumors of a possible Chinese military base were floated by India which did not want Sri Lanka to have a close relationship with China.
“China is getting stronger and stronger by the day, and the United States is indirectly supporting India to control this,” he told Asia Times.
However, Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka, who served as Army Commander at the time the Sri Lankan military won the war against the LTTE, accused the Rajapaksa government of selling out to China.
“One of the regulations laid down by China to the then government was that even the Sri Lankan Air Force cannot fly over this port city. Basically, the Rajapaksa administration had agreed that the Chinese government can do anything, and we don’t have the right to question them even though it was happening in our land,” Fonseka said.
The Colombo Port City project will house a star class hotel, shopping and entertainment centers, offices, a marina and yacht club, a central boulevard, apartment complex, and a mini golf course. It will be built on 252 hectares of reclaimed land off Sri Lanka’s west coast.
Before taking over office, Wickremesinghe had vowed to halt the project on environment grounds, but reversed his decision and gave the green light to resume work on the project early this week.
The decision comes when Sri Lanka is heading toward a deepening economic crisis. Analysts believe this could be a move by Wickremesinghe to boost confidence among Chinese investors and encourage them to bring in more investments to the country.
Wickremesinghe seems to have a change of heart on the controversial project just days after the country received repeated setbacks from international credit rating agencies, with Fitch Ratings downgrading its ratings on Sri Lanka by a notch to B+ with a negative outlook, followed by Standard & Poor’s revised outlook last week on its B+ sovereign credit rating to negative, amid mounting concerns of rising debt, weaker revenue and decline in the country’s foreign reserves.
Meanwhile, following a formal invitation extended to China by the Wickremesinghe government to resume work on the project, CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd said it recognized Sri Lankan government’s decision as a positive step in moving forward.
While expressing its regret over the suspension of the project and the lengthy process taken to resume work which resulted in heavy losses, the company in a statement this week said: “With the resumption of work now approved, the project company will commence with preparatory work as soon as feasible to ensure that the project can be completed in the expected time-frame.”
The project company also reiterated that as a responsible corporate citizen, it will continue to be compliant with all existing laws and regulations in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the People’s Movement against the Port City has demanded Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Wickremesinghe to immediately halt the project on the grounds that it is detrimental to the country’s environment.
In a statement, the movement recalled Wickremesinghe’s initial stand on the project during the presidential campaign in 2014.
He then said: “The western coast would be severely affected as a result of the construction activities of the Port City project. We ought to protect the coast. The coastal belt from Colombo to Kalpitiya and from Colombo to Hikkaduwa will be lost as a result if it is carried out”.
Beijing, March 14
China on Monday dodged a direct response to reports of presence of PLA troops at a forward post in the PoK and said it “regretted” that the media keeps “popping up” stories of incursions into the Indian side of the LAC.
“I have not heard about the incident you mentioned,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kong said at a media briefing here, replying to a question about the presence of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops at a forward post opposite Nowgam sector in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
In response to another question on reports of recent incursions of PLA troops on the Indian side in the Ladakh sector, Kong said “there is no such thing as going beyond the border”.
“We deeply regret that the media keeps popping up the relevant issue. The bilateral relationship (between India and China) has maintained sound momentum of development. Friendly cooperation is the mainstream of the bilateral relationship.
“We hope that the relevant media would report objectively about China-India relations and do more to improve the friendly relationship between the two sides,” he said.
At the same time Lu reiterated Beijing’s stand on the Kashmir issue, saying that “China’s position on Kashmir issue is consistent”.
“We believe that the relevant issue was left over by history between India and Pakistan. We maintain that the two countries should properly resolve it through negotiations and consultations,” he added.
Asked whether presence of PLA troops is connected to the work related to the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, over which India has conveyed its protest, Lu merely reiterated China’s stand on the Kashmir issue.
India has conveyed its protest to China on the corridor connecting China’s Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Gwadar port as it goes through PoK along the Karakoram Highway.
China in the past maintained that the corridor which is part of its Silk Road initiative is aimed at improving the people’s livelihoods and in no way affects status of the Kashmir issue.
Both the sides have established Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to discuss the issue of incursions and aggressive border patrols by their troops along the 3,488-km-long disputed border. — PTIhttp://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/china-evades-query-on-reports-of-presence-of-pla-troops-in-pok/208745.html
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, March 12
The Army rescued 73 passengers, including women and children, who were stranded at the Nasta Chun pass in frontier Kupwara district due to an avalanche triggered by a fresh snowfall.The passengers were stranded on Friday night at the Nasta Chun pass, also known as Sadhna Gali, on the Kupwara-Tangdhar road.Defence spokesman Col NN Joshi said a report was received by an Army post at Nasta Chun that vehicles ferrying people, including women, children and aged, and an ambulance with a critically ill heart patient was stranded approximately 1.5 km from the Nasta Chun pass.“As the report was received, the Army avalanche rescue team sprung into action immediately despite harsh weather conditions, snow blizzard and zero visibility. The rescue team of the local Rashtriya Rifles unit rescued 73 civilians, including women, children and a critically ill heart patient. The rescue team gave medical aid and provided safe passage to the passengers,” the spokesman said.
ribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 9
A two-day seminar on the topic “Emerging Security Scenario in Af-Pak (Afghanistan-Pakistan) Region: Implications for India” started today at Panjab University. The department of defence and national security studies organised the seminar.The GOC-in-C, Western Command, Chandimandir, Lt Gen KJ Singh, PVSM, AVSM, delivered the inaugural address and Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain delivered the keynote address. PU Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover, Registrar Col GS Chadha (retd), serving and retired Army officers, foreign diplomat, experts, research scholars and students of the university attended the seminar and deliberated on the issue.Referring to the intervention of the USSR, USA in the Af-Pak region, Lt Gen KJ Singh said anyone who wanted to play the great game in region came out with a bloody nose. The only exception was Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who was successful in ruling the region for more than 40 years, he added.Delivering the presidential address, Vice-Chancellor Kumar Grover talked about the impact of natural disasters due to environmental pollution on human population.
Contest to build combat vehicle kicks off today
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Tata Motors, India’s biggest vehicle manufacturer, has signed a strategic agreement with Bharat Forge Limited and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) of the US, for the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD’s) prestigious Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) program.
Tata Motors will lead the consortium, with Bharat Forge Limited as a partner, while General Dynamics Land Systems will bring in its much proven expertise in combat vehicle platforms.
Tata Motors will play on its strengths related to Design, Development & Integration of mobility platforms, while Bharat Forge’s will bring on board its competence with fighting platforms and manufacturing strengths. General Dynamics’ proven expertise, as SOSI (a system of systems integrator) in various integrational programs, will bring in the required competency enabling Tata Motors, the lead integrator, to offer a truly indigenous solution for this ‘Make’ program.
Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors Ltd. said, “Defence particularly needs partners with long-term commitments to see products and solutions through multiple generations of evolution, and we at Tata Motors are proud to have joined hands with Bharat Forge and General Dynamics Land Systems, for a complete FICV solution for the Indian armed forces. Through this partnership we will be better positioned to help the country realize its ‘Make in India’ vision, for the first completely indigenized combat vehicle, at the same time cater to the opportunities available right here in India.”
To be developed under the ‘Make Category’, the FICV is a high mobility armoured battle vehicle, for infantry men to keep pace with new advancements in weaponry system. The FICV needs to be compact, tracked and amphibious, no heavier than 18-20 tonnes, so that it can be air-portable and transportable by other means, onto combat zones. The vehicle must fire anti-tank guided missiles, to ranges beyond four kilometers, with a capability to carry a crew of three and eight combat-kitted infantrymen. The FICV will replace the Indian Army’s fleet of 2610 Russian-designed BMP (Sarath BMP-II) series armed vehicles, that are in operation since 1980.
Baba N. Kalyani, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Forge Limited, “Our proposed partnership will constitute an important milestone, to help meet the Indian Government’s objectives to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities, and particularly in land systems, with the FICV. Working with the country’s largest automotive manufacturer, will help us develop new directions for both companies and to address future requirements of the Indian Armed Forces. We look forward to an exciting future”
Donald Kotchman, Vice President, Tracked Combat Vehicles, General Dynamics Land Systems said, “We are proud to have been selected by Tata Motors Limited as a partner in order to meet the requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defence FICV program. At General Dynamics Land Systems, we have established a track record of delivering and sustaining international programs, in a timely and cost-effective manner throughout the platform’s life. Led by Tata Motors, we look forward to working with our consortium partners in supporting the “Make in India” initiative, developing the Indian FICV.”
The FICV is mobility oriented and is established by the fact that 3 of the 5 core technologies and 19 of the 34 critical technologies are mobility related, such as engines, transmission and running gear, which are core to Tata Motors, which as a lead of this consortium, has demonstrated years of experience of integrating key technologies needed in the armoured mobility segment. With around 14 Tata companies engaged in providing cutting edge solutions in the defence and aerospace sector, the group has the capability and ability to deliver on the FICV programme.http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/tata-motors-signs-agreement-for-combat-vehicles-programme-for-indian-army-116030700227_1.html
SHIMLA: In a fresh bid to dissuade Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) from hosting World Cup T20 India-Pakistan match slated for March 19 at Dharamsala, Indian Ex-servicemen’s League has announced to launch “Operation Balidan” to salute the soldiers from the state who had laid down their lives in the line of duty. “League’s position is clear; issue is not negotiable. There is no question of going back on our stance,” said Congress’s former minister and president of the league Vijai Singh Mankotia.
Amit R Joshi
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 1
Once a soldier, always a soldier. A retired Armyman proved it by fighting off rioters alone for seven hours and saving cash and valuables worth Rs 137 crore.On February 20, when Haryana was on the boil with Jats out on the streets demanding reservation, Hawa Singh Yadav, who retired as a Naik from the 11 Kumaon Regiment in 1999, was guarding a branch of the State Bank of Patiala in curfew-bound Jhajjar. After 4 pm, nearly 500 men entered the bank premises and broke open the ATM cabin. The 51-year-old guard rushed to the manager’s room and fired shots from his double-barrel gun through a small vent to ward off the hooligans.From an LPG explosion to drilling a hole in the ceiling, the rioters tried everything to break into the bank, but were stopped by Yadav, who refused to give in even after the robbers’ unsuccessful attempts of suffocating him with the smoke of a burning tyre and chilli powder. Witnesses say two persons were seriously injured after Yadav continued to fire shots.Meanwhile, Yadav kept calling up the police and his family members for help. At 6 pm, his son Narender Singh and his friends reached the spot but failed to intervene as the mob was armed with swords, sickles and guns. After they “failed to get any police help”, they called a meeting at their Kheri Khummar village and residents decided to help Yadav. They reached the bank past midnight and found nearly 50 men still trying to enter the bank. They tricked the mob by introducing themselves as rivals of Yadav, who, they said, had killed their brother. After recognising his cousin Raju’s voice, Yadav let him inside the bank. However, DC Anita Yadav seconded villagers, saying Yadav was rescued by his family without any police help. “I had asked SP Sumit Kumar to help Yadav, but he refused to do so stating that he could not risk the life of many to save only one,” she said. Sumit Kumar, however, said he went to help Yadav and was in touch with him on the phone. He reached the site to evacuate him with Brig Ajit Sethi and Col Nageshwar Rao, but he had already been rescued by villagers by that time. Kumar was transferred to Kaithal today.At present, Yadav is undergoing treatment at Aarvy Hospital in Gurgaon. No one from the administration has visited him yet. BJP leader Rao Narbir Singh met him on Saturday and promised adequate help.
Brig Manjt Singh Ex- Director Defence Services welfare Punjab has taken over as Chairman of Ex-Servicemen Joint Action front. Till date he was President Punjab Unit of Sanjha Morcha.
(Sanjha Morcha) from 01 March 2016. He is from Bde of Guards.
He was awarded Punjab Parman Patra in 2013 by the Chlef Minister Punjab for his dedicated devotion as Director of DSW(Pb) at State level function. First ever received by any Director for completing all projects launched by him.
He is a regular article writer in Defence Info.com
http://www.defenceinfo.com/author/manjitsingh
MAJOR NS MULTANI AS
PRESIDENT DISTT MOHALI CUM I/C GRIEVANCES AND PENSION CELL OF SANJHA MORCHA
