Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14

In a first, the UN body OHCHR (UN Human Rights office of The High Commissioner) published a report on human rights situation on both sides of Kashmir and slammed both India and Pakistan.“The 49-page report–the first ever issued by the UN on the human rights situation in Indian-Administered and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir–details human rights violations and abuses on both sides of the Line of Control, and highlights a situation of chronic impunity for violations committed by security forces,” says the report.The report asks both sides to adhere to the ceasefire agreement, and asks India to repeal AFSPA and release political prisoners, among others.It also recommends, “Fully respect the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir as protected under international law.”In response to a question on the Report, the official spokesperson said: “India rejects the report. It is fallacious, tendentious and motivated. We question the intent in bringing out such a report. It is a selective compilation of largely unverified information. It is overtly prejudiced and seeks to build a false narrative.“The report violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the Indian state through aggression. We have repeatedly called upon Pakistan to vacate the occupied territories. The incorrect description of Indian territory in the report is mischievous, misleading and unacceptable. There are no entities such as ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir’ and ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’.“Terrorism is the most egregious violation of human rights. Yet the authors have conveniently ignored the pattern of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan and territories under its illegal control. Cross-border terror and incitement is aimed at suppressing the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, disrupting its political and social fabric and undermining India’s integrity.“It is disturbing that those behind this report have chosen to describe internationally designated and UN-proscribed terrorist entities as “armed groups” and terrorists as “leaders”. This undermines the UN-led consensus on zero tolerance to terrorism.“The motivated report deliberately ignores that fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution to every Indian citizen, including in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, are protected also by an independent judiciary, human rights commissions, free and vibrant media and an active civil society.“Our protest and views in the matter have been conveyed unequivocally to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We are deeply concerned that individual prejudices are being allowed to undermine the credibility of a UN institution.“Such malicious reports cannot undermine the will of the people and the Government of India to take all measures necessary to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from cross-border terrorism.”

Chandigarh, June 11

BJP Rajya Sabha member D P Vats has said stone-pelters in Kashmir Valley should be hit with bullets.Pakistan has started a proxy war with the country and each day our forces in Jammu and Kashmir are being attacked, the former commandant of Pune’s Armed Forces Medical College said on Sunday.”…I am of the opinion that stone-pelters should be hit with bullet,” Vats said when asked about the Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to withdraw cases against people involved in stone-pelting incidents.Pakistan has not learnt a lesson despite tasting defeat many times in direct wars with India and is now engaged in proxy war, the retired lieutenant general told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Bhiwani yesterday.When PTI today asked him if he stood by his comment, Vats said, “I am an Army officer, the Army has been fighting a proxy war waged by Pakistan for a long time. What does my soldier fighting this proxy war on ground in Kashmir expect of me? As an Army officer, I stand by what I have said.”He also said each day bodies of soldiers killed in Kashmir are sent to their native places.”What should soldiers expect of their officers? We cannot let down their morale. They cannot be attacked and pelted with stones,” he said.Vats (69), who hails from Hisar, was recently elected to the Upper House of Parliament. He had served as the director and commandant of the prestigious AFMC, Pune.He has also served as the chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission between May 2011 and April 2012 during the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in the state. On June 1, two youths were injured after they had allegedly been hit by a CRPF vehicle during clashes between protesters and security forces in Nowhatta area here in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.The duo was taken to SKIMS hospital at Soura here where one of them-Kaiser Bhat-succumbed around midnight. – PTI

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Shillong, June 7

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“Had our youth from Punjabi Lane not put up a brave resistance, they (the aggressors) would have resorted to genocide,” recounted Gurjeet Singh, the secretary of the Harijan Panchayat Committee and president of the Gurdwara Committee at Punjabi Lane, Bara Bazar, here.“A 400-strong mob, armed with weapons and petrol bombs, came with the obvious intention to raze the colony. The police were caught offguard. But 30-40 youths from the colony, carrying swords, repulsed the attack. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) P Pandey did a commendable job in saving us,” Gurjeet Singh told The Tribune. Punjabi lane has the oldest gurdwara in Meghalaya that was built in 1893. Over the years, because of the burgeoning population of Scheduled Caste Sikhs and other non-tribal communities, the place has turned into a ghetto. Residents come out on the street from their ramshackle dwellings, work and go back. “The process of relocation of residents from Punjabi Colony was initiated way back in 1987. All state governments since then have failed to solve the problem.

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Original land documents are with us. There have been legal issues, but court rulings have been in our favour. If they could evict us legally, they would have done so long ago. But they know they can’t and now intend to resort to force to scare us away,” the community leader said.“When our forefathers arrived here, it was a jungle. Now that the area has become a prime location, they (local Khasi tribe) want to capture it by any means. The latest violence is the handiwork of powerful politicians and some NGOs who want to set up business here. Those who came to attack were merely tools in their hands,” said Baba Joginder Singh, another community leader, who is Jathedar, North East Zone Rangreta Dal.Even as life is limping back to normal with curfew in Punjabi Lane rescheduled (2 pm to 5 am), the residents continue to remain jittery. A high-level committee formed by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to examine the long-standing demand for relocating Punjabi Lane residents held its first meeting and decided to begin the process of collecting documents. The committee chairman and Deputy CM, Preston Tyngson, said they would meet again soon. 

New Delhi, May 28

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Monday approved the procurement of equipment valued at over Rs 6,900 crore, which includes Thermal Imaging (TI) Night Sights for the Rocket Launcher for accurate targeting of enemy bunkers even in complete darkness.The thermal imaging night sights used by the Army and the Air Force will be bought through established Indian vendors, in effort to boost indegenisation, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.“The TI sight for 84mm RL will be used by troops in operations to facilitate accurate and continuous engagement of moving and static enemy targets and destruction of field fortifications (bunkers) during hours of complete darkness,” the statement said. The night sight will enable troops to detect and recognise enemy tanks and soldiers’ movement during night and engage them with greater efficiency.Furthermore, the effect of camouflage and concealment will be drastically reduced as RL detachments will be able to ascertain location of enemy taking cover behind foliage and thin-walled constructions with greater ease.The DAC also accorded approval for undertaking design and development of the long-range dual band Infrared Imaging Search and Track System (IRST) for SU-30 MKI aircraft and subsequently, for procurement of at least 100 IRSTs.The system will be able to operate in day and night conditions and substantially enhance the capabilities of the aircraft.“In the last eight months alone, the DAC has pursued modernisation of the armed forces with greater vigour and has accorded major thrust on indigenisation. Approvals for procurement of equipment valued at Rs 43,844 crore, have been accorded, of which, Rs 32,253 crore would be Made-in-India, through the indigenous route,” the statement added. — PTI

DAC clears purchase worth Rs 6,900 cr

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared procurement of equipment worth over Rs 6,900 crore
• This includes long-range dual band Infrared Imaging Search and Track System for SU-30 MKI. At least 100 will be bought after they are designed and developed
• The system will allow operation in day and night conditions and enhance capabilities of the aircraft

Says India wants peace, but Pakistan must take initiative to stop infiltration

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 25

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Friday hinted at extending the unilateral ceasefire in the Kashmir valley.“We have suspended the operation which we call NICO (non-initiation of combat operations) so that the ‘awaam’ (people) realises how it feels when peace is in the air. In the current atmosphere of peace and tranquillity, people are happy and if such atmosphere of peace continues, I can say that we can consider extending NICO,” General Rawat told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Pahalgam.He, however, asserted that if militant activities continued, they will have to rethink on the ceasefire. “If terrorists carry out their actions then we may have to rethink on the ceasefire or suspension of NICO,” he said.The Central government had announced cessation of anti-militancy operations across Kashmir during the holy month of Ramzan that began on May 17. While there have been some militant-initiated actions during the past nine days, the situation has been relatively calm, especially in south Kashmir.General Rawat, who arrived on a two-day visit to the state on Thursday, reviewed the security situation in the strife-torn Valley on Thursday amid the ongoing cessation of anti-militancy operations by the forces.On the ceasefire violations along the border, the Army Chief said Pakistan must take the initiative to stop infiltration of terrorists into India.“As you know Pakistan is continuing violating the ceasefire and when there is loss of life and damage to property of the people, we have to respond because we can’t remain silent. When they violate the ceasefire, we will respond,” the Army Chief said. “If Pakistan wants peace and tranquillity, we would like that they should take the initiative. The initiative should be such that the terrorists who infiltrate to vitiate the atmosphere should be stopped. The ceasefire violation takes places to facilitate infiltration.”He said India wanted that peace should be maintained on the borders. “But for that it is necessary that training camps should be closed and weapon smuggling should be stopped. If that happens, peace will return to the border and ceasefire will be maintained,” General Rawat said.

In the wake of the Income Tax Department’s recent cautionary advisory to salaried taxpayers, you need to keep certain things in mind to avoid being labelled a tax evader. Here they go.

You must be aware that the Income Tax Department has recently issued a cautionary advisory to the salaried taxpayers that those suppressing information while filing their income tax returns (ITRs) will be penalised, followed by prosecution as well. One of the reasons being that many taxpayers increase their deductions or exemptions or reduce their taxable income while filing their ITRs in order to reduce their tax liability. However, hiding one’s income details from the I-T Department is not possible now-a-days. Therefore, if you want to avoid being labelled an income tax evader by taxmen, you are required to do certain things and also need to file your tax returns carefully from now on. Here are a few points you should keep in mind:

1. Avoid claiming false deductions

It has been observed that in order to increase the amount of refund, some people claim bogus deductions under various sections of Chapter VI-A. “However, one should not reduce one’s income in the ITR by availing false deductions. If the I-T Department finds any discrepancy in your ITR, then it will scrutinize your case in detail and levy penalties upon you, followed by prosecution as per the provisions of the law,” says CA Abhishek Soni, Founder, tax2win.in.

2. Avoid inflating interest on home loan repayment

In ITRs, many people claim more amount of interest on home loans than mentioned in their interest certificate. In that case, the tax department may ask you to submit relevant proofs. If it finds the proofs to be insufficient, then it can take penal action against you. Therefore, do not try to inflate the claim of interest paid on home loan.

3. Avoid mistake in case of multiple Form 16s

If you have changed your job/jobs during the year, you will need to refer to multiple Form 16s along with your Form 26AS while filing your income tax return. “The tax department has all the data related to salary income and TDS deducted on it. So, you must combine your income from all the employers and calculate the amount of tax. Then subtract the TDS, which has already been deducted, from the total tax. Resultantly, you will get to know if you need to pay more tax,” says Soni.

4. Avoid claiming false tax exemptions

Several people claim false tax exemptions under Section 10 like HRA, LTA, medical reimbursement, etc. These can be easily identified by comparing data in the tax return with Form 16, Form 16A and Form 26AS. Also, the new ITR forms require you to provide the break-up of your salary, all taxable allowances and perquisites etc. Therefore, try to save tax only by availing valid tax benefits.

5. Avoid fake claims of capital gains

If you have any income or loss from trading of Shares or Future and Options, then do not forget to include it in your ITR. “Since all your financial accounts are linked to Aadhaar and PAN, so the I-T Department can easily compare the gains made by you in trading in equity or MFs with that reported in your return and any under reporting or miss-reporting can lead you in trouble,” informs Soni.

6. Avoid exclusion of rent on housing property

If a person owns more than one house, then he should calculate and add the notional rent/ actual rent of the deemed let out property in his taxable income and pay due taxes on it. “Many taxpayers are either not aware of this clause or ignore it to save taxes. Now, since all the properties are linked to your PAN and Aadhaar, the I-T Department can easily verify them. In case it is found that you have under-reported your income, then it can result into penal action,” says CA Vertika Kedia, Co-Founder, Tax2win.in.

7. Avoid exclusion of agriculture income

Very few taxpayers know that agricultural income, which is not subject to income tax, is also added to your taxable income to decide the tax rate applicable on your total income. If you do not account for it, then the taxmen may compare your agricultural income with land revenue records.

8. Avoid exclusion of interest income

Depositing your hard-earned money in banks either in savings account or FDs always seems a secure and easy option. However, many taxpayers tend to forget to include the interest income earned from those fixed deposits and savings bank account in their ITRs. Avoidance of it may land you into trouble, and the I-T Department may issue notices in such regard.

To Conclude…

Keeping all the above-mentioned points in view, it is clear that under-reporting or misreporting your income to the I-T Department or adopting any malpractice to evade tax may cost you dearly. Therefore, be vigilant while filing your I-T returns to avoid being labelled a tax evader.

It had become clear last month that linking your Aadhaar number with mobile phones or bank accounts was not mandatory, at least till the matter was resolved in the Supreme Court. However, on Wednesday, the government was taken to task by the court for claiming in the public domain that the mobile linking was required under orders of the Apex court. It defies comprehension as to why the government would have invited the embarrassment upon itself when it is not in a position to enforce the order as yet. The same is true for PAN.As things began, citizens were fine till Aaadhar linkage was limited to those drawing subsidies from the treasury and left out those who didn’t. However, on ground people are being asked to give the Aadhaar number for everything from school admission to getting a marriage certificate. Lack of awareness is leading to most people complying with the unwarranted requirement, or stand losing a benefit. This is wholly unjustified and illegal denial of services. Both the state and Central governments should thus come out with a positive list of services that require the Aadhaar; but before that they will have to ensure the demand has a legal basis. Anything outside those lists may then be ignored by people till the matter is settled.The government, defending its case in the Supreme Court, has said that banks and phone companies have more data on clients than the UIDAI even without the Aadhaar linking, so the question of privacy being violated by Aadhaar does not arise. There is truth in the statement to the extent that all of this is part of the larger digital cloud that is gathering over the private citizen, who is steadily losing his privacy; ‘whataboutery’ will not change that fact. Unfortunately, to what extent this global intrusion may go is something that is likely to be settled more by way of might, whether legal or financial, than a nuanced debate within jurisprudence. Certain rights laid down in the Constitution may well end up being reinterpreted.