The Army should be allowed to function without political pressures, even as serious efforts should be made to avoid collateral damage that hurts the sentiment of locals. Apparently, the mishandling of post-Burhan Wani protests was a major reason for the renewed violence.

The year 2017 has had an unhappy dawn for the Indian Army, with an unexpectedly large number of soldiers getting killed in encounters. A distressingly high number was also killed by avalanches. While the loss of lives in counter-terror operations is understandable, death by snow in this age of technology and forecasts was avoidable.Kashmir is witnessing a rising trend of local mobs supporting militants in fleeing from encounter sites. Concerned over the development and increasing violence, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) declared the Army’s intention of “acting tough” against supporters, which later led to a political controversy.February has been particularly bad. On February 12, two Army personnel were killed in a skirmish with combined cadres of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) at Nagbal in Frisal area of Kulgam district. Two civilians also lost their lives in the crossfire, as locals had suddenly turned up in the street to pelt stones at the security forces, helping three militants to escape. In a similar gunfight on February 14, a Major of 30 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) was badly injured by LeT members in Handwara area of Kupwara. The wounded officer was not able to reach the hospital in time and died because of protests in the streets and a roadblock by locals. Earlier on the same day, three jawans had been killed and five injured, including one CRPF Commanding Officer, in an encounter at Parray Mohalla Hajan in Bandipora district. Members of the public had come out at the encounter site and started pelting stones at soldiers, disturbing their operation and facilitating the escape of a militant. On February 23, three Army jawans were killed and five others, including two officers, were injured in a militant attack in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. A woman was also killed in the cross-fire.Infuriated by the subversive activities of locals and their repeated causing of impediments in counter-military operations (compromising the Army’s initiatives), on February 15 the CoAS, General Bipin Rawat, said “tough action” would be taken against the people responsible. He further stated that the Army would continue to conduct relentless operations with harsher measures if the locals persisted in stone-pelting. Separatist leaders and Opposition parties, however, attacked the government saying the Chief’s statement was potentially dangerous as it would worsen the already hostile situation in the region.Members of the J&K National Conference (JKNC) said General Rawat’s statement would increase public aggression in Kashmir. Later, a separatist leader from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Syed Ali Geelani, claimed it was an open threat to kill civilians freely. Moderate APHC chairman Mirwaz Umar Farooq and J&K Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik believed it was the result of a “tyrannical mindset” against Kahmiris and immature politics, and was a direct threat to citizens. Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Tariq Hameed Karra, who recently joined the Congress, also condemned the remark as politically motivated and alleged the Army was being used by the ruling party.Nonetheless, the Chief found full support from the political leadership in the Union government as well as the top brass of other security services. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, accused the Congress of “politicising the issue” and speaking the language of separatists. Kiran Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home, explained that the statement of the Army Chief should not be misinterpreted, and should rather be seen from the perspective of national interest and the prevailing circumstances in J&K. A.V. Chauhan, Inspector General (Jammu sector) of the CRPF, said his force was working closely with the Army, and reiterated that the miscreants that help armed militants escape should be treated firmly under the law of the land.Concerned over the hurdles being created by locals during encounters, on February 15, a high-level security review committee gave out important guidelines for the security forces (the CRPF, J&K Police, and the Army) and the state administrative machinery involved in counter-militancy operations. First, a joint control room with an armour-protected vehicle would be set up at the encounter site. Next, the Deputy Commissioner concerned would take the responsibility of preventing the assembly of civilians at the encounter site. The police would identify over-ground workers who provide shelter to militants. Local police officials would also trace the stone pelters and take stern judicial action against them. Subsequently, on February 16, the state government issued an order to ban people’s assembly at encounter sites and imposed prohibitory orders within a radius of 3 km.Undoubtedly, the recent developments illustrate the intention of local elements to provide direct or indirect support to militants during encounters. This is adding to the increase in the casualty figures of soldiers and compromising counter-militancy efforts.The Army should be allowed to function without political pressures, even as serious efforts should be made to avoid collateral damage that hurts the sentiment of locals. Apparently, the alleged mishandling of protesters by security forces after the death of Burhan Wani in July 2016 was one of the major reasons for Kashmiri youth picking up arms (or stones).The sad loss of soldiers in avalanches was, of course, avoidable. On January 25, a Major from the High Altitude Warfare School was killed when an avalanche hit an Army camp at Sonamarg in Ganderbal district. Again on January 27, ten soldiers were killed and four went missing after an avalanche knocked down a camp in Gurez sector in Bandipora district. Our inability to protect the soldiers from such natural disasters needs introspection on our use of technology. If need be, India should collaborate with foreign agencies that have the necessary expertise.The writer is an Assistant Professor at the Department of National Security Studies, Central University of Jammu.

WASHINGTON: China, in an early test of US President Donald Trump, has nearly finished building almost two dozen structures on artificial islands in the South China Sea that appear designed to house long-range surface-to-air missiles, two US officials told Reuters.

REUTERSAn aerial view of the Pagasa (Hope) Island, which belongs to the disputed Spratly group of islands in the South China Sea.

The development is likely to raise questions about whether and how the US will respond, given its vows to take a tough line on China in the South China Sea. China claims almost all the waters, which carry a third of the world’s maritime traffic. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. Trump’s administration has called China’s island building illegal.
Building the concrete structures with retractable roofs on Subi, Mischief and Fiery Cross reefs, part of the Spratly Islands chain where China has already built military-length airstrips, could be considered a military escalation, the US officials said in recent days, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“It is not like the Chinese to build anything in the South China Sea just to build it, and these structures resemble others that house SAM batteries, so the logical conclusion is that’s what they are for,” said a US intelligence official, referring to surface-to-air missiles.

Another official said the structures appeared to be 20 metres long and 10 metres high.

A Pentagon spokesman said the US remained committed to “non-militarisation in the South China Sea” and urged all claimants to take actions consistent with international law.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday he was aware of the report, though he did not say if China was planning on placing missiles on the reefs.

“China carrying out normal construction activities on its own territory, including deploying necessary and appropriate territorial defence facilities, is a normal right under international law for sovereign nations,” he told reporters.

In his Senate confirmation hearing last month, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson raised China’s ire when he said Beijing should be denied access to the islands it is building in the South China Sea. Tillerson subsequently softened his language, and Trump further reduced tensions by pledging to honour the long-standing US “One-China” policy in a February 10 telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Greg Poling, a South China Sea expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said in a December report that China apparently had installed weapons, including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, on all seven islands it has built in the South China Sea.

The officials said the new structures were likely to house surface-to-air missiles that would expand China’s air defence umbrella over the islands.

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STATE­OWNED BHARAT DYNAMICS LIMITED HAS CHALKED OUT A PLAN TO EXPORT ANTI­TANK GUIDED MISSILES AND AKASH SURFACE­TO­AIR MISSILES

NEW DELHI : The world’s largest importer of weapons is taking baby steps towards positioning itself as an exporter of military hardware.

State-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has chalked out a plan to export anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and Akash surface-to-air missiles.

BDL managing director V Udaya Bhaskar told HT that the defence public sector undertaking was in preliminary discussions with countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Vietnam and Myanmar to tap the export potential of the weapon systems.

“We are exploring opportunities to export Konkur and Milan ATGMs as well as Akash surface-to-air missiles. The ATGMs are built under license from Russian and French firms, and they will give us country-specific export clearance,” Bhaskar said. BDL has already inked a deal with Myanmar for supplying light-weight torpedoes.

India has identified 15 weapon systems for exports including Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, Prahar surface-to-surface missile, light combat aircraft (LCA), BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, sonars, Arjun Mk-2 tanks, airborne early warning and control systems, a variety of unmanned systems and battlefield radars.

India has set a target of exporting weapons and systems worth $2 billion by 2019, six times the size of India’s current exports.

The government has allowed defence PSUs to earmark 10% of their production for exports to help India increase its defence exports. PSUs could earlier export only after meeting the demands of the Indian armed forces.

Bhaskar said the orders were unlikely to be very big but it would help India get a foothold in the global market.

Last week at Aero India-2017, BDL signed a memorandum of understanding with French firm Thales to assess the opportunity for the transfer of technology of the laser-guided STARStreak missile to India.

The Pathankot airbase was attacked in January last year. file photo

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Pathankot, February 17

High-rise structures posing a security threat to the Pathankot airbase and the Army’s ammunition depot, one of the biggest in the county in terms of size and volume, have become the proverbial Achilles Heel for the district administration and the Municipal Corporation (MC).The civil authorities, who are under pressure from defence officials to raze these buildings to ensure the safety of the airbase, have now decided to conduct a comprehensive survey before deciding on the future course of action.Mayor Anil Vasudeva claimed that these houses and shopping complexes could not immediately be brought down as a majority of them have been built after taking the MC’s approval.Rules say that no structure can come up within 100 m of the airbase and 1,000 m from the ammunition depot. Defence officers have for long been blaming the MC for the haphazard constructions compromising the security aspect of these high-profile entities.It was in the aftermath of January 2 airbase attack that the focus shifted to these buildings, but after a few months the issue was swept under the carpet. Last year, the Bombay High Court had ordered the demolition of buildings near the Lohegaon Air Force Station in Pune sending shockwaves among Pathankot residents.Recently, a Parliamentary standing committee on Home Affairs had raised concerns about such structures.“They are virtual encroachments keeping in view the construction restrictions. If we have to protect the airbase, it is imperative to raze them. The station is one of the strategically most forward airbases for both war and peacetime surveillance. One can imagine the implications if it faces an encore of the January 2 attack,” said a defence officer.The flyover on the NH-1 on the Jammu-Pathankot road has also come under the scanner as the entire airbase is visible from the overbridge.“Airfields were set up by the British far away from the civilian population to secure operational installations from possible intrusion or trespass. To ensure that a distance is maintained, a special law called the Works of Defence Act, 1903, was enacted. However, with the increase in population, people began constructions near these installations. Nevertheless, we are bound to fine a solution,” said Mayor Vasudeva.

Threat to security

• Rules say no structure can come up within 100 m of the airbase and 1,000 m fromthe ammo depot.
• Defence officers have been blaming the MC for thehaphazard constructionscompromising security.

Says will treat them as anti­nationals and take harsh action

NEW DELHI: People creating hurdles during anti-terror operations and displaying flags of Pakistan and terror outfit ISIS in Jammu and Kashmir will be dealt with as anti-nationals and face “harsh” actions, Army Chief Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday.

PTI PHOTOPrime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to security personnel who lost their lives in Tuesday’s encounter in J&K, at AFS Palam in New Delhi on Wednesday.

His stern message came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he paid their respects here to the three of the four soldiers including a major who were killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir on Tuesday.

General Rawat said security forces in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) are facing higher casualties due to the manner in which the local population is preventing them in conducting operations and “at times even supporting the terrorists to escape”.

“We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue,” said the Army Chief.

General Rawat said those supporting terror activities are being given an opportunity but if they continue with their acts then security forces will come down hard on them.

“We are giving them an opportunity. Should they want to continue, then we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures… if they do not relent and create hurdle in our operations, then we will take tough action.”

PROTEST MARCH FOILED

Authorities on Wednesday did not allow separatists to lead a proposed protest march towards Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik was detained from his home in Maisuma while moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest.

Hardline separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Shabir Shah continue to be under house detention.

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 12

While last year witnessed an infiltration attempt almost every day, at least 112 militants managed to sneak in from across into Jammu and Kashmir. This was the highest count since 2012, sources said.The infiltration figure showed an increase of more than 200 per cent as compared to 2015 when the figure was 33.The sources quoting the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), the nodal agency comprising officials from the Intelligence, Army, BSF, RAW and J&K Police, said at least 112 Pakistan-trained militants sneaked in last year. Except 2012, when 121 militants had managed to infiltrate, this is the highest figure since 2008. Many of these militants who infiltrated were killed in encounters either along the Line of Control (LoC) or in the hinterland.The peak of infiltration takes place between May and October. During the winter, there is a sharp decline in attempts from across as snow blocks the infiltration routes.The infiltration of militants last year took place despite the Army carrying out cross-LoC raids on militant launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on September 29. The surgical strikes followed after militants from across attacked an Army base at Uri close to the LoC in September and killed 19 soldiers.“Despite surgical strikes, the attempts from across to infiltrate had continued,” admitted a senior Army officer.Earlier this week, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir in a written reply in Rajya Sabha had said 364 infiltration bids were made from Pakistan last year. In 2014, the figure was 222 and for 2015 it was 121, he added. However, the minister had not given the number of militants who managed to sneak in last year.Incidentally 2016, which witnessed a five-month-long unrest following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani, was one of the bloodiest years for security forces as they lost 87 personnel in J&K. Forces were also able kill at least 165 militants last year. The unrest had crippled the counter-insurgency grid for many months.A senior police officer with experience in counter-insurgency said the major reason behind the spurt in violence last year was the rise in infiltration from across.“Pakistani militants are better trained and equipped with sufficient weapons and they give impetus to militancy,” he said.

Srinagar woman out to save lives in mined border areas

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 12

Breaking the stereotypes, a 27-year-old girl from Srinagar is saving lives in villages along the Line of Control (LOC) by educating people about landmines and unexploded shells.Shabreena Sidiqi, a resident of Srinagar, says despite travelling difficulties and risks of cross-border shelling in these sensitive areas, the main aim was to save the lives of people, particularly children, through “mine risk education”.“It’s a very challenging job and it was quite difficult for me to convince my parents because it requires travelling to far off places, where there is no network coverage and those on security radar. But when you see the problems being faced by the people who live there, helping them just seems like an obligation,” says Shabreena, who is currently working in the border villages of Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla and Kupwara.The districts that lie near the LoC are highly sensitive and most affected by the conflict. People in these areas have become the victims of poverty, health issues, death and disability as they have been forgotten by the government.Shabreena added that the field team had narrow escape many times while working in these areas.“Physical rehabilitation is one way of helping the victims. But there has to be another mechanism to prevent casualties. Thus there is a need to impart risk education,” she adds.Shabreena and her team give safety and security briefing to people living in these areas as to how they can enhance their knowledge and change their behaviour in order to avoid landmine or unexploded ordinance casualties.“We also work on community-based reporting system and make them understand how they can report the landmine incidents or its presence to the authorities. Mostly, we educate children through fun methods as to how they can save themselves from unexploded shells,” she adds.After pursuing MBA from the University of Kashmir and working for a marketing company for 10 months, Shabreena chose social work and is currently working as project officer at the HELP Foundation for mine risk education and Conventional Weapons Risk Reduction Project.Shabreena is among the women in the Valley who moved out of their comfort zone to become an inspiration for others and to help the victims of two-decade-long conflict in the border areas.Educating villagersUnder the “mine risk education”, 27-year-old Shabreena Sidiqi and her team give safety and security briefing to people living in the areas along the Line of Control. They tell them ways to enhance their knowledge and change their behaviour in order to avoid landmine or unexploded ordinance casualties. They also work on community-based reporting system and make people understand as to how they can report the landmine incidents or its presence to the authorities.

Islamabad, February 7

Pakistan today decided to build at least 50 bunkers for civilians along the working boundary with India in the Punjab province to provide protection to villagers during cross-border firing.During a Cabinet meeting, three federal ministers, including defence minister Khawaja Asif, urged the Nawaz Sharif government to take measures to avoid civilian casualties along the border.“The Cabinet decided to build 50 bunkers along the working boundary to provide refuge to villagers living in the area during cross-border firing from India,” information minister Maryam Aurangzeb said.The government also announced to enhance compensation for those killed and injured in the cross-border firing incidents.The information minister said the families of those killed will be given Rs5,00,000 as compensation and those injured will get Rs1,50,000. — PTI

In an article in The Tribune recently, Natwar Singh had suggested that Mahatma Gandhi approved of the Partition plan. This is factually incorrect. Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia’s book Guilty Men of India’s Partition gives a factual position. Lohia was present in the final CWC meeting in which the Partition plan was accepted.

MASS EXODUS: The Partition affected millions of people on both sides of the border in India and Pakistan.

Viceroy Lord Mountbatten &  Jawaharlal Nehru (left), while disclosing the “Partition” plan on June 7, 1947, in Delhi.

SOME people have attributed the Congress acceptance of Partition of India in 1947 to “the persuasive voice of Gandhiji which made the working committee accept the Partition and which but for Gandhiji’s intervention, the working committee might not have approved”. This is grossly unfair and presents a wrong picture of the final efforts by made by Gandhiji to prevent Partition up to the final stages. It is now well-known that when Jinnah was insistent, Gandhiji made a last desperate attempt by asking JawaharlalNehru and Sardar Patel to step aside and let Jinnah be the first Prime Minister of undivided India. He should form his ministry the way he liked, including the choice to have only Muslims league Ministers in the Central Cabinet, with the assurance that the Congress will not object. One cannot say what Jinnah’s reactions would have been. But considering that Jinnah is on record on insisting that his house in Mumbai / Delhi be not declared evacuee property because he wished to have good Indo-Pak relations and would like to spend one month every year in India, it would have been worthwhile trying. This could not be concretised because both Nehru and Patel were forthright in rejecting this proposal. So for many of us who were adults then this reference to Gandhiji’s acceptance of Partition is painful and does not represent the factual position. A reference to socialist leader Dr Ram Manohar Lohia’s, book Guilty Men of India’s Partition, gives the correct factual position. Lohia was present in that final Congress Working Committee meeting. Lohia, who along with Jaiprakash Narain attended that meeting, has written: “I should like especially to bring out two points that Gandhiji made at this meeting. He turned to Mr Nehru and Sardar Patel in mild complaint that they had not informed him of the scheme of Partition, before committing themselves to it. Before Gandhiji could make out his point fully, Nehru intervened with some passion to say that he had kept him fully informed. On Mahatma Gandhi’s repeating that he did not know of the scheme of Partition, Nehru slightly altered his earlier observation. He said that Noakhali was so far away and that, while he may not have described the details of the scheme he had broadly written of the Partition to Gandhiji…….I will accept Mahatma Gandhi’s version of the case, and not Nehru’s and who will not? One does not have to dismiss Nehru as a liar. All that is at issue here is whether Mahatma Gandhi knew of the scheme of Partition before Nehru and Patel had committed themselves to it. It would not do for Nehru to publish vague letters which he might have written to Mahatma Gandhi, doling out hypothetical and insubstantial information. There was definitely a hole-in-the-corner aspect of this business. Nehru and Patel had obviously between themselves decided that it would be best not to scare Gandhiji away before the deed was definitely resolved upon. Keeping turned towards Messrs Nehru and Patel, Gandhiji made his second point. He wanted the Congress party to honour the commitments made by its leaders. He would, therefore, ask the Congress to accept the principle of Partition. After accepting the principle, the Congress should make a declaration concerning its execution. It should ask the British government and the Viceroy to step aside, once the Congress and the Muslim League had signified their acceptance of Partition. The partitioning of the country should be carried out jointly by the Congress party and the Muslim League, without the intervention of a third party. This was, I thought so at that time and still do, a grand tactical stroke. Much has been said about the saint having simultaneously been a tactician, but this fine and cunning proposal has, to my knowledge, not so far been put on record…….there was no need for anyone else to oppose the proposal. It was not considered. I am writing this to put the record straight”.Gandhiji’s anguish at the Partition of the country was so unbearable that he refused to be in Delhi on August 15. What nobility that the greatest fighter for India’s freedom refused to share this glory and left Delhi to fight against the communal carnage taking place at Calcutta and to give the assurance of safety to the minorities.I accept the fact that the conditions in the country had deteriorated to such a level that it was not possible to prevent the Partition. Yet, we have not given sufficient thought to the fact that millions of deaths, most immeasurable destruction in the process of Partition could have been averted if the leaders of the parties had shown statesmanship in carrying out the process of partitioning the country. It is well-known that Prime Minister Clement Attlee had given June, 1948 as the date by which the British government would leave India, when Lord Mountbatten was sent to India in March, 1947.Had this schedule been observed, requisite and detailed arrangements for the safety of millions of people, on both sides, could have been made. Undoubtedly, slaughter and mutual hatred would have been there but both the governments could have made safe arrangements for exchange of populations. The government machinery could have been mobilised. But this did not happen. The reason was the unilateral announcement by Lord Mountbatten on June 1947, that India’s Independence Day would be on August 15, 1947. This left no time to make arrangements for an unprecedented, massive exodus.One knows now why this sudden announcement was made at a press conference, fixing August 15, 1947 as Independence. The reason was the vanity and self-glorification of Mountbatten. He had accepted the surrender of the Japanese navy on  August 1945, as the Supreme Allied Commander, South-East Asia Command (SEAC), of Allied powers.Our politicians were, unfortunately, too self-obsessed with ignorance and vanity. As a consequence, they maintained an ominous silence, resulting in the death of millions and the destruction of massive property. Can history forgive them? I doubt very much.The writer is a retired Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court