NEW DELHI: There have been 69 cases of suicide in the Indian Army this year besides an incident of fratricide, the government said today.
In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said reasons for such incidents include occupational hazards, family issues, domestic problems, perceived grievances, personal issues, mental built, financial problems and inability to withstand stress.
As many as 334 Army personnel have committed suicide since 2012 besides eight cases of fratricide in the same period, he said. The Navy and Air Force has witnessed 12 and 67 cases of suicide since 2012 respectively. The Air Force has also reported one case of fratricide.
“A large number of officers have been trained, as counsellors, to provide psychological counselling to the defence personnel and their families,” the minister said.
“Civilian psychological counsellors have also been employed, to provide mental health services. A psychologist visit units and formations from time to time and carries out psychological counselling, individually and at times in groups,” the Minister said.
In another reply, Mr Singh said there has been no rise in the number of personnel leaving defence services after 20 years of service, except for sailors in Navy.
“This is largely due to availability of alternate vocations,” the Minister said.
NEW DELHI: In the euphoria that followed the announcement about a new dialogue process between India and Pakistan, many would have missed out on a key development – a place at the negotiating table for the Pakistani military.
The joint statement issued in Islamabad on Wednesday said the two national security advisers will address all issues connected to terrorism. Since October 22, retired general Nasser Khan Janjua has been Pakistan’s NSA. His predecessor, Sartaj Aziz, was quietly divested of the post as the military strengthened its already firm grip on foreign policy.
The reason trotted out by sources quoted in Pakistani media reports was that the powers that be believed Aziz was unable to fully attend to the posts of NSA and foreign affairs adviser.
The reality is that the mildmannered Aziz has had little say on national security and his removal was a sign of the “shrinking control of the civilian administration over national security”, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Janjua is clearly the choice of the generals in Rawalpindi. For some in India who have pushed for greater engagement with the Pakistani military, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Our best dealings with Pakistan were during the time of (former military ruler Pervez) Musharraf. The question really is of engagement. When we engage, things move,” AS Dulat, a former head of the Research and Analysis Wing, told HT. Since the composite dialogue process began in 1998, Pakistan’s military has had a role in the talks but uniformed officials were only part of delegations led largely by civilian bureaucrats. For a long time, the Pakistan Army pushed for a more direct role in the talks. In July 2009, then Inter-Services Intelligence chief Shuja Pasha, during a rare meeting with Indian military attaches, suggested India should deal directly with Pakistan’s army and intelligence set-up.
Now, Janjua will help the Pakistani military establishment achieve its objective of having a direct say in talks with India. The Pakistani military establishment’s decision to make Janjua the NSA was apparently based on the discomfiture at dealing with Indian NSA Ajit Doval, a spymaster with a long stint in Pakistan.
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, December 9
The Army on Wednesday inaugurated a vocational training centre at Lalad in Sangrama, Sopore, in north Kashmir.The Army said the aim of the initiative was to run various vocational courses at this centre, including training on food processing, completely free of cost.“Various heavy duty machinery required for food processing has also been installed here which will give the students on-the-job training in food processing. This centre will provide an opportunity for the unemployed local youth of the Valley to gain some skills which will help them towards generation of self-employment,” the Army said. “On completion of training, successful candidates will be issued a certificate in collaboration with the Horticulture Department of Kashmir, which will further assist them in seeking employment.”The centre was inaugurated by a senior resident of the area. Major General Asit Mistry, General Officer Commanding, Counter Insurgency Force, along with Brigadier Alok Naresh, Commander, 10 Sector, Rashtriya Rifles, graced the occasion. A large gathering was present on the occasion.
About 25 lakh armed forces veterans get their first enhanced pension under the One Rank One Pension Scheme, or OROP, in January, top Ministry of Defence officials told NDTV. The enhanced pensions will cost the exchequer around Rs. 7,000 crore.
The Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, is rethinking whether it should debar officers and men who go home before completing their tenure from the benefits of OROP.
About 80% officers and men leave the forces when they fail to make it to the next rank. The benefits of the current scheme are denied to them. For example, a Colonel who leaves the army before completing his tenure as he didn’t make it to the next rung — Brigadier — will not be entitled to OROP.
But sources said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has ordered a rethink on this and is inclined to strike this provision off.
If done, it would address one of the major concerns of the armed forces.
“If officers who leave their tenure incomplete and quit for not being making it to the next rung are denied OROP, the forces will be saddled with passed over officers. Worse, they will have to work under the command of junior officers,” a source in the ministry said.
Veterans will also get their OROP arrears — the scheme has been brought into effect from July 2014 — before the end of this financial year. It will cost the government Rs. 11,000 crore.
War widows and Gallantry award winners will their arrears in one go — the rest will get it in four equal installments.
The implementation of OROP – a pre-election promise by the BJP — was announced this September after prolonged negotiations.
The scheme could, however, not be implemented immediately because of the Bihar elections and the model Code of Conduct that came into play during elections.
Read more: http://www.staffnews.in/2015/12/payments-under-one-rank-one-pension.html#ixzz3tjs4ct5F
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PM Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif met on Monday on the sidelines of the UN climate summit, with India describing the encounter as a ‘brief exchange of courtesies’, but Pakistan terming it a ‘good’ meeting. Modi and Sharif had a brief meeting during which they warmly held hands before sitting down for a chat.“Pakistan desires better ties with India. We want peace without compromising our dignity and honour. If both sides agree, then it’s not possible that the talks are not taken ahead” he said PTI
A US-inspired opening
Modi should respond to Nawaz’s overtures
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Pakistan counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, on Monday in Paris, he had already been presented with another opportunity to discuss irritants in bilateral ties. In his 18 months as Prime Minister, two attempts at opening talks with Pakistan were unable to breach the Hurriyat barrier. Last week, Nawaz Sharif made an open-ended statement soon after Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif returned from a US visit. Nawaz said he was ready for talks with India without any preconditions. Thus the offer for talks comes with a `no preconditions’ label, meaning that Pakistan is bound to include Kashmir in the agenda of any future bilateral talks. The Americans have been at work because they do not want India-Pakistan rivalry to spill over into Afghanistan and upset the reconciliation with the Taliban. India has so far not reacted after the Modi-Nawaz meeting but the social media is already into an anti-talks overdrive. Its right wing corner is even against an India-Pakistan cricket series, asking what has changed to break bread with a country unrepentant about fomenting terrorism in India. Pakistan is already under tremendous pressure to reign in terror outfits patronised by its intelligence agencies. In addition to terrorism, Indian willingness to discuss Kashmir could strengthen the hands of the two Sharifs in muzzling anti-India militant outfits.There is always the possibility that Nawaz Sharif might be showing his best profile in view of next week’s conference on Afghanistan to be held in Islamabad. After all it will not reflect well on Pakistan, with its claims to part-ownership of the Afghan peace process, to stage an international meet without Indian participation. Even if that is the case, Narendra Modi would do well to seize this opening. As Farooq Abdullah has said, war is not an option to resolve the Kashmir dispute and not all the forces in the country will be able to control militancy in the state. The two Sharifs may be focused on a short-term strategy. But because normalcy in India-Pakistan is a long-haul issue, Modi should have responded positively to the overture.
Political parties welcome Modi-Sharif meeting in Paris
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, November 30
It is not clear what transpired between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Paris today, but the mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed the brief courtesy meeting of Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif.
Ruling coalition partners PDP and BJP and the opposition National Conference and Congress have all hailed the gesture of the two Prime Ministers during the ongoing global summit on climate change. The two Prime Ministers shook hands and met for a couple of minutes.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over 18 months ago, the Secretary-level and NSA-level talks were called off between the two sides. After the oath ceremony of Modi in New Delhi, the two Prime Ministers met in Ufa, Russia, in July this year.
The PDP has welcomed the latest development maintaining that it has always wished that the two neighbours should come closer because “Kashmir is a victim of Indo-Pak animosity”. The party’s general secretary, Nizamuddin Bhat, said it was good if the heads of the two neigbouring states “meet and discuss international and sub-continental politics. Such things are always welcome”. Bhat said it would help build the much-needed relations between the two countries. “We hope that the two leaders have come to an understanding for reconciliation and mutual cooperation in the interests of the people of the two countries,” Bhat added.
Congress spokesman Ravinder Sharma described it as a “positive development”. He held that there could not be any substitute for peace and dialogue between the two countries even as he added that talks and terrorism could not go together. Sharma referred to the increase in militancy-related incidents across J&K and the cross-border firing. “We cannot move ahead …even now a conducive atmosphere between the two countries is lacking,” he said.
The National Conference also welcomed the two Prime Ministers’ meeting in Paris. “Dialogue is always welcome as it leads to a peaceful atmosphere,” said Nasir Aslam Wani, provincial president of the National Conference and a former Minister. He held that that it was a good development but stressed the need to resume dialogue between the two countries for a peaceful atmosphere in the region. “This is going to help,” Wani added.PM warns against unilateral steps
Paris, November 30
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tonight cautioned against any unilateral steps that could lead to an economic barrier in the battle against climate change as he hoped that the developed countries would mobilise $100 billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation.Addressing the COP 21 conference here, Modi also hoped that the developed countries would fulfil their commitments in a transparent manner. “The principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities must remain the bedrock of our collective enterprise,” Modi said, adding that there should be aggressive mitigative action by developed countries by 2020.Modi also underlined the need for a national will and genuine global partnership while taking steps to hammer out a climate change deal. “We look to the developed countries to mobilise $100 billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation,” he said.Noting that conventional energy was still needed, he said it should be made clean and an end to its use should not be imposed. “And, there should be no place for unilateral steps that become economic barriers for others,” he said.Modi called on the developed nations to fulfil their commitment in a credible, transparent and meaningful manner. As negotiators from over 190 countries sit down over the next few days to hammer out an agreement, Modi said developed nations, which had a larger carbon footprint, should take the lead in addressing the climate change issues. “It is not just a question of historical responsibility. We hope advanced nations will assume ambitious targets and pursue them as they have the most room for impact,” Modi said.The PM also told the audience that democratic India must grow rapidly to meet the aspirations of 1.25 billion people, 300 million of whom are without access to energy. “The prosperous still have a strong carbon footprint, but the world’s billions at the bottom of the development ladder are seeking space to grow,” Modi said. — PTI
India will act responsibly, Modi tells Obama
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit and assured him of India’s positive response on climate change
“India will fulfil expectations from it and its responsibilities…the country is working to take forward development and (protecting) environment together,” Modi said at a joint press event with Obama.
Giving the government 15 days to begin discussions with them to resolve the impasse on the issue of One Rank One Pension (OROP), ex-servicemen on Sunday announced that they would boycott the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 unless OROP is implemented in its rightful form.
“We will give the government 15 days to begin discussions and a notice period of another seven days beyond that. After that we will take the protest to the people. We will boycott the Republic Day celebrations and we will also request the ex-servicemen contingent that marches on Rajpath on January 26 to boycott the parade, Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh (retd), Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) said at a rally in Delhi.
Early this month, the ex-servicemen had announced that the government has agreed to appoint V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs to mediate between the government and veterans. However, Maj. Gen. Singh said that the government failed to adhere to that and demanded immediate action.
Maj. Gen. Singh said that the veterans would not vote for the BJP or its allies till OROP is implemented in its rightful form. “We voted for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections because of their assurance on OROP. But they have failed to honour it,” he told The Hindu.
Col. Anil Kaul (retd), media advisor, IESM, said that the notification issued by the government on November 7 is flawed and deviates from the accepted definition of OROP.
Veterans have listed seven points of deviation in the notification. The major issues of disagreement are the issue of pre-mature retirement (PMR) and pension equalisation. The notification stated that “those opting for PMR henceforth on their own accord will not be eligible for OROP”, which caused major concern among the serving community. On the equalisation, veterans have been demanding it annually as against five years proposed by the government in the spirit of the definition of OROP.
Simran SodhiTribune News Service,New Delhi, December 12
India and Japan today signed an agreement on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, bringing to end years of tough negotiations between the two countries. The agreement was signed during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India. Another hallmark agreement signed between the two countries is building of the first bullet train network between Mumbai and Ahmedabad at a cost of about Rs 98,000 crore.The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on nuclear energy was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abe. “No friend will matter more in realising India’s economic dreams than Japan. We have made enormous progress in economic cooperation as also in our regional partnership and security cooperation,” said Modi after signing the deal.Abe in return said his country’s public and private sector would act in unison to support the growth of India. It is also learnt that during the one-hour summit meeting between the two Prime Ministers, Abe said he was pleased that the two countries had an agreement and that it ‘wouldn’t have been accomplished by other Prime Ministers. No other leaders could have done it”.While the MoU on nuclear deal brings an end to the negotiations between India and Japan, the process is yet to be completed. Yasuhisa Kawamura, Press Secretary accompanying Abe, at a media briefing explained that the final document will have to “withstand the scrutiny of the Diet (parliament)” before Japan can go ahead with the implementation side of the deal. In other words, the MoU today lays the groundwork for the final agreement which will be signed after technical details have been sorted out.Kawamura also said if India was to go in for another nuclear test, “It will be quite natural for Japan to review the cooperation”. But he added Japan did not see that happening. The joint statement issued at the end of the summit states: “The two Prime Ministers welcomed the agreement reached between the two governments on the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India for cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and confirmed that this agreement will be signed after the technical details are finalised, including those related to the necessary internal procedures.”Another significant announcement was in the area of defence that Japan would now be a regular partner in the India-US Malabar exercises.
ALONG THE INDIA-CHINA BORDER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH: “You will be out for the next five days,” the Indian Army Major said in a matter of fact tone. The group of 12 men he was addressing sat on a Mountain ridge. It had been snowing since morning. The brown rocky sliver of land was slowly turning white. “Your job will be maintain the sanctity of the Line of Actual Control, watch out for movement of Chinese troops, take note of their new locations and report back,” was his brief.
No matter how bad the weather is, long-range Foot Patrols of the Indian Army are regular along the nearly 900 km McMohan line – drawn by the then British Foreign Secretary Henry McMohan in 1914 to demarcate the border – that is now the de-facto border between Indian and China. There are several areas along the line claimed by both, often leading to face-offs and transgressions.
On mountain peaks over 14000 feet high, a literal cat and mouse game plays out every day. “We have to ensure that the Chinese not only know we present but that we constantly watch them,” a senior military commander told NDTV.
In the past, China has claimed not only Tawang but the entire Arunachal Pradesh. Therefore, as a counter, India tries to dominate every ridge and mountain pass through foot patrols and border posts. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army instead is positioned deep inside Chinese territory.
“Our aim is to meet Chinese patrols whenever they cross what we consider our territory. This gives a clear message that we are serious about our claims,” the commander said.
On average, every foot patrol covers over at least 25 km of mountainous territory often climbing over several peaks. For the past few years, Indian soldiers are also being trained to speak Chinese dialects. “It is easier to tell them that they have crossed over to our territory,” an official said.
India and China signed the Border Defence Cooperation (BDCA) in 2013 – an agreement to reduce misunderstandings and improve communications between the two nuclear-armed states along their disputed border. Both sides now meet regularly. “The agreement has helped us solve local issues,” Brigadier Kushwaha adds.
Back in Tezpur, the 4 Corps Headquarters – which protects Tawang and the western Arunachal Pradesh – the assessment is that as India bridges the infrastructure, military and economic gap – the Chinese will become more aggressive.
