Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with British Prime Minister David Cameron before a meeting at the Nuclear Security Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington on April 1, 2016.— AP/PTI
Washington, April 2
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his British counterpart David Cameron here on the sidelines of Nuclear Security Summit (NSS), during which the two leaders discussed defence co-operation and Make in India issues.
“My meeting with PM David Cameron focused on defence cooperation, make in India and other key issues,” Modi said in a tweet before he left for Saudi Arabia after two days of engagement with world leaders during the NSS here.
Briefing reporters, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup said during the meeting yesterday both leaders recalled Modi’s visit to London last year, during which India and the UK had signed deals worth 9-billion pounds and inked a civil nuclear pact.
Modi said that ties between the two countries had become “richer and deeper”.
Defence cooperation came up for discussion and Prime Minister Modi mentioned that Britain could be a partner in the ‘Make in India’ initiative, especially in the defence sector.
Visa issues also came up for discussion, Swarup said.
Both the leaders also reviewed the decisions that had been taken during Modi’s visit to Britain last year in particular the decision to launch rupee bonds at the London Stock Exchange.
Cameron expressed happiness that it was proceeding very well.
“He also said that we need to increase our partnership in defence. Prime Minister said that high-tech defence production has now been opened up to 100 per cent FDI, India had skilled manpower, cheap labour was also available and as such UK can become very important partner in the Make in India initiative particularly in the defence sector,” Swarup said.
The two leaders discussed some of the other pending issues between them including terrorism.
“Prime Minister also raised the issue of Tier II visas for IT companies. He said skilled professionals should not find it difficult to come to work in the UK. And, in this context the recommendations made by the migration advisory committee could caste a negative light,” Swarup said.
“Cameron promised to take a look at it. He said we do not want to disadvantage bonafide IT companies, but at the same time we would also want to ensure that the UK system is not misused,” the spokesman said. — PTI
OROP notification: “The indefinite relay fast has been suspended now as we will be taking the legal recourse. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said that proverbial gun was been held to the head of the government by virtue of our presence at Jantar Mantar. (Reuters)
Addresing armed forces veterans staging protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, Jethmalani said he would fight their case in the Supreme Court. “I am 93-year-old and I can die any day but I assure you that it will not happen before I get you justice from the Supreme Court,” Jethmalani said. (Reuters)
OROP notification: Major General (retd) Satbir Singh, leader of the protesting veterans, claimed a case will be filed by Jethmalani on OROP demand in the Supreme Court in next 3-4 days and he will not charge any fee. He said four more cases have been filed in the armed forces tribunal. (Express photo)
OROP notification: “These cases pertain to rulings for jawans, war widows, arrears since 2006, payments for honorary ranks, rounding off of disability pension, and payments of reservists,” he said. The veterans’ protest at Jantar Mantar entered its 320th day today.
OROP notification: Protesting ex-servicemen tonight suspended their 320-day-old agitation for complete implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) as senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani assured them of leading their legal battle in the apex court. (PTI)
OROP notification: “Now that we have suspended the agitation, we believe that Parrikar will now keep his promises made to us,” said Col (retd) Anil Kaul, spokesperson of the ex-servicemen movement. (PTI)
NeW DELHI: Protesting ex-servicemen suspended their 320-day-old agitation for complete implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) on Friday as senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani assured them of leading their legal battle in the apex court.
“The indefinite relay fast has been suspended now as we will be taking the legal recourse. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar had said that proverbial gun was been held to the head of the government by virtue of our presence at Jantar Mantar.
“Now that we have suspended the agitation, we believe that Parrikar will now keep his promises made to us,” said Col (retd) Anil Kaul, spokesperson of the ex-servicemen movement.
Addressing armed forces veterans staging protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, Jethmalani said he would fight their case in the Supreme Court.
“I am 93-year-old and I can die any day but I assure you that it will not happen before I get you justice from the Supreme Court,” Jethmalani said.
Major General (retd) Satbir Singh, leader of the protesting veterans, claimed a case will be filed by Jethmalani on OROP demand in the Supreme Court in next 3-4 days and he will not charge any fee.He said four more cases have been filed in the armed forces tribunal. “These cases pertain to rulings for jawans, war widows, arrears since 2006, payments for honorary ranks, rounding off of disability pension, and payments of reservists,” he said.The veterans’ protest at Jantar Mantar entered its 320th day today. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had in September last year announced implementation of the long delayed OROP for ex-servicemen but the veterans have been continuing with their protest demanding “complete” implementation of the scheme.
As a military professional my focus towards the basic personal weapon of the Indian Army and the Infantryman’s mainstay was missing for almost thirteen years after I was commissioned. I was happy with the 7.62 mm Self Loading Rifle (SLR) as it was a far cry from the .303 that I had seen and fired as a youngster when my father was commanding our unit.
The issue of personal weapons finally caught my fancy when I rejoined my unit in Op Pawan (Sri Lanka/IPKF). We had a few captured 7.62 mm AK 47s which were reserved for the Ghatak platoon and for a couple of scouts while we conducted jungle bashing.
The captured AK series, worn and grimy from LTTE over use, carried a romantic aura about it. The greatest thing was that it could fire in automatic mode. Why is that important? In the jungle or urban terrain, response at close quarters is a recurring phenomenon. Automatic high rate of fire from a weapon with an enhanced capacity magazine has far greater chances of success, especially in the crucial two minutes of the first contact.
Rifle 5.56 mm INSAS. (Courtesy: ofbindia.gov.in)
In Op Pawan the Army’s leadership was dynamic in response, even though resources were still of the socialist order. Since AK 47s were not easily available the Ordnance factories quickly gave us 7.62 mm SLR 1C, a modified rifle with a slightly shortened barrel and surgically intervened breach blocks to give a burst capability. My first success in an ambush was with this weapon which I found ingenuously outstanding given the resource position of those days. The only problem with Model 1C was that it overheated very early.
By the Nineties I found myself attending meetings in Army Headquarters about the upcoming wonder, the 5.56 mm INSAS Rifle and family of small arms associated with it. It had artificial furniture and plastic see through magazines which looked very fancy. The feel appeared good and it was a novelty. I felt a change from the aging 7.62 mm SLR would be advantageous. Although I had an experience with 5.56 mm caliber, in the thick jungles of the Wani in Sri Lanka I continued to live by some dictums which I had learnt at the academy but never applied in my mind thereafter. In one instance I saw one of my ‘bhullas’ (Garhwali soldiers) peppered with six rounds fired by an LTTE cadre from an M-16 (5.56 mm) assault rifle. M-16s were popular in Sri Lanka; in fact anything could be popular after the 7.62 mm SLR. But this ‘bhulla’ was running around attending to casualties and least concerned with his injuries. Six bullets in his abdomen did not trouble him until I forced him to start acting like an actual casualty. That is the day I lost confidence in the 5.56 mm variety of small arms. It is true that the terminal effect is dependent on the range at which a bullet is fired and the amount of explosive content it contains. Yet, somehow a mindset seemed to grip me on this.
Indian Army soldier with AK-47 rifles. (File Photo/Getty)
Why am I discussing all this? The reason is simple; the INSAS family which never really matured is now on the way out. In J&K too it is the AK-47 which is depended upon. But the easing out can only happen once the leadership of the Indian Army can finally decide what family of small arms it wants as its next generation small arms weapon system. Reportedly, this issue will be discussed at the ongoing Army Commanders’ Conference this week. It’s been discussed before but a dilemma seems to be gripping the minds of the leadership. The higher leadership comes from my generation which was taught that in battle it is far advantageous to maim or injure your adversary rather than kill him. That forces the adversary to deploy men to tend to the casualty, carry him out to a safe place, evacuate him to the rear areas and thereafter perhaps care for him for life. All this is heavy in resources at all stages, and resource depletion of your adversary is what you always aim in conflict. However, conventional conflict it appears is passé; hybrid is in and it caters for both situations – conventional and sub conventional. I can hold my own in a debate to justify the return to 7.62 mm caliber with an appropriate architecture and composition of the ammunition. The 7.62 mm also has a psychological effect on the adversary when the nature of fatal inflicted injuries is observed. However, anyone who knows small arms also knows that the parameters in consideration have to be weight (of weapon and ammunition), the recoil effect (can’t have a horse buck at the shoulder), the range, the comfort of carrying and firing (ergonomics) and the length of the barrel. Throw in a couple more such parameters and the designer has more issues than he can handle. For me, recoil is a very important factor. In burst mode one can’t afford only the first bullet hitting the target and the rest going astray.
I am not sure if there is a case for a compromise caliber such as 6.8 mm which some foreign analysts speak of. An examination of this would also be interesting. The Indian Army’s dream personal weapon of twin caliber capability with changeable barrels to cater for different calibers has resulted in the acute delay in the final decision. There appear to be no takers for this variety which the General Staff had desired.
AK-47 assault rifles. (File Photo/Getty)
Many in the media are attempting to analyze the benefits of different calibers and other characteristics of small arms. This is interesting and a welcome change because the romance of military technology is usually associated with armour and artillery systems and not infantry weaponry. An issue which no one appears to have considered is the equipping of Infantry and other Combat Arms personnel with specialist small arms of a higher technical order than those of the personnel of other Arms. No doubt in conventional operations it is primarily infantry personnel who will require to use these weapons extensively in offensive/assault mode. Those away from frontlines would primarily be involved in defensive operations in rear areas. However, if the Hybrid variety of operations is considered there may be equally robust operations against well entrenched terrorists in rear areas. The issue to be considered should be the cost effectiveness of going in for one type of product across the board. No doubt uniformity in personal weapons contributes to the overall management of maintenance and logistics but this aspect need not be given undue consideration. The equipping of infantry units with a state of the art weapon which near about meets the dual parameters of both conventional warfare and hybrid operations would be the most recommended option.
Some inexperienced analysts are speaking of 1000 meter range for infantry small arms; they also appear to be mixing all this with the need of sniping which is a completely different domain. Effective ranges for infantry small arms have almost always revolved around the 300 meter mark with increase to 500 meters with stabilization due to a bipod and some more due to tripod stabilization. A target acquisition device in the form of a latch on telescope and an accuracy enhancer in the form of laser assistance are almost mandatory in the modern world.
The AK 47 type of options of burst rapid and controlled burst fire along with single shot continues to be the favourite. Indian infantrymen operate very largely in the mountains and jungle terrain and therefore the weight of the weapon and its ammunition must remain important considerations. A weapon upwards of 4 kg would not be acceptable. In fact sub 4 kg with all latch on accessories is the figure one would be satisfied with. 25-30 round magazines would be desirable when burst modes are adopted. The 20 round 7.62 mm SLR magazine was robust and less prone to malfunctioning; an improvement on that is what is looked for rather than the rather disappointing plastic magazines with conventional spring mechanism that the INSAS went in for.
Whatever it be, the Indian Army has remained in various stages of self-doubt while equipped with the INSAS family. Let us hope that with renewed interest in a new family of weapons and slippages now causing virtual panic the senior hierarchy will finally come to a decision on a subject which should be considered as important as the acquisition of aircraft, tanks and guns.
About the writer
A Sherwoodian and a Stephanian, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM & BAR (Retd) is proud of his educational background as he is of his parentage and his Regiment. A second generation soldier whose father was also a General Officer of the Indian Army, the Hasnain family is fiercely loyal to its Regiment – The Garhwal Rifles. One of Indian Army’s highest decorated General Officers, he was awarded honours for command of troops in every command assignment. The Hasnain family has 10 decorations to its credit, the maximum in any military family with the PVSM being awarded both to father and son, one of the rare achievements. The General has exposure to diverse military situations through service in Operation PAWAN (IPKF in Sri Lanka), Operation MEGHDOOT (Siachen Glacier), Eastern Ladakh, Punjab insurgency, Line of Control (J&K) and the North East. Even abroad he was a witness to the horrific situation in the near genocide in Rwanda(Central Africa) as part of United Nations Forces. The crowning glory was his command of 21 Corps (Strike) and 15 Corps (J&K), ending his career as the Military Secretary of the Indian Army where he introduced his famous HR mantra – ‘Play Friend Not God’. Now associated with two major Delhi based think tanks Vivekanand International Foundation and Delhi Policy Group, the General brings his musings to the public synthesizing his military experience and strategic outlook to express ideas on a range of issues. He speaks frequently at corporate conferences, international institutions such as the Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the training establishments of the three Services, besides the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration, Mussorie, National Academy of Customs Excise & Narcotics, Faridabad.
The union cabinet on Wednesday approved the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for close to 16 lakh defence pensioners even as it leaves out those who would take voluntary retirement in future.
In a statement, the union government said that the benefit will be given with effect from July 1, 2014 and pensions will be re-fixed for those who retired before July 1, 2014 in the same rank and with the same length of service.
The benefit, it said will also be extended to family pensioners including war widows and disabled pensioners.
However, as in the past when the government notified OROP last year, it again made it clear through the union cabinet decision that “personnel who opt to get discharged henceforth on their own request will not be entitled to the benefits of OROP” and that “It will be effective prospectively”.
This has invited sharp criticisms from the ex-servicemen fraternity even as Constitution of Judicial a committee headed by former Patna High Court Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy has been formed to look into any anomalies in implementation of OROP. The committee will give its report in six months. The arrears will be paid in four half-yearly installments. However, all the family pensioners including those in receipt of Special/Liberalized family pension and Gallantry award winners shall be paid arrears in one installment.
While in future, the pension would be re-fixed every five years, the government said that the financial implications on account of grant of OROP including Pre-Matured Retirees (PMR) cases would be to the tune of Rs 10925.11 crore for payment of arrears and annual financial implication would be Rs 7488.7 crore. Till March 31, 2016, 15.91 lakh pensioners have been given the first installment of OROP, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which amounts to Rs. 2,861 crore.
MoD has sad that the information is being gathered for processing on priority basis, the cases of nearly 1.15 lakh pensioners who have not got their installments due to gaps of information such as the length of service being assessed and others.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar with Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hekmat Karzai during a meeting at South Block in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI
New Delhi, April 26
Ahead of the Heart of Asia conference on peace and stability that will host for the first time, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai here on Tuesday.
“Beginning with the bilaterals. Before Heart of Asia meeting, FS meets Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai,” external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted.
The meeting comes ahead of the much expected bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry.
On Tuesday afternoon, India will host the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process conference aimed at bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan.
Apart from India, the Heart of Asia initiative involves 13 other countries – Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates.
There are 17 supporting countries – Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Iraq, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Britain, the US and the European Union (EU) – as well as 11 regional and international organisations supporting this process, including the UN, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Rajesh Ahuja
NEW DELHI: One of the most prominent faces of alleged Hindu terror in India, religious leader Pragya Thakur, is likely to get off the hook in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case for lack of proof, sources said on Saturday.
Another key accused in the case, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, is expected to be named in the charge sheet.
Sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said it didn’t find concrete proof linking Thakur to the blasts that killed seven people, but had “enough evidence” against Purohit.
He was allegedly involved in the setting up of Abhinav Bharat and met some of its members to discuss terror plans. The NIA is in the process of finalising the charge sheet, which will be submitted in a special court next month.
“The evidence against Pragya looks very weak and she may not be charged,” said an investigator.
The agency also decided to drop Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) provisions against the accused because of procedural lapses by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
“Our investigation is still not complete. And as far as MCOCA is concerned, even if, for the sake of argument, it is not invoked, we have enough provisions available under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,” NIA chief Sharad Kumar said. He is expected to take a final call on the charges soon. But sources said dropping MCOCA will weaken the case as confessions of the accused before a police officer will no longer be admissible as evidence in a court.
This will strengthen opposition parties, who accuse the NDA government of going slow in cases where Hindu terror suspects are involved. Several such cases — such blasts in Malegaon (September 2006 and September 2008), Samjhauta Express (February 2007) and Mecca Masjid (May 2007) — have been dogged by slow prosecution and hostile witnesses.
Of around a dozen witnesses in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, two retracted their statements five years ago. One made a complaint before the Maharashtra human rights commission, alleging coercion. Two more witnesses, Yashpal Bhadana and Dr RP Singh, recently alleged the same in front of a magistrate. “There are a few more witnesses who have told the NIA that they gave statements under duress. Our probe is getting hampered by this,” said the investigator.
Former NIA prosecutor in the case, Rohini Salian, had alleged that an officer of the agency asked her to ‘go soft’ on the accused after the NDA came to power.
Thakur has been in judicial custody since October 2008. She was arrested on charges of being a key conspirator in the case and is one of the 14 accused named in a Maharashtra ATS charge sheet. The case was handed over to the NIA in 2011, along with six other cases of alleged Hindu terror.
NEW DELHI/GORAKHPUR: India considered reviewing clearance for Chinese investment in a tit- for- tat response on Monday after Beijing snubbed New Delhi by blocking a move to have Pakistan-based Jaishe-Mohammed militant group chief Masood Azhar on the UN sanctions list.
Official sources said the move to review security clearance for Chinese firms investing in India is meant to send a message to Beijing for its action in the UN four days ago. India has reasons to be upset because Azhar is the lynchpin in the audacious Pathankot airbase attack in January.
“Pakistan has an important place in Chinese diplomacy … China’s intervention in that case must be seen in this context. China will stop supporting Pakistan when it starts being affected by terrorism,” junior foreign minister and former army chief VK Singh said in Gorakhpur.
India and China share an uneasy relationship since the 1962 war between the two Asian giants over longstanding territorial disputes in Arunachal Pradesh and Jam mu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region that the Chinese claim to be theirs. The Chinese intimacy with Pakistan, supplying India’s bitter rival with arms and tipping the regional balance, has been a diplomatic thorny point too.
But the two neighbours tried to mend fences since Narendra Modi rode to power in 2014.
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 19
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is learnt to have readied its team that would visit Pakistan for its probe into the Pathankot airbase terror attack.New Delhi would also be sending a fresh Letters Rogatory (LRs) to the neighbouring nation for confirmation on the evidences shared with the Pakistan JIT during their recent visit to India.Indicating that a team was ready to travel to Pakistan with all possible proof against the handlers of the attack, including JeM chief Masood Azhar, NIA Director General Sharad Kumar said, “We are awaiting a clearance from Islamabad. We have handed over all documents sought by the JIT and I believe the evidence provided to Pakistan can stand scrutiny in any court of law internationally.”The LRs are being despatched notwithstanding indications from the Pakistani side that it was not yet ready to receive Indian investigators.The NIA has also put the pictures of the four dead terrorists on its official website and sought help from the general public to identify them. Sources in the NIA confirmed that the agency was flooded with emails, some of which originated from Pakistan, giving information about the attackers.The agency, during its interaction with Pakistan’s Joint Investigation Team, had sought details about the residences of the terrorists whose names had been shared with the visiting team. However, there was no response from Pakistan.
