Monthly Archives: August 2018

US President Barack Obama delivers remarks to reporters after meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US June 7. Reuters photo

Washington, June 8

Treating the Pathankot attack on par with 26/11, US President Barack Obama in a clear message asked Pakistan to punish the perpetrators and vowed to stand with India against terror threats emanating from Pakistan-based groups like JeM, LeT and D-company.“They (Obama and Modi) called for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice,” a joint statement issued on Tuesday after the Obama-Modi meeting at the White House said.During the meeting, Modi and Obama acknowledged the continued threat posed to human civilisation by terrorism and condemned the recent terrorist incidents from Paris to Pathankot, from Brussels to Kabul, the statement said.“They resolved to redouble their efforts, bilaterally and with other like-minded countries, to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorism anywhere in the world and the infrastructure that supports them,” the statement said.During the meeting, Obama and Modi committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from extremist groups, such as “al-Qaeda, Daesh/ISIL, Jaish-e Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, D Company and their affiliates, including through deepened collaboration on UN terrorist designations”.The two leaders directed their officials to identify specific new areas of collaboration at the next meeting of the US–India Counter-terrorism Joint Working Group, the statement said.“Recognising an important milestone in the US-India counter-terrorism partnership, the leaders applauded the finalisation of an arrangement to facilitate the sharing of terrorist screening information,” it said.Modi and Obama also affirmed their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that advances and strengthens the framework for global cooperation and reinforces that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism, the statement said.The two leaders had a “very extensive” and “thoughtful” conversation about the rise of extremism and the need for all countries to work together to address this challenge, a senior Obama administration official said.The two leaders also underlined the need to ensure that the civil society and the minority communities are fully participating in addressing the issue, the official said. PTI

Beijing, June 7

In a rare rebuke to its “all weather” ally Pakistan, China’s state-run channels have aired a documentary naming Lashkar-e-Toiba for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and even showed footage containing confessions of Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistan terrorist caught alive during the 26/11 carnage.The footage was first aired by the state-run Shanghai Television weeks ahead of President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit last month and was subsequently shown by another state-run Chinese television channel, officials here said.The documentary containing vivid details of planning and execution of the Mumbai attacks by LeT militants caught Indian officials here by surprise as Chinese state media shows extreme care and caution in airing negative news about ally Pakistan.The state media, however, refrained from allegations that militants of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) from Muslim-majority Xinjiang province had training bases in Pakistan’s tribal areas.“We have to wait and see what the significance of the documentary on LeT on Chinese state television is,” an Indian diplomat, who has seen the programme, told PTI.It was a surprise as China had earlier blocked India’s bid to get a UN ban on LeT operational commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attack. China had put a technical hold when India sought a ban on him after he was released from prison. Officials say the airing of the footage against LeT’s involvement in Mumbai attacks comes at a time when technical holds put in by China in the UN sanctions committee on some of the LeT leaders was set to expire shortly. — PTI

The significance

• The shift in China’s stance comes ahead of expiry of Beijing’s decision to place on technical hold the listing of three LeT and JuD militants — Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, Talha Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rauf — on June 9
• China had also blocked India’s bid to get UN ban on Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi (LeT chief) and Pathankot attack plotter Masood Azhar (JeM chief)

AOC-in-C, Maintenance Command, Air Marshal Pankaj Aneja (left) being received by Air Cmde PM Puranik, AOC No. 3 Base Repair Depot, on his arrival in Chandigarh on Monday. A Tribune Photograph

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 6

Air Marshal Pankaj Aneja, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, arrived on a three-day inspection visit to No.3 Base Repair Depot (BRD) here today. He is accompanied by Asha Aneja, president, Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Regional).On landing here, they were received by Air Commodore PM Puranik, Air Officer Commanding, 3 BRD Air Force, and Sanjivni Puranik, president, AFWWA (Local).The Air Marshal was presented a guard of honour and will be assessing the achievements of various divisions of this Depot. He will also inspect the ongoing projects at the 3 BRD.Meanwhile, Asha Aneja, will be visiting various welfare ventures run by the local chapter of the AFWWA and also address the spouses of Air Force personnel posted here.The Maintenance Command chief was commissioned into the IAF’s engineering branch in January 1980 and his key appointments include Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Maintenance Planning) and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Engineering). Prior to assuming his present appointment, he was the Director-General (Systems) at the Air Headquarters.

Martyr Col Ranjeet Singh Pawar’s father Bahadur Singh Pawar, wife Renu and son Robby being consoled by relatives in Haridwar on Thursday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 2

Thousands of residents gathered at Shivalik Nagar residence of martyr Col Ranjeet Singh Pawar and the Kankhal cremation ghat to pay the last respects to the martyr of the Defence Security Corp. Col Ranjeet Singh Pawar had lost his life during an explosion at the Army ammunition depot in Pulgaon of Nagpur district on Tuesday.Army personnel from the Defence Security Corp, Railwala and Roorkee cantonments accompanied the funeral procession of the martyr. Martyr’s father Bahadur Singh Pawar, wife Renu and son Robby were consoled by relatives, neighbours and friends.Ganga Sabha office-bearers Purushottam Sharma Gandhivadi, Ram Kumar Mishra, state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay, city legislators Madan Kaushik and Aadesh Chauhan, city magistrate Jai Bharat Singh, CO City Prakash Singh Dewli, OSD to CM Purushottam Sharma, Congress leaders Sanjay Paliwal, Anshul Shrikunj and OP Chauhan, DPS principal KC Pandey, Mansih Karnwal, along with a large number of people, offered tributes to the martyr.

Paul pays homage to martyr

• Dehradun: Governor Dr KK Paul has paid tributes to Lt Col Ranjit Singh, a resident of Haridwar, who was martyred in a fire at the Central Ammunition Depot of the Army in Pulgaon, Maharshatra, on Tuesday. Lt Col Ranjit Singh’s body was brought to Haridwar for last rites. Before his cremation, a floral wreath sent by the Governor was placed on his body.

It is a toss-up: cheer India beating China in growth and continuing to be the world’s fastest growing economy or crib about rising unemployment, growing inequalities and the new dose of taxes effective from June 1. Ruling politicians sell hope to stay in business even when experience says that they seldom deliver what they promise. At their own expense and in case they did not notice, citizens are being told what wonderful two years of Modi governance they have seen. Embarrassingly, one-fourth of the world’s hungry population is in India.Many may not mind paying Krishi Kalyan Cess or Swachh Bharat Cess provided the money is used to help the drought-stricken farmer and removing the ugliness that hits the eye. The service tax hike may appear small, just 0.5 per cent, but its spread is large. Eating out, using a phone, travelling or buying a home or a car, almost everything becomes costlier. There is another 1 per cent hike in the tax collected at source on cash purchases above Rs 2 lakh. Besides, the petrol and diesel prices have gone up again. The reason: oil costs more now globally. When world oil prices had plunged, the government did not pass the entire benefit to consumers. What kind of oil decontrol is it? Simultaneously, the government has given black-money holders an opportunity to turn their unaccounted wealth white by paying a small amount. It is an admission of failure to catch the tax evaders. Last year, a similar window was opened for those holding undeclared assets abroad.It would hurt the taxpayers less if they are sure their money would be used for the greater good of the country. Nobody would like to pay for government extravagance, for marketing Modi or sell his events at home and abroad. Every government decision and normal activity is so packaged that its mere announcement is supposed to spread good cheer. It does not matter if the 7.6 per cent growth is jobless driven by private consumption and “discrepancies”, as economists point out. The citizens are invited to feel good in the times of drought and unemployment.

The entrance of the ammunition depot where a major fire broke out in Pulgaon, near Nagpur, on Tuesday.

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, June 1

Three more bodies were today recovered from the site of the fire mishap at the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) at Pulgaon in Maharashtra, taking the death toll to 19.Charred beyond recognition, all three belonged to the Defence Security Corps, the state police said, adding that DNA tests would be conducted to identify them.Three of the 17 persons injured in the yesterday’s fire were today airlifted to the Army Hospital in Pune. They have been identified as CAD Deputy Commandant Col Ganendra Singh, Major Sharad Yadav and Major Jagdish Chandra. Chandra received burn injuries, while the other two were injured by flying shrapnel.The Shiv Sena has demanded that the Central Government should take responsibility for the deaths of so many people and loss of ammunition.“The loss of so much ammunition would have made our enemies such as Pakistan and China very happy. So much of loss would not happen in the case of a war…Now there will be inquiries and tears will be shed for those who lost their lives. But responsibilities need to be fixed for the loss of lives and compromises in matters of national security,” an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna said.The newspaper wondered what answer the Centre would give to soldiers stationed at the country’s borders suffering from lack of adequate weapons. “The government has to take responsibility for the lapse. This fire cannot be called normal,” Saamna added.The newspaper noted that accidents involving the armed forces keep happening regularly. “First there were accidents in submarines. Now there is a fire at an ammunition depot. Is this due to negligence or is it a conspiracy of our enemies. If the latter is true, it is difficult to imagine the power of our enemies,” Saamna added.

Sena blames Centre for ‘carelessness’

• The loss of so much ammunition would have made our enemies such as Pakistan and China very happy. So much of loss would not happen in the case of a war…The government has to take responsibility for the lapse. This fire cannot be called normal. —An editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamna