Fearing tit-for-tat retaliation from Pakistan-based terrorist groups post Indian cross-LoC strike, home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday reviewed country-wide security measures, particularly in Kashmir, with reports of an eight-strong fidayeen (suicide) squad sneaking into Srinagar.

All western states bordering Pakistan have been placed on alert with state chief secretaries instructed not to go on leave.

Authoritative sources said that the government was expecting a retaliation from Pakistan with the target being Indian Army establishments in Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi.

On Thursday, the security agencies issued an alert about a possible suicide attack by Pakistani jihadists in Srinagar, with security forces as target.

Singh discussed all possible measures with senior officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and intelligence chiefs.

The home ministry assessment is that after the Indian Army inflicted serious and large scale casualties by attacking the terrorist launch pads in Jammu and Kashmir, terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed may activate their border action team for retaliation.

Security agencies expect Pakistani border action along the LoC in Machhil, Nowgam, Mendhar and Rajouri sectors — where the Indian Army destroyed seven terrorist forward staging locations.

There was firing by unknown militants on a CRPF-J&K police check post on Shopian-Kulgam road on Friday evening with no casualties.

While the security forces have gone on high alert in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh also reviewed security arrangements in the Indian hinterland, particularly in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Senior officials of the home ministry have issued instructions to Delhi and Mumbai police to ensure that any terrorist action in the form of indiscriminate firing or bombs is either prevented or foiled.

The Indian Army and defence establishments in the Capital have been particularly secured so that they are not targeted by terrorists to avenge the cross-LoC strike.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence on Thursday said there has been no “downgrading” of service officers in rank parity vis-a-vis civilian staff, this even as serving and retired officers said it was reiterating previous orders.The MoD said: “The reiteration of rank equivalence is only for matters of assigning duties and functional responsibilities as is existing in different offices of the service headquarters of the Army, Navy and IAF having component of service personnel as well as civilian officers”. This has no bearing on civilian staff outside these offices.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The forces opine there cannot be multiple parameters for ‘equivalence’ of ranks. With the MoD letter there will be a separate equivalence, one for ‘functionality’, another on ‘Warrant of Precedence’ (WoP). There has to be only one regime of equivalence, they say,  based on WoP and aligned with relative pay-scales. — TNS

HOLD SWAY: Media can’t be the mouthpiece of the government of the day.

IN these difficult times in Indo-Pakistan relations, the biggest casualty on the Indian side has been the credibility of privately-owned Indian electronic media. Many of us have experienced how quickly the printed press folded up during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. The wonder is that under the Modi dispensation electronic media have lined up behind the government on its own. Many channels have become super patriots joining the most jingoist voices, but most channels have succumbed to the use of adjectives that give the game away. There is no fairness in presenting facts and it is a toss-up whether Indian channels are copying their Pakistani counterparts or chasing TRP ratings or both. We all honour soldiers who die in the line of duty and pay them due respect, apart from compensation to their families. But for our television channels to describe every such death as that of a martyr is stretching the use of the English language. And covering Pakistan, TV scrolls describe Prime Minister Nawaz Shatif’s presentation at the UN as a “rant”. Where is the dividing line between the duties of media as opposed to acting as a propaganda megaphone for the government?It is true that our private electronic media live in different ages. One channel has adopted what was in vogue 25 years ago, if not longer, in the West by de-sexing genders. Thus their cameramen and women are always “persons”. Another channel continues to beat its drums over the non-interview it had with Prime Minister Modi in how dramatically it has affected its TRPs.Are we then in the game of TRPs without any responsibility to be fair in our reporting? There is not a squeak from the concerned broadcasting organisations on the merits of unbiased reporting. In relations with Pakistan, anything goes, the harder the punch, the better. One channel seems to have opened a direct line to India’s RAW to get the lowdown on the inner recesses of the Pakistani state.What our electronic media do not realise in their cheerleading for chauvinist forces is that this phase will pass, as all phases do, but restoring their credibility with their audiences will be a long-haul problem. As their print colleagues will tell them, even after wearing sackcloth and ashes it took a long time to convince readers that newspapermen were trying to tell the truth.There are, of course, exceptional times such as during the Bangladesh war when media went with the swing. But mercifully, we are not at war with Pakistan and can attempt to present a fairer picture of what is happening. For instance, there was not one commentator to make the point that but for Ms Sushma Swaraj’s inability or unwillingness to make her presentation in English, half of its impact was lost. Except for South Asia, the world is not familiar with Hindi and listening to a translation can never have the impact of an original presentation.How then can we get electronic media to do a fairer job of reporting? One would have expected broadcasting organisations to take the call and seek answers. But they seem to be strangely tongue-tied leaving it to each channel to win its spurs in the propaganda war against Pakistan. The golden arches of TRPs are inviting them — and who cares about credibility?The record of press commissions in India is hardly inspiring. Rather, we must make a new foray in getting the combined weight of serious citizens to lobby against a pernicious trend that threatens to destroy the freedom of media. The forms can vary from small seminars to larger meetings and neighbourhood conclaves focused on one problem: how to keep media from becoming cheerleaders of chauvinist forces?Until the Emergency came, print media were patting themselves on the back that having fought for the country’s freedom, they were the great upholders of the freedom of the press. And yet more than 99 per cent of the press crumbled overnight. The moral of the story is that press freedom should be fought each day because it is the authority’s effort to exploit weaknesses. It would be unfair to paint all television channels with the same brush and the demands of TV as a medium are very different from those of print. But this is certainly a time for introspection if even a man of the calibre of Rajdeep Sardesai can fall a victim to chauvinist trends. The atmosphere is simply too corrosive. There is no substitute for self-policing and it is time for veterans of Indian TV to get together to frame a set of working rules that distinguishes between fair reporting and propaganda. It is not the task of private TV channels to beat the drums of chauvinism. Such an assertion will present two kinds of problems: pressure from the owners and the commercial wings in charge of TRP ratings.But this is a battle journalists have fought all the time everywhere. The question for TV journalists is that time has arrived in India and it is up to them to show their mettle. I am not disparaging the commendable efforts of many channels for their pioneering investigative reporting of trends and controversies and enlarging the Indian viewers’ ken by demonstrating to them the wonders of nature and animals. And some channels make room for serious discussions although the highly accented Indian English of one anchor takes away part of the charm. What I have described above relates to English language channels; channels in Hindi and regional languages are often even more extravagant in presenting news and views. They would of course need separate treatment.As a nation, where do we go from here? First, we must separate fact from fiction and draw clear lines between responsibilities of media and the task of governance. It is not the task of media to become cheerleaders of the government of the day. Second, broadcasting organisations responsible for overseeing TV channels must come out in the open and take charge.

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma (L) with CMs of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal and Arunachal Pema Khandu during a recent visit to Tawang. — PTI

Beijing/New Delhi, October 24

China today warned the US that any interference by it in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it “more complicated” and “disturb” hard-won peace at the border, days after the US envoy in India Richard Verma visited Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as southern Tibet. India reacted saying there was “nothing unusual” about the trip to a state which is an integral part of the country.Asking the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was firmly opposed to the visit. Referring to Verma’s October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Lu said the US envoy visited a “disputed region”. “We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit,” he said.China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said: “The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it.” — PTI

Will complicate dispute: China to Washington

• The place visited by US envoy is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to it… It will only make the dispute more complicated —Lu Kang, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman

Nothing unusual about it, says India

• The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it —Vikas Swarup, MEA spokesperson

Prof Laxmi Kanta Chawla

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 22

A day before the inauguration of the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum in the city, former Punjab Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla today stirred up a controversy by raising a question mark over the inclusion of Victoria Cross winners of the First and the Second World Wars who fought off Britishers in the list of martyrs.While appreciating the government’s initiative for setting up the war memorial, she said the main aim of it was to apprise the coming generations about those martyrs who had laid down their lives for the country in the line of duty.It was because of their sacrifices that the people of the country feel safe and secure besides enjoying freedom.However, she said the government has also listed the names of 46 Victoria Cross winners who fought the First and the Second World Wars for the British Government, which ruled the country for centuries and committed atrocities on those who fought for the freedom of the nation.She pointed out that it was unfair to give them space along with the martyrs of the country.She also raised an objection over the missing Hindi language from the war memorial while descriptions were written in the Punjabi and English languages only.

The bureaucrat told the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs that the Indian Army has previously carried out such ‘professionally done, target-specific, limited calibre counter-terrorist operations’ strikes across the LoC, sources present at the meeting said. File photo

New Delhi, October 18Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told a Parliamentary panel on Tuesday that although the Army had carried out counter-terrorist military strikes in the past, this was the first time the central government made such a military exercise public.The bureaucrat told the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs that the Indian Army has previously carried out such “professionally done, target-specific, limited calibre counter-terrorist operations” strikes across the LoC, sources present at the meeting said.The statement appears to contradict claims of “never-before” strikes made by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.Last week, the minister had rejected Congress’s claims of having conducted similar military exercises under the UPA regime, calling the previous operations “locally executed” by commanders without involving the government.Jaishankar also told the committee that although India had been in touch with Pakistan even after the September 29 surgical strikes, they had no “calendar” drawn up for future talks with Pakistan, sources said.Soon after the operations had ended, the Director General Military Operations of the Pakistan Army was informed about the strikes, the sources claimed.During the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Bipin Rawat also gave details of the strikes targeting terrorist launch pads across the LoC.Government representatives are believed to have told the panel that the strikes have fulfilled their purpose and they would always make Pakistan wary of them.Jaishankar however parried a question on UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan’s statements that it witnessed no such strike, instead saying that he would not say anything since the panel’s chairman Shashi Tharoor had been associated with the body. — PTI

The Magsaysay award winner wrote the following in his letter ::

Honourable President and Honourable Prime Minister,

It is with a heavy heart, that I write this open letter to you at a time when our beloved country and people are facing severe challenges and threats to our shared heritage.

I have served in the Armed Forces of India – joining soon after Independence as a 14 year old, to end up 45 years later Chief of the Indian Navy [1990 to 1993] I have witnessed many transitions in India – from the horrors of partition in 1947 to the very different world of digital connectivity that we see today.

I also write to you as one who was brought up in the Hindu faith. However, the Hinduism I knew and experienced was gentle, inclusive, and filled with extraordinary diversity. My religion taught me values of love and respect for all beings. My brand of Hinduism was not filled with the kind of violence, intolerance represented by the current brand of “Hindutva” that seems to be fanning the flames of division and fear across the country.

Today, as a veteran in my eighties, I am forced to hang my head in shame as I witness a series of incidents and assaults on our fellow citizens, especially minorities and Dalits. Our armed forces which I have had the honour to serve for 45 years, have been an exemplar of India’s secular ethos. Be it in ships and submarines, or in planes and battle formations, we do not discriminate on the basis of caste or religion – we train, we fight, we live, we eat and we die together.

So why are we bearing witness to increasing attacks on minorities across the country, ever since the present government came to power in May 2014? It appears that certain communities are being singled out for special attention – for instance Muslims. Today a Muslim has to prove his or her loyalty, and they are being repeatedly put in a situation where their places of worship are under attack, as indeed their eating habits, and other basic freedoms. The instances of completely unacceptable and unilateral mob behaviour leading to many deaths as well as direct insinuations being made by senior leaders, are too numerous and well known to be repeated.

There seems to be a systematic and well orchestrated attempt to impose a majoritarian single point agenda of creating a Hindu Rashtra in India – led by the RSS and their network of groups, which is disturbing to say the least. This in turn has resulted in a dangerous pattern of mob behaviour including intimidating and lynching people merely on the basis of rumours – in total disregard for the established rule of law. In many cases those responsible for implementing the law, have themselves displayed blatant partisan tendencies and behaviour.

Most shocking of all is the fact there has been no unambiguous condemnation of such actions and behaviour by those at the helm of affairs in the country. Sadly, time and time again, the response of the government seems to indicate an almost studied, but certainly not benign, indifference. The co-ordinated response of those in government seems to be to downplay the serious and vicious nature of these allegations and attacks – by terming them ‘sad’ and ‘unfortunate’ – whereas there should be outrage and a demonstrated will to ensure that this society will not tolerate such behaviour. That there are MPs, Cabinet ministers and elected Chief Ministers who are in the forefront of these comments and actions, leads one to believe that the ruling party and its satellite organisations are working to a plan.

I do not need to point out to the top leadership today, that this is playing with fire in a nation where minorities – especially Muslims and Christians, as also Dalits and adivasis, are already feeling discriminated and marginalised. Instead of treating this amazing diversity as our strength, today we are being seen by the international community as increasingly insular, parochial, intolerant, racist and even fascist. The violence visited upon vulnerable sections reinforces the image of India as an imperfect democracy where all forms of dissent are discouraged and human rights trampled upon with impunity.

The Prime Minister and his ministers in the government are sworn in by the President of India, and they take an oath pledging to uphold the Indian Constitution. Their failure to do so, as evidenced in the foregoing, is a serious matter and does not augur well either for national security or national integrity. The Central and State Governments must act swiftly, unequivocally condemn all such incidents and ensure that justice will be done and the guilty are punished. Such action alone will have a salutary deterrent effect on all those, be they fringe or mainstream, who are speaking and acting in many voices that are totally against and inimical to, our traditional ethos and the syncretic culture of our country and its people.

India represents a unique blend of peoples and cultures which have evolved over 5000 plus years in a constantly changing and dynamic process. This diversity and unique nature of our society and people can probably never be replicated anywhere on this earth – and for this reason alone, the concept of a single religious identity or mono culture represents an insult to this ancient civilisational heritage.

Honourable Mr President, Honourable Mr Prime Minister, you have both sworn to honour the right of every single citizen to freedom of speech, worship, association as brilliantly articulated in the Indian Constitution. As a former serviceman and a veteran, like you, I too have promised to uphold the same constitution. It is our bounden duty that the elected Government of this nation must honour the rights of every citizen of this land as amply spelled out in the Preamble of the Constitution and further elaborated in the Directive Principles of state policy. As Supreme Commander and the Chief Executive – this is what you must ensure and implement by all the powers vested in you by the people of India.

If we do not stem the rot now – it might be too late. Indeed we the people of India look to you to take all steps necessary to restore faith in our democracy and in the promise of bringing dignity, fraternity and equality to each of our citizens.

Rahul Gandhi, Cong vice-president

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 29

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today chose Diwali eve to subtly accuse the government of reneging on its many promises to the armed forces. He said the forces must be motivated not merely by words but also actions.In a letter to PM Narendra Modi today, Rahul cited a range of issues affecting the Indian armed forces including disability pension, one rank one pension, implementation of the 7th Pay Commission etc to say, “Our solders risk their lives each day to defend the nation and it is our duty to show them that we care for them and their families not only through our words but also through our actions.”Rahul said he was saddened that in the last few weeks, actions taken by the government — far from assuring the soldiers — have indeed caused them pain and hurt.“Just days after our soldiers conducted surgical strikes, the disability pension system was converted to a new slab system that, in many instances, drastically reduces the pension received by these brave men in case of a disability. The roll-out of the seventh Pay Commission continues to keep our defence forces at a disadvantage and further exacerbates the disparity between them and civil employees,” Rahul said.He also cited with concern that the government had now downgraded the status of military officers vis-a-vis other civilian counterparts in a letter dated October 18.“Finally, contrary to what was promised, one rank one pension as implemented by the government does not fully meet the genuine demands of our ex-servicemen. They have been forced to come out on the streets to make their voice heard on this vital issue,” he said.

FM Arun Jaitley addresses the media. ANI

KV Prasad

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 27

The Union Cabinet on Thursday announced an instalment of Dearness Allowance for central government employees and dearness relief for pensioners at 2 per cent with effect from July this year.                     This was announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was addressing the media after the cabinet meeting.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The cabinet also cleared Rs 500 crore for horticulture under the PM package for Jammu and Kashmir.

It also announced a package for apple-growers. Indirect benefits were approved for allied sectors.                        The cabinet also approved setting up of a National Academic Depository as envisioned under Digital India, he said.