Sanjha Morcha

200 terrorists waiting to enter India: IB

200 terrorists waiting to enter India: IB
Armymen patrol near the LoC in Pallanwal sector, Jammu. PTI

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

Even as the Indian forces conducted surgical strikes on the other side of the LoC and destroyed several terror launch pads there, intelligence agencies have cautioned the government that around 200 trained terrorists are waiting in the wings to cross the border, while some are already hiding on the Indian side.The Centre has reportedly alerted all border states and asked the security forces to be on a high alert. According to the Intelligence Bureau (IB), these terrorist intend to target Indian security installations, including camps and posts of the armed forces, police stations and pickets.Terror masterminds sitting safe in Pakistan are reportedly planning to take revenge for the September 29 surgical strikes.According to the IB, terrorists who have already entered the Indian Territory are hiding in Jammu and Kashmir. They are awaiting a “signal from their masters in Pakistan” to launch terror attacks in India.Terror masterminds are also reportedly planning to use the notorious drug cartel to infiltrate more terrorists into India, sources say.


At daggers drawn India, Pakistan heading for talks about talks?

WHAT now after border villages have been evacuated and the Army put on alert? The assumption is that the Pakistan army has lost face and the Modi government has taken these preemptive measures in case it tries to avenge the surgical strikes. Now that it should be done with basking in the warmth of favourable public opinion, New Delhi will realise that an anxious standoff cannot continue for too long. Winter is setting in and the evacuated villagers from the borders of Punjab and J&K will be unwilling to endure hardship for an undefined goal. The state of general alert for the armed forces means its equipment is taking a beating just like it did during Operation Parakram.After getting stunned into issuing denials of a surgical strike, Pakistan appears to be moving on a game plan designed to get both sides to the negotiating table. Its top diplomat at the UN has petitioned its lame duck Secretary General for intervention. Pakistan’s Defence Minister has twice spoken of nuclear retaliation. This ploy too is meant to cool down India and draw world powers into convincing New Delhi to talk about talks. The Modi government would not be averse to this option. The strikes have fulfilled the Indian public’s sense of revenge. But the terrorist camps were temporary structures and if the Kashmir lockdown continues, Pakistani recruiters will have enough motivated recruits to staff them again.While hinting at its desire for negotiations Pakistan remains insouciant.  Earlier, Indian cross-border operations were conducted under the cloak of deniability. After India had levelled the score with a cross-border strike, Pakistan would be ready for talks. With India publicly owning up to the strikes for the first time, Islamabad is being forced to make belligerent noises to placate its domestic audience. Despite lashing out at each other, neither couple is willing to put the wedding band on the kitchen table because they know that war is not in their larger interest. Though both sides will act unwilling, opening up channels of communication may be the next best thing to a damaging stalemate.


Pak army says it’s unaware about jawan who strayed across border

MISSING 22-year-old Chavan had crossed de-facto border hours after India’s surgical strikes

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan Army has informed its Indian counterpart that it is not aware of the whereabouts of Chandu Chavan, the soldier who inadvertently strayed across the Line of Control, according to a media report.

AFP PHOTOSoldiers stand on a tank transporter outside an army camp in the village of Jourian, Akhnoor Sector, Jammu, on Saturday.

Chavan, a 22-year-old soldier from the 37 Rashtriya Rifles, had mistakenly crossed the de facto border in Kashmir hours after India’s surgical strikes on terrorist bases across the LoC on Thursday. The Indian Army, in a communication with the Pakistan Army’s military operations directorate, asked for Chavan’s release as it believes he is in Pakistani custody, the Dawn daily quoted a military source as saying.

The Pakistani military operations directorate, in its reply, expressed ignorance about his whereabouts, the report said. The contact took place at the level of “duty officers” and the Indian side was told the soldier “was being traced”.

The Indian Army reiterated on Saturday that Chavan had inadvertently strayed across the LoC and was being held captive by the Pakistan Army. A senior official said the Indian director general of military operations had taken up the matter with his Pakistani counterpart.

Under a bilateral arrangement, soldiers who inadvertently cross the LoC are handed over to their side. “However, the level of tensions between the two countries, particularly after the Indian claims about ‘surgical strikes’, precludes any possibility of cooperation,” the Dawn reported. JHARKHAND JAWAN DIES AT LINE OF CONTROL RANCHI: A jawan from Jharkhand died while performing his duty along the LoC on Friday. Although army officers have contended that Francis Horo died during patrolling, his family is still clueless about the reason behind his death. Horo was a resident of Serengtoli village under Lali panchayat in Ranchi district. He is survived by wife and two daughters. Horo’s wife has appealed to the state government to bear the costs of her daughters’ upbringing.


Air Vice Marshal who flew Gnat recalls 1971 war

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 30

As there are reports of India set to deploy the recently bought Rafale combat jets for warfare in the next year or so, a retired Air Vice Marshal from Jalandhar today shared his 1971 wartime experiences as part of the 10-member pilot crew selected in the then considered elite light fighter aircraft Gnat.Air Vice Marshal Sarvjit Hothi (retd) was inducted in the Indian Air Force (IAF) in December 1969. He recounts, “We were still training at Jamnagar and increasing our flying hours to be fully operational when the war came. I was among the select pilots who got picked up for flying Gnats. We were inducted in the 2 Squadron that was then based at Ambala. Amritsar was our forward base, just 25 km from the border.”Discussing Gnats, he said these had a very special feature. “Like the way there have been orders of being operation-ready now wherein two pilots have to be seated in aircraft in their overhauls and properly strapped, we too were then expected of being airborne in five minutes. In Gnats, we could take off in two minutes as there were no ladders required and we could jump in straight. A bigger advantage was that their engine got started in less than 40 seconds compared to 2-minute time taken in an MiG 21. This gave us a big advantage because aircraft from the Pakistan side came flying low and could not even be detected by radars. They used to be quite close when we got orders to start off from here,” he said about the thrilling experience as a new flying officer.“Since there was no night vision in the Gnat compared to much sophisticated jets now, only blind bombing could be possible.” He drew another comparison, “IAF had MiG 21s and Sukhoi 7s then too,” he recalled.Having taken 14 missions during the war, Hothi has enough points to spice up the conversation. “Believe me, one day when I had just taken off, I saw a Mirage just pass by on the gunside. My commander gave orders to me to shoot him off. But since my speed was just 180 mph, which was far too less and there was another Gnat following me, I could neither turn back nor was capable of overtaking it. By the time I was in attack mode, I was already over Lahore. Some split-second decisions with much precision were then required. Had I been able to attack the Mirage, I would have come as a hero, as so far no Mirage had ever been bombed,” he claimed.He also recounted his conversations with PVC awardee Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Sekhon. “A simple man, we used to call him ‘brother’. There were some nerve-chilling times too, but we overcame these, saying it to ourselves that even if we die, it will be others and not ourselves who would be crying,” said the IAF officer as he adds up another story, “Since we did not go on mission everyday, I once sat on a bike in an overhaul and came down to my home in Jalandhar. With war raging, there were roadside chhabeels. As people saw me in the IAF uniform, they saluted me and even took out cameras to take a photograph with me.”Hothi, who has VM and VSM to his credit, has had various postings in striking airforce bases at Halwara and Adampur. “I was commanding three squadrons at Halwara when the Kargil war came. As many as 30 per cent bombings were done by MiG 23 and 27 pilots there.”He adds on, “I have also been flying to Siachen for a year and have a Siachen medal too that I proudly hang in my room.”The first batch alumnus from Sainik School Kapurthala also remembers his number 052. “I was in the first batch of 200 students and have very fond memories of the school. I go there for functions often,” he said.Hothi said unlike other officers, he flew sorties even around the time of his retirement. “I never wanted the feeling of old age creep in me. Besides, this helped in enthusing motivation in the Squadron pilots.”After getting relieved in October 2007, he joined the Air India as a pilot as their retirement age was increased to 65. “At 58, I undertook training in Mumbai and sat in the class of pilots aged between 20 and 22. I competed with them in Monday tests for 10 months. Having no knowledge of computers, I was made to sit before simulators which had the most sophisticated computers. But it all was a new challenge wherein I had to defy age bar,” he laughed.“Another experience came when Air India bought new Boeing 737 aircraft which we were to fly to Singapore, Dubai or Japan. It was during a flight to Dubai that I saw a memorable view of a lit-up LoC, which was not the scene during the days we flew fighter jets during our IAF tenure,” he summed up.


High alert on LoC as forces brace for retaliation by Pak

High alert on LoC as forces brace for retaliation by Pak
Army jawans patrol near the Line of Control. Tribune Photo: Amin War

Dinesh Manhotra & Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Srinagar, Sept 30

The Army is on high alert along the Line of Control (LoC) amid apprehension that Pakistan may retaliate in the wake of surgical strikes or choose to push more infiltrators into Kashmir.Similarly, the Border Security Force (BSF) is on high alert on the international border. Additional forces had been deployed on the border after the Uri terror attack on September 18.The Army has already strengthened its positions along the LoC to deal with any eventuality. “Soldiers on the LoC are vigilant and prepared to handle any eventuality,” said an Army officer.“After the surgical strikes on terror launch pads, preparations are in place and every unit and sub-unit along the LoC is maintaining high vigil,” he said.“Pakistan is hit and wounded and it will retaliate. It may send more terrorists to Kashmir to carry out another Uri-like attack as it is a low-cost option,” he added.With such apprehensions in mind, the Army had deployed men along the LoC to pluck possible infiltration routes through surveillance, patrolling and ambushes.Another Army officer said personnel were on high alert across Kashmir. The artillery had been put in ready condition at strategic locations to effectively respond to Pakistan if it fired artillery shells.“Pakistan can play any mischief and we are ready to handle it,” the officer said. Every measure was in place along the LoC, he added.The Army was in touch with the local population in border areas to ensure good liaison at a time when tension between India and Pakistan was high.Residents of border areas had been asked to take precautions, especially during night hours. The Army was keeping a vigil on all activities across the LoC.


Major Gen Satbir Singh autocratic behavior which has brought about, not only his downfall; but also the ruination of IESM::: Painfull announcement of Relay Fast for Justice (RFFJ) by Ex-Servicemen at Jantar Mantar wef 1 Nov 2016. by Col S Rajan Bangalore

Respected Veterans,

Jai Hind.

1.       In Para 4 of my email dt. 28 Oct 2016 reproduced below,

For:  ‘in the face of patently unacceptable behavior by Gen Satbir Singh, the Chairman IESM’;

Read: ‘in the face of patently autocratic behavior by Gen Satbir Singh, the Chairman IESM’.

2.       While criticizing Gen Satbir for his autocratic (taking no account of other people’s wishes or opinions; domineering) behavior, I would say that display of autocratic behavior is part of human psyche; for, not many of us can maintain our equipoise in the face of overwhelming adulation. When bestowed with adulation like the one witnessed at Jantar Mantar at the peak of Relay Fast for Justice by Ex-Servicemen, where a few Ex-Servicemen would shout, ‘Fauj ka General kaisa ho; General Satbir Singh jaisa ho’, time & again, it does tend to encourage people to turn into ‘cult figures’; and that is exactly what happened to Gen Satbir Singh. He turned himself into a cult figure; and that was the start point of his autocratic behavior.

3.       My association with Gen Satbir Singh goes back to first week of Apr 2008, when he gave a call to organize Ex-Servicemen Rallies all over the Country on 27 Apr 2008, in support of our demand for OROP.He has been the leading light of IESM; and his contribution to the cause has been unparalleled. Yet, it is his autocratic behavior, which has brought about, not only his downfall; but also the ruination of IESM. It is sad for people like me and thousands of Ex-Servicemen who with their sweat & blood built IESM brick by brick, to see IESM in tatters.

4.       A word about Lt Gen Raj Kadyan. Suffice to say, ‘Lt Gen Raj Kadyan is no saint’. In his case too, it is his autocratic behavior and insatiable love for ‘Gaddi or Kursi’ ie. to be Life Chairman of IESM; and his fondness for being close to powers that be, with the hope of wangling a post of power & pelf, that caused the split in IESM in July 2013. The trouble started when inspite of repeated requests from Gen Satbir Singh (then Vice Chairman of IESM) and Members of the GB asking Lt Gen Raj Kadyan not to meet the Raksha Mantri all by himself; but to take a few them also alongwith him; he paid no heed. The second reason for the split was Lt Gen Raj Kadyan felt himself marginalized in the GB; and, to strengthen his position and leverage, he tried inducting a few JCOs & OR in the GB during the AGM held in Nov 2012. Rightly or wrongly, Gen Satbir Singh (then Vice Chairman IESM) and other Members of the GB thwarted Gen Kadyan’s designs.

5.       To end, I wish to ask: Is there a way to retrieve IESM from the mess it is in; and, can IESM be rejuvenated? I say, YES; provided both Gen Raj Kadyan and Gen Satbir Singh set aside their ego and bury their differences and unite for the sake of survival of IESM, in the interest of Ex-Servicemen & their families. In order to strengthen IESM as a truly pan India org, both Gen Raj Kadyan and Gen Satbir Singh should participate in the AGM in Nov 2016; for which, Gen Satbir Singh must extend an invitation to Gen Raj Kadyan. It would be ideal to get three senior veterans of the rank of Lt Gen, Vice Admiral and Air Marshal to preside over the AGM. That is what I did during the inaugural session of IESM at NOIDA on 13 Aug 2008, where Lt Gen Guru Bakshi, Vice Admiral Barin Ghose and Air Marshal Virendra Puri were present at my request.

6.       In the AGM, before commencement of AGM proceedings to elect new office bearers and new members of the Governing Body, Gen Raj Kadyan and Gen Satbir Singh should shake hands and both of them must step down from the Chairman’s post. And while stepping down, Gen Raj Kadyan, as a gesture of goodwill & magnanimity should announce withdrawal of all Court cases aginst Gen Satbir Singh, Gp Capt VK Gandhi and Wg Cdr CK Sharma and the case from the office of Registrar of Societies, Gurgaon, de-recognising IESM faction led by Gen Satbir Singh; and thus put an end to all bad blood.

7.       IESM being a pan India org, I suggest, a Veteran from the West (Punjab/Haryana/Rajasthan) be elected as Chairman and a Veteran from the South be elected as Vice Chairman; so that next year, the AGM is held in the South and the Vice Chairman elected this year is automatically elevated as the Chairman next year. And in the AGM next year there would be a requirement of electing only a Vice President, who should preferably be from North (not NCR). For the sake of convenience, two Veterans from NCR or from States around NCR (within a striking distance of overnight journey), be elected as Gen Secy and Dy Gen Secy. And again for the sake of convenience, two Veterans from NCR, be elected as Treasurer and Joint Treasurer.

8.       A ‘Working Group’ based at Delhi comprising a Working President and a Vice President be elected from Veterans based at NCR, for close interaction with the PMO, MoD, Service Chiefs, etc.

9.       Neither Gen Raj Kadyan nor Gen Satbir Singh should stand in the elections, for any post. They should be honoured by inducting them as Patrons.

Regards,

Col Rajan

Bangalore, 9449043770

PS: A DRAFT Org Structure for IESM, fwd by me to the GB in 2010, is attached for perusal please.

CATCH THE BULL BY ITS HORNS

AN APPEAL TO THE CHAIRMAN IESM

AND MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF IESM:

PLEASE STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT; AND, DO NOT SHY AWAY

FROM YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

To,

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, Chairman IESM & Member GB;

Maj Gen PK Renjen, Vice Chairman IESM & Member GB;

Maj Gen AJB Jaini, Member GB;

Brig CS Kamboj, Member GB;

Brig Sharad Luktuke, Member GB;

Brig Harwant Singh, Member GB;

Col Kirit Joshipura, Member GB;

Col RP Chaturvedi, Member GB;

Gp Capt VK Gandhi, General Secretary IESM & Member GB;

Wg Cdr CK Sharma, Treasurer IESM & Member GB;

Cdr Ravi Pathak, Member GB;

Cdr Sharan Ahuja,  Member GB;

Hon’y Lt Kameshwar Pandey, Member GB; and,

 A few more Members of GB whom I do not know or I am not aware of

 

AN APPEAL TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF IESM:

PLEASE SET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

 

Respected Sirs,

Jai Hind.

1.        Though I am not a Member of IESM, having resigned in Dec 2010, on matters of principle; yet, having been one of the founder members of IESM and a stake holder; I appeal to you all to set your house in order.

2.        Like most Ex-Servicemen, I am pained to see Gen Satbir Singh’s email announcing recommencement of Relay Fast for Justice (RFFJ) by Ex-Servicemen at Jantar Mantar wef 1 Nov 2016. There is absolutely no ground for recommencement of RFFJ at Jantar Mantar since, (a) we having filed a case regarding OROP in the Hon’ble Supreme Court; the matter is sub-judice (under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion elsewhere); and (b) the one man Judicial Committee headed by Justice L Narasimha Reddy has submitted its report only yesterday (ie. on 26 Oct 2016) and the Govt would take some time to study the Report.

3.        I wonder whether it is the same Gen Satbir Singh, who, I have always referred to as the leading light of IESM; and, who now takes unilateral decisions, detrimental to the interests of Ex-Servicemen.

4.        Respected Members of the Governing Body (GB), I, having talked personally to a few members of the GB; and, I, having read a few emails emanating from Members of the GB expressing their disappointment with Gen Satbir Singh, the Chairman IESM, for taking unilateral decisions without consulting them, is indeed a sad state of affairs. It is very evident that, the call by Maj Gen Satbir Singh to recommence RFFJ at Jantar Mantar has no sanctity; as the same has neither been approved; nor being supported by the GB. I understand a few members of the GB have resigned from the GB/quit the GB/decided to remain silent or dormant, thus making it all the more convenient for Gen Satbir Singh to take unilateral decisions. For Members of GB to resign or quit or remain silent in the face of patently unacceptable behavior by Gen Satbir Singh, the Chairman IESM, not only amounts to willful abdication of responsibility; but also amounts to encouraging him to behave as such. There is no question of any member of the GB resigning or quitting till elections are held in the next AGM.

5.        In the light of above, I appeal to Hon’ble Members of the GB (incl those who claim to have resigned/quit/remaining silent/dormant) to ask Gen Satbir Singh, the Chairman and Gp Capt VK Gandhi, the Gen Secy to convene a meeting of the GB at the earliest, to discuss the following and take appropriate decisions:

(a)      Unilateral decision in calling for recommencement of RFFJ at Jantar Mantar by Gen Satbir Singh; and to countermand such decisions taken without the approval of the GB.

(b)      Desirability of Gen Satbir Singh, being Chief Patron of Fauji Janata Party, while being Chairman IESM, in violation of accepted principle or norm of keeping IESM, apolitical.

(c)      The very fact that Gen Satbir Singh has put out an Appeal requesting for Donations to Fauji Janata Party, is indicative of his being part & parcel of Fauji Janata Party.

(d)      Gen Satbir Singh needs to be told categorically that he can either continue as Chairman IESM or be Chief Patron of FJP; and that he cannot be both at the same time. In case he wishes to take active part in FJP, he must step down as Chairman IESM. 

(e)      I am given to understand that Gp Capt VK Gandhi and Wg Cdr CK Sharma have since resigned from their posts as Gen Secy and Treasurer. This is just NOT acceptable. Office bearers like the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Gen Secy and Treasurer can resign and their resignation can be accepted only after they have properly handed over their charge to a replacement approved by the GB. For the sake of continuity, it is normally the Dy Gen Secy who takes over as the Gen Secy; and it is the Joint Treasurer who takes over as the Treasurer. And, all such handing/taking over notes must be countersigned by the Chairman and Vice Chairman and as many members of the Governing Body, as possible. One must remember that when it comes to money, IESM is not handling money in thousands; but in Lakhs. Transparency in all dealings and money matters must be ensured.

(f)       It is high time we took back our Medals and restored them to Ex-Servicemen concerned. It is the moral responsibility of Veterans like us on who’s call thousands of Veterans deposited their Medals without a murmur. Taking back the Medals and restoring them to their owners is a herculean task; and the same calls for utmost care & commitment.

6.        You may consider inviting past GB Members like Col TN Raman from Tamil Nadu; and Gp Capt Suhas Phatak from Maharashtra to be observers during the GB meeting convened to discuss points outlined in Para 5 above.

7.        I also appeal to Hon’ble Members of the GB (incl those who claim to have resigned/quit/remaining silent/dormant) to ask Gen Satbir Singh, the Chairman and Gp Capt VK Gandhi, the Gen Secy to convene an AGM to take stock of the achievements of IESM since the last AGM in 2014; and, revamp IESM by electing a fresh set of office bearers; and also a working Group to be based at Delhi, ie. NCR.

8.        Respected Sirs, please bear in mind that you cannot afford to fool around with an Org in which thousands of Ex-Servicemen & their families have reposed their faith; and an Org to which Ex-Servicemen & their families have donated Lakhs & Lakhs of Rupees. You have a bounden duty to uphold the good name of IESM, which has been earned with sweat & blood.

Regards,

download (13)

Col Rajan

A founder member of IESM

Bangalore, 9449043770

27 Oct 2016

Colonelrajan Srinivas —-colonelrajan44@gmail.com>


Armed forces rank parity: Parrikar to set up 3-member panel

Armed forces rank parity: Parrikar to set up 3-member panel
On Thursday night, Parrikar was informed by an aide that the rank parity issue had not been addressed totally. Tribune file

AjayBanerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 28  Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will set up a three-member committee to advise the ministry and resolve the rank parity issue that has led to raised tempers in the armed forces.On Thursday night, Parrikar was informed by an aide that the rank parity issue had not been addressed totally as some facts had not been brought out. Parrikar, not completely satisfied with the turn of events in the past one week, has now decided to set up the committee that will take 10 days to study all documents, including the decision of the Group of Ministers in 2009 ratified by the union Cabinet, sources said on Friday afternoon.

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

Sources said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is keen to go totally by the Warrant of Precedence (WoP)–a guiding document of the government that laid down which rank in civil and military had to be given what protocol, status etc.Under the WoP, a major general is equal to a joint secretary in the government. As per an MoD letter issued on October 18, a major general was equated to a principal director. On Thursday afternoon, the MoD issued a clarification saying it had only reiterated previous instructions, including the last one in 2005, and not lowered the rank parity.The fact that the 2009 GoM decision and ratification by the cabinet had corrected this anomaly probably was missed in the decision-making of the MoD in the past one week.Since October 18, the forces have informed Parrikar that this anomaly had been added and the rank parity letter issued on October 18 had actually lowered the status of the forces.The MoD on Thursday said, “The present reiteration of rank equivalence is only for matters of assigning duties and functional responsibilities.”The forces opine that there cannot be multiple parameters on rank-parity–one for ‘functionality’ and another on the Warrant of Precedence.


Modi’s Looking to Buy the Indian Army 185,000 Deadly Assault Rifles

1477608009_GettyImages-615161212

India’s armed forces have embarked on a shopping spree for modern assault rifles, body armor and helmets, providing a potential boost to global arms suppliers.

The 1.3 million-strong military is abandoning its two decade-old Indian made rifles and seeking to outfit its infantry with more up-to-date equipment, scouting for a new model on the global market for 185,000 assault rifles. The Ministry of Defence also needs to buy hundreds of thousands of helmets and tens of thousands of bullet proof vests.

The moves are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s $250 billion push to modernize India’s armed forces, as infantry continue to face the brunt of deadly attacks in disputed border areas such as Kashmir and the north-east.

Plans to buy new equipment from overseas, however, have been held back by bureaucratic delays and the military’s desire to balance the needs of troops against efforts to have equipment built domestically under Modi’s “Make in India” program, a key plank in his drive to boost local manufacturing.

“It’s encouraging that they’re going ahead with this, but it’s discouraging that it’s not made under ‘Make in India,’ ” said Anit Mukherjee, a former major in the Indian Army and assistant professor at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. “The fact that it took 10 years for Indians to go ahead and say, ‘we’re importing’ means the bureaucracy is still holding back modernization of the armed forces. That’s problematic.”

Local Rifles

The army currently uses the INSAS, or Indian Small Arms System, rifle, introduced in the late 1990s and built by the state-owned Ordnance Factory. Yet the Indian and Nepalese soldiers issued with the guns complained the 5.56mm rifles were unreliable, prompting the ministry to go to the global market for their replacement.

To identify possible vendors, the ministry last month issued a request for information. It said it wants a larger, more deadly 7.62mm model that will “shoot to kill.”

India needs 65,000 rifles within 28 months of signing the contract and has asked global manufacturers to reply by November 7, the ministry said. India plans to issue a tender for procuring rifles in April 2017.

This is India’s second attempt since 2011 to procure assault rifles for its infantry. The 2011 tenders were issued to Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC, Italy’s Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A., Swiss Sig Sauer Inc., the Czech Republic’s Ceska zbrojovka and Israel Weapons Industry Ltd. But it was canceled in 2015 after the rifles offered up by the global manufacturers did not meet the multi-caliber requirements of the army.

Procurement Delays

Apart from assault rifles, the army also sought to buy light automatic rifles and machine guns, as well as sniper rifles. Initially, it planned to buy 43,000 carbines off the shelf from international companies and build 120,000 others at ordnance factories in India.

But a tender issued four years ago to buy the carbines was canceled earlier this month over procedural issues, according to a senior army officer who asked not to be identified discussing information that is private.

The rifle procurement is part of the army’s efforts to modernize personnel equipment, including body armor and helmets. It needs over 350,000 bullet-proof vests, and earlier this year decided to buy 50,000 units of body armor to meet emergency requirements. The army has also inched closer to procuring 150,000 lightweight helmets.

Delays in procuring basic equipment should concern policy makers as infantry troops take on the brunt of India’s current operations, according to Srinath Raghavan, a former infantry officer and senior fellow at New Delhi’s Centre for Policy Research.

The “Make in India” program, where foreign firms team up with local ones, is helping to address that, he said. But there were still tensions between the army’s urgent requirements for modern equipment and the slow pace of defense sector joint ventures, meaning at least some equipment must be bought “off the shelf”.

“The fact that you can’t even design your own small arms system reflects very poorly on the military ecosystem in India,” he said. “The military innovation cycle is dysfunctional and broken down and it should be a matter of huge concern.”

  • Assault rifles, helmets and bullet-proof vests on the list
  • Bureaucratic delays reveal ‘dysfunctional’ innovation cycle

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-27/modi-seeks-shoot-to-kill-hardware-in-military-modernization

 


Sign the Petition to declare Pakistan a Terrorist State

URGENT

FOR KIND ATTENTION OF ALL CITIZENS 

AND IMMEDIATE ACTION PLEASE 

Noble Citizens of Bharathvarsh,

Jai Hind.

images (14)

Please click on the link below and read Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s letter dt. 21 Sep 2016 addressed to Mohd. Hamid Ansari, Hon’ble Chairman Rajya Sabha, submitting a Resolution and Private Members’ Bill for discussion during the Winter Session of Parliament regarding numerous nefarious and inimical activities of Pakistan by way of training & pumping terrorists into India; so that, at the end of the discussion Rajya Sabha can pass a resolution, declaring Pakistan a Terrorist State.  

http://rajeev.in/rajeev_writes/Winter_Session_Parliament/Letter_to_Honble_Chairman_Hmaid_Ansari_Sep212016.pdf

or

http://bit.ly/2dmq98w 

May I request you all to click on the following link and sign the Petition;

https://www.change.org/p/parliament-of-india-pass-resolution-to-declare-pakistan-a-terror-state?recruiter=602639591&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

and also pass on this email to all your friends & relatives for their signatures, on Priority. We need one lakh signatures before commencement of winter session of Parliament.

Having signed the Petition, may I request you all to PLEASE confirm the same to:

Shivani Sharma Dasmahapatra <shivani.dasmahapatra@gmail.com>, 

Col SS Rajan <colonelrajan44@gmail.com>,

Regards,

Col Rajan

colRajan

 

 

Bangalore, 9449043770 

CLICK LINK BELOW TO OPEN pdf  FILE OF RAJIV CHANDRASEKHAR

greenarrowdown

 

 

 

 

Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s letter dt. 21 Sep 2016 to Mohd Hmaid Ansari Hon’ble Chairman RS


PM urges citizens to send their messages to jawans this Diwali

PM urges citizens to send their messages to jawans this Diwali
This photo shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter last year shows him meeting soldiers. File photo

New Delhi, October 23

Amid heightened tension on the border, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a campaign through which people can send their Diwali greetings and messages to soldiers guarding the nation’s frontiers to boost their morale.

People can send messages under the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign on the Narendra Modi App, through MyGov.in, and also through All India Radio. Doordarshan shall also be mounting a programme to share people’s emotions with the Armed Forces.

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

The Prime Minister, who is leading the campaign, said in a tweet: “I sent my #Sandesh2Soldiers. You could also do the same. Your wishes will certainly make our forces very happy”.

“This Diwali, let us remember our courageous armed forces who constantly protect our Nation. Jai Hind,” he said.

“When 1.25 crore people stand with the soldiers, their power increases by 1.25 crore times,” the Prime Minister said.

As part of the campaign, the Prime Minister has shared through social media, a special video, featuring his appeal to the people to send messages to the brave Armed Forces personnel.

Within hours, the video has generated tremendous interest on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.The great respect and admiration that the nation has for our Armed Forces, will find expression this festive season, through the campaign being led by the Prime Minister, the PMO said in a release.

A special module has been launched on the Narendra Modi App, which enables people to send greetings or their hand-written messages to the Armed Forces.

The #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign is expected to generate increased interaction between the people and the Armed Forces.

The campaign comes against the backdrop of the surgical strikes carried out by the Army on terror launch pads in PoK and the heightened border tension.

Earlier this month, at an event in Bhopal, the Prime Minister had focused on the human element of the jawans. His appeal to people to applaud jawans when they meet them, has also created a buzz on social media.

This is not the first time that Modi is focusing on the armed forces. He spent his last two Diwalis as the Prime Minister with the Army. — PTI