New Delhi, December 18

Opposition parties on Sunday questioned the central government’s decision to appoint Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat by superseding two senior officers.

The development came a day after the government appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new army chief superseding his two senior officers.

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Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari demanded to know why two senior officers — Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Command chief Lt Gen PM Hariz — were superseded.

“With all due respect to Gen Rawat’s professionalism and no personal animus towards anybody, there is a legitimate question that why has that supersession taken place,” he said, calling the central government’s defence that the grand old party had made similar decisions in the 80s and that latest decision was not unprecedented “complete nonsense”.

“Every situation has its own context and, therefore nothing can be extrapolated out of context in order to justify a supersession. So, therefore the government needs to answer this legitimate question as to why these senior army commanders were superseded,” he said.

“Did the government have anything against them? Was their professionalism in question? What was the reason and I guess the army being a public institution the country deserves those answers,” Tewari said.

CPI leader D Raja also questioned the government’s move.

“Appointments in the army have become controversial, the appointments in the judiciary are already controversial, the appointments of CVCs, CBI director and to Central Information Commission, all these top-level appointments are becoming very controversial,” he said.

Also read:

Bipin Rawat to be Army Chief, Dhanoa to head IAF

Govt names new IB, RAW chiefs

Calling the development “very unfortunate”, Raja said it was not in the interest of democracy and the country.The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said although such appointments were the central government’s prerogative, the ruling dispensation cannot brush aside considerations such seniority, competence and integrity.

NCP leader Majeed Memon said: “The Army Chief’s appointment is a prerogative of the government, but you cannot just brush aside all considerations like seniority, competence, integrity and the degree, services and performances that are expected from a man who is incumbent.”

“The Army chief, RAW chief, CBI chief, these are all vitally important positions where we expect the service to the nation and Indian society must be up to the mark, otherwise we suffer either externally or internally.”

‘Politics’

The BJP has criticised the Congress for questioning its decision and “politicising” the issue.

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said it was “extremely unfortunate” that the Congress “looks to politicise everything”.

“Therefore, the Congress spokesperson (Manish Tewari) should resist about it because the chief of the Army has been appointed and this is not the first time that the supersession have been done,” Singh said.

“There are other cases in the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy…also the same thing has happened. So, let’s not politicise each and everything and particularly when it comes to the Indian armed forces. It’s very sad that the Congress is trying to politicise this appointment,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources have stated that Lt. General. Bipin Rawat, who has been appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff, was found best suited among current batch of candidates of Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the North-East.

Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Indian Army’s Eastern Command at Kolkata, and the senior most General to succeed Dalbir Singh, was superseded in the appointment.

And Air Marshal Dhanoa was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1978. He has served in various squadrons, and in the Intelligence Directorate of Air Headquarters. — Agencies

Appointment of army chief should not be politicised, echoes defence community – ANI news

http://Lt General Bipin Rawat Named New Army Chief

http://Congress questions Bipin Rawat’s appointment as Army Chief

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, December 15

The Supreme Court today upheld Indian Air Force’s denial of permission to two Muslim personnel to grow beard, holding that the two orders were in compliance with Regulation 425(b) which applied only to “personnel whose religion prohibits the cutting off the hair or shaving off the face of its members”.The petitioners failed to show that they were entitled to exemption under the relevant regulation, a Bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices DY Chandrachud and LN Rao ruled.The policy letter dated May 8, 1980, did initially permit an airman professing Islam to sport a beard of a prescribed length. This was revisited by the Air Headquarters on August 10, 1982, and a distinction was made between the cases of Muslim personnel who had already sported a beard at the time of joining service (in whose case no permission was required) and cases where personnel desire to sport a beard after joining service (in which case a formal application informing the Commanding Officer was required to be submitted).The policy was again revisited on February 24, 2003. This time, a limited protection was granted for those who had a beard prior to January 1, 2002, at the time of enrolment but the policy also stated that no person would be allowed to maintain a beard after joining service. This position was clarified on June 9, 2003, by stating that personnel whose religion demands sporting a beard would be allowed to do so provided they were granted permission prior to the date of the letter or had grown a beard at the time of joining the Air Force. The apex court ruling came on appeals by Mohammad Zubair and Ansari Aaftab Ahmed.

Policy revisited several times

• May 8, 1980: An airman professing Islam permitted to sport a beard of a prescribed length
• August 10, 1982: No permission required for Muslim personnel who sported a beard at the time of joining service; Commanding Officer’s permission needed to keep a beard after joining service
• February 24, 2003: Limited protection granted for those who had a beard prior to January 1, 2002
• June 9, 2003: Personnel whose religion demands sporting a beard allowed to do so provided they are granted permission prior to the date of the letter or had grown a beard at the time of joining the IAF

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, Decmeber 12

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said though they wanted peace, at the same time if somebody was harming the country, then the Army was capable of giving a befitting reply.Addressing a rally today, Parrikar said he was pained by the loss of the soldiers, “Sacrifice is always respected, but the destruction of terrorists and taking life of the enemy of the country is far greater,” he said.He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given him the responsibility to strengthen the Army, “I have been successful in that,” he said.Parrikar also said Uttarakhand was among the few states whose contribution in sending its sons to the Army was immense.Lauding his government’s efforts in settling the issue of one-rank one pension that was languishing for the last 40 years, Parrikar said, “We have been successful in resolving the issue and in the next two months, all problems will be resolved,” he said.He also said the Central Government was also contemplating giving more relaxation to the youth of Uttarakhand seeking a career in the Army.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 12

The Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been deployed in strength  to undertake relief and rescue operations as cyclone Vardah made a landfall near Chennai in Tamil Nadu this afternoon.Naval ships Shivalik and Kadmatt sailed out from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh early Monday morning to Chennai to augment relief efforts the Navy said.The ships are carrying medical teams, divers, inflatable rubber boats, integral helicopter, and relief material that includes food, tents, clothes, medicines and blankets etc.Additional naval ships have been kept on standby to supplement efforts for undertaking Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, should the situation demand, the Navy said.Besides 10 diving teams stationed on the Shivalik and Kadmatt ships, the Navy has readied six diving teams for immediate deployment in consultation with the state administration.The Indian Coast Guard are also on standby. Its two ships are out at sea. “All necessary rescue materials have been kept on standby at all Coast Guard stations along the coast across these states. Coast Guard Regional Headquarters East at Chennai is closely coordinating with the state administration for rendering assistance if sought,” the Coast Guard said. The NDRF has kept ready eight flood rescue teams comprising more than 250 members. Equipped with 23 inflatable rubber boats and communication equipment, these have been pre-positioned in coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh.The Army personnel on ground will be crucial as the helicopters of the IAF, Army, Navy and the Coast Guard  will not be able to fly till weather is okay.

Arrangements made

• Naval ships Shivalik and Kadmatt sailed out to Chennai to augment relief efforts in Tamil Nadu
• The NDRF has kept ready eight flood rescue teams comprising more than 250 members
• On ground, the Army columns have been sent out with trucks, boats, rations and rescue equipment

These bills are for 28 official trips between May and August this year — 11 trips were made by V K Singh and 17 by Gowda.

V K Singh made 11 trips while D V Sadananda Gowda made 17.

Air Travel bills of two Union Ministers who between them made 28 official trips over four months this year are not being cleared because they flew airlines other than Air India.

Under government rules, air travel for official trips have to be only on Air India. An exception is made only if the bill is accompanied by a certificate of non-availability of seat or the person is able to provide documentary proof of the urgency of attending an official meeting.

The Financial Advisor and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has withheld clearance of bills raised for official trips of Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and his predecessor, former Minister of State (Independent Charge), Gen (retd) V K Singh since they flew airlines other than Air India.

These bills are for 28 official trips between May and August this year — 11 trips were made by V K Singh and 17 by Gowda. The total amount involved, sources said, is around Rs 44 lakh. V K Singh is now Minister of State for External Affairs.

On behalf of the MoSPI, Balmer Lawrie Tours & Travels books the tickets for official trips of Ministers and is later reimbursed by the Ministry.

These were the 11 trips Singh made: Delhi to Kolkata (May 7); Kolkata to Delhi (May 7); Delhi to Indore (May 14) and Indore to Delhi (May 15) (wife Bharti Singh accompanied him); Delhi to Mumbai (June 3); Mumbai to Delhi (June 3); Delhi to Varanasi (June 4); Tirupati to Hyderabad (June 6) (with wife Bharti Singh); Chennai to Delhi (June 21); Delhi to Varanasi (July 1); and, Varanasi to Delhi (July 1).

The 17 trips made by Gowda were: Bangalore to Mangalore (July 8); Mangalore to Bangalore (July 9); Delhi to Bangalore (July 13); Bangalore to Delhi (July 15); Delhi to Bangalore (July 22); Delhi to Bangalore (July 26); Delhi to Bangalore (July 29); Bangalore to Mangalore (July 30); Mangalore to Bangalore (July 31), Delhi to Bangalore (August 5); Delhi to Bangalore (August 12); Delhi to Madurai (August 17); Madurai to Chennai (August 18); Chennai to Bangalore (August 18); Bangalore to Mangalore (August 20); Mangalore to Delhi (August 22); Delhi to Bangalore (August 24).

The Sunday Express has learnt that the MoSPI sent Expenditure Secretary Ashok Lavasa a letter which stated that proposals of the Minister to travel by airlines other than Air India had not been approved by the Financial Advisor of the Ministry. The letter sought advice to deal with such cases.

But when he was asked about it, Lavasa said, “I am not aware of it.”

MoSPI Secretary T C Anant declined to comment. “I have no role in clearing the bills of Ministers, so I don’t want to comment on it,” he said.

MoSPI Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor S K Singh, the officer who has not cleared these bills, also declined to comment.

Both Gowda and Singh did not respond to calls or text messages sent by The Sunday Express.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 8

Expressing “serious concern” over 90 per cent of service personnel being denied the right to cast their votes owing to inadequacies in the postal ballot and proxy voting systems, a parliamentary panel has recommended that that the Election Commission should appoint service officers as honorary election commission officers and entrust them with the duty of conducting elections in forward and difficult areas as it would ensure maximum participation of service voters.In its report tabled today, the Standing Committee on Defence has also stressed upon the need for urgently introducing e-voting for members of the armed forces and their family members to overcome the present challenges and limitations.The committee said several issues needed to be sorted out by the Defence Ministry in consultation with the EC. These included reduction in the size of e-postal ballot files to permit easy downloading, finalising standing operating procedure for on-line registration and one-way e-movement of ballots for effective implementation of the system, and devising and promulgating of unique service numbers for service voters.A Cabinet note on e-voting has been prepared and an advance copy sent to the PMO, which suggested migrant labourers also needed to be extended this facility.

Army facilitates surgery of boy with blue baby syndrome

Wasim Akram at a hospital in New Delhi. Tribune photo

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, December 8

Wasim Akram (6) of remote Bachianwali village in Poonch district, who was detected with blue baby syndrome, the serious congenital heart defect known as tetralogy of Fallot, has been provided assistance by the Army for the treatment of the disease.Under this disease a hole between the right and the left sides of the heart causes mixing of pure and impure blood, leading to ineffective oxygen supply to important parts of the body and resulting in fatigue and breathlessness.In July this year, the Romeo Force organised a mega specialised medical camp at Surankot in Rajouri district. Super-specialist doctors from various government hospitals from Jammu along with Army doctors treated more than 3,000 patients and identified 100 persons who were detected with cataract. They also identified 10 children, including Wasim, who were detected with congenital heart disease.“The Army coordinated the preliminary medical tests like echocardiography and pathology for the identified patients in Jammu. Once the diagnosis was confirmed, the Army facilitated liaison with ‘Gift of Life’ project initiated by Rotary Club, which took the responsibility to bear the expenses for the heart surgery,” said a senior Army officer.He said Wasim’s visit to Delhi for treatment along with his father was facilitated by the Army through liaison and coordination with the NGO (Rotary Club) representatives.On October 17, Wasim was admitted to Max Super-Specialty Hospital, New Delhi, and was operated upon by Dr Dinesh Kumar Mani, a renowned paediatric heart surgeon.A review by the doctor confirmed that the surgery had been successful and on October 28, Wasim again joined his family members.Wasim’s family has expressed gratitude to the Army for helping Wasim lead a normal life.

Court refuses to order probe against IAF, state officials

New Delhi, December 8A court here has refused to order an investigation in a complaint against Indian Air Force (IAF) officers and Haryana Government employees for allegedly allowing illegal mining on defence land in the state, saying there was no proper sanction to prosecute them.Special CBI Judge Bhupesh Kumar also dismissed the application seeking a court-monitored probe into the allegation that these public servants allowed illegal land mining in Tilpat Ranges 1 and 2 in Faridabad and caused a loss of over Rs 29 crore to the exchequer.“In the absence of valid sanction, no directions can be made under Section 156(3) (power of magistrate to order probe) of the CrPC. The application reflects that no sanction has been obtained by the complainant to prosecute the public servants.“Hence, the application for monitoring the investigation or to call status report is not maintainable. Consequently, the present application stands dismissed. File be consigned to record room,” the Judge said.A representation was sent on May 26 this year to the Prime Minister’s Office and the CBI Director for issuing appropriate order for instituting independent inquiry against the IAF officers and Haryana employees.The application stated that the complainant has tried to know the status of investigation regarding the complaint from the Prime Minister’s Office and the CBI Headquarters but he has not been informed. — PTI

Start over: A dose of realistic diplomacy is overdue.

HEART of Asia conference at Amritsar, attended by 14 participating and over two dozen supporting countries was jointly inaugurated on December 4 by Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani and India’s PM Narendra Modi. It brought diplomatic theatre to Punjab and transitory focus on the holiest shrine of the Sikhs. It also stirred, to borrow from Marcel Proust, remembrance of things past. Firstly, the visit of Afghan President and PM Modi to the Golden Temple, the foundation of which was laid by Hazrat Mian Mir, a Sufi saint, on December 28, 1588, was a great opportunity missed to bury past hurts. While Sikh religion rose from the reformist Bhakti movement, it was chiselled by resisting religious persecution by some Mughal rulers and Afghan marauders in the 17th and 18th centuries.  The Golden Temple, often targeted, was eventually defiled and destroyed by Afghans under ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali. His raid of 1764 to target Sikhs, their holy places, particularly Amritsar, is etched in Sikh memory. Thus reducing President Ghani’s Golden Temple visit to a photo-op in the parikarma with PM Modi, without his expressing regret then or next morning, when he addressed the conference, was a great historical opportunity lost for contextualising Afghanistan’s current battle against the Taliban or the entire Islamic world’s struggle with radical Islam. After all, the Taliban destroying the Bamiyan Buddhas or ISIS now levelling churches or old monuments in Syria were displaying the same bigotry that Muslim despoilers of Indian places of worship showed in centuries past or even the Catholic Inquisition did in Portuguese occupied Goa of that period. It took a courageous German Chancellor Willy Brandt to kneel at the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising monument on December 7, 1970, to kick-start the debate in Germany to take ownership for the sins of their Nazi past. Secondly, the rubric ‘Amritsar Declaration’ ignored that the 1994 declaration issued from Akal Takht demanding autonomy for Sikhs is also so titled. Ironically, while that resolution sought a looser federation in India, the present declaration seeks closer integration in the entire region from Central to Southern Asia. It ignores two critical elements. One, globally the trend is towards de-globalisation and protectionism, particularly in the West and the US, where benefits of regional integration are being questioned. Two, the heart of the matter is distrust amongst nations of the region, particularly between India and Pakistan, without which connectivity and trade cannot develop. The Heart of Asia conference was envisioned in 2011 to create a framework for discussion amongst neighbours of Afghanistan, as the declaration states, to increase ‘trust and confidence in the entire region’. This was to ensure that Afghanistan did not relapse into the post-1990 civil war between surrogates of neighbouring powers. It is common sense to conclude that to make Afghanistan economically self-reliant and wean it away from the narco-terror cycle of financing it needs to connect to regional trade and investment pathways. The Amritsar Declaration recognises this and addresses it in two parts. One deals with existing challenges; and the other on how to achieve prosperity. The former highlights the intermingling of terrorism, narcotics and radicalised Islam and exhorts participants to use national means and international commitments to counter that threat. The latter envisions connectivity and free trade across the entire region, based on the linking of existing and planned road, rail and port developments. For instance, the Indian trilateral agreement with Afghanistan and Iran for the development of Chabahar Port and the Chinese One Belt, One Road initiative are but two of a maze of currently separate ventures connecting China and Russia to Central Asia and further to South Asia. At the heart of this vision for a new Asia lie India-Pakistan relations, bedevilled by distrust and rivalry. At Amritsar, India caught Pakistan in a pincer move between President Ghani alleging that without Pakistani help the Taliban could not survive and India’s own lament that Pakistan must stop exporting terror and using it as an adjunct to their foreign policy. Although South block denied any meeting with Pakistan’s de facto foreign minister Sartaj Aziz, it is unbelievable that messages would not have been exchanged. If that did not happen, it was another opportunity lost as no muscular policy towards Pakistan can work without keeping the door open for ascertaining what effect, if any, the policy is having on Pakistan’s thinking. The Amritsar Declaration signals emerging consensus amongst Afghanistan’s neighbours that a stable Afghanistan is a condition precedent for a stable region. This cannot be achieved unless rivalries and zero-sum gaming are abandoned. Pakistan, in particular, has to reconcile that an independent government in Kabul will deal with other neighbours, including India. Furthermore, the region will not allow a regression to the Taliban era with Pakistani veto over who ran Kabul.  Para 14 of the Amritsar Declaration lists terrorist groups endangering the region, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad which are ISI-sponsored groups for targeting India. This gave India bragging rights on cornering Pakistan as China has been stalling the listing of their leaders by the UN Security Council.The question however remains about Indian strategy in dealing with the troublesome neighbour. The so- called ‘surgical strike’ has failed to deter Pakistan otherwise there would not have been beheadings of Indian soldiers at the LoC or the Nagrota attack. India can either escalate retaliatory strikes, by weapons fire or actual intrusion, hoping the Pakistan army will eventually sue for peace. Alternatively, India could give some time and space to the new chief of Pakistan army staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to see if he modulates his army’s tactics by putting the terror modules on leash, albeit temporarily. Assuming President-elect Donald Trump’s benediction or Chinese President Xi’s restraint, despite provoking him in Arunachal Pradesh, is poor strategising. As a rising power, beset currently with demonetisation disruption, it is not in India’s interest to escalate tension. All talks are not kowtowing, nor is chest-thumping a strategy. A dose of realistic diplomacy all around is overdue. The writer is a former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs

Pakistans National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz speaks during a news conference at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad on December 4, 2016, after attending the 6th Heart of Asia (HoA) Ministerial Conference in Amritsar in India. AFP photo

Islamabad, December 5

India’s efforts to “spoil” Pak-Afghan ties will not succeed, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said as he downplayed the Afghan President’s criticism of Pakistan’s support to terrorism, saying it was meant to “please” India.“Ashraf Ghani’s (Afghan President) statement is regrettable. It shows anxiety in Kabul and is understandable due to deteriorating law and order situation,” Aziz said, adding that Ghani’s “statements were meant to please India”.He said India’s efforts to divide Afghanistan and Pakistan would not go far as “we are next-door neighbours”.“Indian efforts will not succeed to spoil Pakistan ties with Afghanistan, as our ties are religious and cultural. That is why we want that terrorism should end in Afghanistan,” he said on returning home after attending the Heart of Asia meeting in Amritsar.“But our ties with Afghanistan are independent and we need to cooperate on several issues,” Aziz said.He claimed that India was trying to use Afghanistan for its own advantage “but it will not succeed”.Aziz also accused India of not treating the Pakistani media properly at the Heart of Asia meeting and said he was not allowed to have a press conference.“The attitude towards media was not good. I wanted to have press interaction with our own media. But we were not allowed,” he alleged.Afghan President Ghani had accused Pakistan of launching an “undeclared war” against his country by covertly supporting terror networks, including the Taliban, and asked it to use its USD 500 million aid to check extremism on its soil.He had also demanded an Asian or international regime to verify Pakistan-sponsored terror operations.

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Aziz said Pakistan had reassured Ghani that its territory would not be used against Kabul.“I reassured Ghani that we will not allow out territory to be used against Afghanistan. But also emphasised better border management,” said Aziz.Aziz said the Afghan leader had a different idea about the USD 500-million assistance pledged by Pakistan and proposed a trilateral commission with China to utilise the amount for welfare of Afghanistan. PTI

The increased threat perception from China on the Himachal Pradesh border countered with increased force level

Please write in with your narratives of war and soldiering to msbajwa@gmail.com or call/WhatsApp on 09316135343

Did the nation seriously think that a single night of multiple cross-LOC raids was enough to deter Pakistan from its war of a thousand cuts? Our adversary has a well-honed machinery for launching terror strikes led by an experienced leadership. The apparatus includes recruitment, training, motivation, equipping, arming, planning, intelligence, infiltration, communications and financing through non-state proxies. Most of all, they have an inexhaustible supply of willing recruits for suicide attacks backed by a campaign of religious fervour programmed in proxy warriors.

HT FILE PHOTOTerrorists armed with Chinese weapons undergoing training at a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Pakistan.

What are our options in this war? Defending our civilians, security forces personnel, territory, installations and assets must count as most important. Remember, the enemy will always strike wherever we’re weakest or show any vulnerability. The history of warfare shows that a purely defensive strategy rarely works. Therefore, we must do unto the enemy what he’s doing unto us – in short, take the offensive. Hitting at the enemy’s leaders, personnel, installations and collateral assets through overt and covert means must get increasing priority from now on. The frequency of such strikes must be often enough to act as a deterrent. Lastly, we need to be prepared for the long haul and not get demotivated by casualties. FORCE LEVELS IN THE HIMALAYAS After the 1962 War, a new raising, 33 Brigade Ex-4 Mountain Division was deployed to defend the difficult terrain bordering Tibet in Himachal Pradesh. While the rest of the division moved out to take the offensive against Pakistan in September 1965, the brigade remained in situ because of the threat perceived from a belligerent China. In the late 1960s, the formation moved to the Kangra hills to join the newly raised 39 Division. Its replacement was 51 Parachute Brigade. When the Paras were deployed to defend Ganganagar in 1971, decreased threat perception meant that their replacement was the ad hoc 36 Sector. This consisted of just a battalion each of infantry and scouts supported by a 120mm mortar regiment.

Current assessments indicate a growing Chinese threat revealed by growing force levels and increased logistic support. In response, Indian defences are now manned by a full-fledged infantry brigade properly complemented by supporting arms and services. Additional forces from the plains are also dualtasked to this sector. ENCOUNTER WITH A SKY MARSHAL On a recent visit to 3 Jat, my buddy was a smart young Lance Naik called Dharmendra Dhaka (name changed). Tough, fit and resourceful, he carried himself with an athletic grace. It turned out that he was on deputation with the National Security Guard and had just returned for a promotion cadre. He serves with the NSG’s crack 51 Special Action Group and is deployed as a sky marshal on board civilian airliners. Having completed all the relevant courses and undergone arduous training, he eminently meets the exacting standards of his force. You might think a sky marshal’s job merely involves travelling by air and enjoying the best food and drink. It’s no cushy billet but means being alert for long periods of time involving a high degree of mental and physical robustness. So if, by chance, your co-passenger on a flight is a ruggedly handsome and sturdy Rajasthani, it could very well be the Jat Regiment’s very own ‘Garam Dharam’.

Speaking on the presence of the Chinese Navy”s ships and submarines at Gwadar port of Balochistan in Pakistan, the Navy Chief said that India was keeping an eye on them. PTI file photo

New Delhi, December 2

Refuting Pakistan’s claims that it detected and chased out an Indian submarine from its waters, Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said operational necessity decided India’s submarine deployment.”Repelling submarine of any nation is not easy task. Claim made by Pakistan Navy is totally bogus,” the Chief of Naval Staff told media here during an annual briefing on Navy Day.  “We deploy our submarines where as per the operational necessity and where we need. We will continue to deploy our submarines,” Lanba said.The Pakistan Navy on November 18 claimed that it detected and chased away an Indian submarine that India was trying to station in its waters.Speaking on the presence of the Chinese Navy’s ships and submarines at Gwadar port of Balochistan in Pakistan, the Navy Chief said that India was keeping an eye on them.

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“We have capability and assets to take on any force which is deployed, and if and when this happens, we have plans in place to tackle it,” he said.Saying that the Chinese Navy has not touched the Indian waters, Adm Lanba added that India launches surveillance missions to keep an eye on the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region.Lanba said that the Navy is finalising design of the second indigenous aircraft carrier and will soon seek the government’s approval. He added that 40 ships, four submarines and 12 aircraft are deployed far and near to protect the Indian waters. — IANS