The Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lt Gen IS Ghuman (centre), along with former Army Chief Gen VP Malik (left) pays homage to martyrs on the occasion of the first Armed Forces Veterans Day in Chandimandir on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14

The first Armed Forces Veterans Day was observed at Chandimandir Military Station today, with a large number of retired armed forces personnel from the tricity and adjoining areas attending the event.It was decided to commemorate January 14 every year as the Armed Forces Veterans Day as a mark of respect and recognition of the services rendered by Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, who retired from service on January 14, 1953.On the occasion, a solemn wreath laying ceremony was conducted at Veer Smriti war memorial, where wreaths were laid by senior officers of all the three services. Former Army Chief Gen VP Malik also laid a wreath on behalf of all the veterans. Lt Gen IS Ghuman, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Western Command, interacted with veterans and civil dignitaries present on the occasion.Officers from the civilian administration from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, who are dealing with veterans’ affairs, gave an insight of various projects being undertaken by the state governments for the welfare of veterans.Several information kiosks were set up to spread awareness about various ongoing and upcoming projects in the field of job placements, education facilities, resettlement, pension entitlement and other related issues. A medical camp was also organised where a large number of medical specialists and laboratory facilities were made available to the veterans

http://

http://

J J Singh’s harsh words to Captain Amrinder Singh !

Daru seems to have already knocked the drunk General

A disgrace  to the Armed forces and dignity of Chiefs office by using abusive language in Public Has he joined SAD to play Boxing with Cat Amarinder or tried to please himself and his ears with strong wordining unworthy of a Ex-India Army chief, A shame .

WARDIWALA TO DHOTIWALA

 

BY

LT COL NOEL ELLIS (RETD)

09/I/2017

 

I was hesitating all this while whether to comment on Gen JJ Singh joining politics. I am sure after such a long and illustrious service to the nation where he headed our professional army as a Chief and now as a Governor. Why has he decided to join SAD? It makes me feel sad. I will try and apply my mind to the reasons why a wardi wala takes a plunge to become a dhoti wala. Pardon me my saying so dear politicians, but in my eyes you guys do not meet my eye by any standards. You guys do not fit in my scheme of things. So Gen JJ your decision to change is very unpalatable to me. Well, to paint all dhotiwalas in the same brush may not be correct, but some become pyjama walas, some become suit boot walas, some become khadi walas, some become topi walas, but most of them become mauke par chauka walas, in my humble opinion. Where will you stand, we shall wait and see sir?

 

I know it is difficult to run a country with such a varied terrain and population. The irony is that this country continues to run on its own steam, irrespective of the pink colour of notes, irrespective of the colour of the lotus, irrespective of mixing up all the left over spices (parties), which actually left a bad taste in our mouths during the NDA tenure. Nehru came Nehru went, Indira came Indira went, Rajiv came Rajiv went, Vajpai came Vajpai went so will Modi in due course of time, don’t forget the others in between. Badal’s came Badal’s went and Badal’s came again. Will they continue to stay forever; your guess is as good as mine? The only thing Modi has brought in is a little change, a little freshness and little cleanliness from both garbage as well as corruption even if it is superficially. I like it, as I constantly look for something fresh in life. Sooner or later it is going to be stale. Kashmir is a stale issue, parliament logjam is a stale issue and in fact except for NOTEBANDI, nothing seems to be fresh. The 2000 and 500 notes are fresh, so I love it. Generals joining politics is a stale issue, as none of them have done anything worthwhile for their community, serving or the veterans as far as I am aware, so now this General who rose up to be a Governor is convinced to get into the grass roots. Welcome to the “HAMAAM” sir.

 

May I ask you, is it that you were fed up of the Raj Bhawans, the golf, the book writing etc that you now want a change. If that be so, I somehow feel that you should not have become a General in the first place. Why do you want to fall from grace? Or is it that you have seen so many politicians in your life that you have got so impressed by their work and deeds that you want to emulate them? May be you are so fed up from them that you want to do your bit to change them. Or is it that you find nothing else better to do than to join politics, to stay relevant for at least those five years that you are elected. I don’t know sir, why do you have to stoop that low. I am sure your reasons must be genuine, but for our sake and by “our” I mean the veterans’ sake please do something or don’t join politics. I wish you retire and enjoy your pension, do community service, rather waste your time and hard earned money in this tomfoolery called politics is my humble suggestion.

 

Sir, if you genuinely feel that you want to do something for the nation, then why you haven’t floated your own party. I also want to know from you that are you so mesmerized by the Badals that you have accepted a SAD ticket. I also want to understand from you that out of all the places why you have chosen Patiala as your constituency for election, Are you from Patiala?  Can you make a dent in the Captain’s armour? The person, who has been from the ruling clan of Patiala, will outnumber you even if he loses and I can assure you that you may lose your security deposit in the bargain. The only thing I find in common is that you are a Sikh, fine, but don’t think they are all sardars. The people of Patiala are thinking people and well educated at that. But, who am I to stop you from burning your fingers? I don’t know the exact political sway and political alliances of that region as it exists today, but rest assured you are in for a shock if not a surprise.

 

I have a problem when a person who once adorned a four star uniform and star plate on his car is branded with politicians. I have a problem with a man whose vehicle used to adorn the Ashoka insignia where ever he went will now have nothing of that sort. Tell me General, is it the craving for a white ambassador car which has made you to decide to fight elections. Wasn’t the black one you sat in most of your life good enough? What was the motivation behind to join active politics? We would like to know. From a General to the civil streets, from a governor to worst than a section commander, who at least used to have nine men obeying his word of command? Here you may have nine hundred “chamchas” but all looking in as many directions. Well, you are used to an organised set up, where you had your ADCs noting every word that came out of your mouth. The staff and perks which organised every move of yours, here now you have decided to get back to walking the streets and asking for votes. I don’t know it just doesn’t go down my gullet.

 

Well general, I wish you the best from the bottom of my heart if you really can change the way politics is done in India and especially so in Punjab. I wish you luck if you are going to do something for the veterans and the widows of the uniformed community. I wish each and every case which is pending in courts is chased by you personally, even if it means to get on loggerheads with the CM, Defence Minister or the PM. I say so as I was posted in Patiala District many moons back, and I saw the plight of the Veterans community. I saw the way widows kept increasing due to the conflict with Pakistan. I met hundreds of them, who carried pictures of their beloveds close to their chests with pride, but were deprived of honour which was their due. I felt ashamed when the civil administration neglected them as they had retired or become widows for no fault of theirs. My heart goes out to them, as more than 12000 used to gather in the canteens to pick up their groceries and things of daily needs every month besides the “Quota” which every person in the civil administration demanded for petty works of theirs. Be the change sir, for our sake.

 

Well sir, if you promise me to just get back the dignity of every veteran and veer nari back on track in Punjab, I am with you, but if you are going to become just a typical politician with no difference, then I rather stay mum. Will you pay heed to what I say, I wonder!!!!!!

OBJECTIVE Initiative part of plan to involve them and overcome modernisation hurdles

NEW DELHI: Top academia from Indian Institutes of Technology, Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science, and other centres of excellence will get a ringside view of the army’s precise application of firepower, as part of an overarching programme to involve them in over coming modern is at ion hurdles being faced by the force.

They will witness live firing by the Bofors gun, 130 mm artillery guns, and rocket launchers for the first time. Under the outreach initiative, spearheaded by the Army Design Bureau (ADB) set up last year, the academia and industry experts will be taken to the School of Artillery in Devlali on January 9 and Infantry School in Mhow on February 20 — both in Madhya Pradesh — for elaborate firepower displays.

The army is seeking their help to fix at least 170 problem areas in modernisation ranging from mobility of guns in mountains to night vision devices and wound-healing fabric to satellite-based tracking systems.

he academia and industry are also being tapped to develop future technologies such as armoured fighting vehicles, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, longer range surface-to-air missiles, and precision weapons.

A South Block source said an army team, headed by deputy chief Lieutenant General Subrata Saha, has held 17 bilateral army-industry interactions and eight trilateral army-industry-academia interactions.

“The interactions were aimed at promoting an understanding of the army’s modernisation requirements, gauging the industry’s capabilities, and finding out how academic activities could be aligned to meet the army’s future needs,” the source said.

The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector stands to make some significant gains by taking part in the modernisation drive as almost 40% of the army’s schemes are valued under `140 crore.

Last year, the academia and industry representatives were taken to Ahmednagar and Gopalpur to educate them about tanks and air defence equipment. They have been taken to highaltitude areas in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, and a field trip to the desert sector will take place in February.

A senior officer said many projects under IMPRINT India (Impacting Research Innovation and Technology) — a pan-IIT and IISc joint initiative to develop a roadmap for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges — were being aligned to meet the army’s future requirements. He said research cells had been set up in several IITs and domain-specific courses in defence technology were in the works.

He said the industry’s response to army’s request for information for several schemes had increased significantly after the setting up of the ADB. The army has already signed an MoU for collaboration with IIT Gandhinagar, and another one with IIT Mumbai is likely to be inked on January 8.

TAKING POSITION Camping in Patiala, former army chief Gen JJ Singh says his track record is of ‘no failures’

I am ready for the battle… I am here to give back to the city socially, politically and economically. GEN JJ SINGH (RETD), former army chief

PATIALA: Two former soldiers are set to slug it out in the Patiala assembly segment as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to bet on former army chief General JJ Singh (retd) against Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh for the polls due within a couple of months. Amarinder hasn’t lost an election from the Patiala (urban) seat since 2002.

HT FILEDeputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal honouring Gen JJ Singh (retd) during the inauguration of the first phase of Gobindgarh Fort in Amritsar on December 13.

Gen JJ Singh stopped just short of expressly confirming the candidature: “Let’s wait for a day; I am ready for the battle and take up a challenge only to win.”

But an Akali leader privy to the decision told HT, “The idea is to pose a tough challenge to Amarinder, so that he gets less time to move around the state for canvassing. General JJ Singh is a Sikh with an illustrious career behind him.” PATIALA: Two former soldiers are set to slug it out in the Patiala assembly segment as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to bet on former army chief General JJ Singh (retd) against Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh for the polls due within a couple of months. Amarinder hasn’t lost an election from the Patiala (urban) seat since 2002.

Gen JJ Singh stopped just short of expressly confirming the candidature: “Let’s wait for a day; I am ready for the battle and take up a challenge only to win.”

But an Akali leader privy to the decision told HT, “The idea is to pose a tough challenge to Amarinder, so that he gets less time to move around the state for canvassing. General JJ Singh is a Sikh with an illustrious career behind him. The AAP has fielded a very weak candidate from Patiala. Our party president will announce the name in a day or two, but JJ Singh has already been sounded to shift base to Patiala.”

Gen Singh confirmed he has reached Patiala. “Let me first make it clear that don’t dub me as a ‘paratrooper’ in Patiala. I have been brought up in the city and stayed here… am familiar with its every nook and cranny,” he said, indicating that he is game. He said he is in Patiala “for an assignment which I will accomplish in tune with my track record of no failures”.

He added, “It’s my payback time to Patiala, where I have stayed for years as a child after my family shifted here after Partition. The city has my ‘nanke’ (maternal grandfather’s family) as well as ‘dadke’ (paternal grandfather’s), and now I am here to give back to the city socially, politically and economically,” said the General.

Gen Singh, who was the first Sikh officer to become the army chief, has been provided security cover by the police in Patiala. At least 12 cops and vehicle have been put on the job on the orders of ADGP (security). JJ Singh fought the 1965 and 1971 wars, apart from being among the architects of defeating Pakistani intruders in Kargil. For six months, JJ Singh was cosying up with SAD president and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal. He was seen at the inaugural function of the war memorial in Amritsar and also at other events concerning ex-servicemen.

Amarinder, too, had served on the Indo-Pak border during the 1965 war.

After finding former minister Surjit Singh Kohli not in the pink of his health, and Bhagwan Dass Juneja, who lost decisively in the bypoll to Preneet Kaur after Amarinder left the seat to become Amritsar MP, the SAD was looking for a formidable fresh face from Patiala. Sukhbir approached JJ Singh, who agreed to the proposal, said sources.

SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra had said on Sunday that a “famous personality” would be pitted against Amarinder. As per the deal, say sources, the General has been promised a “suitable adjustment” irrespective of what the election result will be.

On being asked if it will be befitting for him to contest assembly polls after holding offices such as those of army chief and governor, JJ Singh said, “No job and work is small.”

Akalis to field General versus Captain in battle for Patiala

TAKING POSITION Camping in Patiala, former army chief Gen JJ Singh says his track record is of ‘no failures’

I am ready for the battle… I am here to give back to the city socially, politically and economically. GEN JJ SINGH (RETD), former army chief

PATIALA: Two former soldiers are set to slug it out in the Patiala assembly segment as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to bet on former army chief General JJ Singh (retd) against Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh for the polls due within a couple of months. Amarinder hasn’t lost an election from the Patiala (urban) seat since 2002.

HT FILEDeputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal honouring Gen JJ Singh (retd) during the inauguration of the first phase of Gobindgarh Fort in Amritsar on December 13.

Gen JJ Singh stopped just short of expressly confirming the candidature: “Let’s wait for a day; I am ready for the battle and take up a challenge only to win.”

But an Akali leader privy to the decision told HT, “The idea is to pose a tough challenge to Amarinder, so that he gets less time to move around the state for canvassing. General JJ Singh is a Sikh with an illustrious career behind him. The AAP has fielded a very weak candidate from Patiala. Our party president will announce the name in a day or two, but JJ Singh has already been sounded to shift base to Patiala.”

Gen Singh confirmed he has reached Patiala. “Let me first make it clear that don’t dub me as a ‘paratrooper’ in Patiala. I have been brought up in the city and stayed here… am familiar with its every nook and cranny,” he said, indicating that he is game. He said he is in Patiala “for an assignment which I will accomplish in tune with my track record of no failures”.

He added, “It’s my payback time to Patiala, where I have stayed for years as a child after my family shifted here after Partition. The city has my ‘nanke’ (maternal grandfather’s family) as well as ‘dadke’ (paternal grandfather’s), and now I am here to give back to the city socially, politically and economically,” said the General.

Gen Singh, who was the first Sikh officer to become the army chief, has been provided security cover by the police in Patiala. At least 12 cops and vehicle have been put on the job on the orders of ADGP (security). JJ Singh fought the 1965 and 1971 wars, apart from being among the architects of defeating Pakistani intruders in Kargil. For six months, JJ Singh was cosying up with SAD president and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal. He was seen at the inaugural function of the war memorial in Amritsar and also at other events concerning ex-servicemen.

Amarinder, too, had served on the Indo-Pak border during the 1965 war.

After finding former minister Surjit Singh Kohli not in the pink of his health, and Bhagwan Dass Juneja, who lost decisively in the bypoll to Preneet Kaur after Amarinder left the seat to become Amritsar MP, the SAD was looking for a formidable fresh face from Patiala. Sukhbir approached JJ Singh, who agreed to the proposal, said sources.

SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra had said on Sunday that a “famous personality” would be pitted against Amarinder. As per the deal, say sources, the General has been promised a “suitable adjustment” irrespective of what the election result will be.

On being asked if it will be befitting for him to contest assembly polls after holding offices such as those of army chief and governor, JJ Singh said, “No job and work is small.”

New Delhi, January 1India and Pakistan on Sunday exchanged for the 26th consecutive year the list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral agreement that prohibits them from attacking each other’s atomic facilities.“India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations between India and Pakistan,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988, and entered into force on January 27, 1991, says that the two countries will inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 of every calendar year.This is the 26th consecutive exchange of such list between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.The two countries also exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of nationals (including civil prisoners and fishermen) of each country lodged in their respective jails as per provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access, the MEA said.The agreement on consular access, signed between the two countries on May 21, 2008, provides for exchanging a comprehensive list of nationals of each country lodged in their jails twice each year–on January 1 and July 1.“India remains committed to addressing with Pakistan on priority the humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other’s country.“In this context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India’s custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation.“We also await consular access to those Indian nationals in Pakistan’s custody for whom it has so far not been provided, including Hamid Nehal Ansari and Kulbhushan Jadhav,” said an MEA statement.The Pakistani security forces had arrested Jadhav from Balochistan in March and alleged that he was “a serving officer in the Indian Navy and deputed to the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)”.Jadhav has been accused by Pakistan of planning “subversive activities” in the country.India has acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he had any connection with the government.Pakistan has so far turned down India’s request for consular access to Jadhav, whom Pakistan claimed to be a RAW spy.Ansari had crossed over illegally to Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012 reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online and then went missing.He was later arrested and tried by a Pakistani military court, which pronounced him guilty of espionage. PTI

• 
• 
• Indian Tejas fighter aircraft fly past during the 68th Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 26. AFP” style=”border: none; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; display: block; max-height: 100%; width: 70px; height: 70px;”>

Previous ImageNext Image

NSG commandoes contingent march during the 68th Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 26. AFP

New Delhi, January 26

‘Black cat’ commandos of elite counter-terror force National Security Guard (NSG) and Tejas, India’s indigenously-built light combat aircraft, made their debut in this year’s Republic Day parade in New Delhi.Tejas led the fleet of fighter aircraft in the fly past over Rajpath.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)It was after a gap of about two decades that an indigenously developed aircraft took to the skies on Republic Day. Marut was the last indigenous fighter aircraft to be part of the R-Day fly past in the 1980s and the 90s.Led by Group Captain Madhav Rangachari, three Tejas jets flew in ‘Vic’ formation at a height of 300 meters and 780 kmph.The lightweight, supersonic, multi-role single seat fighter was inducted in Indian Air Force’s 45 squadron ‘Flying Daggers’ in July last year.Whereas a contingent of about 140 personnel in black overalls, balaclava headgear and carrying special assault rifle MP-5 added dashing sheen to the parade.The commandos were given a rapturous round of applause by the spectators as they marched down Rajpath singing the NSG song “Hum haina haina hindustan” penned by renowned poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar.The march past by the NSG also displayed ‘Sherpa’—a specially designed hijack intervention vehicle—and two gypsies used for anti-hijack operations.The NSG, which selects the best of the officers and men from the Indian Army as well as from various central armed police forces, was raised in 1984.Unmatched dedication and ruthless training is the bedrock of the force which ensures that they take on counter terrorist operations across the country at short notice. Children who won the National Bravery awards also drew cheers from the audience at the parade as they passed through the Rajpath in open jeeps.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Monday presented the National Bravery Awards to 25 children, four of them posthumously, from different parts of the country.Among the posthumously awarded children was Payal Devi of Jammu and Kashmir, who lost her life when she jumped into 17-20 ft deep water in Ramban during the flash floods in the Valley to save three students, but all of them were washed away.The awardees included Tarh Peeju who has been conferred the coveted Bharat Award posthumously while Tejasweeta Pradhan (18) and Shivani Gond (17) from West Bengal have been selected for the prestigious Geeta Chopra Award.Tejasweeta and Shivani, both volunteers with a rights NGO, first befriended on Facebook a minor girl who had gone missing from Nepal, and who ultimately turned out to be a conduit in the trafficking ring.Peeju, who died while rescuing two other children when they were swept away by the current in the Pachin River in Arunachal Pradesh, is among the four awardees to have been conferred the honour posthumously.The Sanjay Chopra Award has been conferred on 18-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand for displaying outstanding bravery in fighting a leopard to save his cousin’s life.The National Bravery Award Scheme was initiated by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) in 1957 to give recognition to children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service.In 1978, the ICCW instituted two bravery awards for children under the age of 16, the Sanjay Chopra Award and the Geeta Chopra Award, given each year along with the National Bravery Award.The Awards were introduced in memory of the two Chopra children, who laid their lives, while confronting their kidnappers. — PTI

68th Republic Day: NSG commandos debut in parade at Rajpath

http://

http://

http://

http://

http://

Some of the 930,000 declassified documents, running into over 12 million pages, give a rare glimpse into what the agency thought of India

At 9.29 am on November 24, 1971, Henry Kissinger, the US National Security Advisor, convened a tense and confidential meeting of the Washington Special Action Group in the White House Situation Room.

GETTY IMAGESIndian tanks advance during the India­Pakistan War of 1971, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The WSAG, consisting of the US top brass, had come together to discuss the escalating conflict in the Indian subcontinent after India crossed into the erstwhile East Pakistan to join the New Delhi-backed Mukti Bahini rebel group.

“Why do we have no independent intelligence?” Kissinger had to ask the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as lack of intelligence was stonewalling his diplomatic options.

Contrary to the popular perception of the famed capabilities of the US spy agency, the CIA, or “Langley” as the agency is referred in the diplomatic and spy world after the location of its headquarters, had little intelligence or an accurate assessment of a crisis the American leadership was deeply interested in.

A study of declassified CIA documents by HT reveals that the 1971 war remains the single most important episode of interest for Langley. They are among 930,000 documents that were made accessible on CREST, the CIA’s records archive, on January 17. They were declassified after the mandatory 25-year period, but this is the first time the CIA has put the more than 12 million pages, containing dispatches, memoranda and records of briefings documenting the agency’s spycraft dating as far back as the 1940s, on its website.

The intelligence briefings, memoranda, minutes of meetings and transcripts of conversations are a treasure trove of information on how keenly the US wanted to avoid a crisis in the subcontinent, which it thought would increase the influence of the erstwhile USSR in the region.

he documents reveal that the US was even willing to work with the USSR and its new-found friend China. However, months of preparation by a high level team led by Kissinger, who intensely disliked then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, could not take preemptive diplomatic action in the absence of credible intelligence.

On November 24, inside the Situation Room at the White House, Kissinger was evidently frustrated with the CIA. “Why can’t we find out more?” he asked. The previous day, the situation in the subcontinent rapidly deteriorated after Indian troops crossed the eastern border and Pakistan declaring a state of emergency in preparation for war. India neither confirmed nor denied crossing the border at that point in time.

This was despite the US keeping a close eye on the eastern border from 69,000 feet above with its famed U-2R ultra-high altitude reconnaissance aircraft since May 4, 1971, the documents reveal.

An option before the WSAG was to approach the United Nations, but the US did not have enough information. “The question is what hard data we have to support whatever action we want to take. We have no doubt that India is involved and that they are probably across the border. But we need something to nail down the exact nature of their activities and we need it in a day or two,” Kissinger said.

“So our situation is that we don’t know enough now to do anything, and by the time they are in Dhaka, it will be too late to do anything. In these circumstances, we should move early rather than later, since if we are late, any move we make will be ineffectual. This is our dilemma,” he added.

Kalyani Shanker, senior journalist and the author of Nixon, Indira and India – Politics and Beyond, said, “The myth that the CIA knew everything is not true. They knew something and something they did not know. For sure they did not know about the timing of the 1971 war. Both (President Richard) Nixon and Kissinger was taken aback when the war broke out in December.”

Records of another WSAG meeting provide an insight into the CIA’s thinking and how it was far from the reality. On August 17, 1971, Kissinger asked then CIA chief Richard Helms, “Do you think Indians will attack?” He replied in the negative. “My personal feeling is that they will not do so.”

By this time, India had nearly completed its preparations for war, which started on March 26, 1971.

The 1971 war was an important event even in the politics in Washington. A piece by syndicated columnist Jack Anderson detailing Nixon’s covert “tilt” towards Pakistan in the 1971 war started a probe into internal espionage, which would later come to be known as the Moorer-Radford affair.

From the CIA vault

Here are some snippets from reports by Central Intelligence Agency’s South Asia spies about India, its neighbours and prominent personalities

1971 war

The US keenly wanted to avoid a crisis in the subcontinent. It was even willing to work with the USSR and its new-found friend China However, despite months of preparation by a high-level team led by Henry Kissinger, who intensely disliked then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, it could not take preemptive diplomatic action because it did not have enough credible intelligence

Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions

Then US President Ronald Reagan had warned Pakistani dictator Zia-ul-Haq that India could take “military action to pre-empt your nuclear programme” Despite US concerns over Indo-Pak nuclear programmes, the CIA had “grave doubts” that even a formal agreement would make Pakistan end its quest for an atomic weapon

Sathya Sai Baba

CIA said his movement, with its wealth, free healthcare and political influence, would expand even after his death But it believed there is a possibility it would “collapse if Sai Baba is convincingly demonstrated to be a fraud”

The Gandhis

The CIA reported during the Emergency that Indira Gandhi was becoming more reclusive and kept most of her cabinet at arm’s length Sanjay Gandhi was described as “a political novice” with “a penchant for browbeating”

Subhas Chandra Bose

As far back as 1948, the CIA thought Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had perished in an airplane crash at Taipei in August 1945 There are hints that the CIA and its war-time predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services, did not think much of Bose’s capabilities, and said he was “vain, always sought the spotlight on the political scene, and was characterised as an opportunist and oppositionist

RAdm. Sanjay Mahendru,NM FOMA presided over the function.

Sena Medal for Siachen ‘miracle man’

Lance Naik Hanamanthappa

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat honours Lance Naik Hanamanthappa’s widow on Sunday. Manas Ranjan Bhui

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 15

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat today warned jawans against using social media platforms to air complaints saying such personnel shall be liable for punishment.Addressing troops on Army Day, Gen Rawat said the Army had well-established norms to address complaints and using social media to express grievances was lowering the morale of security personnel.The Army’s social media policy allows jawans and officers to use social media platforms like Facebook strictly for their family and private lives. Revealing one’s regiment, location, rank or military identity is barred. Hence, no pictures or videos of self in uniform are allowed and no opinion on military issues can be presented on social media.Referring to the use of social media, Gen Rawat said: “Aapne jo karwai ki hai aap iske liye apradhjanak hain, aur saza ke haqdaar ho sakte hain (You are violating rules by your act and you could be punished for that).“If any jawan has any grievance, he has been provided with a proper forum to resolve his issue and maintain a balance. If you are not satisfied with the action, you can contact me directly,” he said.Gen Rawat also said that despite Pakistan’s continuous engagement in proxy war against India, “we want to restore peace on the Line of Control”. “But we will not hesitate from giving a fitting reply in case of any ceasefire violation,” he asserted.The Army Chief awarded gallantry medals to soldiers who showed extraordinary courage while performing duty.On the terror menace, he said that in the last few months of 2016, the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir turned very volatile.”Be it LAC (Line of Actual Control) or LoC (Line of Control), we will take the appropriate action and our soldiers are doing a commendable job on all fronts,” he said.Later in the evening at the ‘at home’ function at the Army Chief’s residence, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said a new mechanism was being put in place to ensure the system of having a Sahayak was streamlined. The Army has proposed that the regular Army Sahayak should not be given in a peace station.Every year, Indian Army celebrates 15th January as Army Day to commemorate the day when General (later Field Marshal) KM Carriappa took over the command of Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army post-Independence.

350-ft-high border Tricolour at Rs 4.5 cr

Amritsar Improvement Trust to foot bill for ‘tallest flag’ near Wagah

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 15

Away from the din of ensuing Punjab Assembly election and rhetoric on nationalism over surgical strikes, work is on war-footing near the Wagah Border to hoist the tallest national flag in the country.At more than 350 feet high, the flag would be around 100 feet taller than the Qutub Minar. The work is expected to be over by January 26. Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi said the flag would be an additional attraction to the large number of tourists visiting the border. “The cost of the project is Rs4.5 crore. The Improvement Trust, Amritsar, is funding it,” he said.The work to lay the foundation, around 20 feet underground, for the giant pillar to hoist the flag is underway. The site is 200 metre short of the India-Pakistan border. “Twenty-four extra flags will be given to the BSF so that there is no delay in replacing it if damaged,” Joshi said.Earlier, a site closer to the border was shortlisted for the purpose but due to some restrictions on erecting high installations near the International Border, it was decided to install the flag at a distance.The project was first delayed as the initially chosen land belonged to the Defence for which the permission of the Ministry of Home Affairs was required. “To save time, a piece of land of the State Tourism Department was selected and approved,” Joshi said.He said earlier his ministry had funded erection of the 170-foot high national flag on the Wagah border. “We thought it was the tallest but it was not. So, we decided to install a flag taller than the Qutub Minar,” he added.

Taller than Qutub Minar

• Jan 26 Deadline for project
• Rs 4.5 cr Cost of installation
• 200 metre from Pak border

Gen Bipin Rawat was part of the fantastic team in 2010-12 in 15 Corps when we took up the expansion of the Center of Gravity from People only to People and Ideas. The thought came from our Colonel GS (IS), Col (now Brig) Sanjay Vishwasrao. One is happy to see that the idea is being taken further by the new Chief.

Within five days of his assumption of the high chair of army chief Gen Bipin Rawat set out for Jammu & Kashmir; a trip almost every predecessor of his undertook within a few days of their elevation too. Interestingly across the border, newly appointed Pakistan army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa undertook the same pilgrimage to PoK just a month earlier.

The guns fell silent after Bajwa’s trip although reading much into that could be premature. ‘General Winter’ has far reaching effects on security matters. Despite the Akhnoor terror attack on a civilian labour camp of the Border Roads Organisation on January 9, Gen Rawat may still have a good three or four months to refocus on his erstwhile hunting ground, without too many distractions.

In a media interaction the army chief referred to the Centre of Gravity (CoG) of the asymmetric proxy war in J&K and repeated the commonly understood notion, that the people are the CoG in this situation. But unlike his predecessors he went a step beyond and stated that it’s not people alone but ideas, emotions and propaganda that drive them which is the actual CoG.

In military terms, CoG is “the source of power that provides moral or physical strength, freedom of action, or will to act”. It is the core centre of the adversary’s strength the targeting of which is essential and around which a strategy is developed.

In the First Gulf War the CoG on which US concentrated was the Iraqi Republican Guard; once neutralised, the rest was a cakewalk. In the Second Gulf War the US and its allies focussed on regime change which made Saddam Hussein the CoG. It’s a little more abstract than that in asymmetric warfare, where a campaign targeting a CoG may stretch many years.

In 2011 a middle level, well-educated officer who knew the Valley extremely well argued through a paper that for long India correctly identified the ‘people of J&K’ as the CoG and yet made a mistake. The strategy was to work towards keeping people on India’s side through sops, development work and good governance, to meet basic aspirations of physical comfort and quality of life. However, Pakistan and the separatists were working on the minds of the people, continuously impressing on them the ideas of azadi and Islamic affinity.

Thus, the terrorist first targeted the locals who were not in line with terrorist thinking. Second, terrorist acts against the security forces were aimed at demoralising and weakening them. The third aspect was the most important: propaganda targeting the populace to keep them wedded to the idea of sacrifice for azadi, the need for being a part of the larger Islamic movement of resistance to non-Islamic forces, to remain steadfastly anti-India.

The Indian strategy has only revolved around countering the first two aspects, both related to terrorists. The idea of a strategy to keep the people on India’s side has only been supported by the Army’s Op Sadbhavna, a good hearts and minds measure but only at the tactical level. Even Sadbhavna fails to target the belief, ideology and thought processes which form the basis of the struggle for azadi. It also does not assist in restoring self-esteem and sense of loyalty to the nation, both of which have progressively dwindled over time.

That explains where the Indian strategy has gone wrong. The ability to defeat ideas on an intellectual plane has escaped our planners and strategists. Our inability to research on intellectual soft power and study hybrid conflict in its entirety, has brought us to the current impasse through a period during which the Valley was radicalised under our noses.

Gen Rawat’s coming as the army chief and his full knowledge and experience of the way it needs to be handled can be a great force multiplier, provided the authorities give him a patient hearing and not only allow him to follow his head and heart but back him to the hilt. Once that realisation dawns this conflict will mainly be fought in a different dimension, the information domain