Jalandhar: Lieutenant-General Dushyant Singh took over as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the prestigious Vajra Corps on Thursday. He replaces Lieutenant-General BS Sahrawat, who has moved to New Delhi. Lt-General Dushyant Singh was commissioned in December 1981 in the 9th Battalion of the Maratha Light Regiment and has a career spanning more than 36
years. TNS
Punjab CM says Army not for building bridges or cleaning roads, would set bad precedent
New Delhi/Mumbai, October 31
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has criticised the central government’s unprecedented decision to rope in the Indian Army for rebuilding the Elphinstone bridge in Mumbai as deplorable and an admission of the failure of the government and the Indian Railways.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The Army’s job is to train for war and protect the country’s borders, not to build bridges and clean the roads, said Captain Amarinder, warning against the serious implications of such misuse of the Indian Armed Forces by utilising their services for non-emergency civilian jobs.Whatever the urgency of the situation, it does not merit such a decision, which would have adverse long-term implications as it could encourage the civilian authorities to seek Army help for major civilian works every time they find themselves ill-equipped to handle an infrastructural or other challenge, the Chief Minister said, in a statement.Urging Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to refrain from diverting critical defence resources of the country to civilian works, the Chief Minister said it would set a bad precedent.The minister, said Amarinder, was making the same mistake that Major General BM Kaul, GOC of ‘Red Eagles’ 4th Division, had made before the 1962 war with China. The scandalous misuse, by him, of military manpower to build accommodation cost the Indian Army heavily during the Sino-Indian war, the Chief Minister said.Observing that these kind of acts led to severe downgradation of the defence services then, Captain Amarinder warned that the Army would end up suffering similar lowering of its status if the defence ministry does not withdraw its decision to use the armed forces for building civilian bridges in Mumbai.Citing reports that the Army’s services will be utilised in building a new bridge at Elphinstone station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai, the Chief Minister termed the move as atrocious, and said the central and state governments should put their own resources at the disposal of the Railways if the situation was so urgent and serious. The Defence Minister, instead of being party to this decision and announcing it with such pride, should have categorically rejected any such suggestion in the interest of the Armed forces, Amarinder said.
Centre has told the court it was considering a proposal by both EC and Law Commission to impose life ban on politicians convicted in criminal cases. File photo
New Delhi, November 1
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the central government to set up special courts to exclusively try politicians facing criminal cases so that the trial in such cases is expedited.
A Bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Navin Sinha gave the central government six weeks to detail its plans for setting up such courts, including the estimated budget.
The court wanted to know the status of 1,581 cases involving lawmakers since 2014 as well as the number of new cases that have been filed since.
(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)
The central government has told the court it was considering a proposal by both Election Commission and Law Commission to impose life ban on politicians convicted in criminal cases.
The court will hear the case on December 13. — IANS/PTI
Abhinav Vashisht
KULLU, NOVEMBER 26
The residents Lahaul and Spiti district will be allowed to cross the 8.8-km-long Rohtang tunnel in case of medical exigencies. Though the boring work of the tunnel has been completed, construction work is still under way.Lahaul valley remains cut off during winters due to heavy accumulation of snow on the 13,050-foot Rohtang Pass, gateway to the Lahaul valley on the Manali-Leh National Highway. The only way in and out of the valley during winters is through helicopter services provided by the state government, which again depends upon weather conditions.Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Deva Singh Negi said that Director General, Border Roads (DGBR) Lt Gen Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastava had instructed the Rohtang tunnel authorities to provide passage to medical emergencies through the tunnel after the Rohtang Pass is closed for over five months during winters.Recently, Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma had met Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to request her to give direction to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) authorities to allow traffic via Rohtang tunnel in emergency cases for the convenience of the people living in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti. The Deputy Commissioner said that students appearing in various competitive exams would also be allowed to cross through the tunnel after the Rohtang Pass is completely closed. However, there were limitations as the tunnel construction work was still under progress and the North Portal of the tunnel towards Lahaul was prone to avalanches. He said that passage through the tunnel would be allowed after analyzing various factors.Many vehicles were stuck for over six days on the Lahaul side of Rohtang Pass at Koksar due to the recent snowfall. The BRO cleared the snow and evacuated the stranded vehicles and passengers.The Deputy Commissioner said that medical board would be formed to provide certificate to medical emergencies to cross the tunnel. The students would be provided permit to cross the tunnel upon producing the required documents. He said that proper care would be taken that the work of BRO is not hampered and safety of the commuters is not compromised.Generally, the Rohtang Pass is officially closed for traffic after November 15 but vehicles sometimes continue to ply till there is no accumulation of snow and the road is cleared by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). However, the movement of traffic is regulated in view of public safety because due to its high altitude the Pass is prone to sudden heavy snowfall and icing of road, which could pose a serious threat to the lives of commuters.The Deputy Commissioner said that commuters would be allowed to cross the Rohtang Pass on foot depending upon the weather conditions. Rescue posts had been set up at Marhi on the Manali side and at Koksar on the Lahaul side to assist the commuters to cross the Pass. He said that the DG had also instructed the BRO to maintain road connectivity between Keylong-Darcha, Keylong-Udaipur and Keylong-Sissu stretches.
Vehicles cross the Rohtang Pass on Thursday. Photo by writer
MC Thakur
MANALI, NOVEMBER 23
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the snow-bound Lahaul valley in over 100 vehicles today after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) cleared snow from the Manali-Rohtang-Keylong highway yesterday.As many as 112 vehicles crossed the rescue post at Koksar village in the Lahaul valley till 1 pm.As the road is covered with a thick layer of snow due to extreme cold conditions, many vehicles got stuck mid-way and had to be pulled out by the BRO’s vehicles.Border Roads Task Force Commander Colonel AK Awasthi said 112 vehicles had gone to Manali from Lahaul. “The road surface is slippery and risky for vehicles. To ensure the smooth movement of vehicles, we are allowing one-way traffic. Vehicles from Lahaul were allowed to cross Rohtang and vehicles from Manali will cross Rohtang on Friday,” he said.The Commander said it was not an easy task to clear the road within a record time as severe cold and blizzards were the main challenge. “Even machines do not work in such weather. At some stretch, we had to clear up to 4-ft snow. We had engaged snow cutters, four dozers and three JCB machines from Koksar and Marhi sides,” he added.Awasthi further added that the highway had been officially closed on November 15 but the BRO had cleared snow only to facilitate residents of the Lahaul valley.The residents travel between Lahaul and Kullu to stock essentials before heavy snowfall cuts off the valley from Kullu.He also said BRO officials would conduct a joint recce of Rohtang with Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti administration to see the conditions and decide if road should be closed to traffic. He said they would not clear snow from Rohtang if another spell of snow blocked it as it was not safe.Vehicles from Manali move today
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 19
The Army Headquarters’ move to source fabric for its combat uniforms from the private sector, ostensibly due to the huge price differential between the uniforms procured from the state-run Ordnance Factory and those available locally, has Ordnance Factory employees up in arms.The employees are claiming that samples of cloth available with private vendors have failed the requisite quality tests.The Master General of Ordnance (MGO) at the Army Headquarters had written to the Additional Director General, Ordnance Factories Board, earlier this month that the Army would not like to procure combat uniforms from the Ordnance Factory. It instead wants that a no-objection certificate be issued for procuring uniforms from private vendors.“A set of combat jacket and trousers provisioned through the Ordnance Factory costs Rs 4,150 where as a combat uniform of the same material stitched locally costs Rs 1,800-1,900, including GST.“If procured in the same volume as is being done from Ordnance Factory, it is likely to cost Rs 1,200-1,300 per set,” the MGO’s letter states.The Army had switched to a new combat uniform over a decade ago to standardise the camouflage pattern and check misuse and open sale of such cloth in the market.The four-colour disruptive pattern of the cloth, called Army Logo Cloth, is inter spread with the Army’s crossed swords and Ashoka Lion logo.The camouflage design and fabric specifications were developed by the Ordnance Factory. Some private mills have been contracted to produce Army Logo Cloth for the Ordnance Factory, which supplies stitched uniform to the Army. Though the sale of this pattern by mills to private vendors is restricted, it is available in the market. Once the cloth is received from the mills, it undergoes 36 tests to ensure quality standards.In a letter written to Chief of the Army Staff this week, the All-India Defence Employees Federation has said that if the Army starts purchasing cloth directly from private vendors, there is no guarantee that these standards would be met.The letter states that Ordnance Factory employees purchased several samples of Army Logo Cloth from different shops in Delhi Cantonment and all samples failed chemical as well as physical tests.The letter adds the Ministry of Defence has assured Ordnance Factory employees that combat uniform would not be declared a “non-core” item and there was no justification for the MGO seeking a no-objection certificate.
Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, November 26
The Manali-Keylong National Highway has been closed to traffic due to inclement weather. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has told the state administration that it would not open the Rohtang Pass in the event of fresh snowfall.The Rohtang Pass was closed twice during November due to snowfall. It was cleared by the BRO to enable the stranded vehicles and the people to reach their destination, but now the BRO will open it only after the winter is over. The road was opened for a day today to enable tribals to return to Lahaul from Kullu.Despite the weather being dry, the mercury stayed 10 to 15 degrees Celsius below the freezing point in the high-altitude tribal areas and mountain passes, resulting in the freezing of water and making driving hazardous.Residents of Lahaul-Spiti are annoyed over the closure of the Rohtang Pass. They said barring a few spots like Rahni Nullah and Byas Nullah, there was no risk and the Pass could remain open until the place witnessed heavy snowfall.Kundan Lal Sharma, a resident of Keylong, said SUVs were made for bad roads and harsh weather and that these should be allowed to ply in the area.Sources said the district administration and the BRO were busy passing the buck, while the Lahaul-Spiti district administration maintained that the road was closed after heavy machinery was removed from Rohtang. The BRO stated that in case, the administration decided to allow vehicles to pass Rohtang, they would help.Meanwhile, the minimum temperature has slightly increased in the tribal areas. Keylong was the coldest minus 2.9 degree Celsius followed by Kalpa 0.4 degree Celsius, Manali 1 degree Celsius, Bhuntar 2 degree Celsius, Shimla 7.1 degree Celsius and Dharamsala 7.2 degree Celsius. The Met office has predicted rain and thunderstorm in the mid hills and rain and snow in the higher hills on November 28.
Closure of Rohtang Pass annoys tribals
India should consider Chinese twin offers on BRI route and border dispute since they address its military and strategic concerns.
Pravin Sawhney,Editor, FORCE
his could well be India’s opportunity to manage China. In an interesting gesture, China has offered to assuage India’s sovereignty concern on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China has also proposed to start a series of dialogues for an “early harvest” on the disputed border issue, provided India agrees to consider finding common ground between its Act East policy and other development strategies, and the BRI. Both Chinese proposals have come from its Ambassador in India, Luo Zhaohui. “We can change the name of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Create an alternate corridor through Jammu and Kashmir, Nathu la (pass) or Nepal to deal with India’s concerns,” he said at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Earlier, he wrote in this newspaper (November 16), making a connection between the BRI and Act East policy. In what may not be a coincidence, the Russian Ambassador in India, Nokolay Kudashev, said that China and India should talk on the BRI and set aside their differences in favour of economic cooperation.The timing of the Chinese offer is opportune. In December, the foreign ministers’ trilateral meeting between India, China and Russia is to be held in Delhi followed by the 20th round of border resolution talks between special representatives of India and China. The Chinese interlocutor, Yang Jeichi, has been elevated as member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China. India’s military anxiety
India should consider the Chinese offer since it could address India’s two core concerns: military and strategic. Let’s start with the military anxiety. Given the unbridgeable gap between the Indian and Chinese military power; the fact that the disputed border is neither agreed on maps nor ground; that the terrain favours China owing to better infrastructure and acclimatisation of troops; and above all, that the border has a military moniker called the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which can be shifted by military force by the powerful side, India is constantly worried about intrusions and transgressions by Chinese troops.This is why, departing from protocol, PM Narendra Modi, during Xi Jinping’s visit to India in September, 2014, publicly sought clarification on the LAC at the joint press conference. Unlike the present LAC, transgressions on an agreed LAC — a de facto border — would be an act of aggression tantamount to a declaration of war. Since China did not want to lose the advantage of exercising military coercion by sauntering across the LAC at will, it rejected Modi’s proposal. This proposal, which is the best that India could get short of the border resolution (which is unlikely anytime soon), could be the “early harvest” hinted by Luo in exchange for India considering the BRI.Strategic concerns
Moreover, India has two strategic concerns — the said and the unsaid. The said one is about the CPEC which passes through territory held by Pakistan, but is claimed by India. China has responded by saying that a mutually acceptable route could be formulated. The unsaid concern, which is the trickier, is this: India believes that joining the BRI would limit its strategic options necessary for its rise. The best option, India believes is to partner with the US, and other like-minded democracies and friendly nations, in ensuring that the present regional architecture does not get upended by the BRI. India, therefore, has announced its Act East policy with connectivity, trade and security as its three pillars. Its other development strategies include Sagarmala, Spice Route and Mausam initiatives, the Asia-Africa sea corridor with Japan, and the Quadrilateral — India, the US, Japan and Australia — dialogue for strategic and maritime cooperation. Moreover, the US, by renaming the Asia-Pacific as the Indo-Pacific has sought maritime partnership with India from East Asia — with the pivot in ASEAN —across the Indian Ocean Region. The US has also proposed connectivity on land and sea to counter the BRI.Important issues
While all this appears exciting, India should consider three issues:1 Its national power (economic, military and technological) does not compare favourably with China; the Indian Navy warships lack long-legs, numbers and endurance. Not to forget its limited annual allocations and an unenviable shipbuilding industry. 2 The BRI is a strategic threat since it impedes India’s rise by getting its neighbourhood and “extended neighbourhood” on board the BRI. Soon, this would translate into military threat for India (on land and seas) since the People’s Liberation Army would develop defence ties with nations that have joined the BRI to protect its own people, assets, infrastructure and interests there.3 The US administration, with its withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and ‘America First’ policy, has handed over the economic leadership of the Asia-Pacific to China. This has resulted in a review of the regional balance-of-power by US’ allies Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, who are gravitating towards China. Since these nations are hedging their bets, does it make sense for India to position itself as China’s rival, especially when China is a power which cannot be contained? India’s interests would be better served by considering the Chinese double offer. Strategic hedging or as the foreign secretary, S Jaishankar, recently said, “rigidity of positions no longer holds” should be adopted soonest.
Nawanshahr, November 13
The police today busted a gang of snatchers that was planning to loot a cash van. Two pistols, a kirpan and a bike were recovered from the possession of five gang members.The police said Army jawan Vikramjit Singh, who belongs to Hoshiarpur and is posted in Rajasthan, was the mastermind of the snatchings along with Jagdish of Jalandhar. Both are on the run.Those arrested have been identified as Bihar resident Mithilesh Kumar, Nandish of Balachaur, Malkit and Rampal of Ropar and Prabhlobhan Singh of Banga. The police said Vikramjit had recently gone back to Rajasthan after spending holidays with his family. — TNS
