Monthly Archives: August 2018

Divya Sharma

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 10

One hundred and twenty girls participated in the annual cadet training camp with RDC launch concluded at Gharinda, near Indo-Pak border on Sunday. Most of them aim for joining armed forces, besides learning art of self-defense.

The girls across Majha were trained in life skills and self-defense. The camp was conducted by the First Punjab Battalion, NCC. The girls came from Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Pathankot.

“I left a private school and joined a government school as it offered NCC. I wish to join the Army and NCC is my first step,” said Palakdeep Kaur, a young cadet.

Diksha, a college student, highlighting life lessons learnt in such events, said, “My primary aim is to make into defense service. In any case, I am unable to achieve it. The life learning skills I have nurtured here are going to stay with me. I know how to protect myself. My inter-personal skills have improved.”

Around 350 cadets are being trained under the experts from military on their physical and mental fitness. Many of them see here an opportunity to make new friends and meet new people.

“This is my second camp. I have met a number of cadets from different places,” said a student. The young vibrant girls feel that such camps have helped them improve their confidence level and have made them better individuals.

“I feel much more confident than before. Debates, physical activities and shooting lessons have improved our confidence level,” said Nandini, a cadet.

“Major Kavita along with other instructors trains these young female cadets. Most of them are learning self-defense mechanism, taking part in physical activities and understanding Army and NCC,” said Sukhpal Singh, associate NCC officer. The camp on Sunday concluded with prize distribution function followed by a cultural programme.

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 23

Buoyed by the killing of six militants in Anantnag, Srinagar-based General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Lt Gen AK Bhatt on Friday said militants would be neutralised no matter where they hide.

He termed the anti-militancy operation in Bijbehara a “surgical operation.”

“It was a surgical operation. The Army and police had full cooperation in the operation and it was carried out swiftly and without any collateral damage,” Lt General Bhatt told reporters in Baramulla after paying obeisance at Chhatti Padshahi Gurdwara on Gurpurb.

When asked as to how he saw the killing of over 200 militants this year, he said it was just a figure and more important for them was restoration of peace.

“More important for us is that we want the restoration of peace. And for restoring peace, we have the cooperation of youth and people. Our effort is to ensure peace in Kashmir just like any other part of the country,” he said.

On surfacing of pictures on the soc-ial media showing Hizbul Mujahideen militants at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, Lt General Bhatt said, “The police are checking whether they are genuine or photoshopped pictures. At the same time, we will neutralise the terrorists wherever they hide.”

On the recent arrest of two women overground workers (OGWs), the GOC said, “Women should not get involved in this fight.” “In past, there have been women OGWs. Recently two women OGWs were arrested. We will request that women should not get involved in this fight,” he added.

“It is too true, however disgraceful it may be to human nature, that nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect of getting anything by it.”

— John Jay, The Federalist Papers September 17, 1787.

“You must first enable the government to control the g ..

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, November 20

Six persons were killed and 10 injured in a blast at the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD), Pulgaon, in Maharashtra’s Wardha district this morning.

According to the police, the deceased included an Army man, a CAD employee and four labourers.

The incident occurred around 7 am when boxes of ammunition were being shifted to an open field near the ammunition depot where they were to be destroyed.

Initial information indicates that one of the boxes of ammunition caught fire and exploded while being offloaded from a truck.

Those killed were Narayan Shamrao (55), Vilas Lakshman (40), Uday Virasingh (37), Pravin Prakash Munjewar (25), Rajkumar Bhovate (23) and Prabhakar Ramdas Wankhede (40). While four of them died on the spot, two others breathed their last at a hospital. The ammunition comprised of defective shells for Shilka anti-aircraft guns. Contractual labourers were hired by the authorities to dig a pit in the ground where the ammunition was to be packed in sand bags before being exploded.

In a similar incident in 2016, 19 persons, including two Army officers, were killed when a warehouse storing anti-tank mines caught fire following an explosion.

Jammu, November 11

The terror infrastructure in Pakistan remains intact and around 160 terrorists are waiting across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into the Indian territory, a senior Army officer said on Sunday.

Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, who took over as General Officer Commanding of the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, commonly known as 16 Corps, also said that cross-border terrorism would stop only if Pakistan changed its policy and intentions.

The officer, involved in the planning of the 2016 surgical strikes on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, said the Army was not letting up on “our preparedness and the counter-infiltration grid is strong enough to deal with infiltrators”.

Lt General Singh, who has served in all three regions of J&K, said: “As many as 140 to 160 terrorists at different locations in Pakistan are being pushed into the state.” “The terror infrastructure is intact, and Pakistan’s intentions have not changed. The Pakistan army and the ISI’s complicity in planning infiltration and terror attacks is evident and it continues,” said the GOC, who has a vast experience in high-altitude warfare.

To a question on the situation along the LoC, he said ceasefire violations had abated after the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level talks. “For troops on the LoC, there is no ceasefire… periodic unprovoked firing by the Pakistan army and attempts to cause harm to forward posts continue. We do not initiate fire, but we give it back in adequate measure. There is no let-up on preparedness and our counter-infiltration grid is strong to deal with infiltrators,” he said.

Talking about challenges during winter, the GOC said the Army anticipated that Pakistani troops would make an attempt to push infiltrators through heavy snow-bound areas and non-traditional routes.

“We have all contingency plans ready. We have coordinated with all security agencies, and plans are being implemented smoothly,” said Lt General Singh, who commanded a special forces’ battalion that participated in the surgical strikes after the attack on an Army brigade in Uri in 2016.

Referring to the recent incident of firing of 107-mm rocket on the Poonch brigade, he said: “Despite the DGMO-level talks in May during which the two countries agreed to abide by the 2003 ceasefire agreement, Pakistani troops targeted these locations.” “In response, we conveyed that Pakistan must exercise caution before indulging in any misadventure,” the General said.

Replying to another question about casualties suffered by Pakistani troops in retaliatory fire by the Indian Army, the officer said, “Pakistan has never been open about its casualties unless the soldier is from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir”. — PTI

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, November 8

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) opened the Rohtang Pass on Wednesday, bringing relief to residents of Lahaul-Spiti.

The pass was closed on November 3 following heavy snowfall in the region, cutting off the tribal district from the rest of the state.

Talking to The Tribune, BRO Commander Col AK Awasthi said: “The pass could only be restored due to tireless efforts of the BRO. We had engaged our workforce and machinery from Lahaul and Manali to restore the road at the earliest.”

“On Diwali too, BRO men were seen clearing snow from the Manali-Leh highway. By afternoon, they had restored the pass. As soon as it opened, around 150 stranded vehicles passed from the Lahaul side towards Kullu. The vehicles had been stuck in the valley since November 3 because of heavy snowfall,” Awasthi said.

On Thursday, the Kullu administration allowed the movement of vehicles from Manali towards Lahaul, which were stranded in Kullu-Manali.

A large number of Lahaul-Spiti residents, living in Kullu-Manali, keep shuttling between Kullu and Lahaul for various works.

However, the district administration has restricted the movement of tourist vehicles towards the Rohtang Pass for security reasons. They have been allowed to go up to Gulaba.

Raman Gharsana, Subdivisional Magistrate, Manali, said: “We are allowing the movement of Lahaul-Spiti residents towards Lahaul from the Manali side. The tourists can go up to Gulaba only for snow-related activities.”

The people have been told not to take the road between Manali and Lahaul because of frost at several places.

Ashok Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Gyalchhan, Ravinder and a few other residents of Lahaul-Spiti thanked the BRO for opening the road despite several challenges in sub-zero temperature. “It will help us transport potato seed out of the district,” they said.

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 23

Paying tribute to Guru Nanak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the proposed Kartarpur corridor could serve as a bridge for people-to-people contact. Addressing a function at the residence of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur here, he said the tragic incidents of 1947 should be left behind and a new chapter of ties opened between the two countries.

He did not elaborate, except for pointing out that the Berlin Wall too had been pulled down, reuniting the people of East and West Germany. “This was unthinkable at one point of time,” he observed.

The PM said India believed in “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and bore ill-will towards none. He offered “ardas” and listened to Gurbani during his visit that lasted 30 minutes. He was felicitated with a siropa and a turban by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh (GK).

The PM attributed the good works by his government to blessing of the Gurus and saints. “The sacrifices of the Gurus have built and protected the country. Their message encapsulate the culture of India: love for everyone and equality of all without discrimination of caste and class,” he noted.

Sukhbir lauded the government for its decision to build and develop the Kartarpur corridor as well as Sultanpur Lodhi. Manjit Singh said Vice-President of India Venkaiah Naidu would lay the foundation stone of the corridor.

Among others present were Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and former PM Manmohan Singh.