Monthly Archives: August 2018

With India-Pakistan tensions running high since a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama, the whole village of Mohar Jamsher — the last on the India-Pak border in Fazilka, Punjab — has been on high alert.

Since the Pulwama terror attack on February 14, Makhan Singh hasn’t had a full night’s sleep. His eyes and ears are fixed across the border and even his son’s wedding solemnised three days ago, didn’t weaken his vigil.

He is not the only one. With India-Pakistan tensions running high since a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama, the whole village of Mohar Jamsher — the last on the India-Pak border in Fazilka, Punjab — has been on high alert.

Watch | What is Jaish-e-Mohammed, the terror group that attacked the CRPF convoy

And with good reason. For, every time there is disquiet on the border, they pay a price. The last was in October 2016, after the surgical strikes, when they were asked to leave their homes and moved to a safe location.

Also Read | Across the aisle: Grief, anger but no wisdom

Surrounded by Pakistan on three sides and the Sutlej river on the fourth, Mohar Jamsher’s 1,500 residents have two choices to enter Punjab — row across the river or cross a high-security bridge. There is a BSF post at the entrance of the village, where every visitor is questioned before being allowed in.s sabre rattling between India and Pakistan intensifies, the destruction caused by the wars of 1965 and 1971 is still fresh in the minds of locals and over the last few days, the movement across the border has been of immense interest to all in Mohar Jamsher. On Saturday, women in the village were seen storing leftover dry rations while most men discussed Pakistan.

Sitting in his house, which is the closest to the barb wire fenced border, Makhan Singh is always tuned in to the loudspeaker on the other side. “That yellow building visible from our fields is their mosque and the green one is the Pakistan check post. These days, we are extra careful. We listen to the loudspeaker carefully to determine if it is azan or some other message after we heard of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s threatening message.”

The brothers say even though there were two weddings in the village on February 20 and 21, people were busy discussing the possibility of war. And only a few houses are pucca, most are temporary. “We live on the border and have left our homes four times in the past. You never know when we will be asked to do the same yet again, so no one invests much money on houses,” said Hansa Singh.

Hansa was a teenager when the 1971 war broke out. “Our entire family shifted to relief camps except me and my father as we had to take care of cattle. I remember hearing a loud noise. I thought it was a cracker but soon the Army came and told us `Jung shuru ho gayi hai (war has begun).”

Next to Mohar Jamsher is Mohar Kheewa, from where the border and Pakistan check posts are seen even more clearly. Khushaal Singh (76) said, “Although all seems to be well, looking at TV debates and social media posts, it seems the whole country is ready for war. The Pulwama attack cannot be forgotten but we still have harsh memories of the 1965, 1971 and Kargil war with Pakistan when we had to flee and start life from scratch, each time after a gap of 18 to 24 months.”

According to Kushaal, in 1971, 28 villages of Fazilka were overrun by Pakistan including Mohar Kheewa. Then, they were given Rs 500 per acre per year as compensation for about two years. “When we got our villages back after about 18 months there were landmines in the fields. They were taken out by the Army but it was difficult to farm after such a gap. It was the same story in 1965 and 1999. War leads to destruction and nothing else,” he said.

Also Read | Inside Track: Pulwama and after

Gurdas Singh, in his late sixties of Mohar Jamsher village, has a word of caution. “Going by history, Pakistan attacked us first always. This is an age of nuclear weapons. So, damage to India will be more. Pakistan is far behind us. I wish there could be a solution without war.”

All farming is done under strict BSF security between 10 am and 4 pm. He said: “We do see Pakistanis also farming on the other side. Our side is more green than theirs. At times some try to talk to us and wave saying `Sat Sri Akal’ but we never respond. In the 1960s people used to talk to each other freely. Times have changed. We don’t exchange a word now for we don’t want to be mistaken for a spy.”

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, Febraury 16 

Those who want to contribute voluntarily to the families of CRPF jawans martyred in Pulwama terror attack can do so on the official website of ‘Bharat Ke Veer’.

This fund is managed by a committee comprising Director Generals of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces  (CAPFs) under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

‘Bharat Ke Veer’ is a trust into which public can contribute voluntarily to support families of martyrs of CAPFs — BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, NDRF, NSG, SSB and Assam Rifles, the MHA said.

Expressing gratitude for the support, MHA said, “During the last few days there has been a tremendous response from people wanting to contribute through the website : bharatkeveer.gov.in.”

However, due to heavy traffic, sometimes a slowdown is reported in accessing  the website, it added.  

“It is also reported that some unscrupulous elements are soliciting contributions from people through other accounts. It is advised that people desirous of supporting families of martyrs of CAPFs should only contribute through the website — bharatkeveer.gov.in,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

Shimla, February 14

A CRPF jawan, Tilak Raj, hailing from the Jawali area of Kangra, was among those killed in the militant attack in Srinagar. The 30-year-old, hailing from Dhewa village, is survived by his wife Savitri Devi.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has deputed Civil Supplies Minister Kishan Kapoor and Jawali MLA Arjun to be with the family in this hour of grief.

The Chief Minister said that those involved in this incident would not go unpunished. He also prayed to the Almighty to give peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss. — T

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, February 14

Locals and eyewitnesses in the Lethpora area of Pulwama where the suicide car bomb left 39 CRPF personnel dead described the scenes at the place as those of “doomsday”.

“There are no other words than to describe it a doomsday. It was terrifying and gut-wrenching,” a local said.

The car bomb rocked the area, 27 km from Srinagar, at about 3.15 pm. The explosion was so powerful that even some people in Srinagar heard it.

The explosion took place in between the lines of the newly constructed saffron shops along the National Highway No. 44.

People in Lethpora said they felt that the sky was falling on their heads.

“Our house rocked as if a high-intensity earthquake had hit Kashmir valley. The noise was deafening,” Zafar Ahmad, a resident, said.

People only understood it was an attack when the explosion was followed by gunshots that reverberated in the area for about five minutes.

“Then came the CRPF men, who were part of the convoy, running towards our houses. Many of them took refuge in our houses and also kept firing shots as they heard guns roaring around them,” a resident said.

Shopkeepers in the area said it was mayhem. As the blast rocked the area, people ran for cover, wailing and crying.

But the nightmare was not over for them.

“As guns stopped roaring and we peeked outside, we could see scattered body parts lying around with the damaged parts of the vehicles that were hit by the explosion,” one of the shopkeepers, Abdul Karim, said

He described the scenes as horrible and gruesome.

“I don’t think anyone in Lethpora can sleep or eat tonight. It has shaken us badly,” another shopkeeper said.

The security forces immediately blocked traffic movement on the NH-44 and diverted vehicles to “safer” bypasses. Even scribes trying to reach the spot were not allowed to go the place.

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 11

Major Nishant  Dogra of the Indian Army was killed in a sudden snow slide at Yongdi in North Sikkim.

Major Dogra was with his battalion at a high-altitude posting. He was inside his make-shift accommodation when the snow slide carried away the entire accommodation on February 9.

The Major, who is from an armoured unit, was found very seriously injured under mounds of snow late that night. Weather conditions prevented an immediate evacuation.

He died on Sunday. Army authorities in Delhi have confirmed the death. The Major’s family originally hails from Jammu, and is now in Delhi.

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 5

The Pakistani army on Tuesday violated the ceasefire agreement in the Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.

Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked truce violation around 10:30 am on Tuesday.

A defence spokesperson said: “About 10:30 am, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC by firing two shells of rocket launchers in the Krishna Ghati sector.” Pakistan has been violating the truce agreement continuously.

Narrow escape for family

A family in a forward hamlet in Poonch district had a narrow escape on Tuesday when a mortar shell fired from across the LoC landed in front of their house in Bera hamlet in Jhalas general area around 11 am.

According to the family of one Krishan Lal Sharma, two mortar shells fired from across the LoC fell in their hamlet around 11 am.

“One shell fell near the livestock shed in the vicinity of our house. We had a narrow escape because due to harsh winter all family members and cattle were indoors,” said a member of Sharma’s family.

He said it was after a long time that the Pakistan army had targeted their area. Earlier, stray shells had hit their hamlet. The Indian Army has retaliated strongly and effectively while no injury or damage was reported.

India has requested Russia to prolong the licence for manufacturing the Su-30MKI aircraft at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facilities in India which could mean an additional order for the multi role righter is on track once the 272 planes under the current order are delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Informed sources told defenseword.net that the request had been made through the Russian agency for military-technical cooperation. Once approved, it could set the ball rolling for extending the life of Su-30SMKI assembly plant at HAL’s Nashik facility.

Media reports had earlier said an order for 18 additional Su-30MKI jets, comprising a squadron was in the pipeline and could be taken beyond the 2019-20 timeframe when the current order with HAL is said to expire. India’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) has requested Moscow to supply HAL with the necessary raw materials and sub-systems required to build addition squadron of Su-30MKI jets, the reports had said.

HAL has manufactured 202 aircraft so far by sourcing kits from Russia under a licence-manufacturing agreement. HAL might have to pay licence fee for the right to manufacture the jets. If the 18-order comes through, this will be the single biggest aircraft fleet with the IAF adding up to some 290 jets.

HAL was facing the prospect of its Su-30MKI assembly line falling silent but with the proposed new order, the Su=30MKI could continue to roll of the assembly line for 2-3 years. The Su-30MKI has in the past two years been upgraded to carry the Brahmos cruise missile and locally-made beyond-visual range missiles.

Recalling his conversation with Khan during a congratulatory call after he became Pakistan’s premier, Modi said he told him “let us fight against poverty and illiteracy” and Khan gave his word – saying he is a Pathan’s son – but went back on it.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday asked his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to “give peace a chance” and assured him that he “stands by” his words and will “immediately act” if New Delhi provides Islamabad with “actionable intelligence” on the Pulwama terror attack.

On February 19, Khan had assured India that he would act against the perpetrators of the Pulwama terror attack if it shares “actionable intelligence” with Islamabad but warned New Delhi against launching any “revenge” retaliatory action.

India said Khan’s offer to investigate the attack if provided proof is a “lame excuse”. “It is a well-known fact that Jaish-e-Mohammad and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan. These should be sufficient proof for Pakistan to take action,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

“The Prime Minister of Pakistan has offered to investigate the matter if India provides proof. This is a lame excuse. In the horrific attack in Mumbai on 26/11, proof was provided to Pakistan. Despite this, the case has not progressed for the last more than 10 years. Likewise, on the terror attack on Pathankot airbase, there has been no progress. Promises of ‘guaranteed action’ ring hollow given the track record of Pakistan,” it said.

Last week, China, which has doggedly blocked the listing of JeM chief Masood Azahar as a “global terrorist”, has signed off on a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) statement that “condemned in the strongest terms” the Pulwama terror attack and named Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad for the “heinous and cowardly suicide bombing”.