Monthly Archives: August 2018

Life is difficult for people in the Armed Forces. It is also difficult for their families, especially women who are married to Armed Forces personnel. Recently we lost 13 Air Force Pilots to a crash. While the rest of the country does mourn the passing away of its soldiers, it is their families who have to live with that loss.

Garima Abrol, however, decided to honour her husband’s martyrdom in an unforgettable way – she is set to step into his shoes and join the Indian Air Force. Author Swapnil Pandey recently put out a post about Garmia – wife of Samir Abrol who was martyred in Mirage 2000 fighter place crash this year in February. This is what the post reads:re is a special metal Armed Forces wives are made off. While it takes years to make a soldier and create a whole legion of warriors for the nation. It takes exteamly special women to be in relationship with these men bound by the uniform first.Remember Mrs Garima Abrol, wife of squadron leader Samir Abrol who martyred in Mirage2000 fighter plane crash while test flying it at HAL Airport this February?

Her last Instagram Post said “my tears are still not dry and I loved sending my husband to serve the nation with a cup of tea and head held high.” she also mentioned no one cries when they leave but the family. It does not make you a celebrity. Media covers it for a day and drops it and how it takes decade to make a fighter pilot.”

Srinagar

As a part of the routine process, the Army has begun online registration for its ten-day recruitment rally in Jammu and Kashmir. The recruitment would start from September 1 for the next ten days; media reports quoted defence spokesperson as saying.

The rally, according to reports will be held at the Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) of Jammu and Kashmir Police in Reasi district’s Talwara. He also said that all categories of soldiers will be recruited during the ten days recruitment process.

The eligible candidates from Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Reasi districts can take part, media reports quoted spokesperson as saying.

The online registration for the recruitment process is mandatory and it has begun from July 3 and it will go on till August 16 at the Indian Army website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in, the report mentioned.

NASHIK: A video of Indian Army showing its firepower at the Deolali Firing Range in Maharashtra’s Nashik has come to fore.

The video shows rocket launching practice by Indian Army’s BM 21 Grad BM 21 at the Deolali Firing Range earlier this week.

The video was shared by Zee Media on Instagram with a caption: Rocket launching practice by Indian Army at School of Artillery, Nashik, Maharashtra.

The video shows multiple rockets being fired by troops from the multi-barrel rocket launchers at the Deolali Firing Ranges in Nashik.

It was a practice firing for troops from the multi-barrel rocket launchers.

The Army had in past held a spectacular demonstration of its firepower with 155 mm Howitzers blazing and multi-role helicopters displaying their might in the sky at an annual event organised by Artillery Division at Deolali Camp here.

Under “Exercise Topchi”, major artillery guns including 120 mm mortar, 105 mm Indian Field Gun, 155 mm Bofors and multi-barrel rocket launchers were showcased by the Artillery Regiment here.

It not only showcased the artillery firepower, but also the aviation and surveillance capabilities of the Indian Army.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 29

Blaming the National Conference and the PDP for “creating a noise” in the Valley over the deployment of an additional 10,000 security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Jitendra Singh today said the move was part of a security drill and that the two parties were distressed “as they can feel they are losing the people’s mandate”.

Speaking to the media here, he said: “The additional deployment is for security arrangement… They (political parties) have been carrying forward their legacy with 8-10 per cent voter turnout. They are scared  if the situation changes their sovereignty built in the last 30-40 years will come to an end.” 

He highlighted the government’s action against alleged corruption in the J&K Bank and said big names were about to come up in connection with the alleged scam. “These parties are worried… they know that they will be exposed.

They are distressed about that,” he said. The Centre had recently announced 100 more companies (10,000 personnel) of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the state. It had said the troops were being deployed to strengthen the counter-insurgency grid and law and order duties in the Valley, as it had received Intelligence input regarding infiltration. 

Charanjit Singh Teja
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, July 26

The heroes of Kargil war, who were disabled while reclaiming the hills in Kargil and Drass sectors, shared their tales of war with The Tribune. Everyone had lost and achieved something.

Sukhwant Singh of Mamanke village in Tarn Taran said, “I served in Rashtriya Rifles and got three bullets during war. I was saved due to bullet-proof jacket but lost many of friends in war. HC Swaran Singh also got injured in same firing, unfortunately he died.

Lakhbir Singh of Kadgill village, who served in the 8 Sikh regiment, said, “When we entered the battle ground, we forgot about death. When we were heading towards the top of Tiger Hill, the enemy showered bullets on us. That was barbaric attack. We did not consume food for three days as weather condition were not allowing staying or cooking anywhere. I received three bullets on legs and laid there for next 24 hours. I tied my turban on legs. My close friend died in attack. Finally, an Army helicopter came and took us to hospital.

HC Sukhbir Singh öf 8 Sikh regiment said, “I served as a commando. Pakistan was the not only enemy, we fought with snow, hill, height, sharpen edge stones, invisibility due to clouds and unexpected weather conditions. After bullet I got hospitalised, the day when we occupied Tiger Hill 18 men of our group died. We had 15 year association. We won war, but lost our friends.

Captain Balwant Singh, engineer regiment, said, “After occupying Tiger hill, we went beyond it to get our posts back. Pakistan army requested for ceasefire. They laid anti-personnel mines in the area. After short ceasefire, firing resumed from both side. We were asked to occupy the post on hills, which were vacated by Pakistan army. Col Rajbir Singh was leading us. I have defused a large number of mines. On July 30, finally Pakistan army surrendered. We returned dead bodies of Pakistani soldier to their army troop and occupied all the hills.”

Sukhjeevan Singh of Thetherke lost one eye in the war. Subash Rani, mother of martyr Mukesh of Light Regiment, said, There is a primary school after the name of Mukesh, we need up-gradation of school. The road leading to the village, which was named after martyr, is in bad shape. The government should address these issues”.

Tribune News Service
Drass (Kargil), July 26

The three chiefs of the armed forces paid homage to martyrs on the 20th anniversary of the Kargil war at a memorial in the frontier town here today.

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and Naval Chief Admiral Karambir Singh laid wreaths at the Kargil War Memorial. When they led the ceremony, Cheetah helicopters flew overhead and showered flower petals.

The Army Chief said it was the day to pay homage to soldiers “who laid down their lives, to those who were wounded in the battle and those who fought the war and supported the units that were actively involved in combat”. “Over the past two days, we witnessed accounts of the battles that were fought on these icy heights under very difficult circumstances yet the Indian soldier did not fail in his duty,” he said.

General VP Malik (retd), the Chief of Army Staff during the Kargil war, civilian dignitaries, war veterans and other Army officers also paid tribute to the soldiers who fell in the battlefield 20 years ago.

Tilak Devasher
Member, national security advisory board

When Imran Khan set foot on American soil, it was the 43rd time that a Pakistani leader was visiting the US since PM Liaquat Ali’s first visit in May 1950.

The summit between PM Imran and US President Trump generated a lot of interest since it took place against the backdrop of several years of a discordant relationship and their tense Twitter exchange last year. Even before he assumed office, and especially since then, President Trump had frequently singled out Islamabad for being a duplicitous partner in Afghanistan. In the past, Imran Khan, too, had been critical of his country’s partnership with the US, accusing previous Pakistani leaders of being too deferential to American dictates.

For Pakistan, the visit provided an opportunity to ‘reset’ the acrimonious relations with the US, building upon the significant change in Trump’s attitude towards Pakistan. For the US, the Afghan peace process leading to the withdrawal of US troops was the key issue on the agenda, with Trump viewing US exit as the key to his re-election in 2020. 

By all accounts, Imran went with a long wish list. Substantive items were economy, the Afghan peace process and issues related to India, though not necessarily in that order. Underlying the wish list was Pakistan’s desire to look for a broader engagement with the US that was not confined to Afghanistan, but also encompassed economic and trade cooperation as well as peace and stability in South Asia.

Though the visit was meant to focus on Afghanistan, two issues diverted attention. The first was Imran’s confession that there were 40 terrorist groups in Pakistan and between 30,000-40,000 terrorists who had fought in Afghanistan and Kashmir. The full ramifications of this acknowledgement of Pakistan being a state sponsor of terror are still a work in progress and more will be heard about it in the days to come. 

The second was Trump’s patently false assertion that he had been asked by PM Modi to mediate on Kashmir. Imran possibly couldn’t have believed his ears and egged Trump on by saying: ‘Mr President…you would have the prayers of over a billion people if you can mediate and resolve this issue.’

Within minutes of the claim being aired, India’s External Affairs Ministry refuted it, saying the PM had made no such request. The External Affairs Minister made a stronger statement in Parliament.

Hours after Trump’s remarks, US officials did damage control by clarifying that Washington still believed that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan; the administration welcomed Pakistan and India sitting down and the US stood ready only to assist the two parties. This showed that the US State Department was caught unawares by Trump’s leap into the Kashmir issue.

A factsheet issued by the White House at the conclusion of the Trump-Khan talks, while avoiding all mention of Kashmir, stated, ‘Pakistan has taken some steps against terrorist groups operating within Pakistan. It is vital that Pakistan take action to shut down all groups once and for all,’ adding that ‘Pakistan has made efforts to facilitate the Afghanistan peace talks, and we are going to ask them to do more.’ It also cautioned, ‘The path to a strong and enduring partnership between Pakistan and the US lies in working together to find a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan.’

While Trump said, ‘I think Pakistan is going to help us out to extricate ourselves,’ and Imran assured of full cooperation, could the US be overestimating Islamabad’s influence over the Taliban? For Pakistan, the danger is that Trump could quickly change his approach if it is unable or unwilling to meet the US expectations regarding the Afghan peace process.

What the US is seeking is for the Taliban to agree to a permanent ceasefire and an intra-Afghan dialogue. Can Pakistan deliver? Does it have this kind of influence? Or is the influence limited to getting the Taliban to talk, but not being able to influence Taliban demands? The jury is out on this, but if Trump is not satisfied, Pakistan could be back in the doghouse.

Trump’s frustration was also apparent in his shocking comment that ‘I could win that war in a week. I just don’t want to kill 10 million people’, adding that Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the earth in 10 days.

The key takeaway of the visit from Pakistan’s perspective would be Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir. His offer was a clear departure from the long-held US position that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between the two nuclear neighbours.

Other than that, the US insistence that Pakistan ‘do more’ continued; no trade deal was announced or hinted at; no investment was promised; there was no announcement of the restoration of aid/loan; and Trump called Pakistan subversive in the press conference. For the visit to result in ‘deliverables’ a lot would depend on the follow-up when diplomats get down to the nuts and bolts.

Overall, therefore, the visit alone is unlikely to lead to a reset in relations with the US or a multi-faceted long-term engagement. If at all, the reset would be driven by purely tactical considerations of the role that Pakistan can play in helping the US exit Afghanistan. The dilemma for Pakistan would be that if it does not deliver an honourable exit, Trump is likely to come down hard. If, however, it delivers a face-saving exit, it would no longer need Pakistan’s cooperation. The months ahead would provide a clue on how Pakistan resolves this dilemma.

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Drass (Kargil), July 25

As India commemorated 20 years of Kargil war, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat today warned Pakistan against attempting another such intrusion ever again.

Also Read:

• Veterans reminisce war days
• War-wounded Major to carry ‘Victory Flame’
• Bullet-riddled wallet keeps her son’s memories alive
• Battle town sees drastic change
• Artillery guns form core of defence at LoC
• Martyrs’ kin honoured
• Free screening of ‘Uri’ in Maha

“Pakistan has been put on the back foot and we will continue to put it on the back foot… My only warning to Pakistan is: Do not ever attempt such a misadventure any time in the future. Anytime, anywhere, do not think of it,” he said, while addressing reporters at Lamochan View Point in Drass. Army is hosting a series of events to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 1999 Kargil war victory. The three-day long celebrations will conclude on Friday.

Calling the Kargil intrusion a “big misadventure” by the Pakistan army, General Rawat said: “I am quite sure that adversary will never attempt this. They (Pakistan) did not appreciate the will and the intent of the Indian political establishment and the Indian armed forces.”

The Army Chief said the enemy would never be “allowed to succeed”. “No matter what heights they capture, we will always get back to them and this was evident during the Kargil war in 1999. They will not dare to repeat it,” he said.

Army chief Slams Imran on Pulwama

We are aware of the truth. So, we are not carried away by any statement (by Pak PM that Pulwama attack was indigenous). Our intelligence agencies have given ample proof about what had happened in Pulwama. — General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief

The Commanding Officer (CO) of a Pakistan Army infantry battalion, which had infiltrated into Indian territory in Zulu Top area of Kargil, referred to the ‘izzat’ (honour) of his battalion while requesting for bodies of soldiers killed in battle, and even invoked the name of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who had served in the regiment before Partition.

Brig M P S Bajwa (retd), Commander of 192 Mountain Brigade in Kargil War, which captured Tiger Hill, recalls that Lt Col Mustafa, CO of 19th Battalion of Frontier Force (FF) Regiment, spoke to him on wireless communication and made a request for the bodies. The handing over of soldiers’ bodies, with full military honours, was filmed, and helped prove the Indian case about Pakistan army regulars having intruded across the Line of Control (LoC).

Also Read | 20 years after Kargil: ‘When his box came home, all it had was Rs 300 — and the chocolates he loved’

“On July 27 or 28, 1999 the Pakistan Army battalion commander located near Zulu Top spoke to the CO of 3/3 Gorkha Rifles (GR), a battalion of my brigade deployed in the area. My CO told me that someone from Pakistan side wants to talk to me on the radio set. The Pakistani officer said, ‘Hello Sir, this is Lt Col Mustafa from Frontier Force Regiment’. He told me that Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was part of FF before Partition,” Brig Bajwa told The Indian Express.

The officer identified himself as CO of the FF battalion. “Your boys have fought very well. My boys have been killed, and you know this is a case of ‘izzat’ of the battalion. My request is that I be handed over the bodies, as I would like to bury them myself. This is for ‘izzat’ of the paltan,” Brig Bajwa recalled the Pakistani officer as saying.

“I said, ‘Mustafa even if I hand over the bodies, what will you do for me?’ He said he will go back to Pak side of LoC (meaning his battalion will retreat) — the next fight will not happen.”

Also Read | Newsroom to Govt, reporter to father, how Kargil tipoff travelled

Brig Bajwa said he was still not satisfied and asked Lt Col Mustafa how could he be taken for his word. “He said, ‘I am a Pathan’. I told him that I am a Sardar (Sikh) and will hand over the bodies as promised.”

It was a spur of the moment decision, he said.

“I told Mustafa that he should send his troops with a white flag and stretchers and take the bodies. He followed these instructions and a video clip of the handing over of the bodies was made. This video went a long way to establish that Pakistan Army regulars were fighting,” he said.

Incidentally, the first Pakistan army Prisoner of War (PoW) — Sepoy Mohd Arshad — was also captured by 192 Mountain Brigade brigade. Arshad also belonged to 19 FF and had been caught by troops of 3/3 GR.

“He was lying injured and blindfolded when I saw him. He appeared quite scared and under trauma. The Gorkha soldiers who had captured him were speaking in Gorkhali and he did not understand them. I told him in Punjabi, ‘Mohd Arshad kee haal hai, kaka tagro ho (how are you? Come on boy, show some grit)’. He started weeping on hearing these words. He said, ‘now that you have spoken Punjabi, I am feeling relieved. You seem to be like a Commander. I have never met a Commander in my service’,” Brig Bajwa recalled.

Also Read | Air Marshal R Nambiar: ‘We were very innovative in Kargil War, we fought with what we had’

Thanking Indian troops for the help, Arshad said he was told in his unit that Indian “kaafirs (infidel)” kill captured soldiers. “I told him that we will send him back to Pakistan once he recovered. He said he did not want to go back, as he would be killed. He then told me the name of his CO and battalion officers. He gave us vital information of tactical importance,” the Brigadier recalled.

Recalling his recommendation for Pakistan’s Capt Karnal Sher Khan for a gallantry award, who was later given the Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan’s highest gallantry award, Brig Bajwa said: “He led fierce counterattacks, which almost dislodged us from Tiger Hill. Had he succeeded, it would have been impossible to get a hold on the top again. The troops of 8 Sikh battalion, located at Helmet and India Gate locations, bore the brunt of the counterattack led by Karnal Sher Khan,” he said.

Brig Bajwa said he was in direct communication with the jawans of 8 Sikh when they were under Pak counterattack and was told by an injured JCO that one person dressed in a tracksuit was rallying Pakistani troops again and again.

“I immediately realised that this was an officer conducting the battle and told the jawans that he must be killed. This was achieved when he led an attack one more time. As soon as he was killed, the rest of the Pakistani troops ran back.”

Brig Bajwa asked civilian porters to get Karnal Khan’s body down Tiger Hill.

“I placed a letter in his jacket stating that he had been killed showing great bravery and should be awarded a gallantry award, hoping that it would be noticed when his body was sent back to Pakistan. I am glad my recommendation was honoured and he was given Pakistan’s highest gallantry award posthumously,” he said.