Monthly Archives: August 2018

Chandigarh, September 22

Groups based in Pakistan reportedly used a drone to drop weapons inside the Indian territory near Khalra village in Tarn Taran district earlier this month, violating Indian air space. The arms were believed to be meant for terrorists in Punjab or Kashmir, Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta told The Tribune. He said it was the first incident of its kind.

The police had last week arrested 10 persons in Tarn Taran following a mysterious blast. The DGP said the drone incident coincided with the busting of a terror module with the arrest of four persons affiliated with the now revived Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) which was backed by a Pakistan and Germany-based terror organisation. Five AK-47 rifles, pistols, satellite phones and hand grenades were seized from the module members.

After initial investigations revealed that drones were being used to deliver weapons and communication hardware from across the border, the Punjab CM approached the Centre, asking that directions be issued to the IAF and BSF for counter-measures to thwart any threat from drones to the border state.

DGP Gupta said weapons were suspected to have been delivered across the border via drones by the ISI and the state-sponsored jihadi and Khalistani outfits under its command. The infiltration seemed to have been aimed at scaling terrorism and militancy in J&K, Punjab and the Indian hinterland.

Gupta said the busted module was backed by Pakistan-based KZF chief Ranjeet Singh alias Neeta and his Germany-based associate Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga  alias Doctor. With the help of local sleeper cells, they had  picked and radicalised locals and arranged funds and sophisticated weapons from across the border.

The arrested were identified as Balwant Singh alias Baba alias Nihang, Akashdeep Singh alias Akash Randhawa, Harbhajan Singh and Balbir Singh. Both Akashdeep and Baba Balwant Singh have a criminal record. The DGP said Maan Singh, now lodged in the Amritsar jail, at the behest of his handler Bagga had recruited Akashdeep Singh, when they were together in jail. Consignment recipient Baba was a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) member, earlier arrested under the UAPA and Arms Act. Importantly, the Jammu police too had claimed some weeaks ago that three terrorists in Jammu had received a consignment of weapons from Punjab. The Punjab Police had confirmed the claim.

WEAPONS SEIZED

• 5 AK-47 rifles with 16 magazines and 472 rounds of ammunition
• 4 China-made .30 bore pistols, 8 magazines & 72 rounds of ammo
• 9 hand grenades, 5 satellite phones with the ancillary equipment
• 2 mobile phones, 2 wireless sets and Rs 10 lakh fake currency notes

Very few are aware that the Indian Army follows a principle akin to corporate social responsibility (CSR). It is done all over the areas of responsibility where it is deployed operationally.

That is true for the Northeast and J&K where it has experienced varying levels of insurgency like conditions, also termed terrorism or proxy hybrid war.

During the height of the Punjab insurgency in the 80s and early 90s, my unit ensured that we did our bit for the local people in the vicinity of the deployment area. The usual favourite was construction of playing fields for educational institutions to get the youth to play; we even provided sports items from meagre funds that were available.

Also, it was broadly understood that army units had the energy, organisational capability, positive thinking and goodwill to do something for the local people.

This principle of winning hearts and minds (WHAM) through created opportunities of fraternisation and deployment of some resources came from the experience of the British Army, which used this extensively during the Malaya campaign.

The rationale for it was simple. In low-intensity conflict situations or asymmetric warfare, it’s the local populations which suffer the maximum because neither can normal lives be led nor proper governance be brought to bear.

The Army targets the insurgent or terrorist but invariably and unintentionally the population gets affected with respect to its normal routine of life, self-esteem and dignity when homes have to be repeatedly searched or movement curbed.

All this gets the population against the Army. Hence the need to make up for these privations and also assist in some aspects of development, which has been lost due to the inability of the civilian administrators to reach the remote areas or even nearer ones due to persistent threats.

In 1997, a landmark decision was taken to launch a scheme called Operation Sadbhavna. The government provided a higher quantum of funds than before with which meaningful welfare could be organised for the affected population.

Four broad areas were selected for initial focus—education, medical aid, small-scale infrastructure and national integration. More domains were added later, including woman empowerment. In J&K the Army set up 43 Goodwill schools; they play a crucial role in providing quality education to the affected population.Through the medical aid schemes, medicines were provided for the conduct of medical camps in remote areas. Local doctors along with those of the Army attended to patients under the security provided by the Army.

It is to the Army’s credit that as part of small-scale infrastructure the first provisions for toilets for female children were made in government schools, under Sadbhavna.

Excursions for children, women, elders and other categories from time to time were organised to other parts of India to showcase progress and let the people aspire for the same in their areas through pursuit of peace.

Unfortunately, Sadbhavna is still tied down by too many bureaucratic procedures of accountability making it an unpopular pursuit for Army units who had to do both, fight the terrorist and look after the welfare of the population to prevent it from supporting the terrorist. Most units did not take this as a part of their professional responsibility, which by doctrine it is.

The success of Sadbhavna was essentially at the tactical level, except a few projects such as the Kashmir Premier League cricket tournament which helped stage 390 matches in three months and helped stave off a lot of street turbulence in 2011.

People who are unaware of the essence of counter-terror operations are today questioning the worth of Sadbhavna, not realising that it never had any strategic goals, only tactical ones to help the Army’s units conduct what is generically also called military civic action (MCA) and is an essential part of such ops conducted as part of asymmetric warfare.

The need is actually felt of taking MCA to a strategic level but be executed by many other agencies of the government in what is often referred to as ‘all of government approach’ to become one of the major prongs of countering hybrid conflict.

This will also enable outreach and engagement by the government in the manner done by the Army. Townhall kind of interactions with the population in different parts of the state with government officials willing to listen more than speak, even as medical and veterinary camps are conducted at the same site.

Post-August 5, 2019, there are quarters which feel that nothing needs to be done for the welfare of a population in Kashmir which has responded only through stone-throwing at our forces and support to terrorists.

This attitude is devoid of rationale and smacks of a lack of understanding of the larger social issues in a hybrid conflict zone. Stamina and will to persist are a must among the forces and the government servants if we have to effectively fight Pakistan’s proxy conflict in Kashmir. This is all a game of patience.

If Pakistan has the stamina to keep us engaged in a long war by a thousand cuts, it is absolutely incumbent that we must display the stamina to stem that offensive whether it takes a year, 10 years or 50.

So while the government of India effectively proceeds to unravel and dismantle the ecosystem of devious networks through its correctly perceived strategy, it must simultaneously continue to work on WHAM at a strategic level. The Army must never think of giving up on Sadbhavna which has helped maintain balance in its relationship with the people. Not for nothing is the population the centre of gravity of an asymmetric warfare campaign; always has been and will always remain so.

Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, September 29

The Western Army Commander, Lieutenant General RP Singh, yesterday visited the forward areas under the command of Golden Arrow Division to review the operational preparedness of the Army.

Major General Amit Loomba, GOC, Golden Arrow Division, and other senior officials of the formation briefed the GOC-in-C.

While interacting with the senior officers and troops, Lieutenant General Singh asked them to remain prepared to respond to any challenge at any time. During his visit to the station, the Army Commander appreciated the development works and multifarious measures undertaken by the division for the welfare of troops. He complimented the efforts put in by the division for addressing the long-pending issues of ex-servicemen and “Veer Naaris”. He urged all ranks to continue to maintain highest standard of operational preparedness and training in sync with the legacy of the division. Senior officials from the command and Vajra Corps accompanied him.

Chandigarh, September 30

Accepting Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s request for special trains for Sultanpur Lodhi to meet the rush of pilgrims expected there during the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Ministry of Railways has decided to run 14 special intra-state and long distance inter-state trains connecting the historic town from November 1, 2019.

These special passenger and express trains will facilitate devotees from Punjab and other regions, significantly Nanded and Patna Sahib, according to an official spokesperson. Earlier this month, the Centre had accepted the state government’s proposal to announce a special express train connecting New Delhi with Sultanpur Lodhi.

The ongoing works to upgrade the Sultanpur Lodhi Railway Station would be completed by the Railways before the historic celebrations scheduled to be held in November, the spokesperson said.

As per the communiqué issued by the Northern Railway, the Amritsar-Dera Baba Nanak diesel multiple unit (DEMU) would ply 60 times, between 1st and 16th November, 2019, starting from Amritsar at 9:10 PM to reach Dera Baba Nanak at 2:30 AM.

Anticipating a heavy inflow of pilgrims, the Railways would also be running another train connecting the historic towns of Dera Baba Nanak daily and Sultanpur Lodhi, which would leave Dera Baba Nanak at 7:15 PM to reach its destination at 1:30 AM. The frequency of the train would be doubled from 4th November.

The Ferozpur-Patna Junction express would run thrice between 1st to 16th November, 2019, departing from Patna Sahib at 10:45 PM on November 6, 10 and 16. For return journey it would start from Ferozpur at 12:40 AM on November 5, 9 and 14, to reach Nanded at 6:05 PM.

The weekly Ferozpur-Nanded express would start from Nanded on Saturday at 9:00 AM and reach Ferozpur via Bhopal, Agra, and Bhatinda at 10:50 PM. It would depart for its return journey from Ferozpur on Thursday at 1:30 AM and reach Nanded at 1:00 PM.  The Hissar – Sultanpur Lodhi would run 28 trips every day, as would the Sultanpur Lodhi to Ganganagar, Sultanpur to Nawanshar Doaba, and Fazilka–Sultanpur Lodhi trains. Old Delhi-Lohian Khas would run 40 trips on alternate days, leaving Delhi at 11:50 PM on Mondays.

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 27

At her home in Peerbagh locality of Srinagar, Rutba Mustafa, 18, a class XII is teaching few kids, her relatives and neighbors who study in lower classes. Voluntarily she is helping them to complete the syllabus at home as the schools continue to be shut for the last 53 days in Kashmir after Article-370 was abrogated.

“They show little interest to study as they have been disconnected from books as they have not been to schools for a long time,” says Rutba who is herself a student of Class XII.

“The atmosphere in Kashmir is very disturbing for all young people”.

The schools and colleges in Kashmir continue to be shut for last 53 days with no signs of them opening any soon as the annual exam season nears in the region’s schools sparking fears among the students of delay in the academic year and an uncertainty over their future prospects in their careers.

Some students were studying for competitive exams. Some were supposed to apply for national exams like Graduate Aptitude Test Exam (GATE). But overall, the students are in dilemma in Kashmir due to the closure of educational institutions and blockade of internet.

“The government has not any clear idea how much education is suffering and we also do not know whom to approach for any kind of help. The students are a forgotten lot. We are now taking our own initiatives to help ourselves. They will talk about education only when it is a matter of politics,” said  Muntaha Khursheed, a student of Government College for Women in Srinagar.

Earlier ,the government in August had announced to open schools in the areas where restrictions were eased but now there is no talk about schools even from the government making the students furious. Some private schools provided the students with assignments to be undertaken at home till the schools are opened. But there is a little relief for the student of government schools as no such measure has been taken.

“We have not been given any study material from our schools,” said a 17-year-old student of Government Higher Secondary School, Amira Kadal.

Students in the region are in a fix as the exam session is nearing in school but the students have neither completed the syllabus not there are any signs yet that the schools will be opened any soon.

“We do not know when the schools will open and we fear that the day it opens we should not be forced to appear in the exams when we have not completed syllabus yet,” said Misbah Rashid, a student of New Era School in Srinagar. “There is no clarity on any side”.

Another students Zainab from Linton Hall School in city said that they are studying at home but that does not suffice for the board exams.

“The main issue is that at home we remain under stress because there is only discussion about the current turmoil, there is no such atmosphere where we can study. We fear that it will affect our whole year,” she said. “There is also a rumor that situation will further worsen which makes us more anxious”.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat addressing after taking over as the new Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) in New Delhi. PTI

New Delhi, September 27  

Army chief General Bipin Rawat formally took over the baton of Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) in New Delhi on Friday.

Outgoing CoSC Chairman, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, handed over the baton to General Rawat in a ceremonial function in South Block.

Rawat, who was commissioned into the Indian Army in December 1978, has taken over as the chief of CoSC by virtue of being the senior-most officer from among the heads of the three armed services of the country.

General Rawat will continue holding the post till December this year when he retires.

Rawat, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), had been commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Army. He has vast experience in operations across a wide spectrum of conflict and terrain profiles.

The post of Chairman of CoSC assumes the position of Primus Inter Pares, or first among equals, amongst all the three service chiefs. The Chairman of CoSC is assisted by the Integrated Defence Staff, which is an agency that coordinates amongst various branches of the Indian armed forces.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15 this year that there will be a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for the country.

The Defence Ministry is at present working out various modalities and protocols that will be instituted into the office of the CDS.

As per sources, if the office of the CDS takes shape before the end of this year, Gen Rawat might be the last person to have been appointed as the Chairman of CoSC.

The post of CoSC Chairman will be abolished after the formation of the office of the CDS which will be responsible for coordinating amongst all the three armed forces. — IANS

Ranjit Thakur

Jammu, September 24

The Dogra Art Museum at the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex is being temporarily shifted to the Army headquarters building after the government sanctioned funds to facilitate renovation work.

The government has sanctioned Rs 65.38 crore under the Jammu & Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation for six projects for renovation. The work on two projects has been started while tendering and technical evaluation process is on for three projects and tendering is under process for one project.

For the conservation of the Durbar Hall, Rs 6.74 crore has been approved, whereas Rs 3.37 crore for Dogra Museum, Rs 13.23 crore for Raja Ram Singh Palace, Rs 14.81 crore for the conservation of Mahal of Raja Ram Queens, Rs 14.73 crore for Raja Amar Singh Palace and for the redevelopment of central court yard, Rs 13.71 crore has been approved.

Assistant Director, Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Dr Sangeeta Sharma said, “Though we gave anti-termite treatment every year for preserving the historical items of Dogra rulers such as textiles, arms, world famous Basoli paintings and portraits of rulers, the building needed an immediate repair and preservation.”

“We have already started the process of shifting to the Army headquarters. The entire museum will be shifted to the Army headquarters in the next few weeks,” she added.

“We have also urged the departments concerned to provide security as we have been facing a shortage of staff,” she added.

The renovation work at the historic Mubarak Mandi Complex, the royal residence of erstwhile Dogra rulers in Jammu and Kashmir, continues at snail’s pace as only 5 per cent amount out of the estimated cost of Rs 298.86 crore has been spent on the project during the past 11 years.

On September 7, Justice Deepak Gupta of the Supreme Court delivered the valedictory address at a workshop organised by the Praleen Public Charitable Trust and Lecture Committee in Ahmedabad. The following are edited excerpts of his lecture.Today’s topic, ‘The Law of Sedition in India and Freedom of Expression’, is very important and relevant.  I would like to divide this topic in two portions. Since freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution of India, this must be given its due importance and weightage while interpreting any legal provisions including the law of sedition. Therefore, I will first deal with the constitutional right of freedom of speech and expression, then with the laws of sedition, and finally the interplay between the two.

Right of freedom of speech and expression

In the preamble to the constitution, ‘We the people of India’ have promised to secure for all citizens liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. This is an inherent human right and a part of the basic structure of the constitution. There cannot be any democratic polity where citizens do not have the right to think as they like, express their thoughts, have their own beliefs and faith, and worship in a manner which they feel like.

What is a general promise in the preamble later becomes an enshrined fundamental right.

Article 19(1)(a) guarantees the right of freedom of speech and expression.  This right is a well-recognised right which includes within its ambit the right of freedom of press, the right to know, right to privacy, etc.

Article 21 prescribes that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure prescribed by law. The word ‘life’ has been given an expansive meaning and has been now recognised to mean to live a life of decency and not a mere animal existence. I am not dilating on the various aspects of the right to life but even if there was no Article 19 (1) (a) we could include the right to freedom of belief, thought, expression, faith and worship in the right to life enshrined in Article 21.

Article 25 makes it clear that every person is entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely practice, profess and propagate his or her religion.

No doubt, the state has the power to impose reasonable restriction on the exercise of such rights in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of the country, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, etc.

Also read | Book Review: Chronicling the (Mis)use of Sedition Law in India

The right of freedom of opinion and the right of freedom of conscience by themselves include the extremely important   right to disagree. Every society has its own rules and over a period of time when people only stick to the age-old rules  and conventions, society degenerates. New thinkers are born when they disagree with well accepted norms of society.  If everybody follows the well-trodden path, no new paths will be created, no new explorations will be done and no new   vistas will be found. We are not dealing with vistas and explorations in the material field, but with higher issues. If a person does not ask questions and does not raise issues questioning age old systems, no new systems would develop and the horizons of the mind   will   not expand.

Whether it be Buddha, Mahavira, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad, Guru Nanak Dev, Martin Luther, Kabir, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Karl Marx or Mahatma Gandhi, new thoughts and religious practices would not have been established, if they had quietly submitted to the views of their forefathers and had not questioned the existing religious practices, beliefs and rituals.

It is said that when Guru Nanak Dev went to Mecca, he was very tired and lay down to take rest. His feet were facing the Kaaba which, for the followers of Islam, is the house of God.  The maulvi became angry on seeing Guru Nanak sleeping with his feet towards the house of God and shouted “You fool, don’t you know this is the house of God? Why are you lying with your feet towards the Kaaba?” Then Guru Nanak woke up and said, “O sir, I am sorry I didn’t know it. I was tired so I just lay down and fell asleep. Could you turn my legs to the side in which there is no God?” The maulvi had no real answer and Guru Nanak observed God does not live in one place. He lives everywhere.

Closer home, when Guru Nanak visited Haridwar and entered the holy Ganges to take a dip early in the morning, he saw that most of the pilgrims were taking water from the Ganges, raising it towards the sun and dropping it as an offering to their ancestors. Since he did not believe in such rituals and was a rationalist, Guru Nanak turned his back towards the sun, faced the West and started pouring water. This outraged some of the priests, who asked him what he was doing. He answered, my crops in the fields are dying because of lack of water. I am watering them. Everybody started laughing and making fun of him and asked him how this water would reach his fields hundreds of miles away. He answered that if the water that you pour can reach your ancestors in another world why can’t the water which I pour reach my fields.  Today, if somebody was to behave like Guru Nanak, most probably he would have to spend a couple of days in jail.

In   a   secular   country, every   belief   does   not   have   to   be religious. Even   atheists   enjoy   equal   rights   under   our   Constitution. Whether   one   is   a   believer, an   agnostic   or   an   atheist, one   enjoys complete   freedom   of   belief   and   conscience   under   our   constitution. There   can   be   no   impediments   on   the   aforesaid   rights   except   those permitted by the constitution.