Monthly Archives: August 2018

Kollam, September 27

A big incident carried out by terrorists from our neighbouring country on India’s coastline cannot be ruled out but we are committed to coastal and maritime security, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.

Speaking at the 66th birthday celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi at Kollam in Kerala, Singh said India would not let anyone who bothered them “rest in peace” while referring to the air-force strike in Balakot in response to the Pulwama attack.

“We cannot rule out that our neighbouring country’s terrorists can carry out a big incident on our coastline which extends from Kutch to Kerala. As Defence Minister I would like to assure you that our country’s maritime security is absolutely strong and solidified.

“We are completely committed to coastal and maritime security,” he said.

Singh said when he was Home minister, the Pulwama incident had taken place and no one in the country would be able to forget the sacrifice of the soldiers who died in the incident.

“You know that after some days of Pulwama incident, our air force conducted airstrike at Balakot in Pakistan. We do not bother anyone, but if anyone bothers us, we will not let them rest in peace.

“The country that does not remember the sacrifice of its soldiers, it is not respected anywhere in the world,” he said.

Mandi, September 24

Director General of the Border Roads Organisation, Lieutenant General Harpal Singh reviewed the progress of work on the Rohtang tunnel. He directed officials to speed up the construction work so that the task could be accomplished within stipulated time.

The BRO has set a target to complete the task by December this year. The DG was accompanied by Chief Engineer of the Rohtang tunnel KP Purshothman and other officials of the BRO.

The Director General reviewed the electrification work on the tunnel and gave directions.

“You are doing a great job. This will give hope to the people of Lahaul-Spiti and their dream will come true. The residents of Lahaul will be connected with the state round the year once the tunnel work is completed,” Harpal Singh said, encouraging officials and workers at the tunnel.

The 8.8-km-long tunnel is an engineering marvel. Engineers are engaged in the tunnel work beneath 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass to provide all-weather connectivity to the residents of Lahaul-Spiti. It will reduce the distance between Manali and Keylong by 46 km.

The purpose of the recent visit of General Xu Qiliang, Vice-Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, to Pakistan was to convey Xi Jinping’s support for Pakistan’s core concern (Kashmir). Xu’s meetings with top political and military leadership are reflective of the close bond between Pakistan and China since the declaration of 2013 Economic Corridor.

Pravin Sawhney 
Strategic Affairs Expert

Writing in the New York Times, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has demanded that India abrogate the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019 which comes into effect on October 31. Not doing so could lead to conflict. What could be the basis of his temerity? Not the support of his army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, or the latter’s assessment of India’s unpreparedness for war.

Khan’s confidence comes from the recent visit of the Vice-Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC), General Xu Qiliang, who led a powerful delegation comprising all wings of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to Pakistan two days before Khan’s ultimatum on Kashmir. How seriously should Xu’s Pakistan visit be taken, especially when Khan’s demand, sounding outlandish, got little credence in India?

Xu, as number two to Chairman, CMC, Xi Jinping, and his confidant (their association goes back a long way when they worked in the Fujian province), runs the PLA. Serving his third term as a CMC member, Xu, as deputy secretary of the CMC’s ‘reform leading group’, was responsible for the PLA’s 2015 military reforms which spurred the US to focus — after 16 years of counter-terror operations — on state-on-state wars. As the first PLA Air Force (PLAAF) head to be appointed to the CMC, Xu is responsible for the Shaheen series of annual air forces’ exercise between the PLAAF and Pakistan Air Force in north Ladakh. Coincidently, Shaheen-VII — with the purpose of building interoperability (ability to fight together on common missions) — was being conducted in the Chinese city of Holton, 300 km north of Leh, with PAF fighters taking off from Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan, during Xu’s visit to Pakistan.

The Shaheen series started soon after December 2010 when on the eve of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India, Beijing announced that its border with India was a mere 2,000 km (India insists it is 3,488 km). China excluded Ladakh. Incidentally, north Ladakh, with poor and mostly non-existent infrastructure, is a serious vulnerability of the Indian military.

Xu’s Pakistan visit, given the timing, had two purposes. The first was to convey Xi’s full support for Pakistan’s core concern (Kashmir). Xu came to tell Pakistan that Kashmir would be Xi’s topmost agenda point when he meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11 at Mahabalipuram to take the Wuhan understanding forward. The meeting would be three weeks before the Kashmir Act comes into effect.

Xu met Pakistan President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Chief of Army Staff, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, and Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan. Meeting the top political and military leadership individually is unprecedented and is reflective of the close bond between Pakistan and China since the declaration of the 2013 China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The other purpose of Xu’s visit was to sign 10 memoranda of understanding for the Pakistan military’s capacity building. With PLA support for capacity (war material) and capability (interoperability) building with Pakistan, the realistic threat facing India is neither one front (Pakistan) nor two fronts (Pakistan and China), but a collusive front — Pakistan military supported by PLA’s non-kinetic capabilities comprising cyber, electronic and space warfare.

The PLA could disrupt or debilitate India’s power and telecommunication grids and satellite communications —most of which use Chinese components as they are inexpensive — with its impressive cyber offensive capabilities and throw normal life completely out of gear. India is not prepared for this eventuality. Or a few PLA contingents could cross the Line of Actual Control, as they did in Depsang in 2013, and simply sit there, with hot food and logistics being provided by its rear. Evicting them physically would mean war; not doing so would amount to national humiliation.

China does not need to go to war with India since its military coercion (given the huge disparity in military powers) is enough to meet its objectives. A top Chinese objective during Xi’s visit could be restoration of status quo — what Khan is demanding — in Kashmir. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had, while meeting his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on August 9 in Beijing, said, “China believes that unilateral actions (by India) that will complicate the situation should not be taken.” China has expressed its displeasure both at the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A, and the creation of two union territories.

Why a strong Chinese reaction was not anticipated and taken into account by Delhi is difficult to understand. Perhaps, the Modi government, believing in its own invincibility and of the armed forces, had felt that the passage of the Kashmir Bill through Parliament would be enough to make momentous changes. Moreover, China, given its numerous distractions, like the US trade war, Hong Kong, One Belt One Road etc, would, like earlier times, pay lip service to Pakistan. Also, China would not jeopardise its nearly $90-billion annual trade with India. Furthermore, once other major powers accept India’s position, China would, in its wisdom, keep quiet.

The coming second Wuhan informal summit is likely to prove India’s assessment (if one was done) wrong. On May 5, 2017, in a talk at the United Services Institution of India — Indian military’s think tank — Chinese ambassador in India Luo Zhaohui, while commenting on the Wuhan Summit (where he was present), mentioned the possibility of a trilateral China-India-Pakistan summit, some time in the future in passing. Perhaps, the future has come early.

Xi is likely to tell India that status quo must be maintained on Kashmir (in effect, asking India to reverse the move on Kashmir) so that bilateral talks between India and Pakistan could start. Whether Modi would be able to ignore Xi’s demand needs to be seen.

NEW DELHI: A social media message which has gone viral in Army circles suggesting that the annual leave of personnel could be shortened, is taxing the energies of Army Chief General Bipin Rawat.

He believes that it is “an attempt to spread disaffection” in what is one of the most disciplined forces in the world.

A flurry of tweets on Twitter in the last few days have suggested that the Army was mulling to decrease the number of annual leave period from 60 to just 30 days.

“This is a clear case of misinformation being bandied about as fact,” General Rawat said in an informal interaction with this paper, Tuesday.

ALSO READ: Army brings uniformity in uniform for officers above Colonel rank

He said the recent outburst of a section of ex-servicemen community on social media is clearly an attempt to create disaffection among the serving soldiers.

“The fact is that such a thing has never been discussed. It is pure misinformation,” he said.

The Army Chief, denying such a probability, said, “We have not even thought of this but some people are spreading false information through social media.”

General Rawat said, “Now since the idea has been forwarded, we can think over it.”

There are cases where due to operational exigencies soldiers are unable to avail the entire duration of the annual leave.  However, the Army allows accumulation of annual leave up to a maximum of 300 days (about 10 months), which can be encashed at the end of the service.

Leave for a soldier is important considering the associated stress involved with the services and the separation from their families for long durations.

There is the provision for 60 days’ annual leave and 30 days casual leave for soldiers, while casual leave allowed to officer is 20 days.

Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria took charge as the 26th chief of the Indian Air Force. Image: Twitter/@IAF_MCC

New Delhi, September 30

Hours after taking charge as the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Monday said his force is monitoring the evolving “developments” in the region and is fully prepared to deal with any “contingency”.

The IAF chief also said induction of Rafale aircraft into the force will enhance combat capabilities of IAF over India’s adversaries.

“We are monitoring the developments and I reassure the country that we are ready to deal with any situation where our services are required by the nation. We are always vigilant and are fully prepared to deal with any contingency,” Bhadauria told PTI.

Asked about Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat’s recent comments that the Balakot terrorist training camp in Pakistan has been reactivated, the Air Chief Marshal said, “We are prepared for any eventuality and will carry out any mission as directed by the government.”

Earlier, Bhadauria took charge as the 26^th chief of the Indian Air Force. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, who retired after 41 years of service in the IAF.

Air Marshal Bhadauria was commissioned in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in June 1980, and has held various command, staff and instructional positions.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Bhadauria was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1980 and won the coveted ‘Sword of Honour’ for standing first in the overall order of merit.

During his nearly four-decade career, Bhadauria commanded a Jaguar squadron and a premier Air Force Station.

He devised a method for carrying bombing from the Jaguar aircraft using the Global Positioning System (GPS). This was especially relevant for the bombing role of Jaguar aircraft in Operation Safed Sagar in 1999.

Bhadauria also has 4,250 hours of flying experience on 26 types of fighters and transport aircraft.

Indian Air Force✔@IAF_MCC

Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, took over as 26th Chief of the Indian Air Force today.
He was commissioned into the fighter stream of IAF in Jun 1980.

Bhadauria is one of the few Air Force pilots to fly a Rafale jet. In July, during Exercise Garuda between the Air Forces of India and France, Bhadauria had flown the Rafale aircraft.

He was the Air Attache at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects), Commandant of the National Defence Academy, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Head Quarter and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Air Command. —PTI

Our Correspondent
Palampur, September 28

The mortal remains of Lieutenant-Colonel Rajneesh Parmar of the Army Aviation Corps, who died in a copter crash in Bhutan, could not reach here till this afternoon.

Official sources said because of certain formalities at the Army headquarters, the arrival of the body of Col Parmar was delayed. It is likely to reach late today and the cremation will take place tomorrow morning. Col Parmar was imparting training to pilots of the Bhutanese army.

Ved Parmar, his uncle, expressed disappointment over the delay in replacing the obsolete helicopters. “We will appeal to the government to replace these. My nephew will never come back, but the lives of others can be saved with the introduction of new choppers,” said he. It was his birthday yesterday. His father called him up in the morning but he was busy. He just said, “Thanks Papa, I will speak to you in the evening,” said the father of Rajneesh.

His father said 42-year-old Rajneesh had left behind his wife and a 12-year-old child, who studies in Army school at Bikaner. Rajneesh lost his life when an Army chopper ‘Cheetah’ crashed near Yongphulla in Bhutan.

Home to the largest number of defence personnel, Rewari is seeking increased representation of the fraternity in the government.

In a letter to the state BJP, the community has sought allotment of at least five tickets in the Haryana Assembly elections. Col (retd) Mahavir Yadav, president of The Martyrs’ Welfare Foundation, put forth the demand saying this was required to change the face of Ahirwal.

“Ahirwal has maximum defence families who have some specific expectations and requirements. An ex-serviceman will be able to understand and connect better with our issues and voice them. The BJP has done a lot for us but much is still required to be done,” he said.

He said the southern region of Ahirwal had contributed significantly to the nation and also supported the BJP in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It was high time that it got due representation to voice the welfare concerns of defence personnel.