Monthly Archives: August 2018

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Militants lobbed a grenade in a busy market in the heart of the city, killing one person on Monday, almost three months since the Kashmir Valley shut down in response to the Centre revoking the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

At least 13 people were injured in the grenade attack, the second in less than a month, and were rushed to the nearby SMHS hospital where the condition of two is critical, officials said. The attack took place at 1.20 pm, a time the Hari Singh High Street market was crowded with people and roadside vendors.

On October 12, militants injured five people in a similar grenade attack in the area.

Security forces have cordoned off the area.

Traffic was scarce in the city with the capital of the newly created union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shifting to Jammu for the winter.

On August 5, the Centre announced the revocation of the erstwhile state’s special status under Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

On Monday, almost three months to the day, normal life remained disturbed.

Shops and other business establishments opened early in the morning but downed their shutters around 12 noon due to fewer customers following shifting of the capital to Jammu as part of bi-annual ‘darbar move’, officials said.

While public transport was off the roads in most parts of the Valley, the movement of private vehicles in the city was less than usual as a large number of government employees have shifted base to Jammu.

A large number of roadside vendors set up their stalls on the TRC crossing-Batamaloo axis in the city but the number of customers was less, the officials said.

Efforts of the state government to open schools have not borne any fruit as parents continue to keep the children at home due to apprehensions about their safety. However, board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 are going on according to schedule.

Landline and postpaid mobile phone services have been restored across the valley, but all internet services continue to remain suspended since August 5.

Most top level and second rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers—Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti—have been either detained or placed under house arrest.

The government has detained Farooq Abdullah, former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, under the controversial Public Safety Act, a law enacted by his father and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1978 when he was chief minister. PTI

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 1

The Air Force’s MiG-27 strike aircraft would fly into the sunset on the last day of this year, bringing to an end the era of ‘swing-wing’ fighters in the IAF.

IAF sources said the fleet is formally being retired on December 31 and a ceremony is being organised at the Jodhpur airbase, where the last remaining MiG-27 outfit, No.29 Squadron, also called Scorpions, is based. Besides squadron officers, other IAF serving and retired personnel who have been associated with the aircraft are expected to attend the event.

Nicknamed Bahadur in India, the Soviet origin MiG-27 was inducted into the IAF in 1984 and over the years served seven operational squadrons and other combat training and tactics-evaluation establishments. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) built 165 of these aircraft and in 2004, HAL began upgrading some of these aircraft, christened MiG-27 UPG, to enhance their combat capability and extend their service life.

Armed with rockets, bombs and air-to-surface missiles, the aircraft formed an important element of the IAF’s ground attack and tactical close support capability. They had last seen active combat in the sub-continent during the 1999 Kargil conflict when these were used, with limited effect though, to launch aerial attacks on enemy positions along the Line of Control.

While the upgraded version continued in service, the IAF began retiring the earlier ‘M’ and ‘ML’ variants a few years ago. The last ML versions were decommissioned in 2017 at the Hashimara airbase in North-East. Over the past few years the fleet, due to its age, was facing a serious serviceability problem. Like the MiG-21, India is among the last nations to operate the MiG-27. The remaining MiG-21s are expected to serve for another about four years.

No swing-wing jet in iaf’s inventory 

• The IAF’s tryst with swing-wing aircraft began in 1981 with the MiG-23, which came in two versions the ‘BN’ for ground attack and the ‘MF’ for air defence
• The MiG-23s were decommissioned in 2009 from the Halwara airbase in Punjab. With the MiG-27 also retiring, there will be no more swing-wing aircraft

Vishal Rambani

rambani@hindustantimes.com

Patiala : Principal secretary, technical education, Anurag Verma, has taken a serious note of some procedural lapses allegedly on part of Punjab technical education special secretary-cum-director Parveen Kumar Thind in giving undue benefits to a private university.

Verma has said that Thind didn’t even consult him while issuing a notification granting NOC to Chandigarh Polytechnic College for change of affiliation from Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training to Mohali-based Chandigarh University. Thind is also in the dock for removing the objections raised against the NOC by his predecessor from the file. Verma has not only withdrawn the notification, but also passed written orders to lodge an FIR if the noting of Thind’s predecessor DK Tiwari was not attached to the file.

The case has huge financial ramifications, as such an NOC can pave way for privatisation of technical education and de-regularisation of fee, which otherwise is under the control of Technical Education Board. Chandigarh Polytechnic College is managed by the same trust that looks after Chandigarh University as well.

Punjab government had rejected a similar request of Thapar University in 2016.

Verma has said that Thind issued the notification “without his nod and removed official dissenting note of previous secretary DK Tiwari from the file”.

Technical education minister Charnajit Singh Channi was in agreement for issuing the NOC, but Tiwari in January 2019 wrote a six-page dissenting note, saying “it’s against the interests of state and students”. Tiwari’s note led to closure of the file. However, after the transfer of Tiwari in August, the file was moved again. Verma joined the department on August 9 and on August 16, without even taking his (Verma’s) signatures on the file, Thind allegedly added a noting that “the matter was discussed with principal secretary (Verma). In view of technical education minister’s approval, kindly issue the NOC”.

The NOC was issued the same day under the signatures of Verma. When the matter was brought to Verma’s notice, he called the file and enquired from Tiwari, who sent a copy of the missing dissenting note. In the withdrawal letter, Verma has said: “NOC has been issued under the stamp of undersigned, without even showing file to me. The noting dated 16-01-2019 of my predecessor Tiwari, where in he had proposed that NOC should not be given, is missing from the file.”

A student takes a selfie in front of the statue of Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman (2R), put on display at Pakistan Air Force Museum in Karachi on November 12, 2019. — AFP

Karachi, November 13

Pakistan has displayed a mannequin resembling Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who downed its jet during an aerial combat and was held captive for three days, in an exhibit at a museum run by the Pakistan Air Force in Karachi, according to a media report.

Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan this week inaugurated an entire new section of Pakistan Air Force Museum where a mannequin painted to resemble Varthaman with his singature handlebar moustache has been put on display, the Express Tribune reported.

Close to his statue are placed a tea mug and the fuselage and tail of Varthaman’s aircraft, MiG-21.   

The gallery named “Operation Swift Retort”  also contains images re-enacting the moment  Varthaman’s aircraft was shot down, and photographs showing him being handed back to India at the Wagah border crossing.

Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army on February 27 after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down in a dogfight with Pakistani jets during aerial combat.

Before his jet was hit, he downed an F-16 fighter of Pakistan. He was released on the night of March 1 by Pakistan.

Varthaman, who showed courage and grace in handling the most difficult circumstances, was conferred the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest war time gallantry medal. — PTI 

Islamabad, November 19

Pakistan has resumed postal mail service with India, nearly three months after it was suspended in the wake of India’s decision to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistan media reported on Tuesday.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated it into Union Territories.

India’s August 5 decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties. Islamabad suspended all communication links with India as well as the trade ties.

According to the Pakistani media, the postal mail service with India has resumed, but the parcel service will remain suspended.

However, there was no official announcement on the resumption of the limited postal service with India.

Pakistan had not accepted any postal consignment from India after August 27 in a move seen as a retaliation of scrapping of special status for Jammu and Kashmir.

Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is also in-charge of the postal department, had said in October that Islamabad resorted to stopping postal mail service unilaterally and without giving any prior notice to India. “Pakistan’s decision is directly in contravention of world postal union norms. But Pakistan is Pakistan,” Prasad had said.

Pakistan’s move was unprecedented as the postal mail service had continued in the past even through Partition, wars, and cross-border tensions. PTI

Photo for representational purpose only. iStock

Srinagar, November 17

Rail service in the Kashmir Valley resumed fully on Sunday — over three months after being suspended due to security reasons — as the train chugged from Srinagar to Banihal through the restive south Kashmir, officials said.

The train passes through Srinagar station and the stations in south Kashmir before reaching Banihal.

A railway official told PTI that “rail service in the Valley fully resumed this morning as the train chugged from Baramulla towards Banihal”.

The official said there was only one run scheduled for Sunday, while the train would make two runs on daily basis from Monday.

The Railways conducted two trial runs of the service on the Srinagar-Banihal stretch on Saturday and then another trial run on Sunday morning before the actual service started, he added.

Rail service in the Valley had partially resumed on Tuesday as the train chugged between Baramulla and Srinagar stretch of the railway line.

The authorities have directed the Railways to ply the trains between 10 am and 3 pm only due to security reasons, the official said.

The train service in the Kashmir valley was suspended due to security reasons on August 3 ahead of the Centre’s announcement of abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union territories.

The weekly flea market here, meanwhile, witnessed a huge rush of customers, official said.

They said markets remained open around noon, after which shopkeepers downed their shutters to join the protest against abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Few mini-buses have started plying on some routes in the city and elsewhere in the valley, the officials said, adding, cabs and auto-rickshaws were also plying.

They said private transport was plying unhindered in the city here and elsewhere in the valley.

Pre-paid mobile phones and all Internet services continued to remain suspended since 5 August.

Most of the top level and second rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers—Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti—have been either detained or placed under house arrest.

The government has detained former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah under the controversial Public Safety Act. PTI

HT Correspondent and PTI

letterschd@hindustantimes.com

Amritsar/Chandigarh : The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on Thursday asked the Punjab government to bear the USD 20 service fee being charged by Pakistan for visiting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, a day after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged the apex religious body to bear the amount.

SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal, in a statement, said the SGPC was already managing the accommodation and food arrangements for the Indian Sikh pilgrims in Pakistan. “Moreover, the SGPC has very limited funds, whereas the Punjab government has various financial resources and should bear the USD 20 fee rather than asking the SGPC to foot the same,” he said.

The Punjab chief minister had on Wednesday asked the SGPC to pay out of their own coffers the USD 20 service fee being charged by Pakistan for visiting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

Pointing to the “lavish spends” of the SGPC on holding separate programmes to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in Sultanpur Lodhi on Tuesday, Singh had said it was evident that the religious body was flush with funds. Singh had said the low number of devotees crossing over to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib was not because of lack of interest but due to two conditions of passport and the USD 20 fee put by the neighbouring nation. The corridor connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan with Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur was thrown open last Saturday.

‘Revive Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme’

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also asked CM Capt Amarinder Singh to take responsibility of paying the ₹20 service fee being charged by Pakistan for pilgrims accessing the corridor by reviving the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme initiated by former CM Parkash Singh Badal during the previous SAD-BJP government. In a statement , former minister Daljit Singh Cheema took strong note of the chief minister trying to pass the buck on to the SGPC. Cheema asked CM to explain why the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme is not being revived to help pilgrims visit Kartarpur Sahib.