Monthly Archives: August 2018

Big bully: Smaller countries are unable to take on an aggressive China.

G Parthasarathy
Chancellor, Jammu central university, & former high commissioner to Pakistan

The ASEAN Summit in Bangkok posed new economic and strategic challenges for India. The challenges posed by China, from the days India sought ASEAN membership, continue. Chinese opposition to India’s admission, and then to ensure that India remained marginalised in ASEAN, failed. India soon secured membership as a full-dialogue partner of the then fast growing economies of ASEAN. Virtually all members have found Indian participation constructive. Within a few years, an assertive China resorted to coercion to enforce its untenable maritime border claims. Beijing often militarily seized, or threatened to seize, small islands within the maritime frontiers of neighbouring countries, including ASEAN members.

China has resorted to such aggressive behaviour with South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. It has ignored the provisions of international law by disregarding the adverse verdict of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, after it seized an island belonging to the Philippines. It is presently deploying warships on the southern shores of Vietnam. China has successfully coerced, or brought around, virtually all ASEAN members with whom it shares maritime borders, except Vietnam and Indonesia. Even Malaysia’s PM, Mahathir, who loudly echoes Pakistan’s views on J&K, acknowledges that China is too powerful to be challenged by his country.

India rightly backs the collective views of ASEAN on regional issues. But given their fears of China, many members remain silent on its aggression. India is, however, quite clear about its views on international maritime issues, stating categorically that the UN Convention on Law of the Seas determines boundaries. As an example, India cites the case of its maritime borders with Bangladesh, where it respected the ruling of an international tribunal to hand over a disputed island to Bangladesh. Japan and India are on the same page on the issue.

These differences between a hegemonic China and India are bound to continue. China has become unusually aggressive with India on a number of issues after the scrapping of Article 370. China had taken the position that the J&K issue has to be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan, ever since the visit of then Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Pakistan and India in 1996. The Chinese position changed drastically when Beijing went out of its way to back Pakistan’s stand in international forums. India has retaliated by publicly referring to the disputed border area of Aksai Chin as a part of the UT of Ladakh. Interestingly, this claim, which was supported by the Buddhist majority of Ladakh, caused consternation there.

There are sound economic reasons for India’s reservations to join the proposed Regional Asian Free Trade Agreement during the Bangkok summit without credible safeguards. India’s trade deficit with China is around $59 billion. The deficit with South Korea grew from $5 billion to $12 billion last year. Likewise, over the past decade, India’s trade deficit with ASEAN has increased from virtually nil to $14 billion. We are justified in finding fault with China’s mercantilist practices. We cannot, however, deny the reality that the growth of our exports has been dismal, and we are losing our competitive edge all across our eastern neighbourhood. Our textile industry is unable to compete with textile exports of Bangladesh and Vietnam. The government has still to enunciate any clear export promotion strategy to deal with this malady.

We are now moving ahead more successfully to balance Chinese power across our Indo-Pacific neighbourhood. Maritime cooperation is being increased with the US, Japan, Australia, France and a number of ASEAN countries, notably Vietnam and Indonesia. During the Bangkok summit, a number of ASEAN members were keen on finding ways to ensure that India remained actively involved in the region diplomatically, economically and militarily. New Delhi will now have to more actively take measures to ensure that the country becomes more competitive economically in the region and globally too.

India has used conventional measures like trade, investment and cultural exchanges for promoting friendship in its Act East policies. It has, however, ignored using the most significant asset it has, to promote its ties not just with ASEAN, but with others like Japan and South Korea. We have overlooked our immense tourism potential. India is not perceived as ‘tourism friendly’. We have ignored the spiritual strength of shared beliefs in Buddhism, to welcome Buddhist pilgrims and visitors from our eastern neighbourhood. There are 460 million Buddhists across and beyond our eastern land and maritime frontiers. The Buddhist population of China alone is estimated at around 244 million. Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and others also have millions of Buddhists. Nepal should be given special place in this effort by including Lord Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini as an important destination.

We need to formulate a master plan on how to improve connectivity to a vast Buddhist tourism circuit across states like Bihar, UP, MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Ladakh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. This effort can best be taken forward if we give China, Japan and Thailand, apart from immediate neighbours like Myanmar and Sri Lanka, a role in promoting the effort. Japan, China and Thailand could be invited to invest in and develop this project. Spiritual ties and tourism should become an integral and important part of our Act East policies.

http://

New Delhi, November 13

Britain’s Prince Charles paid obeisance at Bangla Sahib Gurdwara here a day after the 550^th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nank Dev.

He also visited the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and was briefed about the early warning weather forecast system, especially on the prediction of cyclones.

IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said Prince Charles spent nearly 45 minutes at the IMD’s National Weather Forecasting Centre, which is the focal point during cyclones.

He was explained about how cyclones are predicted with the use of tools like radars, satellites and Doppler radar.

Mohapatra said the visiting dignitary also asked about cyclone ‘Bulbul’, which hit West Bengal early this week.

“We informed him that the IMD also provides weather warnings to neighbouring countries,” the IMD DG said.

Later, he also paid obeisance at Bangla Sahib Gurdwara here.

Prince Charles was escorted by members of the gurdwara. Following the tradition, he covered his head with a scarf and paid obeisance.

He was presented with a ‘kirpan’ by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

He also did ‘sewa’ and helped in preparing chapattis in the ‘langar’ or community kitchen area and interacted with the devotees.

Prince Charles, who arrived here on Wednesday, is on a two-day visit to India.

This is his 10^th official visit to the country. During the visit, he also met President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The focus of his visit would be on enduring the UK-India ties and shared global challenges such as sustainability and climate change. — PTI

Chandigarh, November 8

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put on hold the dispensing away of services of the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Ex-servicemen’s Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinic in Chandigarh on the expiry of the contractual period.

Col KVPS Hundal (retd) had been engaged as the OIC of the polyclinic on a contractual basis for a period of 12 months from November 8, 2018, to November 7, 2019. A letter issued by the Station Headquarters, Chandimandir, on November 7, 2019, states that the extension of the tenure beyond November 7 has not been approved and his employment hence stands terminated.

In another letter issued the same day, the Station Headquarters has granted temporary appointment to another officer for a period of 89 days with effect from November 8, 2019. The board of officers for selection was held in May this year.

On November 7, a single bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Arun Monga, had ordered that status quo shall be maintained qua services of Colonel Hundal as on date a day prior to the last date of expiry of the contract.

He had moved the High Court on November 6, a day before the contract was to end. He has contended that the one-year term is extendable by another year and if there is nothing adverse against a person, a contractual employee cannot be replaced by another contractual employee. He also said he was not given any prior notice about the contract not being renewed, but issued the letter on the last day.

Further, in a letter written to the Station Headquarters today, he averred that despite the Station Headquarters and senior officers concerned being apprised of the High Court’s stay orders of November 7 the same day, two officers, along with several military police personnel, arrived at the polyclinic today and forcibly removed him from his office, which amounted to contempt of court.

Kartarpur, November 9

The opening of the Kartarpur corridor is an ointment on the wounds the people who witnessed bloodbath during the partition, former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Saturday as he thanked the prime ministers of India and Pakistan for the historic move.

During his address at the inauguration ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor, Sidhu said no one can deny “my friend” Imran Khan’s contribution in making the opening of the corridor possible.

“Imran Khan has made history,” he said. 

Calling Khan the king of hearts, Sidhu said, “Sikandar (Alexander) had won the world with fear and you won the heart all over the world.”

Former Indian cricketer-turned-politician thanked the former Pakistani cricket captain for taking the bold step to build the Kartarpur corridor “without looking at gains or losses”. 

“Both sides of Punjab witnessed bloodbath during the partition. You and (Narendra) Modi have applied ointment on the wounds of the people (through this initiative),” he said.

Sidhu praised Khan in poetic verses for his friendship and leadership.

He said Khan is the first Pakistani prime minister who took this initiative selflessly.

“It is the first time since the partition that the boundaries have been dismantled. No one can deny my friend Imran Khan’s contribution. I thank Modi ji also for it,” he said.

He said the completion of the corridor within 10 months was nothing short of a miracle. It is like coming to heaven.

He also thanked Prime Minister Modi for realising the dream of the Sikh community.

“I am thanking Modi ji also, it doesn’t matter if we have political differences, doesn’t matter if my life is dedicated to the Gandhi family. I am sending a Munnabhai MBBS-style hug to you Modi sahab for this,” said Sidhu, referring to the popular Indian movie Munnabhai MBBS which had depicted the healing power of a hug.

Taking a swipe at those who had criticised him for hugging Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa during Khan’s swearing-in ceremony last August, he said the hug has worked.

He called for opening up the India-Pakistan border for trade, saying “Ye Dil maange more (This heart wants more).”  He said the border should be opened so that the people can have ‘makki ki roti’ in Punjab (India), eat biryani in Lahore and come back after doing trade there. — PTI

CODE OF CONDUCT!
WERE WE DOING IT WRONG ?
Maj Gen Lav Bikram Chand, VSM, Retd

Prelude

I saw a TV interview of Ex AG on social media (not sure if it has been aired on NewsX). The interview gave a feel of categorising all veterans as indisciplined lacking code of conduct and self discipline. It appeared that, these remarks were based upon a detailed
study by AHQ, that they found the cause and a remedy to bad conduct by veterans and thus have arrived at a well informed decision to spell out code of conduct.
Being a third generation fauji who grew up listening to the stories of valour of mynforefathers, their units and the men it shook me.
Having retired just about a year and a half back, it made me wonder what has changed in
this short span of time? Is my Army so weak that core values deteriorate so suddenly? If
not, then how / why did we senior officers miss the initial rot setting in?
My write up is covering the journey of most of my friends from birth in Army life to
Retirement and asking some questions.

—————

I was born in an Army (Defence) Family,
It was not my choice; was it God’s? May be!
Did He get his placement wrong?
I heard stories of valour, sacrifice of my father and forefathers in the battle, across continents!(or
unit legends for that matter)
Did I Hear them wrong?
My uncles and Brothers had a choice.
Most of them joined NDA, some joined IMA and a few OTA(S). There was no compulsion, they
had best education (premier schools preferred Fauji Children then) their hearts and mind drove
them to Military training institutions
Did their heart and mind mislead them?
I saw them come home during term breaks,
Proudly wearing their crested academy blazers.
In the streets they were looked upon with admiring gazes,
Despite excellent results in final board exams;
I too joined NDA, proudly wore the NDA Blazer.
Did I wear it wrong?

I was subjected to psychological evaluation in SSBs, they found me OK and balanced.
My DivOs, Platoon Commanders assessed me for OLQ (Officer Like Quality),
If found lacking relegation; separation from your original course was a means of realisation.
No one looked down upon them, they were given honorary and respectful ranks of Brigadiers,
Generals and some even field marshals by cadets.
Did they do it wrong? Did they(cadets) get the strength of unity wrong?
We joined the Paltans, our trial by fire was set in motion.
Ustads came in many forms- NCOs JCOs, Senior Subalterns, 2IC, CO, role model
Commanders, list is endless….
Did my Ustads do it wrong?
I married, had children, they saw what Insaw in my forefathers.
They appreciated what I had become. Many joined Fauj through career or marriage.
Did they see me wrong?
Now, as I complete or have completed; decades ago my Military Service, my code of conduct is

being doubted some questions arise-
Will I make the same choice in next life?

Will I tread the same path?
Will I be willing to go through the same trial by fire?
Will Intrust my ustads?
Will I willingly follow my Commander unquestioningly into danger and certain death?
Will I remain a role model for my Children and grandchildren?
The answer my friends is a Big Big YES!!!
So my Friend, as you publicly sow the seeds of doubt regarding my character that you moulded,
I rightfully have some questions too because since I belong to olive greens by birth and hold a
proud position in my family tree.
Were the celebrations of Year of Veteran a Farce?
Are the posts of ADGPI acknowledging the work of Veterans a TRP exercise?
Is the warm send off I get from the Chief in 129D South Block a Handshake that I can still feel
and visualise fake?
Despite the Fauj making me self reliant on second innings, I still look forward to shake hands
with my serving Faujis. Why is this umbilical cord defying laws of nature?
I now have reconnected with my school
friends (and they are our first true friends), can choose who to socialise with, why do I still, so
easily connect with any fauji?

I am financially secure, can stay in good hotels, don’t think twice while ordering wine while I dine
out. Why do I still feel at home in comparatively frugal Fauji messes? Why does the Fauji rum
give a different kick? You think it is free hospitality that I look for?
Is your assessment system not strong enough to weed out most of the unsuitable elements right
in the formative years of one’s career?
Is unit dastoor so weak that I have overnight, become indisciplined?
Was the wreath laid on my father’s body on behalf of My Chief a mark of respect acknowledging
his valour in WE II, 1971 ops (for that is the last war he participated in) a show? The respect
that he (father) gets as Founding Father of 66 Field (now Medium) Regiment a put on?
I am sure beyond any doubt that, the answer to all these is NO!!!
So, my brother in arms, how can you be so sure so as to make a Public Statement on
National TV doubting my very foundation and negatively, shaking it (trying to)?
I am ever obliged to Army – since Birth. They made me into who I am (Good Man not “A
Perfect Man”).

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 2

Contemporary military and strategic issues like the Balakot air strikes and its impact, abrogation of Article 370 and the situation in Afghanistan are among the topics that will feature in the third edition of the Military Literature Festival (MLF), scheduled to be held at Chandigarh from December 13-15.

The event will be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. At least two recently retired service chiefs, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and Admiral Sunil Lanba, would be speaking at the MLF, Punjab government sources said. The festival is being organised by the Punjab Government and the Army’s Western Command.

While the former Air Chief is expected to deliberate on the strikes carried out by the IAF on terrorist camps at Balakot in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir earlier this year, a British historian of the Pakistan Air Force is expected to gives out perspective from the other side.

Congress politician and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah are among those who have been approached to speak on Kashmir-related issues such as Article 370, terrorism and economic revival.

Two notable sessions this year are on the impact and implications of jingoism and hyper-nationalism and on clandestine use of special e-tools such as Pegasus by intelligence agencies to infiltrate electronic gadgets to target individuals and garner information as part of cyber warfare operations and covert surveillance.

A total of 23 sessions on geopolitics, strategic issues, contemporary military thinking, foreign relations, history and past operations, future trends in warfare, internal security, intelligence and literature would be held during the three days that would see participation by serving and retired armed forces officers, diplomats, intelligence community, academia, security experts, and political leaders.

As a run-up to the MLF, a series of events such as shotgun shooting, golf and marathon  will be organsied in November and December.

To have 23 sessions on Geopolitics

• The Military Literature Festival is scheduled to be heldat Chandigarh from December 13 to 15. A total of 23sessions on geopolitics will be held during the three days
• Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (retd) and Admiral Sunil Lanba (retd) will be speaking at the literature fest

ISLAMABAD: 

Spiralling inflation and unemployment are the biggest problems haunting the people of Pakistan and not the Kashmir issue, according to a survey by Gallup International in all four provinces of the cash-strapped country.

The study, which was published by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan on Tuesday, said 53 per cent of respondents believe the country’s economy, specifically increasing inflation, is the biggest problem facing the country.

Worries of inflation is followed by unemployment (23%), corruption (4%) and water crisis (4%), the survey said.

While the Pakistan government is trying hard to internationalise Kashmir, only 8 per cent of the people surveyed voiced their concern over the issue.

The survey also mentions fears over political instability, power crisis, dengue outbreak among other issues.

Gallup Pakistan said the survey’s sample comprised men and women from across the four provinces — Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh.

Pakistan’s economy has struggled in the last few years.

In July, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had said Pakistan was facing “significant economic challenges” due to weak and unbalanced growth and that its economy is at a critical juncture where it needs an ambitious and bold set of reforms.

At the time, Pakistan had a currency reserve of less than USD 8 billion, enough only to cover 1.7 months of imports.

Pakistan and the IMF signed a USD 6 billion bailout package this year, aimed at returning sustainable growth to the country’s fragile economy and improve the standards of living.

New York, November 2

The US has said that Pakistan is not doing enough against terrorist groups operating from there that target India, and warned that those groups maintain their offensive capabilities.

“Pakistan did not take sufficient action against externally focused groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which continued to operate, train, organise, and raise funds in Pakistan,” according to the annual Country Reports on Terrorism for 2018 that was released in Washington on Friday.

The report warned that “Pakistan-based LeT, which was responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and JeM maintained the capability and intent to attack Indian and Afghan targets”.

“India continued to experience attacks, including by Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and tribal and Maoist insurgents,” it said.

The five terrorist hits in India last year listed in the report included the Maoist improvised explosive device (IED) attack on a police vehicle in Chhattisgarh and another attack in Andhra Pradesh that killed Telugu Desam Party MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao, and the killing of three people and the wounding of 20 in a grenade attack on Nirankaris by Sikh extremists.

It also mentioned the killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari in Kashmir and the JeM attack on an army camp in Sunjuwan that killed six soldiers and a civilian.

The report drew attention to the risk of radicalisation and recruitment by terrorist organisations using social media.

“Indian government officials continued to be concerned over the use of the internet, including social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp, for terrorist recruitment and radicalisation and the fomenting of inter-religious tensions,” the report said.

Rajiv Gauba, who was then the Home Secretary, and other senior officers met representatives from global social media companies last year to review steps to prevent online terrorist recruitment and radicalisation, according to the report.

It said that cases of online terrorist radicalisation in southern India were reported throughout the year, including reports of some recruits being smuggled to Islamic State (IS) terrorities in Afghanistan.

According to the report, India disrupted an IS-inspired terrorist cell that was reportedly planning terrorist attacks in late 2018.

“India continued to apply pressure to detect, disrupt, and degrade terrorist organisations’ operations within its borders,” the report added. IANS

Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. Photo: Twitter

Houston, November 19

In honour of fallen Indian-American Sikh police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, the Houston Police Department has changed its dress code policy to allow the minority community members to represent their faith while on duty.

On September 28, Dhaliwal, a 10-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff’s office and its first Sikh deputy, was gunned down while conducting a mid-day traffic stop in northwest of Houston.

The 42-year-old trailblazing police officer made national headlines when he was allowed to grow a beard and wear a turban on the job.

“@houstonpolice is now the largest law enforcement agency in TX to adopt a policy allowing officers to wear articles of faith on duty,” City of Houston tweeted on Monday.

“Proud to announce HPD (Houston Police Department) will accommodate Sikh officers by letting them wear their articles of faith while on duty—one of the largest police departments in the country to do so. Deputy Dhaliwal taught us all a valuable lesson about inclusion. It was an honour to know him,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted.

“Proud to stand with @SylvesterTurner and so many members of our community to announce our policy and get the word out to our greater community,” Chief of the Houston Police Department Art Acevedo tweeted.

In a news briefing, the Houston Police Department announced that they are changing its uniform policy to allow officers to wear their articles of faith while on duty in order to be more inclusive in honour of the fallen Sikh deputy, Fox News reported.

“I’m honoured,” Dhaliwal’s father, Pyara Singh Dhaliwal, was quoted as saying by the KHOU Television station.

“The honour I got from this community and from the chief, the police department and the sheriff department is … I have no words to say. So, I very much thank all of these bodies. Wonderful moment,” he said.

The New York Police Department, the Chicago Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington and the Riverside Police Department in California are the other law enforcement agencies in the US which have uniform accommodations for the Sikh officers.

Sikh advocacy groups also praised the policy change.

“This policy change shows that no one should ever choose between their faith or their career, and also that these articles of faith pose no barrier to service,” Nikki Singh, policy and advocacy manager for the Sikh Coalition, was quoted as saying by the CNN.

Dhaliwal, worked with United Sikhs, a global humanitarian relief and advocacy nonprofit, to help organise the donation of truckloads of supplies for first responders after Hurricane Harvey.

He was allowed to wear the turban and beard while patrolling the streets to bolster cultural diversity. — PTI

Photo for representation.

Jammu, November 17

A soldier was killed and two more were injured in a suspected IED blast near the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector here on Sunday, a defence spokesperson said.

The explosion took place when an Army team was on a routine patrolling duty in the Pallanwalla area, he said.

The official identified the deceased soldier as Havaldar Santosh Kumar, a resident of Pura Bhadauria village of Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

Both the injured were rushed to the hospital, he said.

Officials said the blast happened near the border fencing in the Indian territory.

The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) is believed to have been planted from across the border and detonated when some Army personnel were moving towards a forward post, they said, adding that the condition of one of the injured was stated to be “serious”. — PTI