Shyam Sood

Rajouri, November 13

In response to a news published in The Tribune under the heading ‘Shelling-hit demand bunker completion’ on Monday, Rajouri Deputy Commissioner MA Asad on Tuesday organised a review meeting and directed the authorities concerned to complete bunkers in view of the deadline, November 30. The DC chaired the review meeting with Public Works Department (PWD) and the Rural Development Department (RDD) officials.

As per official details, 3,141 bunkers, including 2,806 individual and 335 community, were under construction here in Nowshera and Rajouri divisions. As the PWD (R&B) officials had already delayed the construction of 3,008 bunkers in Nowshera division, 1,892 were handed over to the RDD for early and speedy construction.

Assistant Commissioner Development Sushil Khajuria said out of the 1,892 bunkers, including 1,745 individual, 870 had been completed, 383 were at foundation level, 279 at superstructure level.

Sikh pilgrims visit the shrine of their spiritual leader Guru Nanak Dev, at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. PTI

Chandigarh, November 13

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday asked the Shirmonai Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to pay out of their own coffers the USD-20 service fee being charged by Pakistan for visiting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib as very few pilgrims have taken the Kartarpur corridor since its inauguration.

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 said it was evident that the religious body was flush with funds.

Singh 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 USD-20 fee put by the neighbouring nation.

In the first three days after a grand opening by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 9, just 897 devotees visited the gurdwara in Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor, officials said.

Singh said that “cash-rich” SGPC, the apex religious body of Sikhs, should at least bear the service fee of the “yellow card” holders who are below the poverty line and could not afford to pay the amount.

Amid reports of confusion among pilgrims, the chief minister also urged the prime ministers of both India and Pakistan to waive the passport condition for travel through the Kartarpur corridor.

He said other forms of identity proofs like Aadhaar card and driving license should also be accepted.

“These should be acceptable since there was no requirement of visa to be stamped on the passport in any case,” said Singh, who was part of the first ‘jatha’ (delegation) that went to Kartarpur Sahib through the corridor on Saturday.

“Lakhs of pilgrims were waiting to visit the Kartarpur Gurdwara on this historic 550th ‘Prakash Purb’ of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji but were held back because of these problems,” he said in a statement here.

Taking a dig at the SGPC, Singh said that “instead of flaunting their money to appease their ego and make a political point through this religious occasion, they should spend the same on supporting the devotees.”

“Why can’t the SGPC and their political masters, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and particularly the Badal family shell out some money for the actual good of the community,” he said.

Notably, the Punjab government and the SGPC had been at loggerheads over the issue of joint celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

The SGPC set up a separate stage at a stadium near Gurdwara Ber Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi to hold the main event while the state government set up its own ‘pandal’ to hold the function. — PTI 

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 8

Women of Jammu and Kashmir have shown their craze for being a soldier and guard the borders of the country on the first day of the recruitment rally organised here exclusively for J&K and Ladakh.

More than 1,000 candidates from different part of J&K and Ladakh participated on the first day of the recruitment rally organised at the Jammu Frontier headquarters of the BSF on Friday.

The Union Home Minister had announced 1,356 posts of constable in the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) exclusively for the youth of J&K and Ladakh.

The special recruitment rally (open rally) was started today for male and female candidates belonging to 22 districts of the UTs of J&K and Ladakh to fill the total 1,356 vacancies (male-1,184 and female-172) of Constable (GD) in the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in the level-3 (Rs 21,700-69,100) in the pay matrix as per the Seventh Central Pay Commission plus usual admissible allowances to Central government employees from time to time.

Hundreds of women candidates from different districts were also seen in the recruitment rally with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm.

“It is a great opportunity for us to be a part of the paramilitary forces and serve our nation. As women of Jammu and Kashmir, we have suffered a lot, but now this is the time to come out and do something for the nation and particularly for J&K,” said a woman candidate from Doda.

“Women can do anything if given a chance and I think more women should be recruited in the Army and paramilitary forces,” she added.

The recruitment process continued till late in the evening. The recruitment rally is open till November 14.

Kartarpur, November 9

The following is the chronology of major events leading up to the opening of the landmark Kartarpur Sahib Corridor linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Gurdaspur district.

1522: The first Gurdwara, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, was established by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, where he is believed to have died.

February 1999: The Kartarpur Sahib corridor was proposed by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he took a bus ride to Lahore during a peace initiative with Pakistan.

2000: Pakistan agrees to allow Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the shrine visa-free (and without passport) by constructing a bridge from the India side of the border to the shrine.

August 15, 2018: Punjab minister Navjot Sidhu attends Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony in Islamabad.

August 21: Upon his return from Islamabad, Sidhu says that Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa informed him that the Pakistan government would open the Dera Baba Nanak (Kartarpur) corridor on Guru Nanak’s 550^th birth anniversary.

November 22: Indian Cabinet approves the Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak to the Pakistan border.

November 26: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu lays the foundation stone of the Dera Baba Nanak – Kartarpur Sahib Corridor (up to the International Border) at an event at Mann village of Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

November 28: Prime Minister Imran Khan lays the foundation stone of the 4-km corridor on the Pakistan side.

December 3: Pakistan opens immigration centre at the Kartarpur border.

March 14, 2019: The first meeting between officials of India and Pakistan on Kartarpur Corridor takes place in Attari on the Indian side of the Attari-Wagah border.

March 19: India, Pakistan hold technical talks, discuss coordinates.

March 29: India conveys concerns to Pakistan over presence of Khalistani separatist on Kartarpur panel.

April 16: Experts and technicians from Pakistan and India hold technical meeting on Kartarpur corridor at Zero Point (Kartarpur).

May 27: India, Pakistan officials meet, discuss modalities for Kartarpur corridor.

July 8: Pakistan welcomes Indian media to attend 2^nd meeting on Kartarpur corridor.

June 11: Pakistan allocates Rs 100 crore in 2019-20 budget for Kartarpur corridor project.

July 14: Pakistan and India hold second round of the talks on the Kartarpur corridor in Wagah; India gives Pakistan dossier on possible attempts to disrupt Kartarpur Sahib pilgrimage.

August 30: Technical talks between Pakistan and India takes place at Zero Point.

September 4: Third round of talks between officials from Pakistan and India on the Kartarpur corridor takes place at Attari.

October 20: Pakistan to open Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, says Prime Minister Imran Khan.

October 21: India express ‘disappointment’ over Pakistan’s USD 20 fee for Kartarpur Sahib but ready to ink pact.

October 24: India, Pakistan sign agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor.

October 30: Pakistan issues Rs 50 commemorative coin to mark Guru Nanak’s 550^th anniversary.

November 1: No need for passport for Sikh pilgrims from India visiting Kartarpur, says Pakistan Prime Minister Khan.

November 4: Sikh separatists, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, feature in Pakistan’s official video on Kartarpur; India conveys its strong objections to Pakistan.

November 5: Sikh pilgrims from India visit Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan, instal golden palanquin.

November 6: India asks Pakistan to clarify if passport will be required for Kartarpur visit amidst confusion over the issue.

November 7: Indian Sikh pilgrims will require passport to visit Kartarpur: Pakistan Army; India to stick to Kartarpur agreement on visits by Indian pilgrims.

November 8: Pakistan will not charge USD 20 as service fee from Indian pilgrims visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara on November 9 and 12, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says, ending confusion over it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the first batch of over 550 Indian pilgrims travelling to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Punjab province through the Kartarpur corridor.

Prime Minister Modi inaugurates the Integrated Check Post where pilgrims will be cleared to travel through the newly-built corridor.

Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurates the Kartarpur Corridor on Pakistani side. PTI

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 1

A day after Jammu and Kashmir split into two Union Territories (UTs), the non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits here today hoped that their long-pending issues would get addressed under the new regime.

“We have been given a step-motherly treatment by the previous regimes – both by elected governments and during the Governor’s rule. The previous governments have only cared about the migrants that left the Kashmir valley (after the start of militancy around 30 years ago) and introduced relief packages for them. Though their issues need to be addressed, our problems are genuine too,” said Chunni Lal Bhat, who is the president of the Hindu Welfare Society Kashmir (HWSK), a body of non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits.

Bhat said they had stayed back in the Valley and faced several problems related to their rehabilitation and employment of the youths of the community.

“We stayed back in difficult times and kept alive the age-old traditions of Kashmiri Pandits. We, too, got internally displaced and face problems regarding our rehabilitation. We were promised suitable rehabilitation, but the promise was never fulfilled. On top of that, our youths are not getting jobs, which is forcing us to leave Kashmir. Now, we hope that the new UT administration addresses our concerns, especially those related to our rehabilitation and employment of our community members,” he said.

Bhat claimed that they had even been disallowed from meeting higher-ups during the Governor’s rule.

“While the previous regimes would at least give us assurances, we were not even given appointment to meet the Governor earlier so that we could apprise him of our concerns. We hope the new regime listens to our woes and addresses these on a priority basis,” he said.

15 Corps GoC meets Lt-Guv

Lt-Gen KJS Dhillon, GOC 15 Corps, met Lt-Governor Girish Chandra Murmu at the Raj Bhawan here on Friday and briefed him about issues relating to the security situation along the LoC and in the Valley. The Lt-Governor stressed on the importance of maintaining a sustained coordination between the security forces and the civil administration to meet the security challenges in J&K.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 18

https://youtu.be/rUdDwVqkIss

The Army’s Corps of Engineers, also called the Sappers, celebrated its 239th Corps Day at Western Command, Chandimandir, here today.

On the occasion, Maj Gen Sanjeev Jain, the Command Chief Engineer, along with other serving and retired officers, laid wreath at the Veer Smriti War Memorial to pay homage to the martyrs.

The Corps of Engineers is one of the oldest arms of the Army and has played a significant role in providing combat engineer support to offensive and defensive formations during war as well as development of infrastructure for the armed forces and other defence organisations.

The Sappers have been actively involved in constructing and maintaining roads and habitats along our vast borders and providing support to the populace during natural disasters.

57 years later, ThePrint details how the Indian Army held the Chinese back at Walong for nearly three weeks despite little resources.

New Delhi: In the 1962 India-China War, the Indian Army defended against China in all sectors except one — Arunachal Pradesh’s Walong. The Battle of Walong, which was launched 57 years ago, was the only counterattack India could manage in the war.

Outnumbered and with little ammunition and resources, the 6 Kumaon infantry battalion launched the counterattack — meant to stop an approaching enemy — between 14 and 16 November 1962.

The Indian troops held the Chinese back at Walong — India’s easternmost town, with close proximity to the Tibet region — for over 20 days.

However, the Army was asked to pull back after it could not sustain in the final leg of the battle.

For the war, Walong veteran Brigadier Kuldip Singh (retd) recalled at a recent media interaction, China had initially planned a full-fledged division as reserve for attacks on Tawang and Sela sectors, and just a regiment for Walong.

“But such was the resistance by the soldiers at Walong that China had to move the reserve division for Tawang to Walong,” he said.

Singh was from 4 Dogra, which was sent towards the latter half of the battle, to reinforce 6 Kumaon.

India suffered a crushing defeat in the 1962 border war with China. The Army has still not declassified the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report on the reasons for its defeat.

Also read: 2 persistent myths about 1962 China war are intelligence failure & Nehru’s meddling

How the battle started

On 21 October 1962, the Chinese attacked the Dhola sector in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kameng Division and a post at Kibithu, 40 km away from Walong and located on the MacMohan line, Col N.N. Bhatia (retd), a veteran of 1965 and 1971 wars who has written about the Battle of Walong in his book Kumaoni Nostalgia!, told ThePrint.

Walong’s tranquility was shattered the next day by Chinese machine guns and mortars fire from south of Sama, followed by infantry attacks on two platoons with over 300 soldiers. It started at around midnight and went on for three hours. At about 5 am, the Chinese reinforced their assaulting troops and launched another fierce attack.

“At that time, Lt Col C.N. Madiah (who was the CO) requested the government for an airstrike, but no permission was granted by the government for fear of escalation,” Bhatia said.

About 60-70 Chinese soldiers died in that attack and four Indian soldiers were killed, including Vir Chakra awardee Naik Bahadur Singh, who took over the light machine gun (LMG) after his LMG detachment was killed, and kept firing till he was hit in the chest.

In the days to follow, multiple such skirmishes and change in deployments took place, both from the Indian and the Chinese side.

Acknowledging that Kibithu could not be defended, 6 Kumaon was ordered to withdraw to Walong.

“On 23 October, another memorable incident that took place was that a company of the Army under Lt Bikram Singh was ordered to establish screen position on Ashi Hill duly reinforced with Medium Machine Guns (MMGs) and 3 inch Mortars. The wooden bridge on the Namti Nullah was demolished from our own side,” he said.

A screen position is taken to delay and mislead the enemy.

“There was a Namti Nullah over the Chu river with a wooden bridge and the Chinese had to cross that. Singh removed some planks from the wooden bridge, so the first Chinese soldier who crossed the bridge fell into the Nullah causing a commotion,” Bhatia said.

He added, “Due to poor visibility, the enemy was allowed to creep close and as their scout stepped on the spot where the bridge was blown, he fell headlong into the Nullah, alerting the Indian troops, leading them to fire heavily. The enemy was beaten back with over 200 killed/wounded for loss of three Kumaonis and six wounded,” he said.

There was a lull from 26 October onwards when the Chinese regrouped and carried out extensive patrolling of the areas.

On 5 November, there were multiple exchanges of fire between the Indian and the Chinese troops when a company under then Captain Ravi Mathur was asked to occupy Green Pimple and rescue an Assam Rifles patrol which was ambushed in the area.

Green Pimple is a tactically important hill feature between Kibithu and Walong.

“Unabated, major Chinese preparations to capture Walong were going on a hectic scale. Days later on 12 November, the enemy secured an area called Yellow Pimple, an attack on which was feasible from the ‘Tri Junction’,” said Bhatia.

The Tri-Junction in the Lohit valley lies at the north of Walong, with the West Ridge on the left and the hill features of Yellow Pimple and Green Pimple on the right, and the Lohit river flowing adjacent. Walong is divided by the Lohit river.

“Lt Col Madiah planned to disrupt enemy’s impending operations by attacking the feature from the Tri Junction, which was secured on 12 November by Adhoc Company commanded by Captain B.N. Singh,” he added.

Also read: Not China, 1962 war called India’s bluff

What happened between 14 and 16 November

The 6 Kumaon launched a counterattack on the Chinese on the morning of 14 November. They didn’t have any artillery fire support, but used the 3-inch mortars most effectively, Bhatia wrote in his book.

“Two companies launched the first phase of the attack, the Adhoc Company under Captain B.N. Singh and the B Company under command Major B.N. Sharma. The D Company was positioned at Green Pimple, and the C Company was kept as a reserve for the Tri Junction. After heavy firing between the troops, the Kumaonis under B.N. Singh was just 20 metres short of the objective,” Bhatia said.

However, the Indian troops could not sustain it further, as they suffered heavy casualties and had limited fire support. It was at this point that 4 Dogra was asked to reinforce positions at the ‘Tri Junction’.

The next morning, 15 November, the Indian Air Force’s military aircraft Dakota dropped ammunition and supplies for the troops. But before 4 Dogra could reinforce 6 Kumaon, the Chinese troops reinforced themselves and counterattacked Tri Junction.

“With their huge strength and firepower, the Chinese prevailed and only 90 out of 200 Kumaoni troops could make it to the Battalion Headquarters at Tri Junction,” Bhatia said.

In the afternoon, the Chinese attacked the Tri Junction. Captain P.N. Bhatia, the adjutant of 6 Kumaon suffered heavy injuries along with second Lt A.S. Khatri but the enemy too suffered very heavy casualties, Bhatia wrote in his book.

Bhatia told ThePrint that only 33 jawans of 4 Dogra could manage to reinforce those left from 6 Kumaon, as the Tri Junction was surrounded by the enemy from all sides.

On the morning of 16 November, the final day of the battle, the Chinese launched another massive attack to capture Walong.

“The few tired and ill-equipped Indian troops left continued to fight. A helicopter tried to evacuate the casualties, but could not land because of poor weather conditions and an absence of suitable landing ground free from enemy fire,” Bhatia said.

“But the fate of Walong and 6 Kumaon was sealed as they were surrounded by two brigade strength of the Chinese. With no fresh troops to reinforce, it was impossible to hold on any longer. The remaining troops were ordered to withdraw,” he added.

Several Indian Army soldiers were taken as prisoners of war by the Chinese. The total number of Indian casualties was at 642, of which 404 were just from 6 Kumaon. The estimated casualties inflicted on the Chinese were much higher.

After the war, China vacated most of the territory it had captured, including Walong.

Also read: During 1962 war, Nehru was ‘quieter than usual, often in a reverie and sometimes trembling’

In his book Through Wars and Insurgency Diary of an Army Officer, Brigadier Kuldip Singh recalled his experience, “We endured the elements: strong winds, heavy rain, sun & snowfall. Our Angola shirt, jersey pullover, cotton trousers & rubber sole jungle boots were most inadequate to withstand the rigours. Often, we slept on wet forest floor with crawly, creepy creatures for company. Most of us carried wounds of varying degrees, we had not a morsel of food since the morning of 15 Nov.”

“Around the fifth day, we were ambushed by the Chinese when I lost our brave Sepoy Ran Singh, walking beside me. The remainder of the group escaped & we rushed to the higher reaches of mountains,” he wrote. “We would die fighting but would not give up in keeping with the izzat (honour) of the Paltan & family.”

The lessons

Brigadier Kuldip Singh said New Delhi definitely learnt a lesson as the Indian troops had to fight with little equipment against the heavily armed Chinese.

The policy was wrong which required the Indian Army to hold on to areas close to the border, Bhatia said.

“We were not prepared and 6 Kumaon was under different divisions and brigades and there was no cohesiveness,” he said, adding that the Army posts were more like police posts with little strength.

“The junior leadership was excellent, but if we had the equipment and if our roads and infrastructure was as good as the Chinese, the situation would have been different,” he said.

In January 1963, the Time magazine wrote of the Indian troops who fought the Battle of Walong: “At Walong, Indian troops lacked everything. The only thing they did not lack was guts.”