Monthly Archives: August 2018

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Tribune News Service
Sonepat/Karnal, December 16

A 65-year-old ‘sant’ reportedly committed suicide by shooting himself dead at Singhu border on Wednesday evening.

Deceased Baba Ram Singh of Singhra village in Nissing area of Karnal district had a large following.

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Baba Ram Singh was on the seat of Gurdwara Sahib Nanaksar, Singhra village.

A handwritten note in Punjabi, purportedly left behind by the deceased, says he was unable to bear the “pain of farmers”. The note is being verified by police.

An official of the Sonepat police said they had received a call that Sant Ram Singh (65), who hailed from Karnal, allegedly shot himself.

The deceased was rushed to a hospital in Panipat where doctors declared him brought dead.

The official said the exact spot where the incident took place is being verified and police are in the process of recording statements of the deceased’s family members.

SAD spokesperson and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa expressed grief over the incident and urged farmers to exercise restraint.

“A very sad news has been received that Sant Ram Singh, who dedicated his life to the service of humanity, committed suicide by shooting himself,” he said on his Twitter handle.

According to Sirsa, the victim wrote in his suicide note that he was unable to to bear the “pain of the farmers”.

“It is a sin to suffer atrocity and witness it, which I cannot see,” Sirsa said the cleric wrote in his suicide note.

Sirsa appealed to farmers to exercise restraint.

“It is a very grave time. I request you as the chief sewadar of the DSGMC to exercise restraint because anybody can do mischief in the farmers’ agitation. It is a very sad incident for all of us but we need to be restrained,” said Sirsa.

Baba Ram Singh came at Nanaksar Gurdwara Singhra in 1990 from Nanaksar Gurdwara Jagraon in Punjab. He had also extended support of Rs 5 lakh to the farmers’ agitation this week at Singhu border. He had distributed 500 blankets yesterday to farmers at Singhu border, said Kamarjeet Virk, one of his followers.

As per the followers closed to him, Baba Ram Singh went to Singhu border today to offer ‘ardas’ (prayer).

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condoled Sant Ram Singh’s death by suicide and said the atrocity of the BJP-led Centre had crossed all limits.

“Sant Ram Singh of Karnal died by suicide looking at the condition of farmers. Many farmers have laid down their lives. The atrocities of the government know no bounds. The government should shed its ego and immediately repeal farm laws,” Gandhi said.

Body of Baba Ram Singh was taken to KCGMC, Karnal, where his followers refused to get his post-mortem done. His body was taken to Nanaksar Gurdwara Singhra, where thousands of followers had gathered. However, later the body was brought back to the hospital.

As the post-mortem was being done, Baba Ram Singh’s followers offered prayers.

Tense situation prevailed on the gurdwara premises. The followers said “maharaj ji ne sahadat diti hai kisana vaste, Modi ji, hun te kisana de sun lo” (maharaj ji sacrificed his life for farmers; Modi ji, now listen to the farmers.)

A large number of police personnel were also present outside the gurdwara.

BKU president Gurnam Singh Charuni termed Baba Ram Singh’s death as a big loss for the society.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other state have been protesting near the Delhi borders for the past three weeks, demanding that the Centre’s farm laws be repealed. — With PTI inputs

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 15

Operations in the mountains and the life of a tank man were discussed during a virtual exhibition and children’s samvad that were held virtually today as a prelude to the fourth edition of the Military Literature Festival (MLF).

Presented through video, the exhibition hosted by Lt Gen JS Cheema (retd) and Col NK Singh (retd) showcased various dimensions of training operations and mobility in mountains and high altitude. It also covered covered aspects such as medical evacuation, inclement weather, logistics, troop shelters as well as the employment of unmanned aerial vehicles and counter-terrorist operations in Kashmir.

Due to Covid restrictions, the MLF will be held virtually from December 18 to 20 this year.

dea for a Deputy Chief (Strategy) came about during the Doklam crisis when it was felt the Army Headquarters needed closer and direct coordination between its verticals.

New Delhi: The Army aims to bring in a more cohesive approach to deal with situations like Doklam and Ladakh and undertake optimal utilisation of key verticals with the creation of a new post of Deputy Chief (Strategy) at its headquarters. It also plans to have strategic communication in play in an era of 5th Generation Warfare with the creation of Director General (Information Warfare).

The two new posts, which are part of the Army Headquarters reforms being carried out, have been approved.

Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Paramjit Singh Sangha is likely to be the first Deputy Chief (Strategy).

Lt Gen Sangha, who was a key officer involved in the planning and execution of the 2016 surgical strike, has a long experience dealing with operational issues.

According to the plan, Directorate of the Military Operations (MO) and Military Intelligence, besides Operational Logistics (DGOL) and Director General (Information Warfare), will report to the new Deputy Chief (Strategy), sources in the defence and security establishment said.

Earlier, all these directorates reported to the Vice Chief individually. However, under the new set-up, the Deputy Chief will become the single-point advice person to the Vice Chief on operational issues.

Sources explained that there were a number of verticals that used to report to the Vice Chief and final assessment of issues happened at this level.

“Now we will have the new Deputy Chief who will collate all the inputs and then put forward a crystallised assessment and way forward,” a source said.

The sources said despite intelligence being a big factor in any operation or situation, the Military Intelligence was not fully utilised.

“The MO was the more dominant player in the Army’s scheme of things. A sense of competition always exists within any organisation and military is also not immune to it. Hence, it was important to have a cohesive approach to information, intelligence, operations and strategy,” a source said.

The idea for a new post came about during the Doklam crisis when it was felt the Army Headquarters needed closer and direct coordination between its verticals.

Re-organisation of the Army Headquarters was one of the four studies instituted by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat when he was the Army chief.

The Army already has two deputy chiefs who look after Information Systems and Training,  and Planning.

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Lt Gen rank officer to head Information Wing

On the new post of Director General (Information Warfare), who will report to the Deputy Chief (Strategy), sources said it was important to have a common strategy on communication.

Till now, the Army has had three main verticals looking after information warfare. This included the Army PRO who came under the Ministry of Defence, the Information Warfare unit that comes under Military Operations and the Additional Director General (ADG) Public Information (PI), under Military Intelligence.

The ADGPI has now been named ADG (Strat Comm), headed by a Major General rank officer, and will report to the Director General (Information Warfare), which will be headed by a Lieutenant General-rank officer.

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New Delhi: As winter grips eastern Ladakh, the government has asked the Army, Navy and the Air Force to stay alert and firm, and ruled out any possibility of a premature withdrawal from the Kailash ranges on the southern bank of Pangong Tso where India has the upper hand over China.

Top government sources told ThePrint that right at the beginning of the tensions in May, the armed forces were directed to be prepared for any eventuality. They also said the stand-off could last longer than anticipated and the situation was expected to simmer even if a temporary disengagement took place.

The sources also said China has been taken aback by India’s determined response to its aggression, which was done to establish Beijing’s global standing as a superpower against the US, and also respond to India’s fast-paced border infrastructure development.

The sources said while India is not looking at any escalation with China, the Chinese have found that “India is no pushover”. They added that New Delhi will be firm in all fields besides defence, even as it seeks friendly relations with Beijing.

“Shaurya and saiyam (courage and restraint) is the message given to the armed forces and everyone else in the government — ‘courage’ to take on the Chinese aggression, and ‘restraint’ in speaking out on the issue,” a source said.

The source added that this was the message given out to everyone in the government when the tensions first surfaced.

“To be frank, the Chinese military is bigger. But then China has now learnt that the Indian military is no pushover. We don’t want to escalate tensions, but if something is forced on us, Indian forces will throw punches as well. It will not be one-sided,” the source said. “We have asked the military to stay firm and be alert. They have shown extreme courage in quickly responding to the situation.”

Also read: Faster rotation, 24-hour medical support — how Army’s beating the elements in Ladakh winter

How long will stand-off last?

Asked how long the Ladakh stand-off could last, sources admitted it would be longer than initially anticipated.

“Two things were very clear from May itself. The development had the possibility of turning into a limited war kind of situation, and could last longer through the winter as India responded militarily,” the source cited above said, adding that the Galwan Valley clash was a sign of how things on the ground can change quickly.

While sources refused to give any specific timeline for a resolution, they did say tensions could continue to simmer at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) even if a temporary disengagement takes place.

Asked if the Army had committed a mistake by failing to anticipate and prevent the Chinese aggression in May itself, the source said the focus should be on how the forces responded eventually.

“Even when two experienced wrestlers are fighting, one might commit a mistake. But the focus should be on actions after that. Indian forces have responded very strongly and have refused to back down,” the source said.

The source said Indian forces have shown huge capability, giving the example of the Galwan Valley clash and of the Army’s action on the night of 29-30 August, when troops outflanked the Chinese and raced to the dominating heights of the Kailash range.

“The response was swift and fierce. Yes, we lost our men in Galwan, but not before sending a chilling message to the Chinese that they too will bear casualties. The Chinese have not accepted their casualties in public, but we are aware. Even in August, the Chinese were taken by surprise by India’s swift actions,” the source said.

Sources said there will be no premature withdrawal from the Kailash range, which China is keen on.

“When it was realised that China had no intention of stepping back, the Army was asked to come up with a plan to ensure that India has something to negotiate with. About seven or eight places were identified along the LAC where India could gain the upper hand. And hence, premature withdrawal from the southern bank (of Pangong Tso) is out of the question,” a source said.

Asked what India is negotiating for, the source said the 14 Corps Commander is the person heading the negotiations, and the specifics will not be discussed in public. But the source did say that India’s ultimate goal is to restore status quo ante.

Also read: India should be in no hurry to pull back troops in Ladakh — ex-Army chief Gen V.P. Malik

‘The weak cannot enforce peace’

Sources said the government has promised the armed forces that all their requirements will be met.

“We have given special financial powers for the services, including for capital purchases. Every single immediate demand of the forces is being put on priority and is being cleared at speed,” a source said.

The source said that peace cannot be enforced by the weak. “We have to have a strong defence which can act as a deterrent. One needs a strong military and power to enforce peace. And this is why modernisation of the armed forces is a priority,” the source said, adding that the armed forces have already gone in for large procurement of various necessary items.

“Modernisation of our armed forces has been slow over the years. It will take another four years or so for the modernisation process to show its results. A lot is being done, and a lot more needs to be done,” the source said.

Also read: Galwan clash could have been planned by China, US Congress panel report says

Indian Navy pilot Commander Singh went missing after his MiG-29K aircraft crashed into Arabian Sea on 26 November.

New Delhi: Rescue teams of the Indian Navy have recovered a body, believed to be that of pilot Commander Nishant Singh who went missing after his MiG-29K aircraft crashed into the Arabian sea 11 days back, official sources said on Monday.

They said DNA testing is being carried out to ascertain the identity of the body, which has been recovered from the site of the crash.

“There are reasons to believe that the body is of Commander Nishant Singh. However, it can be fully ascertained following the result of the DNA testing,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

Indian Navy pilot Commander Singh went missing in the Arabian sea after his MiG-29K aircraft crashed into the Arabian Sea on November 26. The second pilot was rescued soon after the incident.

The Indian Navy deployed nine warships, 14 aircraft and a number of fast interceptor craft as part of the search and rescue mission to locate Commander Singh.

Some debris of the aircraft including landing gear, turbo charger and fuel tank engine were located last week.

The Navy had ordered a high-level inquiry to investigate the incident which was third involving the Mig-29K in the last one year.

A MiG-29K twin-seat fighter aircraft had crashed in South Goa district on November 16 last year, but both the pilots had ejected safely.

Another MIG-29K crashed into the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast on February 23 this year after taking off from INS Hansa, a prominent naval air station at Vasco in Goa. The pilot of the aircraft had managed to eject safely.

The MiG-29K is an all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft developed by Russian aerospace company Mikoyan (MiG). The Indian Navy had procured a fleet of 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia at a cost of around USD 2 billion to operate from INS Vikramaditya.

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The 5.56×30 mm joint protective venture carbine is a gas-operated semi automatic weapon and has a rate of fire more than 700 rounds per minute.

New Delhi: A 5.56×30 mm sub-machine gun designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully undergone the defence ministry’s user trials, it was announced on Thursday.

The successful completion of trials has paved the way for this gun’s induction into the armed forces, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The DRDO-designed 5.56×30 mm joint protective venture carbine (JVPC) is a gas-operated semi automatic weapon and its rate of fire is more than 700 rounds per minute, it mentioned.

The final phase of the user trials completed on Monday meeting all the general staff qualitative requirements (GSQR) set up the Indian Army, it said.

“This was the last leg of trials in a series of user trials which have been carried out in extreme temperature conditions in summer and high altitudes in winter,” the statement mentioned.

The effective range of the carbine is more than 100 m and weighs about three kg with key features like high reliability, low recoil, retractable butt, ergonomic design and single hand firing capability, it said.

“JVPC has successfully met the stringent performance criteria of reliability and accuracy in addition to quality trials conducted by DGQA (Directorate General of Quality Assurance),” the statement noted.

The DGQA works under the defence ministry.

The weapon has already passed the trials by the home ministry and procurement action is initiated by central armed police forces and various state police organisations, the ministry’s statement noted.

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Work has already begun on raising the new artillery brigade, which will see larger deployment of the Ultra Light Howitzers besides other guns.

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing tensions with China in Eastern Ladakh, the Panagarh (West Bengal)-based Mountain Strike Corps (MSC) is set to get its own artillery brigade, ThePrint has learnt.

An artillery brigade is already attached to the Mountain Strike Corps’ only division but the new brigade will be attached to the Corps.

In military parlance, a division is typically constituted of three brigades, which usually consist of armoured, infantry and artillery units besides other elements. Two or more divisions then make up a corps.

Sources in the defence and security establishment said work has already started on raising the new artillery brigade, which will see larger deployment of the Ultra Light Howitzers besides other guns.

Although the grand plans of a full-fledged Mountain Strike Corps, which would have involved over 90,000 troops and expenditure of over Rs 64,000 crore across an eight-year period, was put on a back burner in 2016 due to budgetary constraints, the ongoing Ladakh conflict has shown how useful they can be, sources said.

The Mountain Strike Corps has only one division as of now. Sources, however, said there was no progress in the potential raising of another division, which is meant to be based in Pathankot.

The developments come even as the Army is reportedly looking at converting some of its fighting formations into dual-tasked ones, which would allow them to fight against both China and Pakistan.

Also read: China supplying arms, providing hideouts to northeast militants via Myanmar, India alleges

A critical component in mountain warfare

Sources said the new artillery brigade with the corps would be useful as the infantry, artillery and Air Force are critical for mountain warfare.

“The armoured elements in the heights are possible in Ladakh and some areas of Sikkim but not in the rest of the terrain. Air Power is essential but it is dependent on weather. The only thing available to act as a punisher round the clock in the mountains are the artillery,” a source said, while explaining why the guns were important.

Sources explained that while in the plains, 1:3 is the ratio needed for an offensive infantry operation, it increases to 1:9 in the mountains.

“So to counter one enemy in the heights, you would need nine of our own for offence. The dynamics of mountain warfare is very different,” said a second source.

Although originally envisaged way back in 2000, the Mountain Strike Corps was finally sanctioned only in 2013. However, the raising of the new corps, which was to be manpower- and equipment-intensive, hit a financial roadblock.

While the corps was supposed to have two divisions instead of the regular three, only the Panagarh-based 51 Division was raised.

Plans for raising of the second division were put on hold due to a paucity of funds. It was then thought that the MSC can be divided into Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs), a new concept brought in by then Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat.

The Mountain Strike Corps, also known as the 17 Corps, debuted last year in the massive exercise called “HimVijay”, which also saw the IBGs concept in action.

Also read: How Army’s artillery modernisation plan, stuck in a rut after Bofors, is picking up pace