The Indian Army is celebrating the diamond jubilee of the Battle of Walong which is as an example of bravery and sacrifice made by the bravehearts of the force in the face of Chinese aggression in 1962.
Sixty years ago the Indian Army gave a “bloody nose” to the Chinese in the Battle of Walong, Tezpur-based Defence spokesperson Lt Col AS Walia said in a statement.
“The Indian Army launched its only counterattack during the war to stall the advancing People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers. The bravehearts of Indian Army held back the Chinese troops for 27 days, which forced them to deploy its reserve division from Tawang to Walong.
“Outnumbered and with little ammunition and no resource of any kind, the valiant troops continued to hold their ground in a classic example of fighting till last man, last round,” the statement said.
This saga of valour and sacrifice serves as a tale of inspiration for generations to come, it added.
#IndianArmy is celebrating 60 yrs of Battle of #Walong, a shining example of unparalleled bravery, guts & sacrifice by soldiers fighting Chinese onslaught in 1962. The month long celebration inaugurated by GOC @Spearcorps by paying homage at the war memorial.@SpokespersonMoDpic.twitter.com/aA1lbzWwd9— PRO Kohima, Ministry of Defence (@prodefkohima) October 18, 2022
The month-long celebrations which are aligned with the operations and events as it occurred in between October and November 1962, would include lectures on the Battle of Walong at Army War College Mhow, Defence Services Staff College Wellington and in Kolkata, the statement said.
The event was inaugurated at Walong in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh by General Officer Commanding of Spear Corps on Monday.
He paid homage at the war memorial and interacted with the war veterans and also honoured the porters who participated in the battle.
An equipment display was also organised for the locals as part of ‘Know your Army’ campaign.
The event would also include a motorcycle rally, to be flagged off from Tezpur, which will traverse the battlefields of 1962, collecting soils from those areas, which will thereafter be instated at Walong War Memorial, the statement said.
The celebrations would culminate on November 17 at Walong.
A large number of war veterans and their relatives would also be honoured, the statement said.
Indus Waters Treaty: World Bank appoints neutral expert, chairman of Court of Arbitration
Decision in view of disagreements and differences between India, Pakistan over the 1960 treaty
Washington, October 18
The World Bank has appointed a “neutral expert” and a chairman of the Court of Arbitration regarding the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants, in view of disagreements and differences between India and Pakistan over the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.
Announcing the appointments, the World Bank said on Monday that it is confident that the highly qualified experts appointed as Neutral Expert and as members of the Court of Arbitration will engage in fair and careful consideration of their jurisdictional mandate, as they are empowered to do by the Treaty.
Michel Lino has been appointed as the Neutral Expert and Sean Murphy has been appointed as Chairman of the Court of Arbitration. They will carry out their duties in their individual capacity as subject matter experts and independently of any other appointments they may currently hold, the World Bank said in a statement.
There was no immediate reaction from India to the appointments.
India and Pakistan signed the treaty in 1960 after nine years of negotiations, with the Washington-based World Bank being a signatory. The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers. However, India and Pakistan disagree over whether the technical design features of Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants contravene the Treaty.
Pakistan asked the World Bank to facilitate the establishment of a Court of Arbitration to consider its concerns about the designs of the two hydroelectric power projects, while India asked for the appointment of a Neutral Expert to consider similar concerns over the two projects, the statement said.
“The World Bank continues to share the concerns of the parties that carrying out the two processes concurrently poses practical and legal challenges. The World Bank is confident that the highly qualified experts appointed as Neutral Expert and as members of the Court of Arbitration will engage in fair and careful consideration of their jurisdictional mandate, as they are empowered to do by the Treaty,” it said.l
Under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), all the waters of the eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi – amounting to around 33 million acre feet (MAF) annually is allocated to India for unrestricted use. The waters of western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab – amounting to around 135 MAF annually have been assigned largely to Pakistan.
India is permitted to construct the run of the river plants on western rivers with limited storage as per criteria specified in
GOG Purpose: they kept watch on 26 welfare scheme: without executive powers but DC’s,SDM’s, failed them : data reveals’:: a false allegation by APP govt that they were not competent a lame excuse
A top Ukrainian official on Monday claimed that Russia used kamakaze drones to attack Kiev, the latest in a series of recent strikes targeting the capital city. Taking to Twitter on Monday morning, Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s staff, said: “The capital was attacked by kamikaze drones. The Russians think it will help them, but such actions are like agony. “We need more air defence systems ASAP. More weapons to defend the sky and destroy the enemy.” Also known as loitering munitions, kamakaze drones are small aerial weapons which are destroyed after striking the target. Unlike other drones, which are supposed to return home after dropping missiles, kamikaze drones are disposable. The name derives from the Japanese pilots who volunteered to crash their planes in suicide missions in World War Two. Also confirming the drone attacks which occurred between 6.30 a.m. to 8.10 a.m., Kiev Mayor Vitalii Klitschko warned residents of the capital not to go to the city centre unless there was an urgent need. In a series of tweets, he said that the attacks triggered an explosion in a residential building in the Shevchenko district, from where a woman’s body was recovered, while 18 people were rescued. While three people have been hospitalized, one remain trapped under the rubble, the Mayor said, adding that search and rescue operations were ongoing. In a social media post, Zelenksy said: “Kamikaze drones and missiles are attacking all of Ukraine. A residential building was hit in Kiev. “The enemy can attack our cities, but it won’t be able to break us. The occupiers will get only fair punishment and condemnation of future generations. And we will get victory.” Meanwhile, Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Senkevich said that three drones had ignited the tanks in the port city late Sunday evening, just hours before the attack in Kiev. A Ukrainian air force official said the drones had flown into the country from the south, reports the BBC. Last week, Russia attacked Ukrainian cities, including Kiev, with at least 83 missiles which led to the killing of 14 people, while several regions were left without electricity and water. This was the first time since the war began on February 24 that the centre of Kiev had been directly targeted. The Russian attacks came in retaliation to Ukraine blowing up a key bridge in Crimea. I
I n another major step towards ease of living for the common citizens, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated 75 Digital Banking Units (DBU) across 75 districts to the nation. Through DBU, the government aims to provide maximum services with minimum infrastructure, and all of this will happen digitally without involving any paperwork. It will also simplify the banking procedure while also providing a robust and secure banking system. As the PM put it, people living in small towns and villages will find benefits like transferring money to availing loans. Digital Banking Units are another big step in that direction which is going on in the country to make the life of common man of India easier. The Prime Minister said that the aim of the government is to empower the common citizen and make them powerful, and as a result, policies were made keeping in mind the last person and the entire government moving in the direction of their welfare. He pointed out the two areas on which the government worked simultaneously. First, reforming, strengthening, and making the banking system transparent, and secondly financial inclusion. Recalling the traditional ways of the past where people had to go to the bank, the Prime Minister pointed out that his government has transformed the approach by bringing the bank to the people. “We have given top priority to ensure that banking services reach the last mile”, he said. A huge change from the days when it was expected that poor will go to the bank to a scenario when the banks were going on the doorstep of the poor. This involved reduction of distance between the poor and the banks. “We not only removed the physical distance but, most importantly, we removed the psychological distance.” Highest priority was given to cover far flung areas with banking. Today more than 99 percent of villages in India have a bank branch, banking outlet or a ‘banking mitra’ within 5 km radius. Extensive Post Office network too was harnessed via India Post Banks for providing the banking needs to the common citizen. Today the number of branches per one lakh adult citizens in India is more than countries like Germany, China and South Africa. Despite initial misgivings in certain sections, the Prime Minister said, “today the entire country is experiencing the power of Jan Dhan Bank accounts.” These accounts enabled the government to provide insurance to the vulnerable at a very low premium. This opened the way for loans for the poor without collateral and provided Direct Benefit Transfer to the accounts of the target beneficiaries. These accounts were the key modality for providing homes, toilets, gas subsidy, and benefits of schemes for farmers could be ensured seamlessly. The Prime Minister acknowledged the global recognition for India’s digital banking infrastructure. The IMF has praised India’s digital banking infrastructure. The credit for this goes to the poor, farmers and labourers of India, who have adopted new technologies, made it a part of their lives. UPI has opened up new possibilities for India. When financial partnerships are combined with digital partnerships, a whole new world of possibilities opens up. A huge example like UPI is before us. India is proud of this as it is the first technology of its kind in the world. Today 70 crore indigenous Rupay cards are in operation, a vast change from the days of foreign players and the elite nature of such products. This combination of technology and economy is enhancing the dignity and affordability for the poor and empowering the middle class, while at the same time it is also eliminating the digital divide of the country. He also praised the role of DBT in eliminating corruption and said that more than 25 lakh crore rupees have been transferred in various schemes via DBT.
Three members of auto-rickshaw gang arrested for robbing ex-Army man of `50,000
PUNJAB EXPRESS BUREAU Ludhiana, October 17 Three days after members of an auto-rickshaw gang targeted an ex-Army man and robbed him of Rs 50,000, Division Number 1 Police arrested three accused and recovered Rs 4,000 cash. The police also seized an auto-rickshaw which was used in crime. The accused have been identified as Pritpal Singh of Daba Colony, Pankaj Kumar of Adarsh Colony, Gagandeep Singh of Mohalla Gobindsar of Shimlapuri. According to the complainant Jaswinder Singh of village Kadiana Kalan, he is a retired Army man. He stated that after purchasing some household products from Military Canteen, he boarded a three-wheeler autorickshaw near Jagraon Bridge at around 7 pm and was heading towards Jalandhar Bypass. “There were already two persons and a driver in the auto-rickshaw and when the auto-rickshaw driver crossed Jagraon Bridge, he stopped the vehicle at a side and the two persons flashed a sharp-edged weapon. They threatened to kill me and snatched away Rs 50,000 from my pocket. They dropped me at the spot and then fled with the auto-rickshaw towards Jalandhar Bypass,” he said. He said that after the incident he immediately lodged the complaint with the police. Investigating Officer ASI Lakhwinder Singh said that after receiving the complaint the police initiated investigation and with the help of CCTV cameras traced the accused. “All the three accused who are around 27-28 years of age have been arrested. The police have as of now recovered Rs 4,000 from their possession and will recover the remaining amount soon,” said the ASI while adding that the accused are drug addicts and have committed several snatchings in the area earlier also.
Difficult to differentiate between external and internal security threats due to hybrid warfare: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate between external and internal security threats as hybrid warfare has almost eliminated this distinction. The situation has become even more complicated as latest technological advancements have expanded the nature of threats to national security, Singh said, while addressing the second convocation of the Rashtriya Raksha University at Lavad in Gandhinagar district. Singh also said social media, NGOs, the judiciary and the democracy of a country can be misused by forces working to destroy its security. “New kinds of threats are coming to the fore which have blurred the line between internal and external security. Besides terrorism, cyber war and information war are the new forms of security threats. “In addition, there are problems like human trafficking and money laundering which are different in appearance, but are related to one other. All the agencies must work in an integrated manner to deal with these challenges,” Singh said. The government has adopted a holistic approach to strengthen all aspects of national security, he said
Ferozepur: Memorials in this border town tell a tale of ‘unkept’ promises
Notwithstanding the change of guard in the state, the historic memorials situated in this border district continue to reel under apathy and neglect. To date, successive state governments have failed to develop and beautify these memorials which exhibit the indomitable spirit of sacrifice and valour.
These include the Anglo-Sikh war memorials at Ferozshah, Mudki and Sabraon, the Saragarhi Memorial, the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala, besides the secret hideout of Bhagat Singh and his comrades. All these sacred places are crying for attention and depict a tale of “unkept” promises.
Most of the pronouncements made by visiting dignitaries over the last seven decades to develop these places have remained mere lip service as practically nothing has been accomplished on ground. The only silver lining has been the commissioning of a light and sound system in Hussainiwala, where a simulation train coach, reminiscent of a train ride to Peshawar during the pre-partition era, has been set up under the “Swadesh Darshan” scheme of the Centre.
The process to develop the secret hideout of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary comrades situated in city, which is believed to be the headquarters of the “Krantikari Party”, has also not gained any momentum even though the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs had issued a notification to list the site under the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1964.
The historic Anglo-Sikh War Museum, constructed in memory of valiant Sikh soldiers who died during the Anglo-Sikh wars of 1845-46, portrays a picture of apathy and neglect. Located on the banks of twin canals on NH-95, the memorial stands “alone” on the actual war site, where the two of these wars were fought.
The state government had released a grant of Rs 1 crore for the development of Saragarhi Memorial, but it has remained unutilised for the past three years. Former IAS officer Kulbir Singh Sidhu, who was posted here as the Commissioner, said, “It is ironic that till date neither have we developed these sacred places, nor have we been able to secure national heritage status for these memorials. I had taken up the matter with the Archaeological Survey of India to notify these sites as monuments of national importance, however, after my transfer, the authorities did not evince any interest.”
In 2018, the then Local Bodies and Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, during his visit to the district, had announced that the government would allocate sufficient funds for the development of the historic memorials and efforts would be made to get them the status of national importance.
Breached: With the attack on the Crimean Bridge, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has crossed a red line that Moscow had warned him against. Reuters
MK Bhadrakumar
Former Ambassador
Two massive terrorist strikes misfired spectacularly and a terrible beauty is born in the Ukraine war. These two carefully planned attacks in quick succession — on Nord Stream gas pipelines and Crimean Bridge — were intended as a knockout blow to Russia. According to President Vladimir Putin, people ‘who want to finally sever ties between Russia and the EU, weaken Europe’ are behind the Nord Stream blasts. He named the US, Ukraine and Poland as ‘beneficiaries’.
India should expect the defeat of the US and NATO, which completes the transition to a multipolar world order.
Last Wednesday, Russia’s domestic intelligence service FSB identified Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, as the mastermind behind the Crimean attack. The New York Times and Washington Post also pointed fingers at Kiev, quoting ‘sources’. While Nord Stream-1 has been crippled, one of the strings of Nord Stream-2 remains intact. Putin said last week that the pipeline could be restored and Russia could deliver about 27 billion cubic metres of gas. ‘The ball is on the side of the European Union, if they want — let’s turn on the tap,’ he said.
But mum’s the word from Brussels. It is a profoundly embarrassing moment for the EU. The triumphalism has vanished as Europe is threatened by years of recession caused by the blowback from sanctions against Russia, where the US insisted on the cut off of energy ties with Moscow. The EU has now become a captive market for Big Oil and is left to buy LNG from the US at the asking price, which is six to seven times higher than the domestic price in the US. (Contracted price for long-term Russian supply for Germany used to be about $280 per 1,000 cubic metres as against the current market price hovering around $2,000.)
Plainly put, the Europeans have been nicely played by the Americans. India should take note of the US’ sense of entitlement. Basically, the Biden administration created a contrived energy crisis whose real aim is war profiteering.
The Crimean Bridge attack of October 8 is much more serious. Zelenskyy has crossed a red line that Moscow had repeatedly warned him against. Putin has disclosed that there have also been three terrorist attacks against the Kursk NPP. Russians will settle for nothing less than the ouster of the Zelenskyy regime.
Russia’s retaliation against Ukraine’s ‘critical infrastructure’, something Moscow refrained from so far, has serious implications. Since October 9, Russia has begun systematically targeting Ukraine’s power system and railways. Noted Russian military expert Vladislav Shurygin told Izvestia that if this tempo was kept up for a week or so, it ‘will disrupt the entire logistics of the Ukrainian military — system for transporting personnel, military equipment, ammunition, related cargo, as well as the functioning of military and repair plants.’
The Americans are cocooned in a surreal world of their self-serving narrative that Russia ‘lost’ the war. In the real world, though, Ivan Tertel, KGB chief in Belarus, who has an insider view of Moscow, said last Tuesday that with Russia boosting its troop strength in the war zone — 3 lakh troops who have been mobilised plus 70,000 volunteers — and the deployment of advanced weaponry, ‘the military operation will enter a key phase. According to our estimates, a turning point will come in the period from November of this year to February of next year.’
Policy-makers and strategists in Delhi should make a careful note of the timeline. The bottom line is, Russia is looking for an all-out victory and will not settle for anything less than a friendly government in Kiev. Western politicians, including Biden, understand that there is nothing stopping the Russians now. The US’ weapon kitty is running dry as Kiev keeps asking for more.
When asked whether he’d meet Biden at the G20 in Bali, Putin derisively remarked on Friday, ‘He (Biden) should be asked whether he is ready to hold such negotiations with me or not. To be honest, I don’t see any need, by and large. There is no platform for any negotiations for the time being.’
However, Washington has not yet thrown in the towel and the Biden administration remains obsessed with exhausting the Russian military — even at the cost of Ukraine’s destruction. And, for the Russians too, there is still much to be worked out on the battlefield: the oppressed Russian populations in Odessa (which suffered unspeakable atrocities from the neo-Nazis), Mykolaiv, Zaporizhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkov are expecting ‘liberation’. It’s a highly emotive issue for Russia. Again, the overarching agenda of ‘demilitarisation’ and ‘denazification’ of Ukraine must be taken to its logical conclusion.
When all that is over, Putin knows Biden will not even want to meet him. Hungarian PM Viktor Orban said last week, ‘Anyone who seriously believes that the war can be ended through Russian-Ukrainian negotiations lives in another world. Reality looks different. In reality, such issues can only be discussed between Washington and Moscow. Today, Ukraine is able to fight only because it receives military assistance from the United States…
‘At the same time, I do not see President Biden as the person who would really be suitable for such serious negotiations. President Biden has gone too far. Suffice it to recall his statements to Russian President Putin.’
India should expect the defeat of the US and NATO, which completes the transition to a multipolar world order. Sadly, Indian elites are yet to purge their ‘unipolar predicament’. Europe, including Britain, is devastated and there is palpable discontent over the US’s ‘transatlantic leadership’. Indo-Pacific strategy is hopelessly adrift. New power centres are emerging in India’s extended neighbourhood, as the OPEC’s rebuff to Washington shows. A profound adjustment is needed in the Indian strategic calculus.
