Monthly Archives: August 2018

A Gharwal rifles jawan had shot dead his guard commander and later tried to kill selF

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, November 5

Upholding the sentence of life imprisonment and dismissal from service awarded by a court martial to an army jawan for shooting dead his guard commander and attempting suicide, the Armed Forces Tribunal has ruled that such cases should be dealt with strictly in order to maintain discipline.

Upholding the charges against the jawan to be legally and factually sustainable, the Tribunal held that the general court martial (GCM) had considered all the aspects in proper perspective and there was no infirmity in the order passed by the GCM.

“We are further of the view that Army personnel who are involved in such activities should not be dealt leniently. Nobody should escape from the clutches of law in order to set an example to others with a view to maintain Army discipline,” the Tribunal’s bench comprising Justice Umesh Chandra Srivastava and Vice Admiral Abhay Raghunath Karve remarked in its recent order.

The GCM had tried the jawan, belonging to the Gharwal rifles, on two charges. The first charge under Section 69 of the Army Act, contrary to Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, was for committing murder by shooting a colleague, while the second charge under Section 64(c) of the Army Act was for attempting to commit suicide by shooting himself on his chest and thigh.

The jawan, along with a Naik, who was the guard commander, and another jawan were detailed for sentry duty at night at the main gate of their unit’s complex. He had fired at the guard commander and later shot at himself. The unit’s medical officer had pronounced the Naik dead at the site of the incident while the injured jawan was moved to hospital.

The GCM had examined 19 prosecution witnesses, including the other jawan on guard duty who was an eyewitness to the incident. The defence had contended that there was no motive for the jawan to kill his commander, the prosecution could not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, there were disparities in statements of witnesses and many issues left untouched or unanswered.

The Bench held that based on statements by the eyewitness and the facts on record, the prosecution has been able to prove that the jawan had killed the guard commander and later he tried to commit suicide by firing two cartridges by the same rifle, as proved by forensic reports.

The Bench also made an important observation that some of the material placed on record clearly established that all the persons were drunk, but it could not be proved in the court of inquiry. Also it could not be established that the jawan fired upon the commander under the influence of alcohol.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 4

A book on war stories emanating from the 1971 Indo-Pak war and the 1999 Kargil conflict has been published by a retired Air Force officer based in the city.

Titled “1971.1999.War Stories”, it was released at a seminar on military history and strategy held in association with the United Services Institution in New Delhi today.

Authored by Air Cmde Nitin Sathe, a helicopter pilot now posted with Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, Mohali, the book’s foreword has been written by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary.

The first part of the book is devoted to the 1971 war and contains stories told by those who fought the war on ground or from the cockpit during interviews conducted by the author over the years. The other portion is devoted to the Kargil conflict, which covers a large area both geographically as well as emotionally, highlighting the human and humane aspects of the war besides other operations.

The author, who retired this year after 35 years of service, has undertaken an array of operational and humanitarian missions involving over 5,500 hours of incident-free flying. This is his fourth book on defence-related topics.

Benefit was earlier only for officers

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 4

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has extended the provision of pro-rata pension for those Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and jawans who join central public sector undertakings after serving 10 years in the armed forces.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal of the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare in this regard after which the ministry issued the order today.

Now, those who leave the armed forces after 10 years of service and enrol in central organisations will get their full eligible pension from armed forces, besides salary from the present employer. Till now, the pension from armed forces is subsumed under the present salary at PSUs. It means equal salary for ex-servicemen and other employees holding the same position.

The benefit of separate pension and salary was earlier given to only to commissioned officers.

The order shall cover those who join central public enterprises, central autonomous bodies, central public sector undertakings on permanent absorption.

The orders shall apply to those who were appointed in central public sector enterprises on or after June 3, 1985, or those who joined central autonomous bodies on or after March 31, 1987. However, the financial benefit in past cases will be allowed prospectively from the date of the order.

The following Veterans have contributed toward sanjha Morcha website renewal amount

• LT Gen TS Shergill—1000/-

• Maj Gen Inderjit S Dhillon—1100/-

• Major General Mohan Singh 2000/-
• .Brig Prahalad Singh 1000/-

• Brig HPS Bedi —-1000/-

• Brig Manohar Singh Ex GOG head Distt SAS Nagar 1100Commodore Randhawa 1000/-

• Col Charanjit khera 1000/-

• Col Tajinder singh USA 1000/-

• Col Shanjit Singh Bhullar 1000/

• Col Swaran Singh 1000/-

• Col Hazura Singh Jallander 2000/-

• Col Sajjan Kumar .. 1000/-

• Wg Cdr MS Randhwa Ludhiana – 1000/-

• Col Paramjit Rehsi—- 2000/-

• Major Joginder singh Kochar form Calcutta 1000/-(90yrs old )-+Rs13000/ as Loan

• CAPT Khuswant Singh Patiala 1000/-
• Hav Kuldeep singh 1100/-
• Hav Nasib Singh Mohali 1000/-2

accounts for Any More Veterans wants to contribute

Major Joginder Singh Kochar is the esteem membersof Sanjha Morcha since a decade.

Born on 18 Feb 1932 . Completed his 90 years . Born in Lyallpur now in Pakistan and witnessed 1947 partition and lucky to come by first train to India . 1953 he completed his MA aim Punjabi from Khalsa College Amritsar And joined IMA and was commissioned 1954 in Arty Regt and left Army as Major in 1976 . Had participated in Indo Pak war of 1971 in Battle of Dera Baba Nanak in DBN sector.
There after held many prestigious appointments in educational institutions in Delhi and 8 years back settled in Calcutta. Still a very active and enjoys his every day life with his grand children and great great grand children though son settled in Canada and his sons too
We wish him more happy and healthy days ahead of him . May God bless him many many more years of life

Beijing: Pakistan and China have decided to go ahead with a plan to extend China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan despite opposition from India on issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
CPEC is a key part of China’s most ambitious project Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aimed at renewing the country’s ancient trade routes.
India has consistently opposed the USD 60 billion project, which links Pakistan’s southern Gwadar port in Balochistan to China’s western Xinjiang and passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
During Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to Beijing, China on Wednesday assured Pakistan of its continued support to the country’s sustainable economic and strategic projects.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang made these commitments during meetings with Shehbaz Sharif at the People’s Great Hall in Beijing, according to the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“The two sides underscored the need for the international community to provide continued assistance and support to Afghanistan including through unfreezing of Afghanistan’s overseas financial assets. The two sides agreed to continue their humanitarian and economic assistance for the Afghan people and enhance development cooperation in Afghanistan, including through CPEC’s extension to Afghanistan,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
After reports of CPEC extension emerged in July, India strongly objected to the expansion of the CPEC projects in any third country and expressed concern about its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We have seen reports on encouraging a proposed participation of third countries in so-called CPEC projects. Any such actions by any party directly infringe on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Ministry of External Affair (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
He said India firmly and consistently opposes projects in the so-called CPEC, which are in Indian territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan. “Such activities are inherently illegal, illegitimate and unacceptable, and will be treated accordingly by India,” Bagchi added.

Islamabad: The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for carrying out 43 attacks in 18 districts of Pakistan, saying that most of the time it was either in retaliation or in defence, according to the report published by TTP.
According to the report, most of the attacks were carried out in Khyber Agency. In Khyber, 9 attacks were taken out by militants, North Waziristan 6, Dera Ismail Khan 4, Lakki Marwat: 4, Bajaur Agency: 3, South Waziristan: 2, Charsadda: 2, Bannu: 2, and Peshawar: 2
In addition to it one attack each was carried out in Karachi, Lahore, Kohat, Chaman, Pishin, Tank, Nowshera, Karak, and Mardan.
Earlier, the report issued by its media wing ” Umar Media”, claimed that overall 113 security personnel including 60 troops, 30 policemen, 19 FC, and 4 intelligence agencies personnel were killed and injured. Five vehicles and 03 constructions of security forces were destroyed. Militants got two AK 47 rifles, 1 G3 gun, and 1 LMG as booty. Ten militants were also killed in clashes and raids.
Earlier, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West raised concerns about increasing attacks by TTP in Pakistan.
“The [increase in] attacks led by banned TTP is a challenge that Pakistan has been dealing with,” said US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Afghanistan in a recent interview, as quoted by The News International newspaper.
Over US ties with the Afghan Taliban, West said: “I don’t believe that there will be any practical partnership between the US and Taliban.”
He pointed out that the Taliban’s harbouring of slain Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri was a clear violation of the Doha agreement.
The warning on TTP-led violence was given amid a sharp rise in attacks in recent months that has set alarm bells ringing in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Pakistan media reports have flagged the growing presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in the northwest part of the country, following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August last year.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s State Minister for Law Shahadat Hussain conceded that terror activities had increased sharply.
The highest number of terror incidents in Pakistan this year was recorded in September. An Islamabad-based think tank pointed to the resumption of attacks by the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
The number of terror attacks increased in September compared to August this year, the Dawn said in an earlier report citing the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
September witnessed 42 militant attacks with an increase of 35 per cent compared to August. The Pakistani think tank also observed an increase of 106 per cent in violence in erstwhile Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
In August this year, the think tank said the militants carried out 31 attacks across Pakistan, in which 37 people were killed and 55 others injured.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 3

India has rejected the “joint statement” released in Beijing following the recent visit of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif during which he met Chinese President Xi Jinping. India has objected to references to J&K as also projects under the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its extension to any third country.

“We have consistently rejected such statements and all parties concerned are well aware of our clear position on these matters. The UTs of J&K and Ladakh are and always will be integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has a locus standi to comment on the same,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

“As regards the so-called CPEC, we have conveyed our protest and our concerns to China and Pakistan. CPEC includes projects on the sovereign territory of India under forcible and illegal external occupation. We resolutely reject any attempts to utilise such projects to change the status quo in this area,” he added.

Reuters

Seoul, November 4

South Korea’s military said it scrambled fighter jets after detecting about 180 North Korean warplanes flying north of the military border over four hours on Friday.

The North Korean aircraft flew north of the so-called tactical measure line, drawn to up 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), South Korea’s military said in a statement.

South Korea scrambled 80 aircraft, including, F-35A stealth fighters, in response. About 240 aircraft participating in the Vigilant Storm air exercises with the United States continued the drills, the military said.

A flight of 10 North Korean warplanes made similar maneuvers last month, prompting South Korea to scramble jets.

The manoeuvers came after North Korea fired more than 80 rounds of artillery into the sea overnight, and the launch of multiple missiles into the sea on Thursday, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The launches prompted the United States and South Korea to extend air drills that have angered Pyongyang.

The formation of AUKUS to defend Pacific Asia came as an unpleasant surprise to India. New Delhi views it as an alliance irrelevant to a non-aligned India, as distinct from Quad. The US decision to help Australia develop a nuclear submarine dismayed India, not least because Washington had rejected New Delhi’s request for one. AUKUS prioritises the US’ contest with China over the control of international ocean lanes — and which strategic partner would help defend them.

Anita Inder Singh

Founding professor, Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution, New Delhi

With President Xi Jinping telling the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress that China will continue to practice a more assertive foreign policy, it is good that the latest US National Security Strategy (NSS, October 12) hails India as a major defence partner.

Washington, like New Delhi, wants to maintain the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, where China is the common threat to India’s territorial integrity, and the US’ only competitor. The NSS perceives China having the “the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do it.” The strategy paper warns that Beijing has ambitions to enhance its clout in the Indo-Pacific and to become the world’s leading power.

The shared aim of the US and India to preserve security in the Indo-Pacific does not hide the frequent tension between them at bilateral and international levels, especially when it comes to Russia and Pakistan. On the global plane, the NSS sees the US involved in a struggle between the world’s autocracies and democracies. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens the free and open international system by recklessly flouting international law and the UN Charter.

India’s neutrality on the Russian assault on Ukraine is merely one piece of an emerging, intertwined, bilateral and international political jigsaw puzzle, partly because both China and India-friendly Russia oppose the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, of which India is a member. Additionally, both Beijing and Moscow have condemned the rules-based order, to which Quad subscribes, as a tool used by the US to help it to dominate the world.

Two more pieces of puzzle have been created — India’s decision to buy Russian oil and the US’ annoyance at India’s choice. The US has offered to replace Russian oil, which costs India $15-20 a barrel, while the US crude costs (at the time of writing this article) more than $86 a barrel. Currently, Russian oil accounts for 21 per cent of the country’s total oil purchase, against 2.2 per cent before the Ukraine war. Oil imports from the US have fallen from more than 9.2 per cent last year to 5.4 per cent now.

Both India and the US perceive China as the primary threat to their security. To strengthen the interoperability of their armed forces with the intent of containing China, the US and India held Yudh Abhyas — joint military drills (October 14-31) — in a high-altitude area less than 100 km from the Sino-Indian frontier. Beijing opposed the exercise as meddling by a third party in its border dispute with India. All Quad countries plan to carry out more military exercises before the end of the year.

Although the NSS does not mention Pakistan, the Biden administration, in Washington’s first major security assistance to Islamabad in four years, will allot $450 million to help Pakistan modernise its fleet of F-16 military aircraft to combat terrorism. This military largesse will be bestowed on Pakistan despite the fact that since the Cold War, Islamabad has used US arms against India rather than fight America’s enemies in the Middle East or extremists in South Asia.

Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, outraged New Delhi when he visited the Pakistani-held part of Kashmir on October 5 and called it by its Pakistani name —“Azad Jammu and Kashmir” — instead of “Pakistan-administered Kashmir”, as the UN calls it.

Indeed, Pakistan represents a longstanding ‘down’ in the India-US relationship. For instance, India had assumed that the US would stay the course against the Afghan Taliban. So, in August 2021, Biden’s decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and the consequential recapture of the country by the Pakistani-trained Taliban after two decades shocked India and increased its fears of extremism spreading across South Asia.

A month later, the subsequent formation of AUKUS, comprising old allies Australia, the UK and the US, to defend Pacific Asia also came as an unpleasant surprise to India. New Delhi views AUKUS as an alliance irrelevant to a non-aligned India, as distinct from Quad, a loose arrangement comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia. The US decision to help Australia develop a nuclear submarine dismayed India, not least because Washington had rejected New Delhi’s request for one.

AUKUS prioritises the US’contest with China over the control of international ocean lanes — and which strategic partner would help defend them. Evidently, Washington wants to rely on a nuclear-propelled Australian underwater fleet to secure the Indo-Pacific.

India is the only Quad country to have a land dispute with China; the US favours a bilateral solution to their conflict. Currently, the US’ attention is focused on defending Taiwan against an aggressive China.

More generally, the question arises whether the Indo-Pacific will remain the US’ top priority as Biden increases commitments to Europe. There are more than 1,00,000 US troops in Europe today, compared to around 70,000 around the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.

At another level, the NSS refers to India as the world’s largest democracy. But domestic human rights issues have also become a bone of contention between the US and India. For instance, last April, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken alleged a rise in human rights abuses in India. New Delhi riposted that India was concerned about the state of human rights in the US. But tit-for-tat diplomacy, while common, is not the hallmark of a good relationship.

India’s simultaneous efforts to cultivate good relations with the US and Russia highlight conceptual differences between New Delhi and Washington on the Indo-Pacific and on how best to contain China in Asia, and to counter Russia’s transgression of international law in Ukraine. India and the US remain friendly partners, but separated by some distance. Narrowing that gap and strengthening their ties will enhance the Indo-Pacific security and serve the interests of both countries.