Monthly Archives: August 2018

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, December 29

The Indian Air Force on Thursday successfully fired the ‘extended-range’ version of the BrahMos Air Launched missile from Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

The IAF said it “successfully fired the Extended Range Version of Brahmos Air Launched missile against a Ship Target from a Sukhoi -30 MKI aircraft. The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region”.

The first such test of extended-range BrahMos was carried out in May this year.

The missile cap of 300 km range on India was undone after the country was inducted into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) six years ago.

The “extended-range’ version means the missile can travel a distance greater than 300 km. Before India joined the MTCR, the Russian technology of the BrahMos was restricted as MTCR  limits the export of missile technology, which can travel beyond 300 kilometers.

With this, the IAF has achieved a significant capability boost to carry out precision strikes from the Sukhoi against targets on land and at sea over very long ranges. “The extended-range capability of the missile, coupled with the high performance of the Sukhoi, gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battle fields,” The IAF said.

Besides Russia, the US and its NATO allies and countries like Japan and Australia are part of the MTCR which was set up in 1987. 

Sukhoi jets fitted with existing version of Brahmos (300 km range) are based at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and are mandated for a maritime role guarding the sea lane of communication. In lay parlance, the jets can be used for sea strikes using the BrahMos missile. The air-launched version of the BrahMos weighs about 2.5 tonnes.

The software development and integration of weapon of the aircraft was undertaken by the IAF engineers while the Hindustan aeronautics Limited (HAL) carried out mechanical and electrical modifications on aircraft.

The Brahmos has in the past been inducted into the Army and Navy.

AP

Washington, December 29

The US State Department has approved the sale of an anti-tank mine-laying system to Taiwan amid the rising military threat from China.

The department on Wednesday said the Volcano system and all related equipment would cost an estimated USD 180 million.

It’s capable of scattering anti-tank and anti-personnel mines from either a ground vehicle or helicopter.

The announcement indicated Taiwan would be buying the vehicle-borne version, the kind of general-use weapon many experts believe Taiwan needs more of to dissuade or repel a potential Chinese invasion.

To advertise that threat, China’s military sent 71 planes and seven ships towards Taiwan in a 24-hour display of force directed at the self-ruled island it claims is its own territory, Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Monday.

The PLA would continue to launch such missions until Taiwan’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party ceases “constantly provoking confrontation and enmity between the two sides,” Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Colonel Tan Kefei said at a monthly briefing on Thursday.

“The PLA always…resolutely defends national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Tan said.

In its announcement, the State Department said the Volcano sale “serves US national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability.”      

It said Taiwan would have “no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces,” and that the sale would “not alter the basic military balance in the region.”

Analysts differ over what Taiwan’s defence priorities should be, with some calling for big-ticket items such as advanced fighter jets.

Others argue for a more flexible force, heavily armed with land-based missile systems to target enemy ships, planes and landing craft.

China’s overwhelming numerical advantage in personnel and equipment give Taiwan little choice but to opt for that more “asymmetric” approach, they say. 

Our Correspondent

Jammu, December 29

A day after security men gunned down four terrorists in an encounter at Sidhra in Jammu, Opposition parties, including AAP, Congress and PDP, flayed the claims of the J&K administration and the Central Government regarding normalcy in the Union Territory.

Opposition leaders have said that the government is misleading the country with false claims.

Jammu vulnerable

It is shocking that a hitherto peaceful Jammu has also become vulnerable during the Central rule in the UT. —Harsh Dev Singh, AAP leader

Alarming situation

The Jammu encounter is alarming. The administration should stop making fake claims and take things seriously. —Vikar Rasool Wani, UT Cong chief

tall claims busted

The government claims that it has uprooted militancy, but the spread of terrorism to Jammu belies such claims. —Mehbooba Mufti, PDP chief

Harsh Dev Singh, former minister and senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said the present dispensation had failed to curb the cross-border terrorism. Singh said mere condemnation of Pakistan could no longer satisfy the people of the erstwhile state. “It is shocking that a hitherto peaceful Jammu region has also become vulnerable during the Central rule in the Union Territory. Yesterday’s incident at Sidhra, Jammu, was an eye opener for the government. The earlier terror attacks in different parts of the region have punctured the tall claims of normalcy in the UT,” he said.

“The flawed policies of the government have resulted in unabated bloodshed and mayhem, claiming precious lives,” he added.

Take proactive steps to fortify Punjab border

PUNJAB, which shares a 425-km-long international border with Pakistan, has witnessed a nearly four-fold jump in hostile drone activity in a year. Over 250 drone activities have been reported in the state in 2022; this figure is far higher than those recorded by other states/UTs bordering the neighbouring country — Rajasthan, J&K and Gujarat. Drones are being heavily used to smuggle arms, narcotics and fake currency into Punjab from Pakistan. BSF personnel have been successful in seizing the payload of arms and drugs, though very few unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been shot down. The drone activity has seen a sharp rise in the winter, when fog engulfs the region and impedes visibility.

It is commendable that the BSF has initiated steps such as establishing a special centre to train personnel in tackling the aerial threat, implementing operational protocols and upgrading technical capability. However, the high frequency of drone activity despite increased surveillance makes it obvious that the smugglers remain undeterred. The troops need cutting-edge technology to deal with the menace. Ahead of Independence Day this year, a counter-drone system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation had been installed near the Red Fort area. It can reportedly detect and deactivate drones within a radius of 4 km. Those involved in defence R&D must factor in the ever-improving capabilities of drones being used by anti-national elements. The easy access to these UAVs is another cause for concern.

The attack on the Jammu Air Force Station in June last year, when low-flying drones had dropped improvised explosive devices, was a wakeup call for India’s security establishment. The possibility of drones being deployed on a major scale for cross-LoC terror strikes cannot be ruled out. The Russia-Ukraine war has seen the use of reconnaissance and strike drones. The latter include exploding drones and those that fly for 3-10 km and hit targets. In the worst-case scenario, the ISI and its terror assets can up the ante with these lethal UAVs. India’s armed forces need to be well equipped to deal with any such eventuality.

What is Sikhism ” ??

• A Religion, which grew from Death and Destruction
  -A Religion, whose Master gave such a physical identity that they could not merge and thus left no option but to Fight in face of adversity.( sava lakh se ek ladaoon )
• A Religion, whose followers during Mughal period had a price for each killed, today is 5th Largest Religion in the World.
• A Religion,whose First Master at time when Earth was believed to be riding on a Bull , declared presence of Countless Stars and Sky’s ( Lakh patala pataal , Lakha Aakashaan Aakaash )
• A Religion,whose First Master highlighted importance and equated Earth-Air and Water , to ones Parents and wanted it to be treated so for future sake of Generations to come.
• A Religion, whose name means Disciple , constant learning and thus humility.
• A Religion, who recognises Human race as one and in its Daily Prayer wishes well for everyone.( Sarbat Da Bhala )
• A Religion, who believes in One God across all Religions.
• A Religion, which welcomes Death just as it welcomes Birth.
• A Religion,which has shown strength of Mind over Matter.
• A Religion,which picks up shoes of every visitor to Gurudwara , irrespective of caste creed financial strength
• A Religion, which wears arms to Protect and Defend and never to Annex.
• A Religion,which provided equal rights to women before any Goverment came forward.
• A Religion, which sacrificed its own KIN to defend rights of other religion & opressed, whose 10th Master is Prayed to with Title , Sarbans Daani ( sacrificer of self and his own ) for sake of the Religion.
• A Religion, whose own gave water and medicine to those who were injured in battle and were the enemy.
• A Religion, to whom eldest child of the family was converted into.
• A Religion, which sacrificed more than any other towards Independence of India.
• A Religion, whose Gurudwaras have 04 entrances , wanting all to come in.
• A Religion , whose Holy Scripture ( Guru Granth Sahib ) is compilation of verses by Enlightened Men from all Walks and All Religions
• A Religion, which had ( till proportional recruitment was introduced) highest ratio in armed forces in respect of total population.
• A Religion , who serves millions of Free Hot Meals daily , across the Globe to anyone coming into Gurudwara , who have to sit as one irrespective of any Caste- Creed , Religion or Economic Status.
• A Religion, in their Ardaas , who prays for Mind and Ego to be low but higher intelligence.
• A Religion, with these thoughts makes me Proud , Humble and Never Ever Arrogant
  Thank you O, our 10 Masters who made us what we are today and forever. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

WHY I AM A SIKH!!

In 1964, when some of the weapons of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji were brought back from England, an Englishman, in complete Sikh form, accompanied them. Out of curiousity, someone asked the Englishman what inspired him to adopt the Sikh form. Was it due to respect for the weapons or was there some other reason? The explanation given by him at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi is something that should be of interest to all readers.
“My name was A. David. I happened to be commanding a Sikh Regiment during World War II. My Regiment suffered very heavy losses fighting the Germans. Most of the Sikh jawaans (soldiers) of my Battalion were killed.
Only a few survived and we were all surrounded by the Germans. As there were very remote chances of our survival, I called the Subedaar major of the Battalion and informed him about our precarious situation. Death was facing us and there was no chance of survival. I suggested to him that the jawans should individually attempt to escape from the enemy encirclement and save their lives.
The Subedaar Major replied, “We cannot bring ignominy to the Sikh Regiment by running away from the battlefield.” However, he suggested that they should perform an Akhand-Paath ceremony and take action as per the Divine Hukam (Holy Command). Accordingly, necessary security arrangements were made and the Akhand-Paath ceremony was completed without interruption. After the supplicatory prayer (Ardaas), the Divine Hukam from the Holy Scripture was explained to me by the Subedaar Major and the religious teacher (Granthi).
The Guru’s instruction as per the Divine Hukam was that we should not abandon the battlefield; victory will be ours. Then I conveyed to them the miracle that I had witnessed during the supplicatory prayer.
While standing with my eyes closed during the Ardaas, a fully armed Sikh on horseback with a unique grandeur appeared in front of me and ordered “Follow me.” I pointed out the direction in which the fully armed Sikh went after giving the order and asked them about the identity of the warrior. The Subedaar Major said that from the description I had given, he seemed to be none other than Sri Guru Gobind Singh himself!
So, we got ready and launched an attack in the direction pointed out by the Guru. After a short while, we were able to break through the German encirclement and save ourselves. We then got in touch with the Brigade Commander on wireless and requested for additional help.
After the war, I reflected upon the incident and the divine personality who had saved our lives from the impregnable enemy encirclement in a desperate situation by ordering me to follow him.
I made up my mind to follow him for the rest of my life. I resigned from the Army and along with my daughter, embraced Sikh Dharam with the initiation ceremony of the Khalsa. Now my name is Devinder Singh and my daughter’s name is Surjit Kaur. This is due to the blessings of Guru Gobind Singh that he made us his disciples.”

Extracted from Daily Sikh Updates/9th October 2013 at 08.36
Originally published by Manvir Singh

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਬਹੁਤ ਬਹੁਤ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ ਜੀ ।

PTI

Bijnor (UP), December 28

An FIR has been lodged against four persons in Badhapur police station of Bijnor district for allegedly assaulting a Sikh youth and forcing him to convert to Christianity by cutting his hair, police said on Wednesday.

Mahendra Singh, who belongs to the Sikh community and is a resident of Champatpur village of Thana Badhapur area, filed a complaint alleging that four persons—Balveer, Mangal Singh, Chhindar and Amrik—of his village had forcibly cut his son Gurpreet’s hair, assaulted him and forced to convert to Christianity.

Station House Inspector (SHO) Anuj Tomar said that an FIR was lodged against the four persons on the basis of the complaint.

“FIR has been lodged under sections 295 A (hurting someone’s religious feelings), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (use of criminal force), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and the matter is being investigated.

PTI

Beijing, December 27

Days after it faced nationwide anti-government protests against its stringent zero-Covid policy, China in a major shift of its coronavirus response policies has announced that it will scrap quarantine for international travellers from January 8 as it reopens its borders and comes out of international isolation after nearly three years.

Downgrades virus management

China’s National Health Commission has announced that Covid-19 management will be downgraded from Class A to B from next month. It will fall in the same category as less-severe diseases such as dengue fever

Companies welcome Beijing’s decision

Foreign firms welcomed China’s decision to end quarantines for travellers from abroad as an important step to revive slumping business activity

The National Health Commission (NHC) has announced that Covid-19 management will be downgraded from Class A to B from next month, in the same category as less-severe diseases such as dengue fever. China will cancel inbound quarantine for international arrivals starting from January 8, 2023, it said.

Earlier, passengers coming from abroad had to mandatorily stay in over two weeks of quarantine in government accommodations, which was gradually reduced to five days with three days of observation. These announcements come at a time when the country is grappling with a sudden spurt in coronavirus infections fuelled by the Omicron variant after the Xi Jinping regime relaxed its stringent zero-Covid policy earlier this month following a wave of anti-government protests.

Officials argue that the Omicron variant was not as lethal as the Delta strain, which caused massive casualties all over the world.

Covid has been managed as a top category ‘A’ infectious disease since 2020, putting it on a par with bubonic plague and cholera, South China Morning Post reported. Under Chinese laws, authorities must impose the toughest restrictions such as quarantine and isolation of the infected and their close contacts, and lockdowns to contain those diseases.

At the border, the infected must be isolated and those who might be infected quarantined, depending on the incubation period. The NHC also stopped announcing daily Covid cases from Sunday.

Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, DECEMBER 27

Two days before the parkash purab of Guru Gobind Singh, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) along with various Sikh organisations took out a nagar kirtan here on Tuesday.

The nagar kirtan started off from Akal Takh. Giani Jagtar Singh, head granthi, Golden Temple, performed an ardas on the occasion. The palanquin carrying Guru Granth Sahib was decorated beautifully.

A large number of devotees participated in the nagar kirtan, reciting ‘Waheguru’.

Starting from Akal Takht, the Nagar Kirtan passed through different localities of the walled city before concluding at Akal Takht. The localities from where the nagar kirtan passed were, Guru Ramdas Niwas, Brahm Buta Market, Bazar Mai Sevan, Bazar Kathian, Bazar Papada Wala, Bazar Bansan, Chowk Chatti Khuhi, Chaul Mandi, Dal Mandi, Dhab Vasti Ram, Jora Pipal, Lachmansar, Chowk, Babasaheb Chowk and Bazaar Paragdas.

The Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD) also organised a nagar kirtan to mark the parkash purab. After performing an ardas at a gurdwara situated on the CKD’s head office campus, the nagar kirtan proceeded to the Golden Temple. The nagar kirtan passed through different localities of the city. Gatka teams, teaching and non-teaching staff of the CKD schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanage and other institutions participated in it.

CKD president Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, who is also Local bodies Minister, welcomed the sangat that took part in the nagar kirtan and extended wishes to them.

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, December 28

The Punjab frontier remained the most active sector in the year 2022 amongst the four states that share the International Border with Pakistan, which is a nearly four-fold increase in hostile drone activity being reported.

The spike in drone activity has prompted the BSF to initiate several counter measures such as setting up a special center to train personnel in dealing with the threat from drones, establishing operational protocols and upgrading technical capability.

From January 1 to December 28, there have been 254 drone activities in Punjab as compared to 67 in 2021, according to Border Security Force (BSF) sources. This includes 221 activities detected inside Indian territory and 22 inside Pakistan.

The activity in Punjab accounts for about 84 per cent of the total drone activities reported along the entire western border this year.

In 226 out of the aforementioned instances this year, the spotted drones were fired upon by BSF personnel. Last year, the number of firing instances was only 43.

The data also reveals that in 2022, nine drones were shot down by the BSF and another 12, which may have landed or fallen due to other reasons, were recovered as compared to just a single drone being recovered last year. Another four drones were recovered by the Punjab Police this year.

Across the entire western border, that runs through the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the number of drone activities has witnessed a three-fold increase, from 100 last year to 304 this year.

Rajasthan reported the second highest number of drone activities this year, with 29 detections compared to six last year. Last year, J&K had reported 25 activities, second highest after Punjab, but this year the number came down to 16.

BSF data also shows that this year about 80 per cent of the drone detections were inside the Indian territory as compared to 64 per cent last year. Drones were fired upon in 80 per cent of the instances this year as compared to 53 per cent last year.

Drones, of various sizes and payload carrying capacity, are being increasingly used to smuggle narcotics, weapons and ammunition and fake currency from Pakistan. Most of the drone activity is at night when it is difficult to spot them. In winters, thick fog cover during the day also hampers detection

Besides relying on the drones’ audio signature for detection by ground troops along the border, anti-drone systems and spoofers have also been put in place in areas identified as sensitive.

The equipment, which includes the capability of jamming signals or disabling the GPS, is being upgraded and additional numbers are procured, BSF sources said. The resources of different agencies are also being amalgamated for optimisation.

BSF officers said that a new training centre has been set up under the Western Command to exclusively cater to the training requirements for handling drone activities. This includes training troops in detection of drones manually or through anti-drone systems and measures to neutralise hostile drones.

Recently, the BSF also set up a drone forensics laboratory in Delhi to analyse the mechanical and navigational components of recovered drones to determine their capability and flight path for formulating effective counter strategies.