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As part of the exercise, swift mobilisation and deployment practices were carried out in various locations across North Bengal, the Army said.
New Delhi, January 31
A 10-day joint training exercise ‘trishakti prahar’ concluded in the strategically vital Siliguri corridor, in North Bengal today.
The aim of the exercise was to practice battle preparedness of using latest weapons and equipment in a networked environment, involving all arms and services of the Army, the Indian Air Force and central armed police forces (CAPF).
As part of the exercise, swift mobilisation and deployment practices were carried out in various locations across North Bengal, the Army said.
The exercise culminated with an integrated fire power exercise in Teesta Field Firing Ranges, near Siliguri.
In 2018, a Parliamentary committee has termed the 73-day Doklam military standoff as a “blatant” attempt by China to change the boundary to “dominate” India’s Siliguri corridor. It had raised questions over Chinese infrastructure being “uncomfortably” close to India-Bhutan-China tri-junction.
The Fire Power Exercise was aimed at synergising the firepower assets of the Indian Armed Forces and CAPFs to orchestrate an integrated battle.
Beside the Rafale fighter aircraft, the helicopters, tanks, infantry combat vehicles, artillery guns and various new generation weapons and equipment were deployed in a networked environmen
Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen RP Kalita, reviwed the exercise. Senior officers of BSF, ITBP, SSB and civil administration also witnessed the exercise.
New Delhi, January 31
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday said the state capital will be shifted to Visakhapatnam.
Speaking at the preparatory meeting for the Global Investors Summit to be held in Visakhapatnam in March, he said he also would be shifting his office to the port city in the months to come.
“Here I am to invite you to Visakhapatnam which is going to be our capital in the days to come. I myself would also be shifting over to Visakhapatnam in the months to come as well,” he told the investors at the meeting.
The N Chandrababu Naidu-led government in 2015 acquired over 33,000 acres of land from farmers to develop Amaravati as the capital of the state.
After Jagan Mohan Reddy took over in 2019, the state government wanted to have three capitals-Visakhapatnam-Executive Capital, Amaravati-Legislative capital and Kurnool-Judicial capital and passed an appropriate legislation.
The Jagan Mohan Reddy government passed a Bill in the Assembly in November last year, repealing the controversial AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020, which was intended to establish three capitals for the state.
Without putting any timeframe, Jagan, speaking on the floor of the Assembly said the government would come out with a “comprehensive, complete and better” Bill after plugging loopholes in the previous version.
In March last year, the Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled against the three capitals and directed the government to develop Amaravati as the state capital as envisaged.
The Court also in its verdict on March 3, 2022 said the state Legislature lacked competence to make any legislation for shifting, bifurcating or trifurcating the capital.
The state government filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court Order.
The High Court also set timelines for the development of Amaravati.
Several ministers have been categorically saying that the government would come up with a new Bill on the three capitals issue, the ongoing litigation in the Supreme Court notwithstanding.
London, January 31
Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh was recently conferred a Lifetime Achievement Honour by the India-UK Achievers Honours in London for his contribution to economic and political life.
The Honour, announced at an awards ceremony last week, will be handed over to Dr Singh in New Delhi by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK at a later date.
The India-UK Achievers Honours by NISAU UK, in partnership with the British Council in India and the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT), celebrate the achievements of Indian students who studied at British universities and the Lifetime Achievement Honour is a nod to Dr Singh’s academic achievements at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
“I am very touched by this gesture, which is especially meaningful coming from young people who are the future of our country and of the ties between our two countries,” Dr Singh said in a written message
“The India-UK relationship is indeed especially defined by our educational partnership. The founding fathers of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Sardar Patel and many others studied in the UK and went on to become great leaders, leaving a legacy which continues to inspire India and the world. Over the years countless Indian students have had the opportunity to study in the UK,” said the 90-year-old economist, who served as prime minister from 2004-2014.
To mark 75 years of India’s independence, the first-ever India UK Achievers Honours covered 75 high achievers and some key Outstanding Achievers who bolster the India-UK diaspora living bridge.
British Indian peer Lord Karan Bilimoria received the Living Legend Honour at the awards ceremony on January 25.
“All who have won awards are the living bridge that is spoken about by both countries. Their achievements create inspiration here in the UK and in India,” said Bilimoria, a patron of NISAU UK.
Opposition Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma, another a patron of NISAU UK, was also conferred the Living Legend Honour.
“India and the UK are natural collaborators, allies and friends. Where once was a relationship based on exploitation, now rests a partnership of equals, representing democracy, industry and technology,” said Sharma.h
According to NISAU UK, a plethora of nominations went through a rigorous selection process by an eminent jury, shortlisting India’s 75 top achievers and eight outstanding achievers.
“Working on the Honours has been an unforgettable experience for the NISAU UK team. We have always known that the work of Indian graduates of British universities was extraordinary, but I don’t think even we realised just how profoundly world-changing it is,” said Sanam Arora, NISAU UK Chair.
Among the Outstanding Achievers honoured included Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Raghav Chadha, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla and Indian women’s football team goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan. AK
ANI
New Delhi, January 31
Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had “allowed” militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to grow into a sort of Frankenstein monster and decided to “finish him off” when he reached the pinnacle, claims Lt Gen (retd) Kuldeep Singh Brar who led the 1984 Operation Bluestar to flush out extremists from the Golden Temple.
In the recent episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, the retired 1971 war veteran, Lt Gen (retd) Brar said, “No one wants an operation, but what do you do? Indira Gandhi allowed him to become Frankenstein. You could see every year what was happening. But when he reached the pinnacle, now finish him off, now destroy him. It’s too late.” He claimed that the then-political leadership had allowed the Bhindranwale cult to flourish.
“They had their own little problem support between Akali and Congress. They allowed this cult of Bhindranwale to continue,” the retired army officer said.
In the episode titled “Never before heard stories from the man who led Operation Blue Star” Lt Gen Kuldip Singh Brar recalled the situation of Punjab in the 1980s at a time when he said Bhindranwale was in full control of the state
“In the 1980s, let’s say 1982, 83, 84, things were very bad over there. There was no law and order at all. Lot of police were afraid of taking action against anyone because Bhindranwale had become so powerful. He had become like a Frankenstein. His orders were the last orders,” he said.
Lt Gen Brar said that law and order had completely collapsed in Punjab and the “feeling of Khalistan” was building up.
“In the beginning of 1984, the feeling was very strong that they are going to declare Khalistan. The youth were without jobs. They had motorcycles and scooters and they roamed around with little pistols and revolvers. There were many gangsters. Law and order had totally broken down. The feeling of Khalistan was slowly building up. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was in full control of the state,” he said.
Bhindranwale was the head of the Sikh religious sect Damdami Taksal. He was killed along with his armed followers during Operation Blue Star launched by the Indian Army at the Golden Temple complex.
The Indian Army carried out Operation Blue Star in 1984 between June 1 and June 8. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, had ordered the military operation to flush out terrorists who were accumulating weapons inside the premises of the Golden Temple.
Sindh, January 31
A Sikh who went to pick up his daughters from school on Monday in Jacobabad, Sindh, was threatened by local Muslims, who abused them and said that they will kill all of them.
Narain Das Bheel, Founder and Chief Organiser of the Hindu Organisation of Sindh, tweeted a video where the Sikh man could be heard narrating the incidents in Pakistan.
Harish Singh said that when he was picking up his daughters from school, he was threatened to be killed by the local Muslims.
He said that the attackers also threatened to kill his daughters. Singh added that his daughters were afraid and have refused to go to school. Singh urged locals to save him from the atrocities.
“I am pleading with the locals of Jacobabad with folded hands that on January 26 when I was coming back after picking up my daughters, there was a lot of crowd on the road. Bike-borne Muslims abused and threatened to kill me and my daughters. They hit my scooter. I suffered an injury in my leg. My daughters are worried. They are refusing to go to school.”
He said, “The Sikh community living in the area gave respect and votes to the Muslim leaders. He appealed to them and the local community to support him and save his family, adding, “One fish should not be allowed to spoil the pond,” he said.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday urged the Ministry of External Affairs to look into the matter.
“Radicals of Jacobabad issuing open threats to Sikhs but Pak Govt stays silent. A resident of Harish Singh Gurdwara says that Muslims are threatening to kill him. Only Govt of India can raise the voice for safety and justice of minorities in Pak @MEAIndia,” tweeted Sirsa.
IANS
Chandigarh, January 31
India showcased its soft power, particularly cultural diplomacy, to over 100 delegates that converged in this city to attend the first G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group meeting, under the G20 Indian Presidency.
At a dinner hosted by the Chandigarh administration for the delegates, comprising international organisations, on Monday, the focus was on winning hearts of the delegates by showcasing India’s deep-rooted multiculturalism through food, traditions and culture, besides branding city as a preferred tourism destination, an official, who was associated with the event, told IANS.
A special counter was set up at the entrance of the gala cultural evening organised on the banks of the rain-fed Sukhna Lake with the Kasauli hills and lower Shivalik hills in the backdrop for the delegates to don colourful turbans.
“I look elegant now,” remarked a delegate from Australia while pointing towards his turban.https://3a8d8c607a7d5c8ea607472c56ad2bec.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
Many of the foreigners, including women, were seen getting turbans of different hues tied on their heads.
At the cultural evening, inaugurated by Chandigarh Administrator and Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the delegates were dancing on the beats of ‘dhol’ or drum with a group of folk dancers from Punjab.
“Indian culture is so great that even foreigners adapt it,” remarked a foreigner, pointing towards delegates dancing their hearts out on a Bhangra song.
With India observing 2023 as the ‘Year of Millets’, the delegates were served special millet-based recipes cooked in a traditional way.
“I really enjoyed a non-vegetarian recipe from Kashmir that I am told was cooked in a traditional way by incorporating millets, a nutritious and healthy alternative,” remarked another dignitary.
The lightening by the usage of earthen lamps and strings of electric bulbs and the laser show on the banks of the Sukhna Lake embodied the spirit of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. Also colourful flying pots illuminated the skyline.
At the summit venue, an exhibit of traditional handicrafts of the region for the G20 delegates like Phulkari, the folk embroidery of Punjab, was a major attraction. Also there is a millet hamper for the delegates.
“Of course, cultural diplomacy can also directly or indirectly pursue economic benefits in a way to boost tourism in the region,” said the official, who said the focus of the spectacular show was to brand this region as the preferred tourist destination by showcasing cuisine and culture.
“An attempt was made to fascinate the delegates to showcase the most culturally rich and vibrant performances on stage, besides promoting common culinary traditions of the region with focus mainly on Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir,” he said.
Also beautifully decorated boats with flags of each participating nation were showcased in the waters of the lake with the backdrop of glowing G20 logo. Most of the waiters were specially dressed by donning traditional Himachali ‘topis’ (caps) with a multi-colour border.
Presenting a shawl and a Himachali cap is a common practice at official and public functions in the neighbouring hill state of Himachal Pradesh. There is a tradition in Kinnaur, the tribal-dominated district in the hill state, to welcome guests with a garland of dry fruits and a round Kinnauri cap with a green flap.
Kyiv, January 31
Ukraine will receive 120 to 140 tanks in a “first wave” of deliveries from a coalition of 12 countries, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday.
Ukraine secured pledges earlier this month from a group of Western countries to supply main battle tanks to help Kyiv’s forces fend off Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“The tank coalition now has 12 members. I can note that in the first wave of contributions, the Ukrainian armed forces will receive between 120 and 140 Western-model tanks,” Kuleba said during an online briefing.
Monday’s suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar snuffed out more than 90 lives, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claiming responsibility for the deadly strike. – Reuters file photo
THE chickens have come home to roost for Pakistan. Notorious for aiding and abetting cross-border terrorism over the decades, Pakistan now finds itself at the receiving end. Monday’s suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar snuffed out more than 90 lives, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claiming responsibility for the deadly strike. The outlawed terror group has proclaimed that it carried out the attack to avenge the death of TTP commander Umar Khalid Khurasani, who was killed in Afghanistan in August last year. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that ‘this is no less than an attack on Pakistan’, while terming terrorism as the country’s foremost national security challenge.
The audacity of the horrifying act is quite obvious: the mosque is located in the high-security Police Lines area, where the police headquarters and counter-terrorism officials are based. The TTP has upped the ante against Pakistani soldiers and cops since November last year, when it abruptly ended a ceasefire with the government. The terror outfit has been warning the police and the military to stay away from operations against its fighters in Peshawar, the capital of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.
The Peshawar attack shows that the confidence of both China and America in Pakistan’s counter-terrorism capabilities is highly misplaced. Islamabad’s problems are compounded by the Afghan Taliban’s brazen sheltering of Tehreek leaders and fighters. The TTP’s incessant strikes belie the Taliban’s tall claims of not allowing anyone to use the Afghan soil for attacks against any country. Already reeling under an economic crisis, Pakistan ought to take an unambiguous stand against terrorism in any form. If it wants Afghanistan to not harbour terrorists, it should do the needful too by dismantling the terror infrastructure on its own soil. India has rightly sensed that Pakistan is frustrated over its ‘increasing inability to use terrorists and their proxies.’Given its dubious track record, it will be an uphill task for Islamabad to regain the trust of the international community, whose support it badly needs to fight terrorism.
Dushyant Singh Pundir
Chandigarh, January 31
The two-day meeting of G20 countries concluded with discussions on finding solutions to vulnerabilities in the international financial system, enhancing financing for development and strengthening international financial architecture.
The meeting saw participation of nearly 100 delegates from G20 member nations, invitee countries and international organisations (IOs). The presence of a large number of delegates in City Beautiful demonstrated the strong support of the global community to India’s G20 presidency.
During their visit, the delegates got to experience city’s vibrancy. Apart from witnessing a polo match on January 29, the delegates got the opportunity to sample cuisine and art during a gala dinner hosted at Sukhna Lake last evening. Folk and classical dance and musical performances displaying India’s rich cultural diversity were organised. A 10-minute laser sound and light show showcased the theme of the G20 Summit — “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (One Earth, One Family, One Future).
Today, the delegates were taken around city’s landmarks, including Capitol Complex and world-renowned Rock Garden. An official said while a few delegates left the city in the evening, others will head off to the Virasat-e-Khalsa monument at Anandpur Sahib in Ropar district of Punjab tomorrow morning, followed by a traditional Punjabi lunch on way to the city before their departure.
The next meeting of the G20 meeting on agriculture would be held in Chandigarh in March.
Get slice of Rock Garden
