Monthly Archives: August 2018

Rajnath lays foundation stone, says will prove to be a game-changer for forces

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, September 12

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today laid the foundation stone of Indian Air Force’s fourth full-fledged operating base in Ladakh, the Union Territory that shares the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.

Fortifying China frontier

• Nyoma’s existing mud-paved runway is being used by helicopters and special operations planes such as C-130J
• It will have paved runway for fighter jet base that can launch and recover planes and carry out minor maintenance jobs
• IAF currently has an operational base at Leh and full-fledged bases at Kargil and Thoise (base of Siachen)
• It also has a semi-paved strip at Daulat Beg Oldie and two other mud-paved landing grounds at Chushul and Fukche

The IAF currently has an operational base at Leh and full-fledged bases at Kargil and Thoise (base of Siachen). The fourth one will be at Nyoma on the banks of the Indus, around 180 km south-east of Leh at an altitude of 13,700 feet.

“This airfield, which will be one of the world’s highest, will prove to be a game-changer for the armed forces,” said the minister.

Defence Minister unveils 90 BRO projects

Rajnath unveiled 90 BRO projects, costing Rs 2,941 cr, across 10 states and UTs at an event to inaugurate 422.9 m Devak Bridge on the Bishnah-Kaulpur-Phulpur Road in Samba, Jammu. He also inaugurated 500m Nechiphu Tunnel on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal.

Apart from these, the IAF has a semi-paved strip at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in sub-sector north of Ladakh and two other mud-paved landing grounds at Chushul and Fukche. “History of the conflict with China-1962”, released for “restricted” circulation by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in March 1993, says AN-12 planes flew from Chandigarh and landed AMX tanks at Chushul in October 1962. Transport planes Fairchild C-119G, known as ‘Packet’ and stationed at Jammu and Pathankot, also flew sorties to Chushul.

Since then, China has built infrastructure on its side of the LAC and both Chushul and Fukche, being close to the LAC, are within the eyesight of Chinese observers, rendering these useful for emergency purposes only.

Nyoma is a natural flat area and is being used by helicopters and special operations planes such as C-130J that can land on the existing mud-paved runway.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), under the Ministry of Defence, will complete the Rs 214 crore project to have full-fledged paved runway for a fighter jet base that can launch and recover planes and also carry out minor maintenance jobs. The BRO has been tasked with completing the project in two years.

The site is spread over 1,235 acres, where a 2.7-km runway with allied military infrastructure will come up.

After the military stand-off with China along the LAC in April 2020 and the subsequent clashes at Galwan in eastern Ladakh in June 2020, a major air effort was launched using these existing bases of the IAF.

Over 68,000 Army soldiers, around 90 tanks, nearly 330 BMP infantry combat vehicles, radar systems, artillery guns and other equipment were airlifted by the IAF after the clashes as part of the rapid deployment along the LAC.

The IAF deployed its Su-30 MKI and Jaguar jets for round-the-clock surveillance and intelligence gathering on enemy build-up and added Rafale and MiG 29 jets.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has been counselling China about the primacy of a peaceful and tranquil border in bilateral relations.

Maj Gen Ashok K Mehta (retd)

Military Commentator

INDIA conducted the G20 summit with aplomb, showcasing its global stature. The presidents of two notable countries — Russia and China — skipped the event for different reasons. Russia’s Vladimir Putin gave the event a miss to avoid a potential confrontation over the Ukraine war; China’s Xi Jinping did it mainly due to domestic imperatives. Xi had never skipped a G20 summit since 2013. He didn’t attend the event in Delhi not because he wanted to avoid Modi, whom he met at BRICS in Johannesburg last month, but to avoid Joe Biden and a phalanx of Western leaders amid their geopolitical hostilities against China. China has a weakening economy that needs to be fixed and Xi had to expose his No. 2 and Politburo member-cum-Premier Li Qiang.

Had the External Affairs Ministry read the tea leaves properly, anxiety to make Xi untie the Galwan knot could have been put off. Clearly, Modi had sought a third meeting after last November’s exchange of courtesies at the G20 summit in Bali and a meeting in the lounge at the recent BRICS summit. His policy advisers misread a Chinese readout after a meeting between China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and NSA Ajit Doval on July 24 at the BRICS National Security Advisers’ conclave in Johannesburg. At the bilateral with Wang, Doval issued a strong message: “China’s actions have eroded strategic trust and public and political basis of the bilateral relationship.” He also confirmed the Bali consensus. Later that day, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra announced, “President Xi and PM Modi agreed at Bali to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation of troops.” The Chinese readout that followed focused on the big picture: “President Xi stressed upon China-India relations.” It also contained the usual Chinese homilies on maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border region.

Conspicuously missing was the Indian quote on disengagement and de-escalation of troops. China also said the meeting was sought by India, to which the latter responded with “in accordance with a pending request by China”. How did the exchange of pleasantries between the two leaders eight months earlier transform into ‘Bali Consensus’, which had not been revealed by either side at the time? This was a Chinese red herring.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has been counselling China about the primacy of a peaceful and tranquil border in bilateral relations. The Chinese response has become standard: The boundary question is a historic issue and does not represent in entirety China-India relations. The 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks (August 13-14), which unusually spilled over to the second day, mentioned a freeze in the build-up in troops and equipment and the method for future disengagement and patrolling. The joint statement referred to expeditiously resolving the remaining issues. But China’s infrastructure has developed at a rapid pace. Satellite pictures by Maxar Technologies (August 18) indicate new tunnels and military projects, located 70 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Aksai Chin, dual-use Xiaokang border villages and last-mile connectivity to forward posts. China has revived stapled visas for Arunachal Pradesh and issued its annual edition of the new standard map (nothing new), reflecting Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as part of China. Most troubling for India is the acceleration in meetings on the resolution of the China-Bhutan border dispute. China has not posted an envoy in Delhi for the past 11 months — one of the top 10 posts that automatically confers the Vice Foreign Minister rank.

India, too, has upped the ante. Three former Service Chiefs, for the first time, attended the Ketagalan Forum at the Institute of National Defence and Security, Taipei, as part of the Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue. In response to a question from a Pakistani journalist, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson remarked: “The country concerned should abide by ‘One China’ policy.” Former Army Chief Gen MM Naravane had spoken on Tibet and China’s illegal annexation and recommended dumping Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy. Still, India and China have kept the doors open to dialogue and diplomacy.

All said and done, China has signalled three noes — no further disengagement and de-escalation, no disengagement from Demchok and Depsang, and no return to status quo ante of May 5, 2020. For China, national security and sovereignty tower above all other issues.

The India-China chessboard, as seen from New Delhi, looks something like this: a) 100 PLA soldiers are deployed at Depsang (with 100 Indian soldiers on their side), preventing Indian patrols moving beyond the ‘bottleneck’ and on to their traditional areas of patrolling;

b) The Chinese are clear about their 1959 claim line from Depsang to Demchok; c) There is no loss of territory per se. Only transgression due to overlapping perceptions of LAC; d) In the buffer zones, in all six friction points, except Kailash Heights where it was total vacation by both sides, there may be new patrolling protocols, including no-patrolling zones and patrolling on odd-even days to avoid clashes. Graziers will be escorted by troops; e) A new border management protocol may be evolved in the future; f) No breakthrough on the diplomatic front, least of all any summitry till late 2024; g) No grand bargain like India accepting buffer zones for China recognising the McMahon Line.

The opposition Congress is asking questions on the loss of access to territory and patrolling rights in 26 of 65 patrolling points. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had on February 11, 2021, informed Parliament that an agreement had been reached on complete disengagement north and south of Pangong Lake, but the status quo of May 5, 2020, was not fully achieved, adding: “We have not conceded an inch of land.”

What an unmitigated blunder was vacating Kailash Heights, India’s trump card in border negotiations! We can celebrate our G20 success, but who will be held responsible for the blow to territorial sovereignty of the country?

Was killed during attack on JKEDI building in 2016

Our Correspondent

Jammu, September 7

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday announced that the Central Government had approved a request to rename Udhampur railway station as Martyr Capt Tushar Mahajan Railway Station. The minister made the announcement on social media platform X. He stated that the Centre had approved it and a communication to this effect had been sent to the UT government to formally issue the required gazette notification, he wrote on the social media platform.

Capt Tushar Mahajan from 9 PARA Special Forces was killed during a terror attack on a building of Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) in Pulwama district in February 2016.

In rain-related incidents in this year’s monsoon so far, 400 people have lost their lives and over 13,000 houses have been damaged

ANI

Shimla, September 12

The Chakki Mor near Solan on the Shimla-Chandigarh highway will remain closed for maintenance, said an official statement on Tuesday.

The Chakki Mor will remain closed from 11am to 1pm.  

Earlier on Friday, National Highway-5 was blocked due to a landslide near Nigulsari in Kinnaur district. A part of the highway was damaged due to the landslide.

The incessant rains in Himachal Pradesh have led to multiple landslides and cloudbursts in several places. According to the officials, in rain-related incidents in this year’s monsoon so far 400 people have lost their lives and over 13,000 houses have been damaged. 

Our Correspondent

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, September 12

In yet another encounter in Rajouri district which started in Narla area of Budhal on Tuesday, one terrorist was shot dead while an army jawan was killed and a soldier and a Special Police Officer (SPO) were injured.

The joint operation against heavy armed ultras, believed to be Pakistanis, was started by Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K police.

Earlier, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mukesh Singh said the encounter started between terrorists and security forces at Narla. “One ultra has been killed while two Army jawans and one SPO have been injured in the operation,” Singh said.

The cordon and search operation was launched after security forces opened fire on suspected ultras in the neighbouring Teryath area in Rajouri on Monday evening. Sources informed that security forces have recovered medicines, mobile chargers, water bottles among other items which terrorists left behind before escaping from the area.

Dog squad was also brought in to detect the location where ultras were hiding. “Once they reached the area, security forces had to battle heavy firing by at least two terrorists which was retaliated,” said an Army official.

An Army dog, who was instrumental in searching the spot where terrorists were hiding also came in line of fire and died.

Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, PRO Defence, said Army dog Kent was at the forefront of the operation. “Kent was leading a column of soldiers on the trail of fleeing terrorists. It came down under heavy hostile fire. While shielding its handler, it laid down its own life in the best traditions of the Indian Army. The dog was a female Labrador from 21 Army Dog Unit”.

 There have been a series of encounters in Rajouri and Poonch along Line of Control (LoC) and Reasi district during the past some months. It is believed that Pakistani ultras are infiltrating from LoC to disrupt the peace in Jammu division. 

Heavy security forces deployment was made in the region after reports of presence of Pakistani terrorists

Our Correspondent

Rajouri/Jammu, September 12

A terrorist was killed while two army jawans and a police personnel were injured during a firefight between terrorists and security forces started in Rajouri district on Tuesday.

The encounter started near Khawas area of the district after security forces including Army and SOG of J&K police noticed suspected movement.

The number of ultras is still not known.

Heavy security forces deployment was made in the region after reports of presence of Pakistani terrorists.

#Jammu

Cairo, September 12
Libya’s eastern city of Derna has buried 700 people killed in devastating flooding and 10,000 were reported missing as rescuer teams struggled to retrieve many more bodies from the horrific deluge, officials said Tuesday.
Mediterranean storm Daniel on Sunday night caused havoc and flash flooding in many towns in eastern Libya but the worst destruction was in Derna, where heavy rainfall and floods broke dams and washed away entire neighbourhoods, authorities said.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1701473572957356401

“The situation is catastrophic,” said Othman Abduljaleel, the health minister in Libya’s eastern government. “The bodies are still lying on the ground in many parts (of the city). Hospitals are filled with bodies. And there are areas we have yet to reach.” Authorities estimated earlier that as many as 2,000 people may have perished in Derna alone. The Ambulance and Emergency Authority, which coordinates search and rescue efforts, said about 2,300 people died in Derna but did not clarify what that figure was based on.
Tamer Ramadan, Libya envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said 10,000 people were missing after the unprecedented flooding. Speaking to reporters at a UN briefing in Geneva via videoconference from Tunisia, he said the death toll was “huge” and expected to reach into the thousands in the coming days.

Referring to Friday’s devastating earthquake in Morocco, on the other side of North Africa, Ramadan said the situation in Libya was “as devastating as the situation in Morocco”.
Ossama Hamad, prime minister of the government in eastern Libya, said that many of the missing were believed to have been carried away after two upstream dams burst. He said the devastation in Derna is far beyond the capabilities of his country.
After more than a decade of chaos, Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: one in the east and one in the west, each backed by different militias and foreign governments. The conflict has left the oil rich North African country with crumbling and inadequate infrastructure.

Derna was declared a disaster zone and more bodies were still under the rubble in the city’s neighbourhoods, or washed away to the sea, according to Abduljaleel, the health minister.
Residents posted videos online showing major devastation. Entire residential blocks were erased along Wadi Derna, a river that runs down from the mountains through the city centre. Multi-story apartment buildings that once stood well back from the river were partially collapsed into mud.
Abduljaleel said the city was inaccessible and bodies were scattered all over, according to Libya’s state-run news agency. “The situation was more significant and worse than we expected…An international intervention is needed,” he was quoted as saying.

Emergency responders, including troops, government workers, volunteers and residents were digging through rubble to recover the dead. They also used inflatable boats to retrieve bodies from the water. Excavators and other equipment have yet to arrive in Derna.
Many residents described scenes of chaos when floods hit the centre. They heard loud explosions at night and realised that dams outside the city collapsed, sending a wall of water that “erased everything in its way,” said Ahmed Abdalla, a Derna resident.
Workers said they buried more than 200 bodies in one cemetery on Monday. Footage overnight showed dozens more bodies on the ground, covered by blankets or sheets, in a hospital yard in Derna.

The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the town of Bayda, where about 50 people were reported dead. The Medical Centre of Bayda, the main hospital, was flooded and patients had to be evacuated, according to footage shared by the centre on Facebook.
Other towns that suffered, included Susa, Marj and Shahatt, according to the government. Hundreds of families were displaced and took shelter in schools and other government buildings in the city of Benghazi and elsewhere in eastern Libya.
Northeast Libya is one of the country’s most fertile and green regions. The Jabal al-Akhdar area – where Bayda, Marj and Shahatt are located – has one of the country’s highest average annual rainfalls, according to the World Bank.

Authorities in eastern and western Libya rushed to help Derna residents. The Health Ministry in Tripoli said a plane carrying 14 tons of medical equipment, drugs and body bags, along with health care workers headed Tuesday to Benghazi. Other agencies across the country said they would send humanitarian aid to Derna.
Foreign governments also sent messages of support to Libya.
Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates were among those that said they would send humanitarian assistance and teams to help with search and rescue efforts. The US Embassy said Monday it was contacting the United Nations and Libyan authorities on how to deliver aid to the most affected areas.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi convened his military commanders on Tuesday to arrange urgent assistance to Libya. He said in televised comments that the military would deploy equipment and personnel in coordination with eastern Libyan forces to help affected communities.
Known for its white-painted houses and palm gardens, Derna is about 900 km (560 miles) east of the capital of Tripoli. It is controlled by the forces of powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter, who is allied with the east Libya government. The rival government in west Libya, based in Tripoli, is allied with other armed groups.
Much of Derna was built by Italy when Libya was under Italian occupation in the first half of the 20th century. The city was once a hub for extremist groups in the yearslong chaos that followed the NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Our Correspondent

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, September 12

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has completed nearly 300 infrastructure projects during the past 900 days.

He was speaking during the inauguration of 90 roads, bridges and tunnels in 10 border states and UTs across the country.

“During the past 900 days nearly 300 roads, bridges and tunnels have been constructed by BRO across the country which is an achievement” said the Defence Minister.

He also inaugurated the Devak Bridge on Bishnah-Kaulpur-Phulpur Road in Jammu division built by BRO; which is of strategic importance to the armed forces and will facilitate speedy induction of troops, heavy equipment and mechanised vehicles to forward areas.

Singh also carried out e-shilanyas of one of the world’s highest airfields in Nyoma in Ladakh.

“In far off regions of Himalayas, BRO has helped the armed forces by constructing infrastructure along borders. BRO is like a brother of armed forces due to which we generally call it bro (referred to brother). Development of infrastructure along the border not only makes these areas safe but also helps in socio economic development” said the Defence Minister.

The 90 infrastructure projects inaugurated on Tuesday cost Rs 2941 crore. It includes 22 roads, 63 bridges, Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, two airfields in West Bengal and two helipads. 

AP

Taipei (Taiwan), September 12

Taiwan said on Tuesday it spotted 22 Chinese military aircraft and 20 vessels near the island over the previous 24 hours, as Beijing steps up its military activities in the area.

Over the weekend, the United States and Canada sailed warships through the Taiwan Strait in a challenge to China’s sweeping territorial claims. On Monday, China sailed a naval formation led by its aircraft carrier Shandong, about 70 miles (110 kilometres) to Taiwan’s southeast. The vessel was expected to conduct drills simulating aircraft, submarine, warship and land attacks, according to Chinese state media.

Thirteen of the Chinese military aircraft reported on Tuesday had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial demarcation zone between China and Taiwan, according to Taiwan’s defence ministry.

China claims Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, as part of its territory to be reunited by force if necessary. Over the past year, Beijing has stepped up military activities around the island, including by sending warships and warplanes on a near-daily basis.

“The period from July to September this year was the peak period for the Chinese Communist Party’s exercises,” Maj. Gen. Huang Wen-Chi, the assistant deputy chief with the General Staff for Intelligence of Taiwan’s Defence Ministry, said during a press conference.

“There are a lot of warship activities in the waters surrounding the Taiwan Strait. There was also a large number of warships operating in different areas in the South China Sea and East China Sea,” he said.

Huang said the Taiwanese military would continue the monitor the movements of Chinese warplanes and warships.

On Saturday, the USS Ralph Johnson and the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa sailed through the Taiwan Strait. The timing coincided with a Group of 20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi.

The US routinely sails through the strait in what it calls “freedom of navigation” operations, which China sees as provocative actions. 

Standing left of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, is said to be the only image of Hari Singh Nalwa, painted in the period of Lahore Darbar (Refer Book: Hari Singh Nalwa, Champion of Khalsa Ji, by Vanit Nalwa). Compare his looks with that going viral in the video being sent across social media today. What everyone forgets is that Hari Singh Nalwa was not just a warrior – He was an able administrator, agriculturist, poet and also command leader. His photo and personality image is in reality very different from what modern artists have started depicting.

Haripur, close to Rawalipindi was named after Hari Singh Nalwa after he took charge as the administrator of Hazara Region. The cultivation of Malta that happens in this region in present times, is credited to Hari Singh Nalwa’s vision of building the ‘Rangila’ water canal system that irrigated the land. He imported special varieties of plants and one of them that became the revenue generator of this region till date is the Malta Fruit.

One should read his Persian poetry as official exchange with the Pathan leader of Amb State – it is bureaucracy dialogue in fine poetic language.

He also led an army because of situational need but his personality was far greater than a warrior!