Monthly Archives: August 2018

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India’s growing defence capability is not meant to provoke conflict, but to act as a deterrent. Rajnath, in his inaugural address at a defence conclave, said “defence capability is not meant to provoke…

Tribune News Service

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India’s growing defence capability is not meant to provoke conflict, but to act as a deterrent.

Rajnath, in his inaugural address at a defence conclave, said “defence capability is not meant to provoke conflict. It is like a credible deterrence, to maintain peace and tranquillity. Peace is possible only when we remain strong”.

The minister laid out a vision for a self-reliant and future-ready India and focused on indigenisation, innovation and global leadership, while adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus was on strengthening the defence sector.

India would reduce its dependency on imports and create a defence industrial complex that would not only meet India’s needs but also strengthen the potential of defence exports, Rajnath claimed

On the evolving nature of warfare, the minister said in the coming days, conflicts and wars would be more violent and unpredictable. The cyber and space domains were rapidly emerging as new battlefields and along with this, a war of narrative and perception was being fought all over the world.

He said the government had reserved 75 per cent of the defence budget for procurement from domestic companies. He pointed out that defence production in India had risen from Rs 40,000 crore in 2014 to over Rs 1.27 lakh crore today. “This year, defence production should cross Rs 1.60 lakh crore, while our target is to produce defence equipment worth Rs 3 lakh crore by 2029,” he said.

On defence exports, Rajnath underscored that the figures had surged from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25. “Defence products made in our country are being exported to about 100 countries. “Our defence exports should reach Rs 30,000 crore this year and Rs 50,000 crore by 2029,” the Defence Ministeradded.

Based on intelligence inputs, an extensive search operation was carried out in the Amritsar sector on April 17, a BSF officer says

ix pistols and 14 magazines were seized along the International Border in Punjab in a joint operation by the Border Security Force and the Punjab Police.

Based on intelligence inputs, an extensive search operation was carried out in the Amritsar sector on April 17, a BSF officer said on Friday.

A large packet wrapped in yellow adhesive tape with a metal ring attached to it was found in a harvested field adjacent to Mahawa village, he added.

In another incident a day before, three pistols, along with six magazines and 97 rounds of ammunition were seized near the border in the Tarn Taran sector.

Both the consignments of weapons are believed to have been dropped by drones from Pakistan, BSF officers said.

Chester Williams, Belize police commissioner, said that Taylor wielded a knife and stabbed two passengers and a pilot on the plane

An American military veteran was fatally shot after he hijacked a small passenger plane in Belize on Thursday, officials in Belize and the United States confirmed.

After the Tripoc Air plane carrying 14 passengers and two crew members landed safely, police in Belize identified the hijacker as Akinyela Taylor.

Chester Williams, Belize police commissioner, said that Taylor wielded a knife and stabbed two passengers and a pilot on the plane. The three were later taken to the hospital to treat their injuries.

Williams said that Taylor was shot by a passenger who was licensed to carry a firearm, which he later turned over to police. The passenger was among those stabbed and remains in critical condition as he was stabbed in the back and lungs, according to the police commissioner.

“We are praying for him,” Williams told reporters. “He’s our hero.” Williams said that Taylor was demanding that he be flown out of the country and at one point wanted the plane to land to add fuel. US Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize said Taylor insisted he be taken to the US.

US officials did not know the cause or motive but were working with Belizean authorities to determine what happened, Martin said.

The plane was travelling from Corozal to San Pedro and Belize authorities declared a full emergency after the hijacking, which took place at around 8.30 am local time, according to a statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company.

The plane circled in random directions for hours until landing safely in an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville. All passengers were accounted for, according to the BACC, and those injured were flown to a hospital for treatment.

Williams said Taylor had attempted to enter Belize through the northern border over the northern border through Mexico, but that he was refused entry. It was unclear to law enforcement how he had entered.

BARKHA DUTT the daring, straight forward. famous Journalist interviews and questions Mrs Jaswinder Bath w/o Col Pushwinder Singh Bath and extracts inside out reality of assault on serving col Bath.

Shaking Images released by Family

Salient Points

1. Col PS Bath is a tea Tea-taller but has addiction to go to Gym every day with fail. Hence police cooked up false story that he was drinking with his son.
2. Inspector Ronnie Singh was the main Initiator who use unparliamentary Language (abused Col Path in Punjabi ,NCB Gali) at Dharshan Singh Dhaba then Insp Harjinder Singh Argued with Col Bath and later inciting Insp Harjinder Singh who was Kicking Col Bath saying साले को मजा सिखा दे अफसरी निकाल दे words to that effect. When Col Baths Son Pushed the inspector to save his father ,It was Ronnie Singh who called the balance Police Personnel .Now Ronnie Singh alone Is running Pillar to Post for anticipatory Bail but denied by lower court .Ronnie was the main culprit. All were calling each other by name

3. After Col Bath was put in the car and his Son Drove , The police was hitting his car windows but still Col Bath in a semi-conscious State , Under lot of Pain showed his Army Identity Card which snatched by Constable Jai Singh, Gunman of Insp Harjinder Singh. owning a Scorpio .

4.Non of the Inspectors were IN charge of Dhabha Area , but Came in Civil Shirts and Khaki Trousers with GUNs .Later Police Came to Dhaba and recorded his Manipulated Statement for FIR, from Dhaba Owner The time not matching with CCTV Camera Fotages.

5 All Inspectors were Given RS 10 Lakhs along with Promotions for the Fake Encounter and SSP Nanak Singh Promotion to DIG but now waiting for DIG Mandeep Sidhu to proceed on Pension.

6 Col Bath was not given any treatment by Rajindera Hospital till 6 a.m due to Police dictation . Only after 4-5 Men held his arm and pushed his elbow to fit in the elbow socket without any Pain Killer medicine/Injection and got it covered with Plaster for X_ray.

7. DSP Satnam Singh along with Insp Shaminder who was one of the Culprit tried to convince Mrs Bath for Compromise and threatend her with dire consequences, saying she is staying in Patiala and they also and should not blame them if anything happens in future .

8. The Warrior Woman did not give up to their threats as it was the Question of Izzat and honor of Olive uniform to which she was Married and her blood also olive green and was groomed by Senior General like Gen Watts, Gen Dhillon, Brig Grewal, Gen Sam etc and senior ladies of that time groomed her.

9. Mrs Bath had a bad experience from brother officers and calls them not to be fit to be called even Indian citizens. It was Veterans support and retired old generals and the Agitation by Veterans . It was Pb Governor Interference that FIR was Registered on Col Bath Statement but did not name the 4 Inspectors Names. She is very abrasive about todays Officers who only concern about their promotions and self oriented unlike old Veterans/generals who stood for their Men.

10 . Meeting with Pb CM Bhagwant Singh Mann

Mrs Bath asked him why no action has been taken Singh last 20 days and he did not even Tweet on this assaults’ on Serving Colonel else he tweeted on every small issue. He replied that he was busy IN assembly due to Budget session . Then Mrs Bath the Tigress asked him how come he celebrated his daughter birthday and danced throughout the day , where as Another daughter of Punjab was running for Justice for her Husband ,to this he apologized in front of 33 Veterans .

Later he promised that she will get total Justice and she was not only daughter of Punjab but his daughter too, also came to see her off till car ,again repeated that she was his daughter by placing hand on her head. But unfortunately till today he has not contacted Mrs Bath nor through his staff Officers. Further he wanted that she should withdraw her demand for CBI Inquiry so That action against SSP,, and posted out .Similar message was sent by his mentor Kejriwal to Mr Dhillon.

Chandigarh Police SIT

Veterans have reservation about the outcome of SIT results as a Junior Police officers and team conducted the Inquiry. SP is Much Junior to a Colonel and how come SP , DSP and constables will question a senior Police Officer of Punjab the SSP Patiala . This all happened due to last minute change of Judge .

Feedback from interaction of Veterans with Army Cdr today, shared by an offr:

Dear Veterans! Today, Tricity Veterans had an exhaustive and detailed interaction with the entire military hierarchy of Western Command, Chandimandir. The highlights for everyone’s consumption:

1. Tremendous resources are being allocated and spent on the ECHS infrastructure all across. A major bottleneck remains at the MOD level as funds are released in spurts, thus affecting treatment in private hospitals. Action at hand to smoothen it.
2. Nearly 21 Veteran hospitals have been proposed all across the country.
3. Sparsh has employed 100 TCS persons at the PCDA location, and data entry of pre-2016 pensioners is now moving at a faster rate. Likely to be stabilised in two years!!
4. Col Bath’s case has been processed expediously as it came to the knowledge of the Army. A detailed presentation was given with exact timelines and activities.
5. All levels of interaction, including the Army Chief were done promptly. Unfortunately, the counsel of Col Bath did not want an Army rep in the SIT. All support has been rendered. Many twisted tales are circulating, not borne out of facts. WC remains ceased with the issue. A major concern was that within one week, the whole sit-in and agitation was hijacked for political scores, thus constraining the Army response. It has to be understood that the Army can not join a political slugfest.
6. The COS and GOC-in-C flagged two concerns of the veterans as most important – ECHS/medical and Sparsh. The Army has been doing its utmost on both the issues. Nearly 50% of the funds for ECHS are allocated to the WC and its areas, showing the load of veterans.
7. The Army Cdr expressed his anguish at various inputs that the maximum damage to the prestige of the Army is being done by a few ESMs through their constant angst and outbursts against the very organisation they served in. Social Media analysis reveals that – Most negative comments on the organisation originate in the tricity, which ironically has the best facilities for the veterans!
8. He spoke about reciprocity in this symbiotic relationship – serving hierarchy is going all out to improve the facilities, but expect veterans’ support and not an abusive and unsubstantiated criticism. WA university-led onslaughts are the reason for this weakening of the fine tradition and we need to be cautious of the same.
9. The Army Cdr has clearly stated that the relationship has to be transactional and not one-sided. We can not expect unlimited facilities, yet continue with our pot-shots at the Army which are based on heresay or WA stories.
10. It was ultimately told to veterans that he will have to review about on going Projects for welfare of Veterans ( The Punch Line)
11. The interaction ended with a sumptuous tea layout

Pts by Veterans –

There were sarcastic, vitriolic comments and sweeping statements by the veterans that ECHS has always NA for medicines! Our Army is weak or that the higher leadership is weak. This was a poor, pathetic and incorrect projection by the veterans as feedback.

Brig Harwant Singh direct attack on Present Army Command and control

Following points were brought out by Brig Harwant Singh (Retd),during inter action at the Manekshaw Auditorium on 15 April ’25 about the recent Col Bath’s case.

“PERCEPTION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FACTS”. I don’t know what the FACTS are but the PERCEPTION about the Army is that it is WEAK in looking after its people subject to Police BRUTALITES and other EXCESSES against them.

There is also a PERCEPTION that the Army has NO “MAI- BAAP”.

Army HAS to change this PERCEPTION. The Army has to create such a “PERCEPTION” that Constable BHOOP SINGH and other WRONG DOERS have to think MANY TIMES before taking “PANGA” with a Soldier.

How that PERCEPTION is created upto the ARMY.

“An organization that CAN NOT PROTECT ITS OWN “HONOUR”, CAN NOT BE EXPECTED TO PROTECT THE HONOUR OF THE COUNTRY”

Facts about Col Bath Case

1. There was nothing like Punjab Police Vrs Army but the color was given by Western Command by Holding Joint Conference with DGP Punjab. Where DGP left the meeting after he scored his points and did not want to Face Reporter and left Lt Gen Sitting on the chair .
2. No body from Commnd or Div HQ of Patiala ever spoke to Mrs Bath or Col Bath as conveyed by Mrs Bath.
3. No Senior Lady of both the institutions spoke to the lady runnng pillar to Poat for Justice but no one from army ever asked them even unofficially.
4. During COAS Visit the Chief Wife Spoke to Mrs Bath but Locals avoded her as Told by Her.
5. Any Serving officer would had be of No Consequences as he had no Power to Conduct and Inquiry along with Police .
6. It was sad to know that Mrs Bath was asked through DIV HQ to withdraw her appeal for CBI inquiry to take action against SSP and four Inspectors
7. There was no Deviation towards Political high jacking its a assumption by the Army Cdr at his level, as the agitation was conducted by Veterans only .No Political Party members of Congress or BJP were seen no where .
8. Mrs Bath Did approach Local APP MLA who again kept mum like his CM.
9. Army did not even response in filing Correct FIR or his Treatment nor any officer met Col Bath.
10. Till Date so called AWWA is playing a silent role nor anyone visited the family

FIRST PART

When Dr.Abdul Kalam Was The President ,
He Visited Coonoor.
On Reaching , He Came To Know That Field Marshall Sir Sam Manekshaw Was
In The Military Hospital there.
Dr.Kalam Wanted
To visit Sam ,
Which Was Unscheduled.
Arrangements Were Made.
At The Bedside , Kalam Spent About 15 Minutes..
Talking To Sam & Enquiring About His Health.

Just Before Leaving
Kalam Asked Sam
‘ Are You Comfortable ?
Is There Anything
I Could Do ?
Do You Have
Any Grievance ?
Or Any Requirement
That Would Make You
More Comfortable ?’

    SEC0ND PART

Sam Said ‘Yes .. Your Excellency , I Have 0ne Grievance ‘

Shocked With Concern & Anguish , Kalam Asked Him
What It Was.

Sam Replied
‘ Sir , My Grievance
Is That I Am Not Able To Get Up & Salute My Most Respected President of
My Beloved Country’.
Kalam Held Sam’s Hand As Both Were In Tears.

     THIRD PART

But The Remaining Part
Of The Tale With Regarding
This Meeting Is That
Sam Did Tell APJ
That He Was Not Paid The Pension Of the
Field Marshall’s Rank Till Then , For Nearly Twenty
Years.

    FOURTH PART

An Aghast
President Went To Delhi
And Passed The
Pension With Arrears
Within A Week
And
Sent The Cheque
Of Nearly
Rs.1.25 Crores
Through The
Defence Secretary
By A Special Plane
To Wellington , Ooty ,
Where Sam Was Ailing.

That Is The
Greatness Of
APJ.

    FIFTH PART

But..
Then Sam Received
The Cheque
And Promptly Donated It
To The Army Relief Fund.

Whom Will You Salute Now..?

Tiffin bombs, gelatin sticks, detonators, Maoist pamphlets and other items recovered

Twenty-two Naxalites have been arrested and explosive materials seized from them at three places in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police said on Thursday.

Seven lower rung cadres were apprehended on Tuesday from a forest near Tekmetla village under Usoor police station area, when a joint team of the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action- an elite unit of CRPF) and local police was out on an area domination operation, an official said.

Six other Naxalites were arrested from forts in Belchar village under Jangla police station limits, while nine cadres were nabbed from a forest in Kandakarka village under Nelasnar police station area, he said.

Separate joint teams of security personnel were involved in these two actions.

Tiffin bombs, gelatin sticks, detonators, electric wires, batteries, Maoist pamphlets and other items were recovered from the arrested Naxalites, aged between 19 and 45 years, the official said.

India’s reaction comes after Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed foreign secretary-level talks — Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) — in Dhaka today

Tribune News Service

India on Thursday said it has taken note of the growing diplomatic engagement between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Addressing reporters during a weekly media briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Yes we have taken note of it.”

India’s reaction comes after Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed foreign secretary-level talks — Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) — in Dhaka today. This kind of diplomatic engagement between Pakistan and Bangladesh has happened after 15 years as both nations look to reset their bilateral ties.

The FOC talks began between Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin.

This renewed diplomatic outreach between Pakistan and Bangladesh follows the fall of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh after unprecedented student protests erupted over reservation row last year.

Following the FOC talks, Pakistan’s Secretary Baloch is scheduled to meet with Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain.

She will also attend a roundtable with local think tanks and members of the Pakistani diaspora in Dhaka later in the evening today.

The consultation comes ahead of the expected visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka on April 27-28 — the first such high-level visit in over a decade.

Also, the efforts to normalise relations have been quietly progressing since Yunus and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held two informal meetings last year — one on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September, and another at D-8 Summit in Cairo in December.

Following the meeting between Yunus and Sharif, Bangladesh eased visa restrictions for Pakistani citizens and launched direct shipping links. Pakistan, in turn, has expressed interest in cultural exchanges and boosting cooperation in trade, tourism, and investment.

Questions remain on how many of the 65 patrolling points are accessible now

Maj Gen Ashok K Mehta (retd)

THE optics of Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri cutting a cake on April 1, marking the 75th anniversary of India-China relations, reflects the contrived new normal. Since China is accustomed to eating the cake and having it too, it was not expected to fully disengage from legacy holdings of Depsang and Demchok. But it did. In addition to the limited disengagement from four other friction points earlier.

So what happened between July and October 2024 to catalyse the complete disengagement at Depsang and Demchok? Trump, probably. While the US wants to make good with Russia to focus on China, Beijing wishes to mend relations with India to concentrate on America. Trump’s offer to mediate between India and China during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in February and the BRICS summit were the other catalysers.

In his marathon podcast on March 3 with Lex Fridman, Modi said: “We have seen return to normalcy at the border after my meeting with President Xi at Kazan (on the sidelines of BRICS summit). We are now working to restore conditions on how they were on border before 2020. This will take time.”

The new magic mantra in strategic guidance of leaders at Kazan that triggered the disengagement is unknown. In Parliament, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had reported that normal engagement in other parts of the relationship were contingent upon border tensions being resolved. Disengagement has been fully achieved in Demchok and Depsang while in other areas north and south of Pangong Tso, disengagement is of a temporary and limited nature (buffer zones). The next steps would be towards de-escalation and deinduction, he said.

By hastily normalising relations, India has willy-nilly accepted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s advice to place border issues at the appropriate position in bilateral relations, as agreed in 2005 (factually incorrect, says India). Jaishankar’s statement that the state of the border will reflect the state of bilateral relations appears to validate this. Shorn of diplomatese, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi’s statement on October 23, two days after the October 21 agreement, was unequivocal: A degree of standoff remains; the desired end state is restoration of status quo prior to April 2020. But the MEA confirmed that there was no contradiction between what the Army Chief had said and its statements. Even so, contradictions are multiple: between the WMCC claim after 32 rounds of deliberations — that all issues that emerged in 2020 had been resolved —and Jaishankar’s statement in Parliament — that full disengagement at two places and qualified disengagement in the rest had been achieved.

Further, there are differences between China’s six-point consensus after the 23rd round of Special Representative’s resumed talks and the Indian MEA’s stated position. Wang had contented after the October 21 agreement that it was the end of the standoff at the border and that border issues be delinked from bilateral relations. Former Indian Ambassador to China and negotiator of 1996 protocol with China Ashok Kantha has noted that the concept of buffer zones is new as in earlier protracted disputes — Barahoti 1956 and Sumdorong Chu 1997 — no buffer zones were considered necessary.

India seems to have come around to using the Chinese border lexicon: border instead of the LAC, discontinued RSQA (Return of Status Quo Ante) to de-escalation and deinduction, terms that the Chinese have never used because they will not implement them.

Since the standoff, the government has earned several embarrassments with the initial faux pas of giving a clean chit to China after Galwan, when Modi said: “No one entered our territory, nor is anyone inside our territory.”

Despite the government claims of no loss of territory, roughly 2,000 sq km of land is under Chinese occupation. Beijing carried out multiple incursions along the entire length of the 1956 claim line from Demchok to Depsang, establishing buffer zones at some friction points, mainly on the Indian side of LAC, suspended grazing rights and allowed coordinated patrolling in Depsang and Demchok.

Questions remain on how many of the 65 patrolling points are accessible now; how soon the next steps on the restoration of conditions prior to 2020 will take; accountability for gross intelligence failures, etc.

The government has not allowed any debate in Parliament, saying it will affect the morale of soldiers and national security — euphemisms for obfuscation. Jaishankar has hailed our effective counter-deployment instead of admitting to a breakdown in deterrence. The government should explain the current lapses instead of parroting “more land was lost during Nehru’s time.”

Former Army Chief of the time Mukund Naravane’s book ‘Four Stars of Destiny‘ was due to be released on December 2023, but was banned. It exposes the absence of political strategic guidance to the higher military leadership over the execution of Operation Snow Leopard. Naravane was awaiting orders whether or not to open tank fire on Chinese tanks approaching Indian positions, when he was asked by the highest authority not to be the first to open fire. The last-minute order from Modi conveyed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was: “Do what you think is correct, this is operational matter.”

The rest is history. India forfeited its strategic dominance on Kailash heights due to lack of operational directive, otherwise the fate of disengagement process could have been entirely different; in India’s favour. On March 9, Narvane released his novel Cantonment Conspiracy and jubilantly announced: Finally, I am a published author.Carnegie Endowment’s Ashley Tellis recently held a discussion on the India-China standoff, summing up that India had still not received any explanation from China on what it did in Ladakh; that normalisation had begun before de-escalation despite no change of heart on both sides; and that it was a tactical thaw, not a strategic shift on the border.

The way forward, after unlikely restoration of border to before 2020, is a new modus vivendi, leading to full and final settlement of the border dispute. Is it asking for the moon?

Army jawan Sukhcharan Singh , who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir, has been arrested for allegedly providing online training to an accused for throwing a hand grenade

An Army jawan posted in Jammu and Kashmir has been arrested for allegedly imparting online training to the man who hurled a grenade at the residence of a Jalandhar-based YouTuber last month, Punjab Police said on Thursday.

A court in Jalandhar sent the jawan, Sukhcharan Singh, to five-day police remand, police officials said.

The main accused, Hardik Kamboj, hurled the hand grenade at the house of YouTuber Rozer Sandhu on the intervening night of March 15 and 16. However, the grenade did not explode.

During the course of investigation, it came to light that Singh provided online training to Kamboj on throwing the grenade at the residence of the YouTuber, said Senior Superintendent of Police (Jalandhar Rural) Harvinder Singh Virk.

Singh came in contact with Kamboj through social media platform Instagram, police said.

Singh, who hails from Muktsar district, was named in the FIR and an arrest warrant was secured from a court, the SSP said.

Police said they apprised the Army authorities about Singh’s role in the matter.

A court in Jalandhar sent Singh to five-day police remand. Further investigation in the matter is under way, they said.

Police have so far arrested nine people, including Kamboj, in this case.

Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti claimed responsibility for the attack at Sandhu’s house over his use of alleged derogatory language against the Muslim community.

There have been many explosions targeting police posts in Amritsar and Gurdaspur in the past four to five months.

Last month, a blast occurred outside a temple in Amritsar.

A grenade blast took place at the residence of BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar on April 8 but no one was hurt.