Monthly Archives: October 2022

Citizens cannot be made slaves of the government, and externment orders cannot be passed merely because a person is involved in agitations and protests against it, the Bombay High Court has said while quashing a year-long order against a local politician.

A Single Bench of Madhav Jamdar also remarked in a lighter vein that with the ongoing “horse-trading” in Maharashtra politics, the petitioner could consider switching parties to get all the FIRs registered against him closed.

Petitioner Saeed Ahmad Abdul Wahid Chaudhary had moved the HC challenging the externment (often referred to as ‘tadipaar’) order passed against him after he was booked through a bunch of FIRs for staging protests and raising slogans against the Centre, BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The police claimed these protests were staged without due permission from the authorities. The court, in its order, said there was nothing on record to show that the protests had caused any harm and, therefore, by themselves, could not be grounds for passing the externment order under the provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act.

The HC noted that the externment order affected Chaudhary’s fundamental rights, freedom of speech and expression and also his right to live with dignity. “Why externment orders for slogans? Can’t citizens raise such slogans? Why can’t citizens protest against government actions and decisions?” the court questioned.

Citizens were being made slaves of the government, the HC said, adding that if anybody protested, agitated or questioned the actions of the government, then cases were slapped against them. “Even you (Chaudhary) should switch sides. Anyways, horse-trading is going on in entire Maharashtra. You have some FIRs against you. Consider switching sides; there is a washing machine,” Justice Jamdar quipped. PTI

STAGING a peaceful protest is every Indian citizen’s democratic right, as repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court and various high courts. Can the police be justified in slapping FIRs on a protester and debarring him from entering a city merely for criticising the government and the ruling party? The Bombay High Court’s answer is an unequivocal “no”. Setting aside the Mumbai Police’s externment order against a political activist, the HC has observed that a morcha or a protest against decisions of the BJP-led Centre cannot by itself be a ground for drastic action that impacts the person’s fundamental rights. Justice Madhav J Jamdar’s sharp observation that “citizens cannot be made slaves of the government” is set to have reverberations far beyond Maharashtra.

Dissent is not a crime; it is a form of expression protected under Article 19 of the Constitution. Treating it as a threat to public order without credible evidence of violence or danger erodes the very freedom that distinguishes a democracy from an authoritarian state. The HC rightly noted that the FIRs registered against the petitioner largely related to alleged violations of prohibitory orders during protests, punishable by relatively minor provisions of the law. Such allegations fall far short of justifying the severe restriction of banishing him from his city for a whole year.

Justice Jamdar’s assertion that the police are “public servants” and not servants of political leaders is equally significant. His suggestion, made in a lighter vein, that the petitioner should consider switching parties to get the FIRs quashed through the government’s “washing machine” sums up the sorry state of affairs in the season of defections. The ruling serves as a timely reminder that citizens are not subjects to be silenced — they are the sovereign voice of the Republic.

Approval also granted for pseudo satellite-based surveillance for IAF

Drawing lessons from Operation Sindoor and the military standoff with China, the Defence Ministry on Friday approved a counter-UAV system for the Army and a pseudo satellite-based surveillance platform for the Indian Air Force.

A shipborne unmanned aerial system for the Navy and a new category of jet-powered kamikaze drones for the Army were also cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex procurement body of the ministry.

The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) — the first stage of the acquisition process and an in-principle administrative approval — for proposals worth Rs 52,000 crore.

For the Indian Air Force, approval was granted for the procurement of High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPS), which will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), telecommunications and remote-sensing capabilities.

The HAPS platforms will feature fixed wings similar to aircraft and will be powered by solar energy and onboard batteries. They are essentially ultra-long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles that operate in the stratosphere, typically at an altitude of 20 km.

A pseudo-satellite flies high enough to perform many functions associated with a geostationary satellite, remaining over a designated geographical area for weeks or even months at a time, but at a fraction of the cost of launching a satellite into space. Unlike conventional satellites, which eventually burn up or become space debris, HAPS can return to base, land on a runway and be redeployed.

For the Army, the DAC approved the procurement of the Akash Tarang anti-UAV system, an electronic warfare platform designed to neutralise incoming drones.

The Ministry of Defence said the system would provide effective anti-drone protection to Army formations. Rather than relying solely on kinetic interception through guns or missiles, Akash Tarang employs radio-frequency jamming, spoofing and other electronic countermeasures to disrupt the command links and navigation signals of hostile drones.

The DAC also approved the procurement of jet-powered kamikaze drones, along with man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) systems, medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) systems and very short-range air defence systems (V-SHORADS).

The MPATGM will strengthen infantry units’ ability to counter armoured and mechanised threats. The MRSAM system will provide medium-range air defence against a range of aerial threats, while the V-SHORADS will enhance the Army’s close-range air defence capability.

For the Navy, the DAC approved the procurement of Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial Systems (NSUAS). Equipped with advanced sensors, these platforms are expected to significantly improve the Navy’s situational awareness and surveillance capabilities.

The Army Chief, Gen Dhiraj Seth, on Wednesday stressed the need for speeding up modernisation and laid out five priorities — “VIJAY” — each alphabet of the acronym signifying a priority.

Gen Seth, who took charge on Tuesday, inspected a guard of honour on the lawns of the South Block on Wednesday and then saluted his father, Lt Gen KM Seth (retd), who was present in the audience.

Gen Seth’s tenure as the Army Chief also brings in the first woman ADC, Capt Shivani.

Gen Seth said VIJAY stood for “vigilance; innovation and transformation; jointness and integration; aatmanirbharta; and yodha”. This covers the entire gamut of tasks Gen Seth has laid out for himself and the Army. “Aatmanirbharta” and “yodha” mean self-reliance and soldier.

Military service runs in Gen Seth’s family

Gen Seth’s family also has a deep association with the armed forces. His father, Lt Gen KM Seth (retd), served in the Regiment of Artillery. The Army Chief’s younger brother, Rear Admiral Ravnish Seth, serves in the Navy. An engineer by profession, he is currently posted as Admiral Superintendent of the Naval Ship Repair Yard in Karwar. One of Gen Seth’s two daughters is engaged to Flight Lieutenant Kanishk Malik

Explaining the importance of VIJAY, Gen Seth said the Army would maintain constant vigilance along the borders and against emerging threats. “We will also ensure a high level of operational readiness to respond effectively to any challenge to national security,” he said.

On “innovation and transformation”, Gen Seth said his focus would be on innovation in both doctrine and technological solutions. “Innovation will remain an integral part of our thinking, our systems and our capability development. At the same time, necessary transformations will be undertaken in keeping with the changing character of warfare,” Gen Seth said.

“Jointness and integration” will enhance the operational effectiveness of the Army and maintain complete synergy and coordination with the IAF and the Navy.

On “aatmanirbharta”, Gen Seth said, “With indigenous capabilities and technologies developed within the country, we must build a self-reliant Army. The overall aim will be to win our wars with indigenous solutions.”

On “yodha”, he said, “From Agniveer to the senior-most veteran, each one is a yodha. These yodhas are the greatest strength of our Army. Enhancing the technological threshold and training standards of our soldiers will be among my foremost priorities.”

He said the Army was combat-ready and a battle-hardened force, fully prepared and capable of meeting every challenge in the operational domain. “Our aim is to build a technology-enabled, future-ready Army, which is fully empowered and capable of operating across multiple domains,” he said.

Gen Seth expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for reposing their trust in him and for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the Army.

Both commands would form the frontline in any attack against the western neighbor

Two regional commands of the Indian Army that face Pakistan got new Commanders on Wednesday.

Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra took over as the South-Western Army Commander headquartered at Jaipur while Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar, who was serving as the Commander of the 2 Strike Corps, Ambala, took over as the Southern Army Commander headquartered at Pune.

Both commands face Pakistan and would form the frontline in any attack against the western neighbour and the area of operations extends across the entire border with Pakistan in Gujrat and Rajasthan beside a small portion of southern part of  Punjab.  

The commands have a wide array of arsenal, including major armoured formations, infantry, attack helicopters, offensive rocket formations, artillery guns and air defence systems.

The Southern Command also has the 21 Strike Corps based out of Bhopal.

Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra was commissioned into the 47 Armoured Regiment in June 1989. Immediately prior to assuming command, he served as Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Eastern Command, where he made substantial contributions to operational preparedness, organisational effectiveness and institutional cohesion.

His command experience spans some of the Army’s most demanding operational environments, including the Siachen Glacier, an Armoured Regiment, an Independent Armoured Brigade, an Armoured Division. These appointments have provided him with extensive expertise in operational planning and the conduct of complex multi-domain operations across diverse theatres.

Lieutenant General Malhotra holds two Master’s Degrees in Defence Studies, including one from Kings College, London, in addition to two M Phil degrees in Political Science and Defence and Strategic Studies.

Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar assumed command as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command. He succeeds Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, who has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar was commissioned into 74 Armoured Regiment in December 1988. The General has had an illustrious and distinguished military career spanning over four decades. During his service, he has held a wide range of command, staff and instructional appointments across diverse geographical and operational environments.

He was 2 Strike Corps commander during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May last year.

The General has commanded an Armoured Regiment in an operational area, a strategic Independent Armoured Brigade, an Infantry Division.

He headed the Indian Military Training Team to Bhutan and as Defence and Military Attache, Embassy of India, Moscow.

These two changes are happening after the new Western Army commander Lt Gen Pushpendra Pal Singh, had taken over at Chandimandir in April.

Celebrations swept through Nabipur village after Lt Gen Harjeet Singh Sahi was conferred the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) by the President at a ceremony held in New Delhi.

A native of the village, Gen Sahi’s distinguished honour has brought immense pride not only to his family, but also to the entire district. Villagers gathered to celebrate the achievement, describing it as a historic moment for the area. Many said his success proved that determination, dedication and hard work could take a person of a small village to the highest ranks of the Indian armed forces.

Expressing his happiness, Lt Gen Sahi’s elder brother Surjit Singh Sahi said the honour was a matter of immense pride for the family as well as the people of the district.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi’s comments during his weekly press briefing are in response to a question about India’s decision to put the Indus Water Treaty in ‘abeyance’  

Pakistan on Thursday rejected the alleged Indian effort to control rivers by treating water as a “strategic asset,” especially in the case of the Indus basin.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi’s comments during his weekly press briefing were in response to a question about India’s decision to put the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in “abeyance”.

India took a series of punitive measures against Pakistan a day after last year’s Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. One of the major steps was putting in “abeyance” the 1960 vintage IWT, which has governed the distribution and use of the Indus river and its tributaries since then.

Andrabi said that Pakistan rejected “India’s attempt to invoke baseless allegations of terrorism as a pretext for placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and obstructing the lawful flow of the Pakistani share”.

“Let this be very clear: the real issue is not terrorism. The real issue is the growing disposition within the Indian leadership to treat a shared international river system as a strategic asset that can be controlled, withheld or diverted at will,” he alleged.

Andrabi said that water is not a tool of coercion or political pressure and any attempt to deny Pakistan its legitimate share of water under the IWT constituted a clear violation of the international legal obligations undertaken by India.

Under the IWT, brokered by the World Bank, Pakistan received the entire flows from the three western rivers, Chenab, Jhelum and Indus, while India had complete rights over the three eastern rivers, Sutlej, Beas and Ravi.

Tamil Nadu’s all-women police task force raises the bar; Punjab also on the right trac

TAMIL Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay recently inaugurated an all-women police unit called the Singappen Special Task Force, aimed at ensuring the safety of women and children in his state. That was a promise he had made during electioneering after he formed the TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam). He has decided that Singappen would be supervised by him.

Most chief ministers keep the Home portfolio in their own hands. This is not surprising as the police are the most visible agency of the government on the street; the image of the party in power depends a lot on how the cops behave in their daily interaction with the people they have sworn to serve.

Vijay has taken a resolute step forward. He has appointed a woman IPS officer, K Bhavaneeswari, to head the all-women unit and ordered that she report to him. That arrangement may not turn out to be practical, but the initiative is bound to send the desired message: the safety of women and children is of utmost importance to the CM and he is going to ensure that they go about their business without constantly looking over their shoulders.

In my city of Mumbai, the police have evolved the “Didi” project. Female cops are specifically designated as “Didis” in every police station’s jurisdiction to keep in touch with school authorities and monitor the safety of children from the moment they leave their homes to the time they return. Kids travelling in school buses are vulnerable to sexual harassment. The antecedents of bus drivers and conductors, besides toilet attendants and janitors in schools, need to be verified before they are employed.

The safety of women on the street is another problem altogether. As a trustee of the Public Concern for Governance Trust (PCGT), I was in contact with another NGO that had been involved in this work for several years. We joined forces and were successful in getting many spots in the city identified and equipped with better street lighting, to begin with.

That experience was enough for us to realise the magnitude of the problem. The incidence of misbehaviour with women has increased exponentially in the last few decades. It is difficult to put your finger on the exact causes of this phenomenon, but what is certain is that we need to sensitise young men about the importance of respecting their mothers, sisters and daughters, and to extend this respect to all women.

While it will be interesting to keep track of the Singappen project, the fact that women police officers in Punjab are leading major operations against criminals is another heartening trend. Some of them are involved in the anti-gangster drive (“Gangstran Te Vaar”).

Pragya Jain, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG, Law and Order) and former Faridkot SSP, believes that gender has nothing to do with the roles she has been asked to perform. “Policing is about competence, courage and commitment,” she says. I agree with her completely.

Much depends on the police leaders. If they can take all their juniors along to achieve various goals, their gender, religion, caste or economic status become irrelevant. The leaders need to be honest, fair and just in their dealings with the public as well as their subordinates.

Are women better than men in policing? I don’t think so. It all depends on individuals. I have come across outstanding women and men at different levels of the police force. I have also seen laggards in both genders. Even corruption has affected both of them. Much depends on those in the top echelons. Both male and female personnel will look up to them. If the leaders are persons of integrity and willing to lead from the front, they can transform the outlook of the personnel entrusted to their care.

There are some physical differences between men and women that have to be considered. For example, an all-out lathicharge should be assigned to men. Most other qualities required for getting a job done, like integrity, fair play, initiative and commitment, are common to them.

The Punjab Police have found that women are more open to sharing information about wrongdoers in their locality with police officers of their own gender. This is to be expected. Similarly, a victim of molestation may not be keen to share details of the agony she has suffered with policemen, but would be more comfortable with policewomen. These realities should be kept in mind by police leaders who have to make on-the-spot decisions.

I vividly remember an incident that happened decades ago. The late Jayawantiben Mehta, a feisty BJP leader from Mumbai, and others had blocked a key road prior to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s arrival. I was the DCP sent to clear the road. I tried to persuade Jayawantiben, but she was adamant. She insisted on dealing with women cops who, in those days, were not as numerous as they are today. I told her I did not have any policewoman with me and requested her to permit the PM to proceed. On her refusal, I had to order the men to keep banging their lathis on the ground for making a racket to unsettle the protesters. That was the most viable alternative I could think of.

Several years later, Jayawantiben served as a Minister of State in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. She asked me to visit her official residence in Delhi whenever I happened to be in the capital. Obviously, she held no grudge against me, just as I held none against her. We were both doing our respective duties.

A billboard depicting Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei at Valiasr Square in Tehran on Thursday. Image credit/Reuters

A powerful general who leads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard emerged from hiding as Tehran prepared Friday for the dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Photos published online by Iranian state media showed Gen Ahmad Vahidi attending a meeting about the funeral of Khamenei, 86, then sitting alongside his casket as Iran’s theocracy held a smaller service for him on Thursday night near the supreme leader’s former home in downtown Tehran.

Beginning Saturday, Iran will hold a dayslong funeral for Khamenei, and his body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighbouring Iraq.

The funeral will begin at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, where authorities plan to shut down streets and daily life as mourners commemorate the life of Khamenei, who led Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.

Ayatollah Khamenei’s coffin taken to the site of assassination: Iranian media

Iranian state media said that in an unannounced event, the coffin carrying the body of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was taken to the site where he was killed. According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), “In an unannounced event, the coffin carrying the body of the martyred leader Ayatollah Khamenei was brought to the site of his martyrdom.” The multi-day public farewell, scheduled to take place on July 4 and 5 in the capital city, is anticipated to draw a record-breaking crowd of up to 20 million participants, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s capital Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least 27 people, wounding scores more and damaging around 130 buildings in the deadliest attack on the capital this year.

Multiple explosions shook central Kyiv and reverberated across the capital throughout the night as thousands of residents rushed to bomb shelters and underground metro stations. Huge columns of smoke filled the skyline.

The death toll climbed to 27 after an injured person died in hospital, and 91 were injured, the head of the capital’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said on Telegram.

Tkachenko had earlier warned that the toll was likely to rise as rescue teams worked through the night, sifting through rubble in search of trapped residents.

He said teams at one site in an eastern suburb on the capital’s left bank of the Dnipro River had recovered five bodies while eight residents were unaccounted for.

“Rescue crews will work without interruption until all the debris is cleared,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, more victims may still be found.”

The scale and spread of destruction across the breadth of the capital had little precedent even in a war now in its fifth year. Twenty-four people died in an attack on Kyiv in May.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who cut short his visit to Ireland and rushed home, visited the site where a nine-storey residential building was half destroyed. He blamed the destruction in part on a failure of allies to deliver promised air defenses.

“If our partners had delivered on their promises in a timely manner, I think we could have saved more homes and lives today,” said Zelenskiy, who looked tired and frustrated. “All we ask of our partners is simply to do what we’ve agreed on. We’re not even asking for more.”

Later, in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said the issue of air defences would be “one of the key outcomes” of next week’s NATO summit in Turkey, as he repeated his call for the development of European air defences.

“If, of course, NATO still means anything to the allies,” he said. “Europe must have its own sufficient capability to defend against all types of threats, including this one – from Russian ballistic missiles.”

Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. Yuri Ihnat, the Air Force spokesperson, said the number of ballistic missiles was unusually high and the interception rate was low. Ukraine has struggled with shortages of Patriot missiles in recent months.

The Russian Defence Ministry, in a Telegram post, said its “massive attack” using long-range, high-precision air-, land- and sea-launched weapons and drones hit military and energy facilities, as well as airports in Kyiv and other locations.

Moscow said the attacks were retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia. Kyiv, which has stepped up strikes in recent weeks on Russia’s domestic fuel supply, said it had hit an oil refinery overnight in the Russian region of Nizhny Novgorod, where the governor reported one person killed in a strike on an industrial facility.

The Kremlin said Russian military commanders had briefed President Vladimir Putin about the Russian attacks, adding that Moscow would increase pressure to achieve its war aims.

DAY OF MOURNING ANNOUNCED IN KYIV

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a day of mourning in Kyiv for Friday. He said that damage was recorded across the city of about 3 million, with some buildings heavily damaged.

The Ukrainian Red Cross, in a post on X, said its humanitarian warehouse in Kyiv has been destroyed in the assault and posted pictures of a shattered building interior. It said 320,000 relief items had been lost, “affecting emergency response and humanitarian operations across Ukraine”.

Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said that “Russia unleashed hell on Kyiv” overnight, and had struck accommodation used by diplomatic personnel. Diplomats were unharmed, but their belongings were damaged in a fire.

City officials said that the injured included children, paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station.

“Our house is on fire. Oleg was pulling our neighbour out of the burning house, while I was phoning all the emergency services during the explosions,” Kyiv resident Iryna Plekhova said on Facebook, posting a picture of a half-destroyed apartment building. “We do not have an apartment anymore.” The National Institute of Biochemistry was among many buildings damaged: its state-of-the-art biochemistry laboratory and other offices were gutted during the attack.

“This is a catastrophe for medical and biological science of Ukraine,” biologist Yurii Danylovych told Reuters.

Ukraine’s neighbour Poland, a NATO and EU member, briefly scrambled fighter jets as a preventive measure. Finland also briefly issued a temporary aviation restriction zone in the eastern Gulf of Finland, its defence forces said.

MORE PRESSURE ON RUSSIA NEEDED

After years of enduring relentless long-range attacks from Russia, Ukraine has intensified its own strikes deep into Russian territory, mainly on energy targets. That has triggered a fuel crisis in Russia, forcing the world’s third-biggest oil producer to import gasoline from as far away as India.

Russia has responded with a stepped-up air campaign against Ukrainian cities, last month hitting a 1,000-year-old Kyiv cathedral foundational to the Orthodox faith in both countries.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow could help stop Russian attacks.

“Today, I will propose to sanction more entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex in response to the strikes,” she said in a post on X. “The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed.” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attacks, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, describing them as part of a “deadly pattern” of strikes on populated areas.

Zelenskiy has proposed peace talks with Putin, which the Kremlin leader has rejected. Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian and US negotiators held talks in the past two days, and that he hoped to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

Gen Diraj Seth takes over as 31st Army Chief with his team

ADMIRAL KRISHNA SWAMINATHAN, PVSM, AVSM, VSM ASSUMES CHARGE AS THE 27th  CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF OF INDIAN NAVY

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes over as IAF vice chief

Two key Army corps, II and XIV, get new commanders

Army Chief Gen Dhiraj Seth outlines ‘VIJAY’ roadmap, pushes modernisation and self-reliance

Venezuela appreciates Indian team’s efforts to help earthquake victims

The kill switch of citizenship

Centre flags security concerns over WhatsApp’s upcoming username feature

110-year-old Jalandhar Cantt railway station gets ₹99-cr makeover

Indian Army rescues 79-year-old woman from quake rubble in Venezuela

4-year-old boy who fell into borewell at Ambala village brought out dead

Want to stop American aid’: Netanyahu says Israel no longer needs US assistance