Two-front war a threat, preparing for it | Studying China’s theatre commands | Looking for new tank

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 3

The Indian Army has been tasked to maintain a strict vigil along the contentious Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China while presenting a friendly face to their counterparts from across the Himalayan divide.Newly appointed Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, in an interview to The Tribune today, gave his opinion on maintaining peace at the LAC: “Maintain a vigil while presenting a friendly face.”Gen Rawat, who took charge of the 1.3-million strong Army on December 31, was responding to a question as to how would he ensure that peace was maintained along the 3,488-km-long LAC, the de-facto boundary between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.The soldiers of either country patrol in areas perceived as their own and often come face-to-face. Asked whether the recent restructuring by China of its commands into ‘theatre commands’— one man commands resources of all three services — would be done in India too, Gen Rawat said, “We are studying the Chinese format. We will also have our own format to operate jointly with the IAF and the Navy, which may not necessarily be a theatre command format.”On the probability of a two-front collusive war with Pakistan and China, the Army Chief said, “A two-front war threat does not loom immediately, but is very much a possibility and we are preparing for it. That is the mandate.”The Army, Gen Rawat said, was also looking for a new tank beyond the T-90 from Russia and the indigenous Arjun. “At present, we are upgrading T-72 and T-90 tanks and getting newer infantry carrying vehicles (these are armour-plated running on tank-type tracks).”  Asked whether the new tank would be of Russian parentage, he said, “We will design and develop on our own. We have the capability.” The Army, like the Navy, recently opened its own design bureau, which aims to work closely with the DRDO. On building infrastructure in the Himalayas, which is needed to rapidly move troops and equipment, Gen Rawat said, “We have identified spots where tunnels need to be built to ensure all-weather access to remote areas.” The Mountain Strike Corps was coming up as per plan, he said.

AFT gets new chief, 10 posts still vacant

 

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3

After remaining vacant for 10 months, the post of the Chairman of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has finally been filled with the appointment of Justice Virender Singh, former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, today.The appointment comes in the wake of the Supreme Court taking cognisance of a letter by the AFT Bar Association to the Chief Justice of India pointing out that work at the tribunal had virtually come to a standstill due to non-appointment of judicial members. At present 10 out of 17 posts of judicial members are vacant and, consequently, out of the AFT’s eight Benches located across India, those at Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi, Kolkata and Guwahati are non-functional. Courts were being held at these places occasionally, with judicial members from Delhi, Jabalpur and Lucknow Benches being deputed for a few days temporarily.The AFT hears cases pertaining to court martial, service matters, promotions, pay, pensions and disability benefits. Non-functional Benches have adversely affected defence litigants. More than 16,000 cases are said to be pending before the AFT. At the time of AFT’s establishment in 2009, the number of such cases pending before the High Courts was 9,449. The Bar Association had also pointed out the lack of proper judicial review of AFT orders. While civilians aggrieved by the orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal could approach the High Courts within their states, defence employees and their families were not allowed to challenge any orders of the AFT except in the SC and that too only in cases involving points of law of general public importance.

Haryana-Punjab link

• Justice Virender Singh (pic) is an alumnus of the Government College, Rohtak, and has worked as Deputy Advocate General, Haryana, for about five years
• He was elevated as Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July 2002. He has also been posted to the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir