Jammu: The Indian Air Force on Tuesday rescued a US citizen from the Zhingchan area, 75 km from Leh. The IAF successfully evacuated the US citizen to Leh from Zhingchan, where she was stranded due to an injury. Public Relations Officer (PRO), IAF, Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee said the IAF responded after getting a request from the US embassy in New Delhi through the Defence Ministry. “Margaret Allen Stone, a US citizen, had set out for trekking in the Ladakh region and had been held up in Zhingchan since September 6 due to an injury. Her condition had deteriorated during this prolonged period of lack of care and she was in a critical condition,” the PRO said. “The US Government informed the IAF of the situation on Tuesday afternoon and the IAF responded with requisite alacrity. The exact location of Margaret Allen Stone was ascertained with the help of the civil administration and by evening, two IAF helicopters were able to locate her in a valley,” he said, adding that Stone was brought to a Leh hospital for medical care by sunset. TNS
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Army builds sheds for Gujjars
Tribune News Service
Jammu, September 22
To improve the quality of life in remote and rural areas, the Army has constructed sheds for the nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals at Nilhal in Reasi district.Gujjars and Bakerwals form an important segment of the multicultural identity of Jammu and Kashmir.The Army constructed the sheds to ease the hardships of the community members during their migration.The sheds will provide basic transit facilities and fulfil the long-standing demand of the communities.Such social ventures have helped ease the hardships faced by the nomads.
Dera stir: Punjab, Haryana youth to retake IAF exam
New Delhi, September 11The Indian Air Force has allowed candidates in Punjab and Haryana to re-appear in the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT).These candidates were to take an exam on August 27 but unrest due to the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh led to disruption in transport services and even curfew in certain areas.The IAF today said candidates who were allotted exam centres at Ambala-1 & 2, Adampur-1 & 2, Amritsar, Barnala, Bathinda, Chandigarh- 1, 2, 3 & 4, Halwara, Sarsawa, and Sirsa for AFCAT 02/2017, which was scheduled on August 27, would be allowed to reapper.A supplementary AFCAT exam is scheduled for September 17 (Sunday) at the same venues and time.Any change in time of venue or time will be informed through registered e-mail, the IAF said.Candidates will have to carry admit cards issued earlier and adhere to all other instructions as before.Candidates who have already appeared on Aug 27 at any centre are not eligible to appear in the supplementary test on Sept 17. Details are also on www.careerairforce.nic.in. — TNS
At war hero’s door
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat with Rasoolan Bibi, wife of Havildar Abdul Hamid who received Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his actions during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, during his death anniversary in Bhamupur village of Gazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday.
Gazipur: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat with Rasoolan Bibi, wife of Havildar Abdul Hamid who received Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his actions during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, during his death anniversary in Bhamupur village of Gazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday. PTIBlue Whale: Lucknow schools bar smartphonesLucknow: The use of smartphones by children in schools has been banned in the state capital by the Education Department in a bid to keep them away from the ‘Blue Whale Challenge’, an online dare game linked to teen deaths. The orders come after a 14-year-old boy allegedly hanged himself in Indira Nagar last week. PTI
Army Chief Rawat’s remarks contrary to views expressed by Xi, Modi: China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with President Xi Jinping during the BRICS Summit in China. PTI/PIB file
Beijing, September 7
China on Thursday reacted sharply to Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat’s assertion that Beijing was testing India’s limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.
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Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started “flexing its muscles”, while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.
Read: Army Chief sees possibility of 2-front war
Reacting to the comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, “We have noted the statement by relevant people in India. Also, we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking.”
Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government’s position.
“As reported by Indian press…we don’t know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government,” Geng said.
Noting that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries.
This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.
“Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other’s development opportunities, not threats,” Geng said.
“We hope India could view China’s development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries,” Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
“We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area,” Xi had said.
Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said.
“We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” Geng said.
“Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard,” he said in response to Rawat’s remarks.
Rawat, in his remarks, had said, “As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict.” PTI
India-China border standoff Diplomacy allowed to prevail, for now
The two biggest militaries of the continent have finally agreed to call off their standoff after two months. The fact that Prime Minister Modi will be rubbing shoulders with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a week may have been instrumental in ending the confrontation. The incident is a sad commentary on the lack of trust that has kept the two nations estranged for over half a century. Other forces too have happily played a role in keeping animosities bubbling and distrust alive. The unilateral walk back by the Indian Army confirms that the contest all along has been over Bhutan, long considered by China as a bee in its bonnet.Ever since 1962, loyal Bhutan always stood by India’s side. Since India had a festering border dispute, it also kept dragging its border talks with China despite several blandishments including a seat on the UNSC. Nor did it permit China to open an embassy in Bhutan. For a country that aims to overtake the US, this Bhutanese demurral rankles and China did what it knows best — it tried to militarily pressurise Bhutan with a road at Doklam. The Indian Army’s intervention sabotaged China’s game plan, leading to the standoff and an unending cascade of angry remonstrations.Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi would also have realised that this standoff was diminishing their political capital. Pseudo-nationalists on both sides were on the rise. Their high- pitched economic boycott call forced New Delhi to bend with the wind: anti-dumping duty was slapped on 93 Chinese products and its hot selling mobile phones are under the intelligence scanner. Xi is also under attack from his domestic opponents. A reverse on the border would have not only weakened his position at home but would have emboldened the South China Sea rivals to frontally tackle China. The strategic bad blood between India and China will continue. But for the moment, Xi and Modi were not willing to take a leap into the unknown.
Lt Col Purohit out of jail after 9 years
Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit being taken to the Army base at Colaba from Taloja Central Jail on Wednesday. PTI
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, August 23
Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, was today released from Taloja jail in Mumbai after his release order was issued by the Special National Investigation Agency court.The Supreme Court had on Monday granted bail to Purohit. However, his release, which was due on Tuesday, was delayed due to procedural hassles.Purohit walked out of jail shortly after 10.35 am and left for the military barracks at Colaba in South Mumbai in a convoy of 15 military vehicles.The former Military Intelligence officer, along with Sadhvi Pragya and others, was accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case. Seven persons died in the blast. Shortly after the SC order, Purohit told reporters on Tuesday that he was looking forward to rejoining the Army. He said he was thankful to the Army for standing by him.
China blames India for clash at LAC in Ladakh
RAISING ALARM Reports of People’s Liberation Army conducting military drills at an undisclosed location to ‘strike awe in India’ emerge
BEIJING: China on Monday blamed India for the skirmish in Ladakh on August 15 saying Indian troops triggered the scuffle, even as reports about People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducting military drills to “strike awe in India” have emerged.
The foreign ministry said China has lodged “serious concerns” with India over the skirmish that took place near Pangong Lake and along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The skirmish between the border troops took place against the backdrop of the military standoff in Doklam area near the Sikkim border.
On August 15, Indian troops stopped Chinese soldiers from crossing the LAC and entering the Indian side . Reports said troops from both sides “pelted” stones at each other before the situation was defused. “According to our information, on August 15, the Chinese border troops conducted a normal patrol on the Chinese side of the LAC around Pangong area,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing.
“During this process, the Indian side took some violent actions and injured the Chinese border personnel. This has violated the consensus between the Indian and Chinese side in relation to the border issues,” she added. “China has expressed grave dissatisfaction and we have lodged serious concerns to the Indian side.”
India was told “to strictly discipline” the Indian border troops involved in the incident in Ladakh to “earnestly uphold the peace and tranquillity of the boundary area”, she said.
China has already called for the unilateral withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam area, which is under Beijing’s control but claimed by Bhutan.
China’s official media pointed out that the PLA’s latest drills were held “amid tensions in Doklam” with “trespassing Indian troops”.
The nationalistic Global Times tabloid reported, “The Lianhe Zaobao newspaper on Friday quoted analysts as saying such Chinese PLA military exercises are meant to ‘strike awe in India’ as the two sides have been engaged in a standoff in Doklam for more than two months, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is closest to India, is where the Western Theatre Command is most prominent.”
Another official media report said, “China Central Television reported on Friday that more than 10 PLA units, including aviation units and armoured forces, participated in the drills. The five-minute-long video showed tanks firing at targets on hills, followed by helicopters firing missiles at ground targets.”
It added, “The report did not mention the location of the exercises, only saying the drills ‘lay the ground for plateau warfare’.”
The drills were conducted by PLA’s Western Theatre Command that covers Tibet, Xinjiang, Ningxia, Qinghai, Sichuan and Chongqing.
सेना के जवान से बदसलूकी पर कैप्टन की सख्ती, जांच के बाद एएसआई सस्पेंड::CAPT A SOLDIERS FRIEND
कैप्टन अमरिंदर सिंह 14 अगस्त की शाम को गुरदासपुर के तिबड़ी कैंट में थे। यहां एक सेना के जवान ने अपने झगड़े के मामले को लेकर सीएम से एएसआई की शिकायत की थी।
जेएनएन, संगरूर। स्वतंत्रता दिवस की पूर्व संध्या पर गुरदासपुर के तिबड़ी कैंट में आर्मी जवान की शिकायत पर मुख्यमंत्री कैप्टन अमरिंदर सिंह ने सख्त रवैया अपनाया है। मामले में जांच के 24 घंटे के भीतर ही थाना धूरी के एएसआई को सस्पेंड कर दिया गया है। इतना ही नहीं, कैप्टन ने इस कार्रवाई की सूचना आर्मी के एक अधिकारी को खुद एसएमएस करके दी। साथ ही ये भी कहा कि एएसआई को सस्पेंड कर एसएचओ बदल दिया गया है। आर्मी जवान नए एसएचओ से मिल सकता है, जो खुद एक्स आर्मी पर्सन है।
जानकारी के अनुसार कैप्टन अमरिंदर सिंह 14 अगस्त की शाम को गुरदासपुर के तिबड़ी कैंट में थे। उन्होंने 3 सिख रेजीमेंट के अफसरों और जवानों के साथ मुलाकात की। इसी दौरान आर्मी जवान गुरप्रीत सिंह ने मुख्यमंत्री को बताया कि वह धूरी के गांव दुर्गेवाला का रहने वाला है। कुछ दिन पहले उसका व पड़ोसियों से किसी बात को लेकर झगड़ा हुआ था।
यह भी पढ़ें: डेरा प्रमुख से जुड़े यौनशोषण मामले में सीबीआइ कोर्ट 25 को सुनाएगी फैसला
धूरी थाने के एएसआई हरमीत सिंह ने दोनों पक्षों को सुनवाई के लिए थाने बुलाया। वह अपनी वर्दी में थाने गया तो एएसआई के सामने पड़ोसियों ने उसे बेइज्जत किया और मौके पर मौजूद एएसआई ने कुछ नहीं कहा। इसी दौरान आर्मी के आईजी ने इस मामले को अपने स्तर पर देखने की बात की तो कैप्टन ने उन्हें बीच में टोकते हुए फौजी की सारी बात सुनकर संगरूर पुलिस के उच्चाधिकारियों को फोन पर मामले की जांच करके रिपोर्ट देने के आदेश दे दिए।
इसके बाद देर शाम इस फौजी के अफसर को सीएम कैप्टन अमरिंदर सिंह की ओर से एसएमएस पर सूचना मिली कि एसएचओ का तबादला और सब इंस्पेक्टर को सस्पेंड कर दिया गया है। साथ में ये भी कहा कि जवान अब नए एसएचओ से मिल सकता है, जो एक्स आर्मी पर्सन है।
यह भी पढ़ें: गीतकार गुलजार बोले- मैंने देखा है लाशों के ढेर पर देश को बंटते हुए
उधर, इस बारे में संगरूर के एसएसपी मनदीप सिंह सिद्धू ने दैनिक जागरण को बताया कि मामले की जांच के बाद थाना धूरी के एएसआई हरमीत सिंह को सस्पेंड किया गया है। जबकि थाना प्रभारी विजय कुमार का तबादला कर उसकी जगह इंस्पेक्टर परमिंदर सिंह को एसएचओ का चार्ज दिया गया है।
‘Defence Ministry post cheap?’ Shiv Sena slams Manohar Parrikar’s remark::DM POST ONLY FOR DEFEATED CANDIDATES
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that if he loses the Panaji by-poll, he has the option of returning as the defence minister.
Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray has attacked Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over his remarks on returning as defense minister if he loses the state by-poll. Parrikar is contesting the Panaji assembly bypoll scheduled on August 23. Parrikar recently said that if he loses the Panaji by-poll, he has the option of returning as the defence minister.
In a strongly worded editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna, Uddhav Thackeray has even called Parrikar a failure as a defence minister. The editorial says that Parrikar must lose the Panaji by-poll and let the nation see if he really returns as defence minister.
In the editorial Uddhav says, “the misunderstanding that Manohar Parrikar is a politician with a clean image is bygone now. He himself has stamped his image as a self-centred politician. After failing miserably as the defence minister, he returned to Goa”.
Parrikar’s arrogant statement that if he loses Panaji by-polls he will return to Delhi as defence minister has not only insulted the CMs post of Goa but has also degraded the defence minister’s post” Uddhav said.
“Actually for a ‘Mahatma’ like Parrikar the elections should have been unopposed. But he turned his back when the borders of the nation were in danger to enjoy his ‘fish curry rice’, isn’t this a great bravery ? He should get a Mahaveer Chakra for this bravery, but instead BJP made him the CM of Goa,” Uddhav quipped sarcastically in the editorial.
The Shiv Sena chief alleged that inspite of badly losing the Goa assembly elections, Parrikar managed to form the government. Uddhav said that the Goa chief minister is afraid of a defeat in the by-poll and is insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi by making such a statement. Parrikar’s statement is laughable and an insult to democracy, Uddhav has said.
“The prime minister must explain. Is the defence minister’s post so cheap and orphaned?”, Uddhav questioned.
“The country is fighting the challenges on the borders by China and Pakistan…PM is making all efforts to face them .. but when people like Parrikar degrade the defence minister’s post, he deserves to be defeated. His fear of defeat must come true. The Goans will watch whether he’d really become the defence minister. How long are they going to fool the people of Goa?”, Uddhav said.
The by-election in Panaji and Valpoi constituencies would be held on August 23.
The bypolls were necessitated following the resignations of BJP’s sitting MLA Siddharth Kuncolienkar and Congress’ Vishwajeet Rane, from Panaji and Valpoi seats, respectively.
Parrikar resigned as the defence minister after the BJP formed the government in Goa.
He was sworn-in as the chief minister on March 14 this year. He has to get elected to the Assembly within six months of taking charge as the chief minister.
Also Read:
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Manohar Parrikar: Quit as defence minister due to pressure of issues like Kashmir
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