PM Narendra Modi with the six women officers who are due to circumnavigate the globe and Admiral Sunil Lanba. PTI

New Delhi, August 17

A six-woman Navy crew led by an Uttarakhand officer, Lt Commander Vartika Joshi, will kick off their voyage to circumnavigate the globe in the first week of September from Goa.The officers have been trained to handle everything from equipment breakdown, extreme temperatures to emergencies such as a crew member falling overboard.Lt Commander Joshi said: “We will be facing some of the roughest seas. We’ve learnt everything from scratch and have trained to handle whatever may come our way.”(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The crew comprises Lt Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta.Jamwal hails from Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, while Gupta belongs to Dehradun.The officers will set out on the voyage, “Navika Sagar Parikrama”, from Goa aboard “INSV Tarini”, a 55-foot sailing vessel, and head to Australia.The 21,600-nautical mile expedition will be covered in five legs, with stopovers at four ports.  A voyage qualifies as circumnavigation if it starts and finishes at the same port, does not entail crossing a canal or strait, all meridians are crossed at least once and the distance covered is more than 21,600 nautical miles. — TNS

All-women naval crew to embark on around the globe voyage

Six women officers of the Indian Navy, who are due to circumnavigate the globe, at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday. PTI

New Delhi, August 17  A six-member all-women crew of the Indian Navy is set to embark on an eight-month voyage in September to circumnavigate the world, the first such feat to be attempted from Asia.The naval officers led by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi will set sail in the naval auxiliary vessel INSV Tarini from Goa, and they are expected to depart early September.“We will be passing through some of the roughest patches of sea during the voyage,” Joshi told reporters today.“This all-women circumnavigation attempt would be the first of its kind, not only from India but also Asia. They are well-trained and with their maritime odyssey, they will also set sail into the record books,” Naval Chief of Personnel Vice Admiral AK Chawla said.“They are going to set benchmarks not just for India but the entire world,” he said.Fellow crew member Pratibha Jamwal, who had joined the Naval Academy in 2011, said, the voyage is daunting but they are all trained and set for it.The expedition will be covered in five legs, with stopovers at 4 ports—Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa), it said.INSV Tarini is a 55-foot sailing vessel, which has been built indigenously, and inducted in the Indian Navy earlier this year.The crew had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday. — PTI

Hostility has left neighbours unmoved

Rebonding: Joint naval exercises are symbolic of changing equations.

Sandeep Dikshit

AN unnamed US navy top brass sought to enlighten us about the end game behind the recent week-long excitement in the waters of the Bay of Bengal involving navies of the US, India and Japan. “They [China] will know that we are standing together and that it is better to stand together,” he said at the end of the war-like maneuvers involving, as breathless defence correspondents put it, three aircraft carriers for the first time.Like all naval exercises this comes with a name, this one is called the Malabar. It began in 1992 as India began reaching out to the other side of the Cold War divide and has now assumed proportions that are the interest of every sea-faring nation in the world because it involves Japan, India and the US with a very interested onlooker in Australia, all of whom disagree with Beijing’s modus operandi of reworking the power equations in the region.  Astute as they are, the Chinese would have noticed that the famed US aircraft carrier Nimitz came for the exercises with a leaner complement of accompanying warships. The Japanese contributed two warships. More than war-fighting machines, they remain symbols of Shinzo Abe’s overturning of Japan’s post World War law forbidding its participation in international conflicts. Australia, which was kept out of the Malabar exercises, is still reorienting its navy for a blue water role.  Clearly, the comforting words of the American naval officer and the temporary presence of a number of warships in the Bay of Bengal can have no impact on the border standoff on the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction or dampen the Sino-Pakistani tango where Beijing has promised to do the heavy lifting for a massive infrastructure buildup that straddles Indian Kashmir.   Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently jet-setted to the US, Russia, Spain, France and Germany, all with a thriving military-industrial complex. Very few have responded to his call to manufacture military hardware on Indian soil, partly because most would not wish to rework their equations with China.The belligerent realists who have come to dominate the Indian foreign policy may draw comfort from the Donald Trump’s maiden defence budget that has a few lines about India. So far India has largely bought surveillance and detection equipment from the US while going slow on offensive platforms like fighters, tanks and submarines.Both sides have their reasons. The US had abruptly suspended the Malabar exercises after India conducted the nuclear tests in 1998. As part of US sanctions at that time, Pentagon even ordered the British to seize Indian Navy’s helicopters that had come for repairs because they had American parts. India’s strategic planner learnt their lessons. Just like they were left stranded after the US withdrew military assistance in 1965 (and unwittingly left a vacuum filled by the Soviet Union) after India had clashed with Pakistan, they realised military trade with the US can be halted anytime if it conflicts with American foreign objectives.The proximity brought about by the foreign policies of successive Indian administrations has caused those apprehensions to recede. There is even talk of the US transferring its F-16 manufacturing facility to India.  But the US will not easily offer any of the top-end offensive military platforms without a demonstrative expression of strategic closeness.This could be tactical such as positioning Indian armed forces in Afghanistan. But to get into the real meat of the US arms industry, this is inadequate. Even countries in a client-patronage relationship with the US like Pakistan have been let down on crucial occasions (Kargil War) or rewarded for their occasional usefulness with a few military toys that are grossly inadequate for a full-fledged war.The US would ideally like to sink a long strategic hook into India that makes the alliance irreversible. One element — signing of three military agreements — has been on the table since the Manmohan Singh-AK Antony era. The duo withstood immense American pressure to sign these agreements because that would have meant an irreversible entry into critical defence systems that countries with independent foreign policies try to prevent.The Modi government has succumbed to the easiest of the three military agreements. But even its complexities have meant that the two sides could not operationalise the pact for the Malabar exercises. The signing of the other two pacts will certainly cause the Russians to turn lukewarm in supplying top-end military hardware to India.With neither a credible sea denial strategy in hand or adequate military platforms to deter China, it was inevitable that the bluster in foreign policy would have a short shelf life. The Army Chief made a show of muscularity by dashing to Sikkim when the faceoff with the Chinese began. Three weeks later, he has reverted to expiating on Kashmir.This approach has brought negative returns with Pakistan as well. High on Chinese backing, utility for the Arabs and Russian mending of fences, Islamabad has little appetite for dialogue on New Delhi’s terms. The attempt to square Pakistan’s meddling in Kashmir with reciprocal interference in Balochistan has suffered a massive blowback with the arrest of the former Indian Naval officer. Nepal too is not looking too good and India has been left with too few diplomatic tools to turn the situation around. The antipathy with China could have been best avoided when Nepal was looking to balance India’s testiness with approaches to Beijing.  This cul de sac may have persuaded Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to complain that the Dokalam military standoff between India and China has blown out of proportion due to “supra-nationalism” — beyond the authority of one national government. Apart from the usual suspects and slogans — boycott of Chinese manufactured goods, annexure of Kailash Mansarovar — the Foreign Secretary may also be hinting at the wind being provided to the sails of hyper-nationalists by foreign strategic experts with the single point agenda of showing up China poorly.India has been hedging against Chinese dominance for nearly two decades. But its policy makers eschewed bluster towards China in favour of painstaking incremental diplomatic dexterity. The three years of belligerence may have turned the clock back.

Soldiers of 3 Sikhs click photos with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Tibri Cantonment (Gurdaspur), August 14Punjab will observe September 12 as Saragarhi Day to commemorate the historic battle of Saragarhi, held on this date in 1897, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced on Monday.He was addressing the soldiers of 3 Sikhs, with whom he was spending the Independence Eve.A state-level function will be held on September 12 at the Saragarhi Gurdwara in Ferozepur to mark the occasion, which will be presided by Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, in the absence of the chief minister.Capt Amarinder will be in London for the launch of his book on Saragarhi, as part of the Saragarhi battle celebrations.The chief minister announced a state holiday to mark the day, which will be celebrated every year on September 12 from this year onwards.The Cabinet had in April decided to hand over the management of the Saragarhi Memorial Gurdwara to the administration of Saragarhi Memorial Management Trust, Ferozepur.The Trust comprises of serving Army men as well as ex-servicemen. The site is located at Ferozepur Cantt in district Ferozepur.On this date, under the command of Havildar Ishar Singh, 21 jawans and one NCO attained martyrdom after killing hundreds of tribesman, who had attacked the Saragarhi outpost.The British government had conferred the 21 soldiers with the highest battle honour — “Indian Order of Merit grade II”.This day is celebrated on September 12 every year in Gurdwara Saragarhi Sahib to commemorate the sacrifices of these men.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 4

The daring escape by three Indian Air Force pilots from a Pakistani prison and their failed attempt to reach the Afghanistan border has been documented into a film.‘The Great Indian Escape’ was screened at the IAF auditorium here today. Similar screenings are planned in Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, among other places. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Flight Lieutenants Dilip Parulkar, MS Grewal and Harish Singhji were among 12 pilots taken prisoners of war (PoWs) during the December 1971 India-Pakistan war and housed in a Rawalpindi prison. Though the war ended on December 16, repatriation formalities of the PoWs could not be completed even in two months. During the waiting period, the trio executed a well-planned escape from the jail and moved towards Torkham on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Though disguised as local Pathans, they were captured twice, the last time a mere five miles short of their target. They were then sent to Faisalabad jail before being repatriated to a hero’s welcome through the Attari-Wagah land route. Taranjiet Singh Namdhari is the film’s director-producer while Asheesh Kapur plays the role of Flt Lt Harish Sinhji, who passed away in 1999. Grewal and Parulkar are alive and their roles have been played by Raaj Singh Grewal and Raghav Rishi.

Villagers stand on the rubble of a house after it was damaged during a gunbattle between terrorists and security forces in Hakripora in Pulwama district.

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 1

Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Abu Dujana, recently named the second-in-command of the Zakir Musa-led outfit with Al-Qaeda links, was killed in a surgical operation in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district early this morning.   Married seven months ago, the “most-wanted” terrorist was killed at his in-laws’ house while visiting his wife. Dujana’s aide, a local man, was killed too. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)As the gunbattle raged, locals, mostly youngsters, marched to the encounter site and hurled stones at the security forces. They were fired upon. One person, identified as Firdous Ahmad of Begumbagh, Kakapora, was killed and several others were injured. The protests spread to other parts of the Valley, including Srinagar, leaving several injured. Thereafter, educational institutions across Kashmir were closed for the day and mobile Internet services suspended. The operation was jointly launched by the Army, police and CRPF in the wee hours at Hakripora Pulwama, 25 km from Srinagar. “The Army and the CRPF cordoned off 10 to 12 houses at about 4 am. We zeroed in on a house and spoke to the owner. We learnt that terrorists were not allowing members of the family to come out. After a couple of hours, all  came out and that is the time we launched an operation at 8 am. Within a couple of hours, two terrorists were killed,” the GOC of Army’s 15 Corps, Lt Gen JS Sandhu, said.“Those killed are Abu Dujana, the LeT chief in Kashmir and an A plus terrorist, and Arif Nabi Dar, also a terrorist,” he said. Dujana had escaped the police dragnet more than 12 times earlier, officials claimed.Police chief SP Vaid called the killings a huge success. He said Dujana, who belonged to Gilgit-Baltistan, had been active in Kashmir for six years. He had masterminded several fidayeen attacks  on security forces along the Srinagar-Anantnag highway in the last two years. Kashmir IGP Muneer Khan claimed Dujana had “become a ‘nuisance’ for everyone, specially the girls.”

MILITANT SEEN AT HIZB COMMANDER’S FUNERAL SURRENDERS

IAF’S FIRST WOMEN FIGHTER PILOTS SET TO FLY SU-30 JETS

IMA AWARD CEREMONY GENTLEMEN CADETS FELICITATED

PRE-SELECTION CAMPS FOR ARMY ASPIRANTS SOON

SACRIFICE OF MARTYR BEING IGNORED: KIN

EX-PARAMILITARY PERSONNEL PRESS FOR OROP BENEFITS

INFILTRATION BID IN MACHIL, 3 MILITANTS GUNNED DOWN

MAJOR, 3 ULTRAS DIE IN NAGALAND ENCOUNTER

Tribune file photo

THE Special Task Force, constituted by the Congress government in Punjab to tackle the drug menace in the state, is showing some positive results. It has arrested a CIA Inspector, known in police circles as a “drug recovery specialist”, posted at Kapurthala. Small-level arrests have been made but big fish have escaped the net. Results are inadequate and unsatisfactory. A few days ago the Bathinda SSP and a DSP were accused of facilitating the release of a drug trader. The detention of an SP-rank officer after the Pathankot air base attack suggested a police-drug-terror nexus but the NIA clean chit came without offering a convincing explanation for his activities close to the border with Pakistan. Then there is the all-important 2014 case of ex-DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola, which hinted at political involvement in drug trade. The case has dragged on and seems to be proceeding in favour of the accused. Last year a Jalandhar court acquitted him in one of the cases, which points to weak prosecution. Now his case is being handled by junior-level ED officials. It is hard to believe that drug business could have flourished in Punjab without the knowledge of the police. The fragile law and order situation, the unsolved high-profile murders, the rise of gangsters, the pathetic condition of jails and an abysmal rate of conviction in cases involving politicians do no credit to the Punjab Police and urgently call for its overhaul and depoliticisation.When Capt Amarinder Singh swore with his hand on a holy book to remove the drug affliction from the state within a month of coming to power, people believed him. The expectation was, regardless of the offenders’ position or political colour, none would be spared. Even though three months have passed and impatient opposition parties have started protests, all that the government has to show up by way of result is a litany of promises and an expression of resolve. Low-key submissions have replaced pre-poll thunderous declarations. The Captain’s well-wishers are willing to give him more time but there is a limit to patience.