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20 die in avalanches, two in anti-militancy operation

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 13

Like the previous year, when the Army had to face a huge loss as many of its soldiers were killed in various terror attacks in the state, 2017 has not brought any relief to the force and it has lost 22 soldiers, including a Major, till date.Twenty out of 22 Army men have been lost due to nature’s fury when avalanche struck Army camps in the Sonmarg, Gurez and Machil areas of the Kashmir valley. The loss in less than one and a half months of the year is relatively high as compared to earlier years.As the Army has been fighting nature’s fury, two of its soldiers were killed in the Frisal area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir yesterday during an encounter with militants in the area. Four militants and two civilians were also killed in the gun battle.Since the start of the year till January 25, the Army in the state had achieved success in killing several militants in different encounters without losing a single soldier. But on January 25, a snow avalanche killed a Major in Sonamarg and in the Gurez area 14 soldiers were killed after an avalanche hit the area. In the Machil area of Kupwara district five soldiers were rescued on January 28, but they succumbed to their injuries on January 30 in Srinagar.Last year, the Army had suffered a loss of around 60 soldiers in different militancy-related incidents, including Uri and Nagrota terror attacks. In all, 165 militants were killed in the state last year and to date this year, 15 militants have been killed in the Kashmir valley.Yesterday, it was the Army’s first casualty during an anti-militancy operation this year when two soldiers were killed in Kulgam.

Earlier casualties

• In 2016, the Army had suffered a loss of 60 soldiers in different militancy-related incidents, including the Uri and Nagrota terror attacks.
• 165 militants were killed in the state last year and this year to date, 15 militants have been killed.

Tribune News Service
Bathinda, February 9
An interactive workshop on leadership building was conducted for principals of all 15 schools under the Chetak Corps today at the Bathinda Military Station.
Principals of pre-primary schools from Kota, Alwar, Bikaner, Suratgarh, Sriganganagar, Lalgarh Jattan and Bathinda attended the workshop and took active part in brain storming sessions which included presentations on academic matters and methods to improve the faculty expertise keeping in mind the current developments in technology.
Vandana Sharma, zonal president, Army Wives Welfare Association at Chetak Corps, an experienced educationist, presided over the event. She exhorted all to keep pace with developments in the teaching field, adopt technology and best practices with an aim to provide the best education to the pre-primary school children. Such workshops help in developing the faculty and provide a platform for principals to share their thoughts, experiences and best practices, she said. The workshop has gone a long way in learning from each other’s expertise and to set common standards both in terms of infrastructure development and teaching methods, she added.

Bags 77 out of 117 seats in emphatic win after 10 years, CLP to elect Capt as its leader today
Akali­BJP combine gets worst­ever drubbing in assembly polls, manages only 18 seats; 10 of 16 ministers lose
Arvind Kejriwal outfit fails to weave Delhi magic

CHANDIGARH: Congress’ chief ministerial face Capt Amarinder Singh could not have asked for a better gift on his 75th birthday.

The Congress returned to power in Punjab on Saturday with a thumping triumph, emphatically brushing aside the challenge posed by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the first-ever three-horse race in the border state. The party is short of a two-third majority by only one seat.

While the AAP has emerged as the runners-up, the SADBJP combine, which ruled the state for 10 years, has been routed. The spectacular success of the Congress, which has stemmed the tide of poll debacles it has been facing, is not just the first good news for the party since 2014. It has also provided a face-saver to the Congress leadership that has failed to slow down, if not halt, the Narendra Modi juggernaut in the high-stakes battle in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress notched 77 of the 117 seats, up from 46 in the 2012 assembly elections. This is the party’s second best-ever performance in the state. Its highest tally was 87 seats in 1992 in an election boycotted by the Akalis.

Though its vote share slipped to 38.5% from 40% in the previous assembly elections, the Congress has won more seats this time in the three-horse race, tapping into the vein of widespread anger against the SAD-BJP combine. It has done well in all three regions – Malwa, Majha and Doaba – of the state.

Amarinder, who is all set to be the next CM, fought from two seats. He won Patiala, but lost to Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi. The AAP bagged 20 seats with 24% vote share with its alliance partner, Lok Insaaf Party, taking another two seats with 1.2% votes.

The hype surrounding the AAP – the new entrant that changed the bipolar polity of Punjab – fizzled out. The party had taken the state politics by storm in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, winning four seats, but then lost the momentum. But it is the Akalis who have suffered their most humiliating defeat. The SAD-BJP combine managed just 18 seats with 30% votes – their worst-ever performance in the state. While the SAD won 15 seats, the BJP got three. Both CM Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal retained their seats. However, more than half of their ministers lost.

India seeks progress on ‘major defence partner’ status from US

First contact: This is James Mattis’ first contact with Manohar Parrikar as US Defence Secretary.

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 9

Even as the Donald Trump-led US administration settles in and its long-standing allies read the implications, US Defence Secretary James Mattis called up Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to commit to growth of military ties between the two nations.Both discussed measures to take forward the implementation of the US decision to anoint India as its ‘major defence partner’ (MDP). In December — during the tenure of Barack Obama — the US Congress had approved the status that is unique to India.It institutionalises the path of progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level on a par with that of the US’ closest allies and partners. It creates a presumption of approval for transactions with India and removes the need to have Congressional sanction for each fresh case.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Mattis committed to building upon bilateral defence cooperation, underscoring the strategic importance of the US-India relationship, said Pentagon spokesperson Capt Jeff Davis. MoD spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said they “resolved to work together to further consolidate and expand this partnership in the future”.Sources in India said two keys points discussed were the implementation of the MDP and taking forward for the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), which will be integral and enduring component of India-US security cooperation. The Indian side said it was the first defence-related contact since Trump assumed office on January 20. 

Congress supporters celebrate outside Amarinder Singh’s residence on Saturday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 11

As trends indicated the Congress party’s resounding victory in Punjab, the scene outside Captain Amarider Singh’s house transformed from quiet to festive jubilation within barely an hour. Since 10 am, as trends put Congress in the lead, supporters, armed with bouquets, poured into the Congress leader’s house amid victorious drum beats.Some police officers and bureaucrats were also present.Incidentally, Saturday marked the Congress leader’s 75th birthday.Apparently taking a lesson from assembly elections in 2012, when celebrations had to be called off after the Congress realised that results had not gone their way, Singh chose to remain in his room until 12 pm, tracking trends on television with his family and some close friends. He joined his party workers in celebration only after trends showed that the party was leading in 79 seats.Singh later left for his hometown Patiala —his own constituency — to collect his MLA certificate and personally thank voters.The house remained out-of-bounds for the media until 11 am.The Congress leader’s newly-wed grandson, Nirvan and his wife Mriganka Singh — granddaughter of senior Congress leader Karan Singh and scion of erstwhile Royal family of Jammu and Kashmir — made a public appearance to congratulate him.Punjab Congress’s Sector 15 office also witnessed celebrations.Among bureaucrats and police officers at Singh’s residence were KBS Sidhu, additional chief secretary-home secretary; Sanjeev Gupta, DGP; KAP Sinha, principal secretary (GA); SK Sharma, former IG; DP Reddy, secretary, Local Bodies; and VK Uppal, ADGP Ajay Kumar Pandey, IG.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 7

In a telling example of the Army’s system of imparting justice, a Lieutenant Colonel facing corruption charges not only had to attend his court martial proceedings while lying on a bed inside the court room because he was sick, but he also had to face trial without being duly represented by a legal counsel.The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has now set aside the general court martial (GCM) that cashiered the officer, Lieut Col Varinder Singh, and awarded him one-year rigorous imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Giving a word of caution to the Army authorities, the AFT has ordered a retrial, for which the officer is to be reinstated in service.“Having extensively gone through the GCM proceedings, we find that the petitioner was without the services of a legal counsel and in such a physical state medically deemed to be ‘sick in quarters’ implying bed rest and yet he was asked to attend trial lying down in a bed,” the Bench said in orders passed a few days ago.The Bench said while the Army availed services of a legal practioner, the same was not made available to the accused for most part of the trial. “This in our opinion degraded the quality of fairness to the petitioner to a degree causing miscarriage of justice. Under the circumstances, such a trial by the GCM cannot be considered a fair trial as it has violated the principals of natural justice,” the Bench ruled.

Accusing Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar of misbehaviour, as many as 10 ex-soldiers have threatened to commit suicide, according to a new video and letter circulating on social media

SAY NO TO DRUGS: Members of the Nasha Mukti Committee. Photo: S Chandan

About six months back, Sandeep Singh (25) had a deeply disturbing experience. A boy from his village died after drug overdose. The youth was addicted to it while selling ‘chitta’ in neighbouring villages. As a baptized young man, Sandeep made up his mind: he’d force drug peddlers out. “The villagers have become so indifferent to the notoriety of Chak Balochan Wala as a drug and illegal liquor haven that such deaths mean little,” says Sandeep, studying for the elementary teachers training (ETT) diploma. Fighting a well-connected drug ring is dangerous. “I made a video clip of a hideout of drug addicts on the outskirts of the village,” says Sandeep, recalling how at least 10 youths fell to drugs in a span of just one year. “Since none of the deaths has been documented, there is no official record. In some cases, addicts selling the intoxicant have died,” says Sandeep.His next step was to form a group of 50 boys to take on the peddlers frequenting his village. He told everyone he met: it’s time to wash the drug taint off the village. Several people in the Rai Sikh-dominated village of 1,800 residents have come forward. Sandeep has set up Youth Nasha Mukti Committee. The election canvassing has further strengthened their resolve as committee members want candidates to promise that they will help in stamping out the drug menace.“Youngsters from neighbouring areas sell chitta (adulterated form of heroine) in our village. We have brought it to the notice of the police. Several drug peddlers have been booked,” says Sandeep.The menace of chitta became more pronounced over the last year. In June 2014, a police team raiding an illicit liquor distilling unit was attacked by villagers. The illicit liquor trade had acquired the status of a cottage industry in the village allegedly under political patronage. In the last two decades, around 1,500 cases have been registered against residents of the village under the Excise and NDPS Acts.

CONFESSION EX­Pak NSA says the strike was a ‘classic example’ of cross­border terror; denies role of the govt or ISI in the carnage

NEWDELHI: Pakistan’s former top security officer Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said the 26/11 Mumbai strike was a “classic example” of cross-border terrorism, carried out by a Pakbased group and hoped that its chief Hafiz Saeed is punished.

HT FILEThe terror strikes in Mumbai in 2008 had claimed 166 lives.

However, Durrani, a former national security advisor of Pakistan, maintained that the government had no role in the terror strikes that claimed lives of 166 people.

“26/11 Mumbai strikes, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, was a classic transborder terrorist event,” he said while addressing a conference on combating terrorism at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis here.

Later talking to reporters, he said, “I know (this) for definite. I have very good information that the Government of Pakistan or the ISI (Pakistan’s spy agency) was not involved in 26/11 (terror attack). I am 110 per cent sure.”

Asked to elaborate, Durrani declined to divulge details, saying he was sacked by the Pakistani government for certain statements he made regarding the Mumbai attack.

“I made a statement which the government did not like and I got sacked,” he said.

Reacting to the statement minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said, “India’s position is very well known and consistent. There is nothing new for us.”

In response to a question on JuD chief Saeed’s usefulness to Pakistan, Durrani said he has “no utility” for the country and that the Mumbai attack mastermind should be “punished”.

Durrani, who had served as a major general in the Pakistani army, was sacked in 2009 for having indicated that Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist arrested for the Mumbai terror attack, may have been a Pakistani. Kasab was hanged by India.

India has been maintaining that Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes and has been demanding action against Saeed.

Pakistan has been maintaining that it demands more evidence to bring Saeed to book.

Durrani also sought to debunk India’s assertion that it carried out surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC), saying he did not see evidence of any such attack by the Indian forces.