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Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19Keeping in view the ongoing talks with Naga groups after the Centre signed an accord with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) in August last year, the Modi government here today decided to extend the ceasefire agreement with two other insurgent outfits – the NSCN-Khole Kitovi and the NSCN-Reformation for one year.The extension of the ceasefire will come in effect from April 28, the date when the existing agreement expires. The Centre’s chief interlocutor for talks with the Naga groups, RN Ravi continued to engage with the two militant groups, sources in the MHA said, adding that the two groups, both breakaway NSCN factions, had been in talks with the government after signing a ceasefire agreement a few years ago.Former interlocutor of the Centre RS Panday said, “The process is a continuous exercise and unless all the Naga factions are taken on board, no lasting peace could be achieved in the North East. It was during my tenure that all the peace contours were finalised with the NSCN-IM and so was the accord. It is good that the government has extended the ceasefire and engaging with other groups too.”The government had signed a historic peace accord with the NSCN-IM on August 3 last year. This was announced at an event at 7, Race Course Road, here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NSCN (IM) General Secretary, Thuingaleng Muivah.

The key airbase at Panagarh in West Bengal has been renamed as ‘Air Force Station Arjan Singh’ in honour of the Marshal of the Air Force, who turned 97 on Friday.

The renaming of the Air Force Station was announced by Chief of Air Staff Arup Raha at a function in Delhi to mark Singh’s birthday.

Addressing a simple renaming ceremony in Panagarh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command Air Marshal C Hari Kumar said, “It is a proud moment for the Indian Air Force and the state of West Bengal.”

“He is an icon and a role model. We have to work hard to ensure that the name is suitably looked after in terms of capability and performance. It is for the first time that we have taken a conscious decision to rename an airbase after an individual,” Air Marshal Kumar said.

An icon of the Indian military history, Singh, the first Indian Air Force Chief to lead a young IAF into war in 1965, was hardly 44 years of age when entrusted with the responsibility.

Air Force Station Arjan Singh in Panagarh, approximately 150 kms from Kolkata, will house the C-130J military transport aircraft, capable of carrying out special operations. These planes will be flying with the Mountain Strike Corps along areas bordering China.

Singh was born on April 15, 1919, in Lyalpur (now Faislabad, Pakistan), and completed his education at Montgomery (now Sahiwal, Pakistan).

At the age of 19, he was selected to the Empire Pilot training course at RAF Cranwell.

His first assignment on being commissioned was to fly Westland Wapiti biplanes in the North-WesternFrontierProvince as a member of the No.1 RIAF Squadron.

After a brief stint with the newly formed No. 2 RIAF Squadron where the Marshal flew against the tribal forces, he later moved back to No.1 Sqn as a Flying Officer to fly the Hawker Hurricane.

He was promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader in 1944.

Singh led the Squadron against the Japanese during the Arakan Campaign, flying close air support missions during the crucial Imphal Campaign and later assisting the advance of the Allied Forces to Rangoon.

For his role in successfully leading the squadron in combat, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944.

On August 15, 1947, he achieved the unique honour of leading a fly-past of over a hundred IAF aircraft over the Red Fort in Delhi.

After his promotion to the rank of Wing Commander, he attended the RoyalStaffCollege at the UK. Immediately after Indian independence, he commanded Ambala in the rank of Group Captain.

In 1949, he was promoted to the rank of Air Commodore and took over as Air Officer Commanding of an operational command, which later came to be known as Western Air Command.

Singh had the distinction of having the longest tenure as AOC of an operational base, initially from 1949-1952 and then again from 1957-1961.

After his promotion to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, he was appointed as the AOC-in-C of an operational command.

Towards the end of the 1962 war, he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and he became the Vice Chief of the Air Staff in 1963. He was the overall commander of the joint air training exercise “Shiksha” held between IAF, RAF (Royal Air Force) and RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force).

On August 1, 1964, in the rank of Air Marshal, the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh took over reins of IAF, at a time when it was still rebuilding itself and was gearing up to meet new challenges.

Singh was the first Air Chief to keep his flying currency till his CAS rank.

Having flown over 60 different types of aircraft from pre-World War II era biplanes to the more contemporary, Gnats and Vampires, he has also flown in transport aircraft like the Super Constellation.

In 1965, when Pakistan launched its Operation Grand Slam, with an armoured thrust targeted at the vital town of Akhnoor, Singh led Indian Air Force through the war with courage, determination and professional skill.

He inspired IAF to victory, despite the constraints imposed on the full-scale use of Air Force combat power.

Then Defence Minister Y B Chavan wrote about him, “Air Marshal Arjan Singh is a jewel of a person, quiet efficient and firm; unexcitable but a very able leader”.

He was awarded Padma Vibhushan for his astute leadership of the Air Force during the war.

Subsequently in recognition of the Air Force’s contribution during the war, the rank of the CAS was upgraded and Arjan Singh became the first Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force.

He remained a flyer to the end of his tenure in IAF, visiting forward bases and units and flying with the squadrons.

He retired in August 1969, thereupon accepting Ambassadorship to Switzerland. He was Lieutenant Governor of New Delhi from December 1989 to December 1990.

Having been a source of inspiration to all personnel of Armed Forces through the years, government conferred the rank of the Marshal of the Air Force upon Arjan Singh in January 2002 making him the first and the only ‘Five Star’ rank officer with Indian Air Force.

Dinesh Kumar
The Indian Navy, considered a vital instrument of diplomacy, power projection and essential for safeguarding the country’s manifold maritime interests, is suffering from serious time and cost overruns. The country can ill afford these deficiencies, especially with China’s increased presence in the Indian Ocean.

A surface-to-surface missile being fired by INS Nirghat (a missile boat), during an operational demonstration in Kochi. PTI

ON April 11, Ashton Carter became the first US Secretary of Defence to visit an aircraft carrier belonging to the Indian Navy when he was taken on board the 44,400-tonne Soviet-origin INS Vikramaditya. While New Delhi’s intention was to showcase the Navy’s currently largest and most powerful vessel, mandarins in South Block cannot be unaware of the serious deficiencies that afflict the Indian Navy, considered a vital instrument of diplomacy, power projection and credible second-strike capability in the event of a nuclear war.      In many ways INS Vikramaditya’s pre-induction history and current status serves as a microcosm to what ails the Navy. Firstly, like the Army and the Air Force, the Navy is similarly largely import-dependent for all its submarines and fighter and maritime reconnaissance aircraft, most helicopters, a few ships and for many sub systems, including missiles. The Navy continues to suffer delays in most inductions while remaining dependent on foreign vendors for requirements ranging from spares, servicing and mid life upgrades, to name a few. Inefficient ship-building yards and manpower-related problems have added to the woes. In the case of INS Vikramaditya, a helpless New Delhi was forced by Moscow to renegotiate the contract to a significantly higher $2.3 billion. The purchase of 45 Russian-made MiG-29K fighters for the aircraft carrier cost another $2 billion. Secondly, considerable cost and time overruns in almost all production and developmental projects continue to be a cause  of serious concern. INS Vikramaditya entered service in June 2014, almost 10-and-a-half years after the purchase contract was signed. Resultantly, the MiG-29Ks, first inducted four years prior in February 2010, had begun depreciating well before they could be operationalised. Further, just as the Navy functioned with a solitary aircraft carrier (INS Viraat) for 19 years — from 1995 to 2014 — it is again back to being a one-carrier Navy, with the 56-year-old INS Viraat now practically retired. A second aircraft carrier, currently under indigenous development (INS Vikrant), is already running six years behind schedule and is at least another three years from entering service. Meantime, its cost has risen six-fold — from Rs 3,261 crore to Rs 19,341 crore. The three Kolkata-class stealth guided missile Destroyers, originally due for commissioning in 2009 and 2010, were inducted after a five to seven years’ delay in 2014, 2015 and 2016 — at an over three-fold  cost increase from Rs 3,580 crore to Rs 11,662 crore. Two of the four Kamorta-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes, originally scheduled for delivery in 2009, 2011 and 2012, were only delivered in 2014 and 2016 — with two more still awaited. The cost, meanwhile, has more than doubled from Rs 3,051 crore to Rs 7,852 crore. Also running behind schedule is the construction of five  offshore patrol vessels, 80 interceptor craft and four attack crafts. The worst is the submarine fleet, considered critical to complete the nuclear triad and to accompany the Navy’s aircraft carriers among other tasks. The Navy’s conventional submarines, which regularly require breaking surface to charge its batteries thus rendering it vulnerable to detection each time, is down to just 13, with 12 of them between 22 and 30 years old. Even the solitary youngest submarine is already 16 years old. The Navy has not inducted a single submarine since 2000, even though the government in 1999 cleared a 30-year plan to induct 24 submarines by 2030. The Navy will get its first conventional submarine (French-origin Scorpene) only in 2017, with five more by 2021 with no further induction decided and, therefore, 18 short of the original plan. India’s indigenously developed nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant, is undergoing sea trials since December 2014. Two more are currently under construction, while six more have been cleared for construction for which, however, no deadline has been fixed. China, in contrast, operates about 60 submarines, nine of them nuclear-powered. The Navy has a shortfall of 61 integral helicopters on its ships; has no deep submergence rescue vehicles for rescuing sailors from submarines; and is dependent on the US in case a submarine is disabled deep under water. Most existing vessels are ageing and would necessitate decommissioning in the next 10 years. The current six mine sweepers, for example, are over 25 years old. Besides, it has suffered an unprecedented frequency of accidents and deaths  a staggering 59 accidents between June 2007 and November 2014, 14 of which occurred in 2014 alone and 24 between 2012 and 2014. The most serious was the sinking of INS Sindhurakshak, a Russian-made kilo class submarine, following a series of blasts in the torpedo section in August 2013. The shortage of officers and sailors is, respectively, almost 1,600 (14.5 per cent) and 1,11,000 (17 per cent). The Navy is finding it hard to maintain a force level of 138 ships and submarines approved by the government 52 years ago in 1964, let alone increase levels to 198 ships and submarines approved by the defence acquisition council in 2012. All this is hardly comforting for a 21st- century Navy, with a maritime responsibility that includes safeguarding a 7,517- km coastline, island territories across two seas at considerable distances from the mainland and a 2 million sq km exclusive economic zone; maintaining sea lanes of communication to ensure safe passage of ocean trade which constitutes 95 per cent by volume and 77 per cent by value.In addition to these maritime responsibilities, the Navy also has to conduct anti-piracy and anti-terrorist operations and a wide range of maritime emergencies.  Of course, it also has to counter the increased Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region.  

dkumar@tribunemail.com

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his US counterpart Ashton Carter (2nd-L) ahead of their meeting in Goa. AFP

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 11

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his US counterpart Ashton Carter are all set to announce the next stage of Indo-US military ties even as India will be keen to project that its “not to close” to the US and balance out ties with China, its neighbour and Russia, its oldest military ally.Parrikar and Carter are to meet tomorrow for formal round of talks in New Delhi and are scheduled to address a joint press conference.Carter arrived in Goa on April 10 and has had meetings with Parrikar. Today the visiting US dignitary was welcomed on board India’s sea-borne aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya, docked at Karwar Naval base located South of Goa.In his remarks in Goa, Carter said it was critically important for the US and India to expand their military relationship, including greater cooperation on high-tech projects and ship and fighter jet development.In the run-up to the Parrikar-Carter meeting, Indian officials had told their US counterparts that they would want Washington to stand guarantee for transfer of technology (ToT) if any US-based companies are to bid under the ‘Make in India’ plan for the fighter jet programme.US companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin have submitted proposals for ‘Make in India’ fighter jets. New Delhi is looking for additional fighter jets once it signs the Rafale deal with Dassualt Aviation of France.Before embarking on his trip Carter, while speaking in New York had assured New Delhi that technology transfer issues in case of co-production were “surmountable”.Tomorrow Parrikar-Carter will discuss the further movement in Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI). Parrikar is keen that DTTI talks be held with the possibility to ensure that centre’s flagship initiative ‘Make in India’ is made an integral part of it.

An injured being taken to a hospital on Sunday. PTI

New Delhi, April 10

The Indian armed forces today pitched in with helicopters, aircraft, ships and medical teams to ensure quick treatment of those injured in the devastating fire which broke out in a temple in Kerala.Following a request from the state government, Indian Air Force sent six helicopters, two AN32 transport aircraft and two business jets to Kerala, a spokesperson said.While Army medical personnel were rushed to Kollam from Trivandrum, the military hospital in the latter city also swung into action, army sources said.The Navy has dispatched six aircraft — two Dornier fixed-wing aircraft, two ALH helicopters and two Chetak helicopters — to the site of the tragedy, a navy spokesperson said.Two ALH with a nine-member medical team as well as three doctors, paramedics, supplies and equipment were rushed at 1130hrs to Kollam.While the helicopters landed at the Ashramam Ground, Kollam, at 1200hrs, one Dornier aircraft from Kochi has been positioned at Trivandrum since noon. The rest of aircraft are on standby at Kochi.The INS Sunayna, Kabra and Kalpeni set sail immediately from Kochi with 200kg of medical supplies and a medical team to provide succour at the site of the tragedy. — PTI

Author-activist Naela Quadri Baloch. — ANI

New Delhi, April 9

India, despite its strategic interests, has not been forthcoming in support to the Balochistan freedom movement, says a prominent author-activist from the restive western Pakistani province, rebutting Islamabad’s allegations that New Delhi was instigating separatist trouble there.

Naela Quadri Baloch, 50, also refuted Pakistan’s fresh claims that it had arrested from Balochistan an alleged Indian spy, Kulbushan Jadhav.

“These are all lies. Had India helped us, we could have made a breakthrough and gained our independence. Where are the Indians? We don’t see them. They don’t come to us,” Quadri told IANS in an interview on the margins of a talk on Balochistan hosted by Indian think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) here.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was arrested last month. Pakistani envoy in India Abdul Basit claimed that Jadhav’s alleged confession recorded in a video “irrefutably corroborates what Pakistan has been saying all along” that India was stirring unrest and destablising his country.

Quadri categorically denied India’s involvement. She said Balochis, in fact, want India to get involved and support their fight against the “brutal and barbaric” Pakistani rule in Balochistan.

“India has to take a stand, not only against gross human rights violations in the neighbourhood but also because its strategic interests are involved,” said Quadri, the leader of the Balochistan Independence Movement.

Balochistan is a vast territory, the size of France, rich in gas, gold and copper reserves. It is also home to massive untapped sources of oil and uranium. Angry over Pakistan’s exploitation of the resources and alleged repressive rule, Balochis have so far launched five armed insurgencies since the territory was annexed by Islamabad in 1948.

There are about seven armed groups currently fighting the Pakistan Army in the region that gets little attention in the country’s mainstream media.

Quadri said Pakistan was only interested in Balochistan’s resources, and added that Islamabad has involved China and gifted it a share of the resources only to contain India.

She said China’s development of the Gwadar port, in the Arabian Sea bordering Balochistan, should be a cause of worry for India. China has also signed an agreement with Pakistan that grants rights to more than 2,000 acres of land in Balochistan for a Chinese company.

“China wants to control the Indian Ocean. Tell me how do you think India will be safe, and trade peacefully in the face of Chinese naval presence on the sea route,” Quadri said, adding, “Isn’t this enough for India to help us drag the army out of Balochistan?”

Asked what precisely she wanted from India, the activist said she was looking for “every possible support”.

“Be it diplomatic, financial or armed. We need it badly. Every kind of support,” said the Harvard graduate, who was once allegedly injured on the head during a clash with the Army. The injury claimed the vision of her right eye.

She said if India could do it in Bangladesh “why not Balochistan”.

“India is not what it was in 1971 (when Bangladesh was liberated). You had a strong headed and brave leader in Indira Gandhi. She was determined and had a tough foreign policy to deal with Pakistan. Unfortunately, the case is different now.” She hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would come off “as strong as Gandhi” to help Balochistan win its “freedom”.

“Modi has a popular mandate and I am sure Indian people would support the Balochistan initiative,” said Quadri, an activist since her early childhood.

She accused Pakistan of genocide in Balochistan —  a region crisscrossed by the borders of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. “They have killed some 2,00,000 Balochis in the last decade.

“They are using all the eight UN indicators of genocide including dehumanization, polarization, extermination and denial,” Quadri asserted. — IANS

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 5

Prime Minister Narendra Modi came in for sharp personal criticism from the Opposition today after reports that the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which recently visited India has ruled out Pakistan’s hand in the Pathankot terror attack, terming it a “drama staged to malign Pakistan”.While the Congress described the development as a national embarrassment and demanded an apology from the PM and BJP chief Amit Shah, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said the invitation to JIT was a “stab in the back of Bharat Mata”.The Government played down the development, saying it was along the expected lines. “This kind of a statement was expected from Pakistan. The JIT has made this comment to turn the opinion of Pakistan people against India. The statement comes even when Pakistan terrorists aided and abetted the Pathankot attack. India and Pakistan’s relations can be improved only through dialogue at various levels and it can take years,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.The Congress said reports on the JIT exonerating Pakistan yet again exposed the double-faced Pakistan policy of PM Modi and revealed that the PM’s “56 inch chest and anti-Pakistan rhetoric had not paid off”.“A diplomatic crime has been committed. This has caused a national embarrassment,” Congress leader Anand Sharma said.AAP demanded an apology from Modi, arguing that inviting JIT while knowing well of Pakistan’s role amounted to giving a clean chit.

Govt forms panel to fix border gaps

• New Delhi: The Government has constituted a high-level committee to suggest ways to further fortify security along the border with Pakistan and address gaps and vulnerability in fencing.Former Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta would be heading the committee, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.The committee has been asked to study gaps in fencing and all other vulnerabilities along the border and suggest a comprehensive approach to fix these permanently. The report has to be given in three months.The move has particularly come after terror strikes in Gurdaspur and Pathankot within six months by Pakistani terrorists. TNS

Dehradun, April 4

Ex-servicemen have opposed the state government’s decision to impose 7 per cent excise duty on liquor in CSD canteens. They want the state government to roll back its decision which has made liquor costlier by 30 per cent in comparison with the adjoining states.Brig KG Behl (retd), patron of the Indian Ex-servicemen League, in a statement issued here, said it was unfortunate that instead of reducing the excise duty, an increase of 7 per cent had been announced.“The rate is hiked in such a way that rates of liquor go up in CSD canteens. Earlier, the rates of different varieties of liquor were displayed in the canteen bills after adding excise duty. But nowadays the CSD cost of liquor is shown intact and the excise duty reflects separately as tax to keep purchasers under the impression that liquor is being sold on a par with the adjoining states,” he said.He requested the Governor to look into the issue seriously and reduce the excise duty in CSD canteens in the state.—TNS