The recent order by the Cyber and Information Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs giving 10 Central agencies the power to intercept and monitor information on computer devices has rightly been criticised by a cross-section of society. The order would empower such agencies to access computers of any individual or organisation, giving them the power of ‘interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer’. Computers are the fulcrum of day-to-day lives and activities of individuals, and allowing any agency unbridled power to snoop over them smacks of an Orwellian overreach. There should be judicial oversight to any situation that requires a security agency to infringe on an individual’s privacy. Due process should never be threatened by the possibility of subversion due to expedience or for any other reason.
The country has started setting boundaries for international companies by asking them aggressively to locate their data centres in India, and thus curb the flow of information on Indian citizens internationally. Indeed, even financial services like Mastercard have now started purging data on Indian credit card holders from international servers, and there has been some movement in social media sites locating data centres in India. All this is to safeguard the privacy of Indian citizens and save their information from being traded by apps and cyber companies. Any encroachment of privacy is a matter of concern, be it from international conglomerates or the government. Indian citizens have a right to privacy and this must be respected.
The government’s defence that it has basically modified an earlier order to the same effect is a weak one. The language of this order allows any of these agencies to demand access to data stored in computers of any kind. Not only that, they can ask for the data to be decrypted and monitor data that is transmitted from computers. ‘Surveillance state’ fears expressed by Opposition leaders are real, and it is up to the state and its agencies to reassure the citizens.
Justice delivered Sajjan Kumar’s conviction a watershed
Congress leader Sajjan Kumar engaged in a criminal conspiracy, promoted enmity, and acted against communal harmony in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and has been sentenced to life by the Delhi High Court. The conviction of a senior politician marks a watershed in the quest for justice for the victims of the 1984 violence, even as it vindicates the stand of those who pursued justice relentlessly for 34 years to bring the guilty to book. The high court took the evidence of two eyewitnesses, and based on their testimony, reversed the earlier trial court verdict acquitting Sajjan Kumar, even as it upheld the conviction of the others accused in the case and enhanced their sentence.
The tide seems to have turned in favour of those seeking justice for the carnage that followed the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. There was a conviction last month too. The sentencing of Sajjan Kumar — who was a Member of Parliament in 1984 and remained politically active for long thereafter — will surely send a chilling message to politicians who feel a sense of impunity even as they tear apart the country’s social fabric by instigating various groups of people against one another. Riot after riot has roiled India, often with the ‘blessing’ of the party in power at the time, with little consequence for the individuals who perpetuated the violence.
The latest conviction has been widely welcomed among Punjabis, including Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar. However, it has obviously provided fodder to the BJP’s propaganda machine, more so since the verdict coincides with the swearing-in of Congress leader Kamal Nath as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minster. Nath, too, has been under a cloud for his role in the ’84 riots, but nothing has stuck so far. There will, no doubt, be fresh calls for justice by victims energised 34 years after the killings. The nation owes it to itself to let justice take its course, and demonstrate that those who had conviction in the system were not wrong.
For first time I feel this is my own country: Jagdish Kaur
Partially relieved by the conviction of Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Kaur, the prime complainant in the case against the Congress leader, today said her fight for justice was far from over and she would struggle till the last breath of her life.
“I want Sajjan Kumar to hang. I have seen my son burn to death in front of my eyes. And this was done at the behest of Sajjan Kumar. I will go to the Supreme Court but I must say for the first time today I feel this is my own country. Till now I felt Indian laws were not for the 1984 riot survivors,” said Jagdish Kaur, flanked by cousin Jagsher Singh, both witnesses in the case the HC decided today.
She still remembers the afternoon of November 1, 1984, when “communally charged mobs incited by Sajjan Kumar” attacked her house in Delhi Cantonment’s Raj Nagar from all sides. “They had sariyas, other lethal weapons and pounced upon my son Gurpreet. My husband was dragged and his head crushed till he dropped dead. Gurpreet ran some distance before he was set on fire,” remembers Jagdish Kaur, wiping her tears.
She said after shifting her son’s body back into the house, she went to the police post to get help for cremation. “I still remember what the ASI said. He said ‘bhag yahan se, abhi to aur marenge,” recalls Kaur, who used furniture in the house to perform the last rites.
Even today Jagdish Kaur thanks her stars for sending her three small daughters and a son to a Hindu neighbour’s house for shelter.
“Not all Hindus wanted to kill Sikhs. These were only a few politically motivated crowds that wanted to earn brownie points in the eyes of their masters. I was saved by a Hindu, so were my cousin Jagdish Kaur’s four children,” remembers Jagsher, who lost three brothers to the carnage on November 2, 1984.
“It was November 2, a day after Jagdish Kaur lost her husband and 18-year-old son Gurpreet, a gold medallist in BSc. I had gone out of the house to park my bike when the crowds attacked. I ran and hid in a Hindu neighbour’s house. My brothers — Narinderpal Singh, Raghuvinder Singh and Kuldip Singh — were killed. The fight for justice has taken unbelievably long and it’s not yet over,” Jagsher Singh, now based in Gurdaspur, said.
For her part, Jagdish Kaur, who moved to Amritsar after riots, withstood threats and inducements to see this day. She slammed the Congress for appointing Kamal Nath, allegedly involved in the riots, as CM of Madhya Pradesh, saying, “I am not surprised. Sajjan Kumar also got top positions. This is their character. They have no value for human lives.”
Court on survivors’ courage
The accused have been brought to justice primarily on account of the courage and perseverance of three eyewitnesses — Jagdish Kaur, whose husband, son and three cousins were among the five killed; Jagsher Singh, another cousin of Jagdish Kaur, and Nirpreet Kaur, who saw the Raj Nagar Gurdwara being burnt down and her father being burnt alive by the raging mobs… the witnesses were fearless and truthful.
‘84 riots: HC blasts Delhi Police for ‘active connivance’ in carnage
New Delhi, December 17
The killing of over 2,700 Sikhs in the national capital during the 1984 riots was a “carnage of unbelievable proportions” and the way the Delhi Police acted at that time established their “apathy” and “active connivance” in the brutal murders, the Delhi High Court Monday said in stringent observations.
The high court, which convicted and sentenced senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to life term for “remainder of his natural life” in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, blasted the Delhi Police for its “abject failure” in probing the violence following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
It said that police had “indeed turned a blind eye and blatantly abetted the crimes committed by the rioting mob” and the probe conducted by them in these cases was a farce.
A Bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel noted it was “extraordinary” that despite there being as many as 341 deaths in the Delhi Cantonment area alone over the span of four days beginning November 1, 1984, only 21 FIRs were lodged, of which only 15 pertained to deaths or murders.
“Ultimately, only five bodies were recovered and that too was because of the intervention of Army,” the high court said, adding, it is “trite” that for each incident involving offence of murder, a separate FIR had to be registered.
In its judgement, the Bench said, “What happened in the aftermath of the assassination of Indira Gandhi was indeed carnage of unbelievable proportions in which over 2,700 Sikhs were murdered in Delhi alone”.
Referring to the case on killing of five Sikhs, the Bench said, “The law and order machinery had clearly broken down and it was literally a free for all situation which persisted”. It said there was no question of clubbing many complaints pertaining to several deaths in one FIR and it was strange that despite the widespread killing and bedlam in the area, no mention of this was found in the daily diary register (DDR) maintained by the police.
“It is clear, therefore, that in those chaotic conditions, the local police force was inadequate for the task at hand,” the Bench said, adding the DDR was completely silent about the commission of any cognizable offence although as many as 30 murders had occurred in Raj Nagar area itself.
“These circumstances establish the apathy of the Delhi Police and their active connivance in the brutal murders being perpetrated,” the Bench said.
The case relates to killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West Delhi on November 1-2, 1984 and burning down of a Gurdwara in Raj Nagar part II.
The high court said aftershocks of atrocities against the Sikhs were still being felt and the need for proper probe in these cases was also acknowledged by the apex court which had in January this year constituted a special investigating team to investigate as many as 186 cases.
“As pointed out by the trial court, the state machinery came to a complete standstill in those two or three days when the rioting mobs took to the streets and indulged in acts of violence and killings, and setting properties on fire,” it said.
The court noted that the “mayhem, destruction, and murders” that rocked Raj Nagar area ensured exodus of Sikhs and many of the males were either killed or were put in such a fear that they were scared to be seen in long hair and beards.
“There was a two-pronged strategy adopted by the attackers. The first was to liquidate all Sikh males and the other was to destroy their residential houses leaving the women and children utterly destitute. The attack on the Raj Nagar Gurdwara was clearly a part of the communal agenda of the perpetrators,” it said.
The high court directed 73-year-old Kumar and other five convicts to surrender by December 31, 2018, and not to leave Delhi.
Six accused, including Sajjan Kumar, who was a Member of Parliament at that time, were sent for trial in 2010 and three years later, the lower court had convicted five of the accused but acquitted the Congress leader of all the charges.
The high court convicted Sajjan Kumar for criminal conspiracy and abetment in commission of crimes of murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of communal harmony and defiling and destruction of a Gurdwara.
The Bench also upheld the conviction and varying sentences awarded by the trial court to former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and former MLAs Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokhar. PTI
Pak court tells govt to send jailed Indian national home within a month
A top court in Pakistan has given one-month deadline to the federal government to complete formalities to deport Indian prisoner Hamid Nihal Ansari, whose three-year jail term will end on December 15.
Ansari, a 33-year-old Mumbai resident, is currently lodged in Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court to three years’ imprisonment, for possessing a fake Pakistani identity card, on December 15, 2015.
He was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering the country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online.
A two-judge Peshawar High Court bench, comprising Justice Roohul Amin and Justice Qalandar Ali Khan, on Thursday heard an appeal filed by Ansari through a senior lawyer. The petition said the federal government hadn’t taken any steps for his release.
Ansari’s lawyer, Qazi Muhammad Anwar, said his client’s prison term would end on December 15 and he should be released on the morning of December 16.
Anwar informed the bench that the sentence of Indian national would complete after two days and both the Ministry of Interior and authorities of prison, where he was lodged, were completely silent about his release and deportation to India.
After hearing this, Justice Khan asked the Additional Attorney General to explain how they would keep the prisoner in jail after completion of his term.
“I wonder that after two days the jail term of the prisoner would be completed and the government did not complete requirements for releasing and deportation of the prisoner,” the judge observed after the additional attorney general informed the court that the documents for release and deportation of the prisoner were not ready.
An officer, representing the interior ministry, informed the court that a prisoner could be kept for one month while the legal documents were being prepared.
After knowing the legal position, the court directed the ministry to make all the arrangements within a month for releasing and deportation of the prisoner.
On previous hearing, the deputy attorney general recorded his statement on behalf of the interior ministry and said Ansari would be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border after completion of his term.
Ansari had gone missing after he was taken in custody by Pakistani intelligence agencies and local police in Kohat in 2012 and finally in reply to a habeas corpus petition filed by his mother, Fauzia Ansari, the high court was informed that he was in custody of the Pakistan Army and was being tried by a military court. PTI
Stories etched in stone and steel :: War Memorials
Besides commemorating the bravery and dedication to duty of soldiers, war memorials also serve as living libraries that showcase the tales of decorated as well as the unsung heroes. These enlighten and inspire just like the written word. Vijay Mohan and Tribune reporters narrate the stories of some such memorials in the region
Rezang La War Memorial, Rewari
Rewari has the distinction of having an exclusive memorial dedicated to the martyrs of Rezang La battle, who fought against the Chinese in November 1962 in Ladakh. As many as 62 of the 114 Indian soldiers killed in this battle were from Haryana and 30 of these martyrs belonged to the Rewari region. With a ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ adorning the memorial’s edifice, the names of all martyrs have been engraved on stone along with comments of some senior officers regarding their gallantry.
Razang La, was one of the most decisive battles fought against the Chinese and is officially recognised as a “rare battle in military history” with the fighting being hard and bitter and troops going beyond the call of duty. The Chinese casualties are officially estimated at 500, while other sources put these between 500 and 1000.The memorial is looked after by a nine-member Rezang La Trust.
— Ravinder Saini
Army Heritage Museum, Shimla
The 5,000 year history of courageous feats dating from the Mahabharata era to the present times is at display at the Army Heritage Museum at Shimla, which has also earned the distinction of being the only museum of its kind in the country. Established in 2006 by Army Training Command (ARTRAC), it houses rare artifacts such as the captured flag of 1st Bahawalpur Infantry Battalion of Pakistan, bust of Khuda Dad Khan, the first Indian to be decorated with the Victoria Cross, execution order of Mangal Pandey who raised the banner of rebellion against the British in 1857. A section is dedicated to the bravest of the brave and has photographs of all 21 Param Vir Chakra recipients, rolls of honour and models depicting battles of Laungewala and Tololing (Kargil).
— Bhanu P Lohumi
Martyrs’ Park, Dharamsala
The war museum at the Martyrs’ Park in Dharamsala was inaugurated before the last Assembly elections, but even a year later it is yet to be opened for public. Presently only the first floor of the museum has been furnished with busts of war heroes from the state, models of various gallantry medals, including the Victoria Cross and Param Vir Chakra.
The wooden outer structure is designed on the theme of old Himachali architecture. Like many other monuments in the state, maintenance is still an issue.
— Lalit Mohan
Chandigarh War Memorial
Perhaps the largest war memorial in the country with the names of about 10,500 personnel from the three services who died in the line of duty since 1947 inscribed on its walls, the Chandigarh War Memorial was inaugurated by the then President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in August 2006.
It has a unique architectural concept and design. The central edifice consists of three converging posts, signifying the Army, Navy and the Air Force, emerging from a terraced circular base. It lies within a sunken circular arena about six feet below the ground level, surrounded by granite walls bearing the names of martyrs from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. The design was meant to be in continuity with the city’s landmark structures and also gel with the lush surroundings in which it is located. The plan for the memorial was conceived by the late Lt Gen JFR Jacob, who had commanded a division in the 1965 Indo-Pak war and later negotiated Pakistan’s surrender in 1971, when he was the governor of Punjab in 2004. Memorial ceremonies are held at the monument on important occasions like Martyrs’ Day.
Kargil War Memorial, Dras
The world’s second coldest inhabited place, Dras, is also the site of the memorial commemorating the sacrifices of those who fought in the summer of 1999 in the Kargil sector. The memorial has a huge epitaph with the names of all officers and soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice in the conflict, code named Operation Vijay. Every year on July 26 — known as Kargil Vijay Diwas — a ceremony is held here to pay tributes to the martyrs.
Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum, Amritsar
A 45-meter-high stainless steel unsheathed blade of a sword turned towards Pakistan is difficult to miss as one drives from Amritsar to the Attari-Wagah border. This tallest standing sword in India is the central vista of the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum located 16 km from the border between Amritsar and Lahore. Apart from this iconic sword, three tanks — a Pakistani Sherman captured in 1965 by the 7th Light Cavalry; a Pakistani Patton captured in 1971; and the Indian Centurion Tank that figured prominently in the 1965 and 1971 wars, a de-commissioned MiG-23 fighter and a scale model of INS Vikrant aircraft carrier are among a host of war trophies and rare artefacts that can been seen.
Spread over eight acres on the fringes of the Khem Karan battlefield where Pakistan’s 1 Armoured Division was decimated in the 1965 War, the complex was inaugurated in October, 2016. According to the original plan, nine display galleries, each depicting a significant period of battle in which Punjab stood to India’s defence — the times of Guru Hargobind , the Anglo-Sikh wars, the two World Wars, the India-Pakistan wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971, the India-China War of 1962 and the Kargil War in 1999, were to come up. Right now, visitors have access to only six. After skipping numerous deadlines apparently over funding, the work on the eighth gallery dedicated to 1999 Kargil War and fourth gallery depicting World War I, the Battle of Saragarhi and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre — is still underway.
— GS Paul
Siachen War Memorial, Nubra
The story of Siachen remains unparalled in the history of warfare. Nowhere have soldiers fought and held ground for so long under perilous conditions, where more men have fallen to the vagaries of nature than to enemy bullets. The Siachen War Memorial is situated the rugged, barren landscape of the base camp on the banks of the Nubra that flows from the glacier that forms the world’s highest battlefield. The names of all soldiers who have died in Operation Meghdoot since 1984, are etched here.
Punjab State War Memorial, Jalandhar
Dedicated to post-Independence war heroes, this memorial near the bus stand in Jalandhar remains neglected due to a reported tiff between the Jalandhar Improvement Trust and the Defence Services Welfare Department over whose responsibility it is.
There is a hexagonal raised platform around the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which has the names of gallantary award winners since 1947 engraved on black granite. Pictures of Param Vir Chakra recipients, Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, Subedar Joginder Singh and Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria, along with the details of their feats are displayed. There is a separate room for the heroes of Kargil War, which has about 28 pictures of martyrs from Punjabl. The memorial is in neglect and no longer remains much of an attraction and has only a few visitors in a month.
— Deepkamal Kaur
War Memorial, Hisar
Set up in March 1995, this memorial is dedicated to soldiers from Hisar district who had sacrificed their lives in various wars and operations. Located outside the mini secretariat, it has the names of martyrs inscribed on its edifice, led by the name and citation of Second Lieutenant Hawa Singh, who was decorated posthumously with the Vir Chakra in the Eastern Sector in 1971.
— Deepender Deswal
Programme – Military Literature Festival, Chandigarh 2018 :Venue – Lake Club
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 3
With Chinese warships regularly patrolling the Indian Ocean, the government has approved an expansion and upgrade plan for the Navy with 56 new ships and submarines.
Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, while addressing a press conference on the eve of Navy Day here on Monday, said, “The government has given approval to having 56 ships and submarines. Some of these will replace the existing fleet and include new ships like fleet ships, submarines and mine sweepers.”
He said the construction plan would be spread across a decade. This is in addition to the 32 ships and submarines under construction, as of now.
Navy Day is observed on December 4 to mark the famous ship-launched attack on Karachi during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
Admiral Lanba said the attention of the entire world is focused on Indian Ocean region. We are the net security provider. We are committed to keeping the area clean of all traditional and non-traditional threats in the Indian Ocean.
On being asked about the naval preparedness for a simultaneous two-front war, the Admiral said, “We have overwhelming superiority over Pakistan at sea. In case of China the balance of power in Indian Ocean
is in our favour. Similarly, the balance of power in South China Sea is in favour of China.”
On the US assessment that China would be a big naval power by 2050, the Admiral said, “By 2050 we will also have 200 ships, 500 aircraft and be a world-class navy.”
He said the three chiefs had agreed on having a permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC). On theatre commands, he said we needed a high defence organisation before we got to creating theatre commands. “We need one operational commander, the three chiefs cannot be operational commands.”
On being asked about the delay in taking action against Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited in supplying five offshore patrol vessels, the Admiral said there is no preferential treatment. “The bank guarantees have been encashed. The OPV contract is being examined.”
On the make in India efforts, he said as of now, in the past four years, 72 per cent of all contracts are given to India vendors.
On coastal security following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the Admiral said a pilot project on to fit Automated Identification System (AIS) transponders on fishing boats had been successful. “It will now be implemented across India. There are some 2.2 lakh fishing boats–under 20 metres in length–that do not have AIS transponders. The issue was to have low-cost transponders. I agree it has taken 10 years but soon we will have these transponders on
all fishing boats,” he said.
Haryana govt offers land for armed forces’ prep institute Zoom
Making efforts to increase state’s contribution towards army: CM
From page 1 CHANDIGARH: Haryana chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar. on Thursday, said that his government is making efforts to increase the state’s contribution towards the armed forces from the present 9% to over 10%.
HT■ General officer CommandinginChief, Western Command, Lt Gen Surinder Singh felicitating Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar during the civilmilitary liaison conference in Chandigarh on Thursday.
“The Khanda village panchayat in Sonepat district had recently offered 50 acre to the army for setting up of an Armed Forces’ Preparatory Institute in the state,” Khattar said.
The Haryana CM was speaking at the civil-military liaison conference here, in which General Officer Commanding-inChief (GOC-in-C), Western Command, Lt Gen Surinder Singh, chief of staff Western Command, PM Bali and other senior officers were present.
Talking about the conference, he said that this was the fourth such annual conference being organised during the regime of their government. “This event provides a common platform to discuss and resolve issues between the army and civil administration,” he said. During the conference, it was decided that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between the Western Command and the state government for making provisions of civil medical facilities for armed forces in case of war or duties.
ARMY COLLEGE TO BE SET UP
Khattar added that a general degree college of army would be set up at Bataur village in Panchkula district for which, the state government will provide 10 acre to the Western Command for free. Lt General Surinder Singh said that a certain percentage of seats in this college will be reserved for the wards of civilians.
It was further added that the army had approved a proposal for setting up of the army college in Jind district in memory of Major Sanjeev Lather, who hailed from Jind district and had attained martyrdom in November, 2016 in a chopper crash in West Bengal’s Sukhna.
Defence ministry denies medical facilities to retired short-service commission officers
NEW DELHI: In a blow to short-service commission (SSC) officers of the armed forces, the government seems to have backtracked on a promise to provide them post-retirement medical benefits, with the defence ministry putting it in writing that this would not be possible due to “stressed” resources.
SSC officers serve for limited tenures of up to 14 years at a young age to meet a shortage faced by the servicesNSE 0.97 %, with the idea being that a greater proportion of the officer cadre wo ..
To keep the industry solvent, as well as competitive, all global defence companies have to find markets outside the home. But an imaginary fear has gripped the Indian government regarding exporting defence equipment. While certain defence exports do have geopolitical implications, most are essentially commercial activities.
LOFTY AMBITIONS: Ministers routinely announce export targets in billions of dollars but the outcome is a fraction of the amount.
Pravin Sawhney Strategic Affairs Expert
IF the government continues to let the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) run its defence exports policy then instead of strengthening the defence industry ecosystem, several Indian public sector companies will have to downsize, if not completely shut down their businesses. This will be a negation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had pitched the defence industry at the heart of his Make-in-India clarion call while inaugurating Aero India 2015.For example, once Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) completes Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKI fighter contract in the next three years, its production line will become idle and many of its 70,000 employees would be rendered jobless. The IAF’s new fighter programme will take several years before HAL starts manufacturing them, and even then it will be a finite number. BrahMos Aerospace, which has three production lines in Hyderabad and Nagpur, will face the same eventuality in the next couple of years once it completes the cycle of production for the Indian armed forces. It will be the same story with Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronic Limited.
Worldwide, defence industries survive on exports. Domestic business, a euphemism for government orders, is always limited. Hence, to keep the industry solvent, as well as competitive, all global defence companies have to find markets outside the home country. This is a cold business model, which oils the economy and creates jobs. Such is the importance of this sector that in many nations, defence exports get the three-prong support of the government, its diplomatic and military corps.Govt fear imaginary
Not so in India, where imaginary fear has gripped the government as far as exporting defence equipment is concerned. In the last few years, several Indian public sector companies have attracted buyers. Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE, Oman, Afghanistan and Egypt have shown interest in buying India’s Akash and BrahMos missiles, in addition to warships, Pinaka multi-barrel launcher, Light Combat Aircraft, off-shore patrol vessels, Embraer-based Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft and so on. Sadly, all export-related conversation died in the conceptual stage itself because the MEA advised the government that selling of defence equipment to friendly nations may aggravate nations we are trying to be friends with.For instance, the MEA worries that selling arms to ASEAN may annoy China, to the middle-eastern nations may complicate ties with the US, and to Afghanistan may further jeopardise the delicate equation with Pakistan! Adding to this are the ideological reservations about doing defence trade with Muslim nations.
No one in the government has bothered to question the basis of this diplomatic paranoia. Does China factor in Indian sentiments when it sells arms to our neighbourhood? Or, has it prevented Russia, India’s trusted friend, from selling arms to Pakistan? Or, did the US ever stop selling arms to Pakistan even as it started cultivating a strategic partnership with India? While certain defence exports do have geopolitical implications, most are essentially commercial activities.
Defence export targets
Interestingly, the Modi government had set lofty defence export targets. In 2016, when exports stood at Rs 2,060 crore (mostly non-lethal items), Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar claimed that they would increase to $2 billion by 2019. In April 2018, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre revised the export target to Rs 35,000 crore ($5 billion) by 2025.
Encouraged by the Modi government’s assurances, the DRDO chief S Christopher had in February 2016 told me that since the Defence Ministry did not have a commercial arm for the facilitation of exports, he had asked BrahMos chief Sudhir Mishra to suggest how the DRDO could sell its products. According to him, “If we are able to satisfy the user with the Mark-I products that we have made, we should be able to export the same to other countries when we develop Mark-II version. Especially, when there are several countries in India’s extended neighbourhood that are looking for our products.”
India has buyers
The smaller nations in India’s neighbourhood and ASEAN are happy buying arms even if they have still not been accepted by the Indian defence forces because (a) they would be competitively priced (b) they need arms for purely defence needs (state-of-art equipment is required for offensive posturing), and (c) they expect the equipment’s life support to be affordable and cost-effective.
Perhaps, it was the growing demand for Indian armaments that led the government to instruct 29 Defence Advisors (DAs) posted in the neighbourhood and ASEAN to attend the Defence Exposition held in Chennai in April 2018. In a first, the DAs were to (a) interact with defence delegations of their accredited nations to understand their requirements, (b) see for themselves the platforms and technologies on display, (c) interact with private defence vendors to know their capabilities, and (d) get official briefing on the defence production policy in order to get clarity on their role as facilitators of defence exports.
Nothing came out of the exercise. Not because the DAs failed in their task, but because the government (on MEA’s advice) developed cold feet. Subsequent queries by the DAs were stonewalled. In the last few months, two DAs I met informally have said as much to me.
To be fair, the joint secretary responsible for Defence Industry and Production (DIP) also looks after the export promotion cell. But he cannot do much unless there is clarity from the government. Export of finished products is the litmus test of any industry. The capability to export defence equipment is not only an acknowledgement of our industrial efficiencies, it is also a spur to professionalism.
Once Indian public sector companies start to execute export orders, the market forces will compel them to bring in quality, cost and deadline efficiencies. Moreover, increased production would bring down the price, which will help Indian users too, who ironically, are forced to pay a higher price for indigenous equipment!
Indian Army shares heartbreaking picture of army officer consoling martyr’s father in Kashmir
A heartbreaking photograph of an army officer consoling the father of Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, the terrorist-turned-soldier who was martyred on Sunday, has moved thousands who have chanced upon it on social media.
Wani was killed on Sunday, following a heavy gun-battle with a group of militants from Hizbul Mujahedeen and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Shopian district.
Wani has been the recipient of the Sena medal on two occasions – once in 2007 and the other last year – for displaying indomitable courage while fighting terrorists in the valley. He surrendered before the Indian Army when he realised that violence in the valley was futile.
Floral tributes were paid to Wani in a solemn ceremony at 15 corps headquarters at Badami Bagh Cantonment here on Monday. Leading the nation to pay homage was Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen AK Bhatt. In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also joined in to pay their last respects to the martyr.
“The 38-year-old martyr had joined the Army in 2004. He is survived by his wife and two children,” said Colonel Rajesh Kalia, defence spokesperson at Srinagar.
The mortal remains of the martyr were taken for last rites to his native place. “In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family of the martyr and remains committed to their dignity and well-being”, said Colonel Kalia
State Stalwarts
DEFENCE MINISTER
Minister Rajnath Singh
ALL HUMANS ARE ONE CREATED BY GOD
HINDUS,MUSLIMS,SIKHS.ISAI SAB HAI BHAI BHAI
CHIEF PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
LT GEN JASBIR SINGH DHALIWAL, DOGRA
SENIOR PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
MAJOR GEN HARVIJAY SINGH, SENA MEDAL ,corps of signals
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PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
MAJ GEN RAMINDER GURAYA ,MADRAS REGIMENT
sanjhamorcha303@gmail.com
PRESIDENT SOUTH ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
COL SS RAJAN BOMBAY SAPPERS,
PRESIDENT UTTARAKHAND ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
COL B M THAPA ,BENGAL SAPPERSS
PRESIDENT HARAYANA STATE CUM COORDINATOR ESM
BRIG DALJIT THUKRAL ,BENGAL SAPPERS
PRESIDENT TRICITY
COL B S BRAR (BHUPI BRAR)
PRESIDENT CHANDIGARH ZONE
COL SHANJIT SINGH BHULLAR
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PRESIDENT PANCHKULA ZONE AND ZIRAKPUR
COL SWARAN SINGH
INDIAN DEFENCE FORCES
DEFENCE FORCES INTEGRATED LOGO
INDIAN AIR FORCE
Air Officer C-in-C WESTERN AIR COMMAND
AIR MSHL S PRABHAKARAN AVSM VM
AOC-IN-C, EASTERN AIR COMMAND
Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia
AOC-in-C SOUTH WESTERN AIR COMMAND
Air Marshal Vikram Singh
AOC-IN-C, SOUTHERN AIR COMMAND
Air Marshal J.Chalapati
AOC-IN-C TRAINING COMMAND
AIR MARSHAL SK GHOTIA VSM
AOC-IN-C MAINTENANCE COMMAND
Air Marshal Jagdish Chandra
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command
ice Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command
Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, AVSM, NM
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command
