Kuljit Bains

Atal Bihari Vajpayee crossed the line in a bus. Navjot Singh Sidhu has done it on foot. As the former departed a world no less divided than he inherited, the latter took a step in the direction shown by his one-time mentor; the direction of peace in the face of obvious hostility. As with the bus initiative, Sidhu’s little excursion across Wagah can be seen as an anti-national act, or an undying faith in the strings that tug at the human heart. Either way, all arguments are semantics.What is, however, not mere wordplay, is the undeniable bond that the two Punjabs across the Radcliffe Line continue to sustain, even as it flies in the face of the narrative generated from New Delhi and Islamabad. Punjabis are simply unable to see it through the prism of history and past hatred; the violence, mayhem, and wars, which they suffered the most. That is because what they feel is present here and now. When a young Punjabi born in the Nineties, post-Independence, post-militancy, even post-Kargil, comes across a Pakistani, what strikes him is the absolutely same features, dialect, idiom, music, folklore. It is just so hard to bury the bond that it’s almost tribal.The past week of Independence Day, Vajpayee’s departure, Imran Khan’s swearing-in, and Sidhu’s walk churned up endless stories and reminders of the conflict between what our hearts yearn for and what realpolitik demands.The most visible sign of the gap was the Retreat ceremonies at Wagah and Sadiqi (Fazilka) border posts. Wagah receives droves of nationalistically motivated tourists, who are treated to a ceremony of aggression, if not hate. Far less known, but much more poignant moments are seen at Sadiqi, where thousands come each year to catch a glimpse of their friends or relatives across the fence, or Zero Line; the frenzied scan of faces to spot their own, followed by a desperate wave, and a shout. Till a few years ago, people were even allowed to shake hands, shed a few tears. Try explaining Indo-Pak ties to them.Exchange of prisoners on Independence Day may be an act of cold diplomacy, yet one cannot but feel the human tragedy we perpetrate in keeping people in jail for decades for no justifiable reason. The Tribune reported the yearning of 96-year-old Amar Kaur (Read story) living in Khanpur, Hoshiarpur, to visit her home in Lahore, and walk the streets of Anarkali Bazaar once before her death. A million such hopes flicker every day.On the other hand was the contemporary political posturing: attacks on Sidhu for hugging the Pak Army chief (despite the Vajpayee-Musharraf handshake); Dal Khalsa in Punjab seeking Pakistan’s help for the “Sikh cause”; social media battles over cricketer Imran and PM Imran. The cynicism, fear, and suspicion could not be better symbolised than the scare caused by mere balloons carried by the wind from Pakistan, bearing messages of “jeeve Pakistan”, that landed in some towns in the Indian Punjab.Punjab as a state can do little about how India and Pakistan ties develop or regress. But it stands to directly gain the most if a greater exchange of people and trade is allowed. The benefits of logistics and trade routes are only too obvious. The state, however, almost singly continues to serve the purpose of keeping the flame of a positive bond alive. That is essential because as and when we are done with hatred – which no doubt has to happen one day – we will need the seed of love to grow back what has been lost. Without that seed, it will be hard to jump across the huge time divide to rekindle the historical bond. Punjab is a repository of that seed.The battle is not about Vajpayee, Imran or Sidhu crossing the line, but about too few people crossing too few lines. If the Pakistani political leadership at one time could think up a “war of thousand cuts” against India, why can’t the people on both sides wage a war of a thousand hugs? Pakistan only sunk while inflicting the thousand cuts, and India suffered in responding to those. No harm trying the alternative.

Back from Pak, Sidhu brushes aside criticism

Faces protest outside Integrated Check Post at Attari

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 12

Even though the intensity of firing on the Line of Control (LoC) has come down and the International Border (IB) is witnessing peace, the ceasefire violation by Pakistan on the borders this year has been the highest in the past eight years.The ceasefire violations have also led to major casualties to civilians and security forces.According to official data, Pakistan has violated the truce agreement this year on both LoC and IB over 1,432 times, killing 59 security personnel and civilians.“Of the 1,432 ceasefire violations, the Pakistan Rangers have violated the agreement 490 times on the IB alone,” said the data released by the government a few days ago.When the data was released, the casualty count stood at 55. The death count has, however, increased with the killing of the four soldiers, including a Major, in the Gurez sector on Tuesday, taking the number to 59.India shares the 198-km-long IB with Pakistan in the Jammu region, while the LoC, the dividing line between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistani-occupied Kashmir, is 740 kilometres long.The LoC is the most volatile border in the state which sees ceasefire violations, infiltration and narcoterrorism. The IB is manned by the BSF while the LoC is under the operational control of the Army with the BSF battalions posted at a few places.As many as 133 infiltration attempts have been made this year. Of them, 69 have been successful.According to the data, Pakistan had in 2017 violated the truce agreement 771 times on both LoC and IB and 449 times in 2016. The figure was 405 in 2015, 583 in 2014, 405 in 2013, 347 in 2013, 114 in 2012, 62 in 2011 and 70 in 2010.Around 30 people, including security personnel, were killed in 2017.Since May-end, the IB has seen relative calm and the intensity of firing on the LoC has decreased.Peace pact violated 1,432 times* Pakistan has violated the truce agreement this year on both LoC and IB over 1,432 times, killing 59 security personnel and civilians* In 2017, Pakistan violated the truce agreement 771 times on both LoC and IB and 449 times in 2016. The number of ceasefire violations were 405 in 2015, 583 in 2014, 405 in 2013, 347 in 2013, 114 in 2012, 62 in 2011 and 70 in 2010

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 11

One of the perks of being an Army man’s wife, according to one of them, is that you pick up little culinary secrets from every nook and corner of the country. “Even if one is a beginner in cooking, over the years you tend to become as good as a professional chef,” shares Geetanjli Kalra. One of the star chefs invited by the Hyatt to cook their special recipes for the Border Food festival, the festival celebrates the contribution of the wives of Army officers, who are unsung heroes of their lives.Donning the chef’s hat, these women created their favourite recipes for a fun afternoon. Adjusting their lives to the tough postings, the ladies admitted that their palate too has to adjust to a lot of moving around. “Sometimes, you are posted in places that do no have even a dhaba or you do not have access to basic things like fresh milk. For instance, Tenga valley in Arunachal Pradesh does not have any cattle so you do not get milk and are dependent on packed milk. Similarly, we have been posted in remote areas in MP where you do not have even a dhaba. So eating out is not an option,” shared Geetanjali. Therefore, your kitchen becomes your playground. “We pick up special recipes from every place of posting. Cooking at home becomes interesting as there are lot of flavor influences,” she said.For the festival, Geetanjali prepares chicken canelloni pasta, which she said is her and her husband’s favourite dish. The spread included Punjabi chole, gatte ki sabzi that Geetanjali’s fellow Army wife, Shubham Yadav made and Dal Makhani. The recipes will be added to the menu of border Food Festival as star dishes.“The Border Food Festival at Punjab Province will serve an epicurean spread of cuisines representing the border states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir in an ode to the soldiers guarding the borders at Wagah, Jaisalmer and Siachen. The menu representing the Wagah Border will offer delectable delights like Matka Gosht, Kadi Pakora and Aloo Wadiyan. From Jaisalmer, dishes like Dal Bati Choorma, Laal Maas, Gatte Ka Saag and Kachhi Mirch Ka Murgh, from J&K, the exotic bread-like Seermal, Roganjosh, Yakhni Pulao and Kahwa will complete the platter,” informed head chef Shiv Parvesh.“Army men’s families play a crucial role by wholeheartedly supporting their husbands and boosting their morale, for which they deserve a huge applause. Today’s engagement was meant to provide a platform to Army men’s wives where they can showcase their culinary skills and prepare delicacies close to their hearts,” said Suman Dutta Sharma, General Manager, Hyatt Regency.

The world is so used to hurtling from crisis to crisis that it rarely stops to think of the last one and whether the threats from it have passed or continue to persist. This understanding is best applicable to the rise and supposed fall of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh. ISIS burst on the international scene in mid-2014, declared an Islamic Caliphate, employed the most depraved methods of fighting in its battle against followers of all other beliefs, including those within Islam, and acted as an established state with a defined territory, imposing taxes and even indulging in trade. Its intellectual capacity led to the creation of some of the most attractive online messaging of an ideology to draw recruits from all over the world, many of them from diverse faiths with an attitude bordering on nihilism. It ran an empire briefly with a political capital at Raqqa in Syria and an economic stronghold at Mosul in northern Iraq. In spite of modern technologies of surveillance, no international boundaries could hold back the supporters who flocked to it from around the world and the military wherewithal that ISIS received. It even sold the oil it produced from the captured oil refinery at Mosul and among its customers were nations with whom it fought.

ISIS fought as a state and in the conventional military mode against organised forces, giving battle at Fallujah, Mosul and Raqqa, even as the empire shrank. The last battle of the built-up areas was at Raqqa (Syria) or so we thought; it lasted through June to Oct 2017. Even as this battle was raging, a similar major standoff was underway in the Philippines city of Marawi, Mindanao, where ISIS fighters had captured the city and the Philippines Army fought a pitched street-to-street battle to regain control. Marawi was an attempt to establish an alternative base for ISIS, away from the humdrum of the Middle East and the Af-Pak region, both of which were under major surveillance and domination of adversaries; it would take far too long to establish in Af-Pak anything like Mosul or Raqqa and would need far more resources. Marawi was considered an interim alternative.

Now we learn that Raqqa wasn’t really the last battle to evict the ISIS which continues to exist in more than just a virtual state. The organised terror attacks in European cities may have ended and its revolutionary tactics of information warfare may have ceased but in the eastern Syrian city of Hajin, ISIS continues to exist; with a reported strength as high as 4000 fighters. It has switched its strategy from the conventional defence of strongholds and rapid forays to the typical guerilla style of fighting small. In the Euphrates Valley, a US-backed alliance of Syrian Kurds and Arab rebel fighters had battled this element effectively until a series of Turkish attacks against the Kurdish areas in the north in January 2018 forced the Kurds to leave and assist their own compatriots against the Turkish army. This diluted the campaign allowing the ISIS fighters to spring back. The US propensity to keep threatening the withdrawal of the 500 Special Forces personnel who act as the core directors of the campaign also gave ISIS the potential window it was seeking. Now a fresh campaign has commenced with the return of many of the Kurds, induction of French Special Forces and renewed support from US naval warplanes and the Iraqi Air Force.

What is ISIS attempting and why? Many of its fighters escaped the Raqqa dragnet and are still in the process of making their way to newly designated areas. These areas could be in Africa, Af-Pak region and South East Asia.

There has been no high-end success anywhere although the Philippines still continues to remain in focus due to ongoing Islamic insurgencies and the sheer nature of terrain and presence of hundreds of islands. ISIS is still looking for a temporary parking place pending establishment of a more effective stronghold closer to the Middle East. For its ultimate destination, ISIS is essentially on the lookout for a region/nation where there is disaffection with an Islamic colour, transnational border regions are weakly held and potential for turbulence is high; this is the environment it would thrive in. The closer it is to the Islamic territories of the Middle East the better it would be for its Caliphate-based ambitions. The ideal location for such intent is the Af-Pak region and north-west Afghanistan has been on the scanner for long. Two reasons for this have been spoken over some time: One, the existence of a lucrative illegal narcotics trade network and two, the potential of moving north towards Turkmenistan’s rich gas resources, both of which can finance the future ambitions of ISIS. However, the presence of Taliban and what’s turning out to be its surprising cooperation with Iran is still helping to keep ISIS at bay.

From Syria-Iraq to Af-Pak and on to Mindanao in the Philippines is a huge geographical expanse. However, many times the scans miss out another area which has emerged with serious potential for the kind of revival ISIS seeks.

This is the Myanmar- Bangladesh border. Bangladesh reports the eviction of a million plus Rohingyas, Muslims from Myanmar’s Rakhine province bordering Bangladesh, due to a virtual genocide-like campaign by the mainly Buddhist army of Myanmar. Refugees camped in an area near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border in inhuman conditions, is the type of breeding ground that ISIS seeks. Bangladesh has also been subjected to ISIS influence and in July 2016 suffered a major terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery, Dhaka, which had a deep-dyed ISIS colour. This area borders India’s Northeast which has been restive for many years. There is a Muslim population on the Indian side which could be vulnerable too. With an active ISIS lookout for future potential zones with criteria which suits its strategy, the broad swathe of territory from Thailand to Northeast India bears vulnerability towards an ISIS perception of a temporary parking space and exploitation of the human capital from this region. ISIS efforts towards targeting the Indian subcontinent have not succeeded for the want of an effective operating base. India’s northeast must be prevented from becoming any part of that.

he author commanded the 15 Corps in J&K and is now the Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir. Views expressed are personal.

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 3

A 40-year-old Army man, Gavara Srinivasa Rao, posted at Kapurthala, has been missing since May this year. Neither family members, nor the Army have found any information regarding him till date.Interestingly, Naik Rao’s retirement was due in September this year. To make the matter worse for the Visakhapatnam-based family comprising his wife Yagana and two sons, aged 12 and 10 years, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has even stopped Rao’s salary by reporting him as ‘missing from duty’.He was going to join his duty at Kapurthala from Visakhapatnam but allegedly got down at the Panipat railway station from where he called his wife.While the Visakhapatnam police had initially launched an investigation in the case, they claimed to have transferred it to the Panipat police in June.However, the Panipat police refused to acknowledge transfer of any case pertaining to the missing of Rao.“A police team from South India had come here around two months ago. They wanted to visit a few places. We provided all logistic support to them. The matter is being investigated at their end,” said SHO (City) Deepak Kumar.While the police of both states have halted the investigation to trace the missing Army man, Rao’s family has already landed in a state of severe financial crunch.“With no salary or other income, I have shifted to my parent’s house. I will urge the Union Defence Minister to kindly resume my husband’s salary till the time the police complete the investigation or else get some partial funds released from our Provident fund account,” said Yagana.She said she spoke to him last on May 8 at around 12 noon.According to his wife, he was going to join his duty at Kapurthala from Visakhapatnam but he got down at the Panipat railway station.“He called me from a local phone number there and informed that his mobile phone and wallet had gone missing. Later, a CCTV camera footage retrieved from the spot revealed that he had visited a branch of the State Bank of India (SBI), situated near the railway station, and withdrew Rs 5,000,” said Yagna.She added that another CCTV grab revealed that he had dinner from a local dhaba.“When I visited the spot three months ago, I was informed that he was last seen at a juice corner situated next to the dhaba,” said Yagna.While the Army releases pension benefits and other grants within a month of the retirement, it would not be able to do so in this case. Rao is at present considered missing from duty. With no effort made either by the police of both states or by the Army authorities to trace his whereabouts, the fate of Rao has almost become uncertain.2 months on, police, Army fail to trace victimWhile the Army releases pension benefits and other grants within a month of the retirement, it would not be able to do so in this case. Rao is at present considered missing from duty. With no effort made either by the police of both states or by the Army to trace his whereabouts, the fate of Rao has almost become uncertain.

The Army is 7,298 short of the sanctioned strength. File phtoo

New Delhi, August 1

The three armed forces face a shortage of over 9,096 officers, with the Army topping the list, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

In a written response to a question in the Lower House of Parliament, Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence said as on January 1, 2018, the authorised strength of the Army was 49,933, but it has 42,635 officers, which is 7,298 short of the sanctioned strength.

The authorised strength for the Navy is 11,352 officers as against the existing number of 9,746 officers, which is 1,606 less than the sanctioned number.

The Air Force has a shortage of 192 officers, Bhamre said, adding that it has 12,392 officers as against the sanctioned strength of 12,584 officers.

In response to another question on whether the government has received any proposal from China for a border defence cooperation pact, the minister replied in negative.

He said an agreement on border defence cooperation between India and China was signed on October 23, 2013.

“No new proposal for a defence cooperation has been received from China,” the MoS said.

He said the government has taken various steps to strengthen defence cooperation with China, including mechanisms to enhance military to military exchanges and ensure maintenance of peace, stability and tranquillity along the India-China border.

These measures include annual defence and security dialogue, exchanges at the level of border troops, border personnel meetings, meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation on India-China Border Affairs and agreements and protocols relating to confidence-building measures. PTI

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 26

As the Kargil martyrs were remembered on Thursday on Kargil Vijay Diwas, NK Kalia, father of Saurabh Kalia who is a martyr from Palampur, is still awaiting justice for his son.Kalia said there was no difference between the UPA and NDA government. Both had failed to do justice to the martyrs, who were subjected to inhuman treatment by the Pakistan army during the Kargil war in 1999.“Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in a rally at Palampur that if the NDA government was voted to power, it will do justice to the family of Saurabh Kalia and take up the issue at the highest level, nothing has been done”, he added.Kalia said his petition before the Supreme Court was pending and he had faith in the judicial system. “I will get justice from the court and continue fight for the cause of the martyrs till the end,” he said. He regretted that he had approached the Government of India and several national and international organisations to pressure the Pakistan government to identify, book and punish those who tortured my son.”Kalia said he was disappointed with the attitude of the governments who ruled the nation as none initiate efforts to take up the issue with Pakistan during the bilateral talks held several times.“Though 19 years have passed, my wounds are yet to be healed. Not only parents of the soldiers, but also the Army and the nation had lost dedicated and honest soldiers,” said he. Saurabh Kalia and others were captured by the Pakistan army on May 15, 1999, after which they were tortured brutally to death. Their mutilated bodies were sent back to India in June. The martyr sacrificed his life at the age of 22. Meanwhile, the Army paid tribute to the Kargil martyrs at the War Memorial in Dharamsala. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Kishan Kapoor was also present.

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 22

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is on a visit to J&K, called on Governor NN Vohra in Srinagar on Sunday.The Governor and the Navy Chief discussed a range of issues relating to the effective national security management, including the challenges being faced in J&K.The Governor thanked Admiral Lanba for the invaluable role played by the Navy during the 2014 floods in the Valley and recalled how the MARCOS, using their Gemini boats equipped with high-tech gadgetry, established waterways to enable the boats of the National Disaster Response Force and other agencies to operate safely and save hundreds of lives.The Governor also sought the Navy Chief’s advice regarding the recovery of the Wular and Dal lakes and how a large number of boys and girls from the Valley could be enabled to join the Navy.

Tribune News Service

Gidderbaha/Muktsar, July 17

Army sepoy Ranveer Singh (24), hailing from Husnar village in Gidderbaha subdivision, died under mysterious circumstances on Monday after sustaining a bullet injury near the Line of Control (LoC) in Khour area of Akhnoor sector (Jammu and Kashmir).Ranveer had joined the Army about six years ago. His body was brought here on Tuesday afternoon and cremated with full state honours.Ranveer’s father Suba Singh, a marginal farmer, said, “We were told on the phone on Monday that Ranveer had died after falling from a tower. We are not even aware whether he sustained a bullet injury. He should be declared a martyr.”The deceased is survived by a younger brother, also serving in the Army, a sister and parents. ASI Ghulam Hussain, investigating officer, Khour police station, said, “It appears to be a case of suicide. A bullet pierced the soldier’s head. His rifle has been recovered. After initiating inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC and conducting a post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the Army.”