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President Pranab Mukherjee pays homage at the Khongjom War Memorial in Thoubal district on Saturday. PTI

Imphal, April 23

President Pranab Mukherjee today praised the people of Manipur for their broad tolerance, pluralism and acceptance of universalism.“Truly, it (Manipur) is Jewel of India. It is not only for its rich culture variety or pristine beauty, for its brave men and women, but for its broad tolerance, pluralism, celebration of pluralism and acceptance of universalism,”he said.The President was here to participate in ‘Khongjom Day Observation’, observed every year to pay tribute to the brave sons of the state who made supreme sacrifice for the cause of their motherland.He also inaugurated Khongjom War Memorial and laid wreath there. Manipur is the place which is not only known for its blue hills and pristine beauty but for the endurance, tolerance and determination, he said. In the function, Mukherjee offered tributes to the fierce patriots from the state who fought the last battle of the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891. “I join you in paying homage to the great sons and daughters of Manipur. They gave their today for our tomorrow,” he said. — PTI

India’s leadership needs to draw right lessons

All supreme leaders of China have either been generals or political entities in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). But unlike his predecessors, Xi Jinping has taken much greater interest in matters military. Within days of taking over, Xi made high-profile visits to many army, air force, space programme and missile command facilities. Speaking to sailors on board the Haikou, a guided-missile destroyer, he said that his dream was of China to become a strong nation, and added, “To achieve the great revival of the Chinese nation, we must ensure there is unison between a prosperous country and a strong military.”Xi unveiled his plans to transform the PLA in the Third Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on November 12, 2013. The first phase has been completed. The remaining changes are expected to be completed by 2021. The military reforms on the one hand are to transform the land-focused PLA into a well-trained, technologically capable, specialised force to meet the demands of the future battlefield. That would “lead to effective integration of the civil-military leadership, restructuring the military and its force level, and the teeth-to-tail ratio”. On the other hand, it involves some reshuffle of authority, aimed at enforcing discipline and getting a firmer grip on the military. In recent years, several instances of corruption in the PLA have been reported in the Chinese media: the worst hit being the system of promotion. Two former vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC), Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, were arrested and imprisoned. According to reports, 47 PLA generals were investigated in 2015.  As one military expert noted, “If you have a military where you can buy positions, it doesn’t matter if you have the best weapons in the world.” The anti-corruption campaign needed to focus on the issues of military discipline, inspections, audit and an independent judicial supervision. A new Commission for Discipline Inspection is being set up under the CMC to ensure strict discipline within the PLA. Xi has ordered the PLA to change its culture and adopt a style of frugality and austerity because ostentatious habits kill professionalism! “Ten Regulations on Improving the Work Style of the PLA” have formally banned liquor at PLA functions, forbade holding of big banquets and called on the PLA brass to adopt a simple style in their inspection tours. Senior officers have been told to spend two weeks on the frontline as enlisted soldiers. Regiment and brigade commanders will do this once in three years, the division and corps commanders once in four years, and higher leaders from higher headquarters once in five years.More important changes are those related to the PLA command and control organisation, its employment and doctrine. In China, the CMC is the highest military body which exercises command and control over the PLA forces through four general departments-General Staff, Politics, Logistics, and Armament.  These departments are now to be replaced by 15 new departments, signalling a more direct control. Earlier, the General Staff Department (GSD) was the number one organ of the armed forces, in charge of operations as well as intelligence.  It commanded the army, through which it controlled seven military regions across the country. The GSD has now become the Joint General Staff Department, to function purely as a staff organisation, similar to the joint chiefs of staff system of the USA. The PLA ground forces will now become a separate service. This marks the reduction of the power of the ground forces but some improvement of command and control within the army. The erstwhile Second Artillery Corps in its new avatar will become the Rocket Force and will control all short, medium and long range ballistic missiles. The General Political Department has transferred control of the military legal system to the new Law Commission.The General Armaments Department was responsible for developing military equipment and managing aviation units. The responsibility for development of new military equipment has now been distributed to the four armed forces. A new Strategic Support Force (SSF) has been created to work on integrated air and aerospace developments and strategy. The SSF will be responsible for satellite positioning, communication, and remote sensing. The precise delineation of responsibilities between the SSF and the PLA Air Force is yet to be seen.The existing Chinese command system involves seven Military Regions, headquartered in Shenyang, Beijing, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Lanzhou. The Military Region structure is being redrawn. Instead, Integrated Battle Zone commands with increased focus on combat will be established through joint operations command and ability. For a combat mission to be effectively executed, the commander of a battle zone has to be entrusted with the authority and discretion to mobilise troops within his area of responsibility. This will enhance overall joint operations capability of the forces involved and also improve development of joint as well as cross-region air and naval operations when required.In the new set-up, the CMC will take direct charge of the administration of the PLA.  The ‘CMC-battle zone-troops’ system will ensure closer, more effective political leadership of the armed forces. The service headquarters of the army, air force, navy and the rocket force will be detached. Their task will be to provision and train their respective forces.  The reforms envisage a cut of 300,000 personnel in the 2.3 million PLA forces. The idea is to ‘remake the PLA from a man-power intensive force to a smaller, technologically able and mobile force capable of combat beyond its geographical borders’. The proportion and force structure of different forces will be streamlined ‘to suit new security needs and operations.’The PLA transformation is in line with the current security concepts and trends. It reflects mission-oriented operational thinking, enhanced deterrence capability, and preparedness to play a role beyond geographic frontiers, when required.In India, we had discussed such issues in the Group of Ministers (2002) and the Naresh Chandra Committee (2011-12), though not as comprehensively. But our political leadership, civil bureaucracy in the Ministry of Defence and the Service headquarters have managed to stall recommended reforms due to lack of military education and/or parochial interests. The over-riding lesson that the Chinese process offers is the important role of political leadership in the military reform process. No transformative change can take place in the military of any society — democratic or authoritarian-without the direct involvement of the political class. As this important task can no longer be postponed in India, I hope that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who began his three-day visit to China on April 18, 2016, will find time to learn from the Chinese example.

— The writer is a former Army Chief

BLUNT BUTCHER

When 2005 earthquake wrecked havoc in North Kashmir and parts of Jammu, the civilian population in Uri, Kupwara, Karnah and Poonch, the most affected areas in terms of damage to life and property, demanded disbursement of relief through the army. They were skeptical about the civilian administration that reportedly bungled relief at many places. The demand was actually motivated by tremendous support lend by the armed forces in rescuing people and ensuring their immediate rehabilitation, as most of the areas were even beyond reach of the civilian administration. Some of the jawans lost lives in reaching out victims in Tanghdar area.
The victims of 2005 tremors know how bravely the young soldiers and officers came to their rescue at their hour of need. At most of the places, the gratitude was expressed in unequivocal terms.
How can love for the armed forces in 2005 and beyond turn so sour that same lot of people will move in herds to attack army camps over alleged molestation of a girl student in Handwara, Sogam, Kupwara, Langet and other places, notwithstanding the fact that the so-called victim herself tormenting vicious propaganda by saying the violence was actually triggered by a couple of youngsters, who wanted to malign the army and tease the teenager?
Blow-hot-blow-cold relationship vis-a-vis army is a gruesome fact of Kashmir. No eyebrow will be raised over Maulvis, village elders, students and other segments of civil society venturing for ‘Wattan Ki Ser’ programme of the army until vested interests try to exploit any female to satiate their lust of defaming the forces, mainly at the behest of their mentors across the border. How many people have objected to civic action programme of the army, under which computers are provided to schools in border areas, roads constructed, health camps organised and rescue operations undertaken during natural calamities. The armed forces are the first visible entities at any accident site or the places engulfed by fire. They always remain a phone call distance when civilians are in distress.
The people of Kashmir know how some unfortunate women fell prey to ‘inhuman terrorists’ wearing army outfits. They know how innocents are kidnapped and killed by men in the guise of soldiers. They also know the atrocities being committed by terrorists are deliberately linked to the armed forces because there is a pattern to defame and malign the Indian Army.
In this love-hate campaign against armed forces, the separatists and the so-called ‘mainstreamists’ remain on the same page. The mainstream leaders trust less on local police but speak more against the security forces, despite having first preference for non-state jawans to provide them protection. A senior National Conference leader Sheikh Mustaffa Kamal was recently exposed by retired General B. S Jaswal on a national television channel when the former carried out his usual vicious campaign against the army. The General reminded Kamal how he had requested for army support in early nineties by pleading that he was apprehensive about the local security men. The Kamaal-doctrine is the ugly truth of Kashmir scenario where armed forces are trusted privately but condemned publicly to appease a particular constituency.
The 2014 flood are brute reminder of hypocrisy and duplicity when even rescued marooned people blamed the army for ‘partisan’ relief operations. Some of them claimed in the backdrop of rescue choppers that the army was selective in bringing out trapped people from inundated areas. The separatists were shamelessly seen indulging in photo ops by distributing relief material stolen from the army boats. Yasin Malik got terribly exposed while posing to the cameras with such stolen commodities in the marooned areas. Despite outrage against the army, the flood affected victims told Prime Minister to send compensation in their personal accounts rather than getting this disbursed through local agencies. This is the trust deficit between the locals themselves but despite that no occasion is missed to collectively raise fingers against the army.
Even as volatile and explosive North Kashmir is reeling under unabated protests, the Centre has rushed additional para-military forces to calm the situation. They are there to lessen the collateral damages being caused by Pakistan funded lackeys in terror and separatist ranks. They have vested interest in keeping Kashmir on boil. Some mainstream players are also playing their dirty tricks in belittling the army by perpetrating situation.
The question arises why such a hate and love syndrome for the army is at its worst display in the Valley. The answer is not difficult to comprehend. Actually the vested interests (the number of whom is unfortunately huge) want to have best of both the worlds. This can be achieved only by hammering the army to hilt.
Cherry on the separatist’ cake is criminal silence of BJP over the well-conceived attempts being made to defame and malign the army and belittling it in public eyes. The State Unit failed in rising to the occasion by coming in favour of valiant soldiers notwithstanding the fact that additional replenishment is being made by the BJP ruled central government.
The wickedness of the BJP lot-the ministers, the legislators and the senior leaders-is reflected by the fact that the motivated mother of the brave girl is being allowed to spill venom against the army despite her daughter openly castigating ‘youths with

Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag also paid his tributes to Major Amit Deswal, who was killed during a combing operation conducted by the Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Forces in Tamenglong district of Manipur, in New Delhi on Friday. ANIhttps://youtu.be/SnDEVlTPUEA

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 13

Remains of US soldiers who died during the WW-II in Arunachal Pradesh were handed over to a US delegation in Delhi in the presence of US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter today.A US embassy statement said these were possibly the remains of US service members recovered by the Defense POW/MIA (Prisoners of War/ Missing in Action) Accounting Agency (DPAA).One set of remains was recovered in Arunachal Pradesh between September 12 and November 17, 2015. A second set of remains was unilaterally turned over to the DPAA by a third party from the same region.The remains recovered late last year are possibly associated with a B-24 crash on January 25, 1944, where a crew of eight personnel assigned to the 14th Air Force, 308th Bomb Group, were lost during a routine mission from Kunming, China to Chabua, India. The remains that were handed over to the DPAA are possibly related to a C-109 that crashed on July 17, 1945, travelling from Jorhat, India, to Hsinching, China, with a four-man Army Air Force crew.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter’s visit had promised more than it delivered. Or so it appears from the publicly released outcomes of his visit. At the last moment, India appears to have hung back from inking an agreement to allow access to each other’s military bases. But the decade-long magnetism for each other in the security sphere remains undiminished. Plans remain on course to jointly develop an aircraft carrier, a Bill in the US Congress seeks to bring India on a par with NATO in the transfer of sensitive defence technology and equipment while South Block is weighing an American proposal to assemble fighter planes in the country. Defence trade also remains vibrant and Indian orders have helped keep the American military-industrial complex humming.The defence agreements, the proposed legislation and plans to assemble American fighter planes in India add up to a sharp turn in India’s foreign policy. The implications of marching step-in-step with the Americans will resonate far and wide in India’s extended neighbourhood.  Moscow has already sent a warning shot by threatening to stop cooperation in nuclear submarines if the Indian tango with the US gets too intimate. China is already miffed with a US-India joint statement —the honorarium for Barack Obama gracing the Republic Day celebrations — that all but speaks of a lockstep by the two in South China Sea. As a result, Chinese plans for massive investment in India have disappeared in thin air. While the US policymakers are forthcoming on their expectations of a quasi military alliance with India, there is a deafening silence from the Indian side. Parliament should have dissected and analysed the policy implications like the spirited debates that took place on the Indo-US nuclear agreement. The Congress and the BJP are convinced that Western help is indispensible for India to achieve big power status. They differ only on the extent of flexibility in such a partnership.  A public debate and willingness to enlist the public endorsements would only deepen the sustainability of our security policies.

(From left) Arjan Singh Ghotra, Harpal Singh, Kanwar Singh

Washington, April 11

The Pentagon has allowed three more Sikhs to serve in the US armed forces while maintaining their articles of faith such as keeping a beard and wearing a turban — in the fourth such approval in less than a month.The decision, taken on Friday but made public only today, comes days after the soldiers filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defence (DoD), seeking to serve in the US armed forces without being forced to compromise with their articles of faith.Two have been accommodated in the Army National Guard, and one in the US Army Reserve, a media release said.Arjan Singh Ghotra, 17, has been accommodated to serve in the Virginia Army National Guard and will continue his service while attending George Mason University this year.“I will proudly wear my articles of faith with my military uniform,” he said.“I am excited and honoured to have the opportunity to serve my country as an observant Sikh in the Virginia National Guard,” Ghotra said.Kanwar Singh has been accommodated with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, while Harpal Singh, a California telecommunications engineering specialist, will serve in the US Army Reserve through a programme available for non-US citizens with critical foreign language skills.All three are scheduled to attend basic combat training with their respective units this May, according to the release.On March 31, 28-year-old Sikh-American and decorated combat veteran Captain Simratpal Singh became the first active-duty Sikh soldier to receive approval to maintain his articles of faith while actively serving in the US Army.“We commend the US Department of Defence for its decision to allow these soldiers to serve with their religious turbans and beards,” said Sikh Coalition legal director Harsimran Kaur. — PTI

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 10

Forum for Awareness of National Security held a seminar on “Border management and the role of veterans” here today.Forum head Indresh Kumar said for the social, economic and political development of India, it was essential that its borders were secured from cross-border infiltration and trafficking of humans, drugs, fake currency and weapons.He added that the Indian landmass had about 15,000 km border and 7,500 km coastline.Pakistan, having been defeated in successive wars with India, had resorted to a proxy war and was indulging in terror activities, the latest example being the attack on Pathankot air base.JK Grewal, president, Punjab Chapter of Forum, said retired Army personnel have rich experience and depth of knowledge. No amount of training and technical knowhow could replace their experience. He said the Armed forces were short not only on officers but also on foot soldiers.It would be fortuitous to engage them as a parallel force, in order to make use of their inputs to train and brain storm projects, he added.Anil Joshi, local bodies minister; Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, former state Cabinet minister; ML Kumawat, former DG, BSF; Maj-Gen Dhruv C Katoch and others, also addressed the gathering.