Two militants were also killed in the operation.

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 11

Two IAF personnel were killed in a gunfight with militants in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, an army official said.The IAF personnel were part of the operation for training.

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Two militants were also killed in the operation in Hajin area of Bandipora, the official said.He said the two Indian Air Force Garud personnel who were injured in the gunfight with militants later succumbed to their injuries.The operation was going on reports last came in, he added. With PTI

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Gen VK Singh addresses a seminar at Welham Boys School in Dehradun on Friday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 6

Union Minister of State for External Affairs and former Army chief General VK Singh today said politicians and people should come forward to ensure everlasting peace in Kashmir valley.He was interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of a two-day seminar on Military History that started at Welham Boys School here today. General VK Singh asserted that Indo-China relations were good on economic front and other issues too should be sorted out. “Further, Prime Minister himself has said that it was in the interests of both India and China to work together,” former Army chief said. General VK Singh said it was important that politicians read military history of the country so they do not take wrong decisions. Admitting to shortage of officers in the Army, he said while a large number of students opted for defence forces as career after Class XII, same case not the case after they graduated. He said there were limited training resources after Class XII added to the problem.Darshan Singh, chairman, Welham Boys’ School, said it was important that the coming generations were made aware of military history of the country. “Perhaps today, people between the age of 10 and 50 years, know almost nothing of the action in Kashmir in 1947-48 or the wars in 1962, 1965, 1971and 1999. Such ignorance should be avoided and children should be taught military history,” said Darshan Singh.He said the seminar wasdesigned to promote collaborative thinking and deliberation among the students. Students of various schools from across the country are participating in the seminar. 

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Anna Hazare on a day-long Satyagraha at Rajghat against corruption in New Delhi on Monday. Mukesh Aggarwal

New Delhi, October 2

Social activist Anna Hazare, who led a massive anti-corruption campaign in 2011, today threatened a rerun of his crusade as he denounced the Modi government over its “failure” to appoint a Lokpal and create a graft-free India.Hazare, who was the face of the impassioned movement for the creation of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta in states to probe corruption in the government, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying “he is averse to appoint anyone to the office”.The announcement came after the octogenarian Gandhian visited Raj Ghat to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 148th birth anniversary. “The movement I started for appointing a Lokpal is incomplete, which is why there is a need for another agitation.“The government failed to appoint a Lokpal in the last three years. In fact, it has weakened the Act (The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013),” he said at a press meet at the New Maharastra Sadan. The new movement, he said, would be launched by the end of the year or early next year. — PTI

Maj. Gen. B S Raju

Awantipora, September 27

The back of armed militandcy in Kashmir is virtually broken, and now a great deal of “political sagacity” is needed to ensure that a lasting solution to the decades-long separatist problem is found, the Army commander of the key South Kashmir area has said.“There is no semblance of any space where militants or separatists are in control. Militants are in self-preservation mode,” Maj Gen BS Raju, head of Victor Force that performs counter-insurgency operations in five districts of south Kashmir, said in an interview on Tuesday.He said his focus now was on ensuring that there were no new recruitments in the militant cadres and reaching out to the people to convince them that the Army was there to help, for which his troops had already embarked on a series of projects in schools and colleges.“Overall, most people want a solution. They want to get out of this cycle of violence,” said Major General Raju, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Victor Force, based in Awantipora, 33 km south of Srinagar.South Kashmir was known as the Ground Zero of J&K militancy with the highest number of attacks on security forces recorded here last year. As many as 73 militants have been killed this year in the region alone, more than twice the average number in previous years. It is believed that about 120 armed militants remain, possibly 150.“These days they are not targeting the Army directly, but are looking at softer targets. They are sometimes hitting civilians on the plea of neutralising informants,” said the GOC, who took over in March this year. “The situation has been brought to a level where political initiative can be started. It is good to see political engagement has started,” he said, referring to a flurry of comments by the Centre on holding talks with all stakeholders in Kashmir.“It depends on the political sagacity of the Central government. It will depend a great deal on the Central government. You can’t police out militancy from here,” he said.But he noted that “a great deal of straight-talking” with Kashmiris was needed to tell them “what can be given and what’s not on the table”.“We need to tell people here that ‘azadi’ under no circumstances is possible. And anything is possible under the Constitution. If you keep harping on ‘azadi’ you will be in a state of misery for a long time,” he said.Because of the success against home-grown militants, the Army expects cross-border infiltration to increase in the next few weeks to make up for the dead militants. “I anticipate more and more attempts to replenish the depleting cadres… (but) the window for infiltration is narrowing as winter is approaching.,” said Major General Raju, who headed the Uri brigade in 2012.One of the biggest problems that security forces and the government are facing is the radicalisation and alienation of the younger generation, said the GOC. He noted that most of the militants, pro-independence activists or even the stone-throwers had little grasp of the meaning of ‘azadi’. — PTI

Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh’s strategic vision, foresight and hard work provided the framework for the strategic victory in 1971

Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh made an outstanding contribution to the country’s defence and air force. By far, his most exceptional role was in analysing the IAF’s strengths and weaknesses, which showed up during the 1965 war, and applying necessary correctives. The major lesson learned was that the Service had been preparing for a medium to long-duration war. What was needed was a change in mindset, planning, logistics and operational dynamics for a short war of intense proportions. This was done through detailed planning and operational discussions. Personnel at all levels were briefed on the changed strategy for future wars. We saw that this worked perfectly in 1971 as the IAF achieved air supremacy over East Pakistan within three days and caused heavy attrition to the Pakistan Air Force in the West.

PHOTO CREDIT: BHARAT­RAKSHAK.COMThe then Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh visiting the MiG­21 squadrons based at Tezpur in Assam in the late 1960s.

The Army had been crying itself hoarse about the lack of adequate air support with some reason. The reasons therein were analysed and solutions produced after joint consultations. Arjan Singh went down to micro-levels in this matter. He correctly deduced that the unreliability of World War-2 vintage wireless sets prevented forward air controllers from communicating with the aircraft and providing targets and feedback. Therefore, state-ofthe-art communications equipment was sourced. The Army was thoroughly impressed with the ground support provided in East Pakistan in 1971.

Focusing on leadership at the higher level, Arjan Singh advocated joint planning with other Services, which was lacking in 1965. This paid rich dividends during the later confrontation with Pakistan. The IAF embarked on a concentrated period of modernisation, expansion and solidification. Many new fighter aircraft, equipment and systems such as the MiG-21, Sukhoi-7, HF-24 and SAM-3 surface-to-air missiles were inducted. Arjan Singh’s foresight, hard work and strategic vision truly provided the underpinnings of our stirring victory in 1971.

1ST MAHARAJA YADAVINDRA SINGH LECTURE

Tony McClenaghan will deliver the 1st Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Memorial Lecture on the princely states’ contribution to World War 1 under the aegis of the Centre for Indian Military History at the CRRID auditorium on Tuesday, September 26. He is a world authority on the Indian States Forces and is currently the secretary of the Indian Military Historical Society.

DOGRAI DAY COMMEMORATION

It was an emotional moment to represent my late father at his old formation’s Dograi Day commemoration, place a wreath on the war memorial and interact with officers and Jawans. Located in a neat and clean new military station, the formation organised the remembrance in the Army’s usual style with grace and meticulousness. Defending a vital sector of the border, we can be rest assured that the conquerors of Dograi in 1965 will perform their tasks with the same aplomb and grit.

WOMEN’S AFPI

The Armed Forces Preparatory Institute for Women at Mohali has grown from strength to strength. The efforts of it’s dynamic director, General IP Singh and his staff are soon to bear fruit. I’m informed that the first batch to appear for the Combined Defence Services examination will do so in November this year. The best of luck to them! The girls are currently studying for their graduation at MCM DAV College, Chandigarh.

NATHU LA

Why is there no commemoration of the bloody nose given by our troops to the Chinese fifty years ago at Nathu La?

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat lays a wreath on the mortal remains of Major Vijay Singh Ahlawat in Dehradun on Sunday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 17

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today paid floral tributes to Major Vijay Singh Ahlawat, who met with an accident on September 15.  Major Ahlawat of the 3 Rajput regiment was posted at Kokrajhar, Assam, where he met with an accident on September 15. The Chief Minister also met his family members and assured them of all help. He was a resident of Vijay Colony, Dehradun. Ahlawat’s last rites were performed at Tapkeshwar crematorium. A large number of people gathered at the site to pay their last respect.

Chandigarh: Expressing grief over the death of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday declared a three-day state mourning. There would be no official celebrations and the National Flag would fly at half-mast in all government buildings during these days, an official spokesperson said. In a condolence message, the CM said Arjan Singh’s contribution to the nation would forever remain etched in history. Amarinder also lauded Arjan Singh’s outstanding services as an envoy to various countries. TNS