Current Events :
Beijing, February 21India’s foreign secretary S Jaishankar will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday, as the two countries hold bilateral talks despite several sticking points between them, including Beijing’s position about New Delhi’s membership to Nuclear Supplier’s Group.Jaishankar, who landed in China after his visit to Sri Lanka, met top diplomat Yang Jiechi.Jiechi, China’s State Councillor of the Communist Party of China and Beijing’s Special Representative for border talks between India and China — a leader who, under Beijing’s system, functions directly under the country’s leadership — at Zhongnanhai.”We truly hope that in the year ahead our two countries can enhance our exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation so that we can jointly contribute more to peace and stability and development of our region and the world at large,” Yang said, recalling President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit last year.Jaishankar is expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, besides attending an upgraded strategic dialogue with China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui on Wednesday.The meetings are likely to witness talks on some contentious issues — such as China’s resistance to India’s entry into the elite NSG and its position over India’s call for UN sanctions on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. China’s $46 billion investment on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — a project that passes through the contested Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir — will also likely be discussed.China, an ally of Pakistan, has been reluctant to allow India into the NSG citing India’s position on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.India is not a signatory to the treaty.Another sore point between the two countries, besides an unresolved border dispute, is China’s efforts to block India’s application to have Azhar — a man who has been accused of having been involved in several terrorist attacks in India, including one at a military base in Pathankot last year — listed as a terrorist in UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee list.Sanctions against Azhar would mean a travel ban and assets freeze for him. Last month, China had frustrated a resolution by the US for the sanctions. Beijing had already blocked two of India’s resolutions before.
Counter terrorism
In an interview before the meeting to China’s state run newspaper Global Times Jaishankar said India was worried about the CPEC project and terrorism.”For us, there are questions of sovereignty which need to be addressed first,” he said in oblique references to CPEC passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) over which New Delhi has already conveyed its protest to Beijing.He also said India and China should loosely work on “countering terrorism”, a hint at China’s ‘technical hold’ on India’s application for sanctions.”China has a very strong, principled position on counter-terrorism. We hope the position China already has will be further implemented,” Jaishankar said, adding that India was holding discussions with China. — PTI
PROBLEMS OF J&K ARE NOT THOSE THAT REQUIRE A MILITARY SOLUTION BUT ARE RESULT OF FAILURE TO RESOLVE THEM THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLITICAL MEANS, WHICH RESULTED IN THESE BEING PUSHED INTO THE MILITARY’S LAP.
During the recent antiterrorist operations in the Kashmir valley, villagers have been coming out in large numbers and blocking actions of the security forces. Often young boys have been throwing stones at the security forces and in the process, interfering with these operations and even being instrumental in the escape of terrorists. Often during the firefight with security forces, it is the terrorists who shoot locals knowing that the blame for civilian casualties will invariably be pinned on security forces.
POLICE ACTION LACKING
Pelting security forces with stones in the Valley has been going on for quite some time. The fact that the local police have not been arresting protesters has only encouraged them to continue with this practice. There is a visible impact on actions of troops when locals come out in large numbers to help terrorists hiding in houses during counterinsurgency operations. To avoid casualties to civilians, security forces often have to deviate from their usual tactics and in the process take higher number of casualties on themselves.
It’s in this background that the army chief cautioned the local population of the Valley, particularly the youth, against this practice of blocking operations of security forces and often helping terrorists escape. This act of blocking security forces operations is not only an-anti national activity, but equally a serious infringement of law. No one can condone such activity. Equally hoisting ISIS and Pakistani flags is unacceptable and cannot be overlooked.
NO GROUND FOR SYMPATHY
Burhan Wani was a confirmed terrorist and during his encounter with the security forces, he was heavily armed. There was no ground for the sort of sympathy that surfaced on his killing. The later demonstrations and stone pelting by young boys was unnecessarily countered by the use of pellet guns by the central police. The best course was to round up these boys, put them behind bars and make them face the law of the land.
There is alienation in the Valley, though there is no discernible cause for the same. India has been treating people of Jammu and Kashmir with kid glove and pouring much money in all manner of welfare schemes. Many in India advocate talking to the people of J&K (mainly the Kashmir valley) and yet fail to spell out the content of such talks. Yet another group advocates a political solution for resolving the problem of J&K and do not know of a solution which will placate the troublesome and anti-national elements in the Valley and at the same time uphold the territorial integrity of the country.
K-ISSUE MISHANDLED
Undeniably problems of J&K are not those that require a military solution but are the result of failure to resolve them through administrative and political means, which resulted in these being pushed into the military’s lap. Over the years and at every step, we have been mishandling the Kashmir issue, and repeatedly failed to act firmly. Finally, suffering the ignominy of eviction of Pandits from the Valley and that too during the governor’s rule in the state. An environment of complete collapse of law and order machinery prevailed in the Valley and no heads rolled.
When holy relic (Muay Mukadus) went missing from Hazratbal Shrine, nearly three quarters of a million crowds assembled in Srinagar. It set on fire a police station, tehsil headquarters and the chief minister’s hotel under construction. When fire brigade vehicles arrived, these too were set on fire. Finally, the call was made to the army. We moved our fire brigade vehicles with a fully armed protection group and the crowds stayed away. The civil administration panicked and handed over the city of Srinagar to the army.
That night we moved two infantry battalions from Baramulla and deployed these in the town. For the next four days, nearly three quarter of a million crowd kept assembling in Srinagar and yet no one dare light a match, leave aside setting any building on fire. Such was the salutary effect of the military on marauding mobs.
Since then, much water has flowed down the Jhelum and the army is now being targeted with stones. This is the result of gross mishandling of the issue of J&K and pusillanimity of the successive governments in Delhi and overuse of the military in law and order situations.
What the Army Chief has said should have been said by his predecessors and should have got it implemented. The government in Delhi has rightly supported him in his warning to the errant youth and mischief-makers in the Valley. (The writer, a former deputy chief of army staff, is a commentator on defence and security issues. Views expressed are personal)
Amir Karim Tantray
Tribune News Service
Meen Sarkar Tabela (Vijaypur), February 15She is lost in her thoughts and her eyes are searching for the most loving person on the earth for her, her father. But she is unaware that her father, Rifleman Ravi Kumar, who sacrificed his life for the nation, will never return.As she grows older, Ravi Kumar’s three-year-old daughter Ruhani Ratta will realise and will have to adjust to the fact that her father is no more.While everyone in this village in Samba district was mourning Ravi’s death, Ruhani was wondering why so many people had come to their home and what was inside the coffin that was surrounded by Army men and villagers.Ravi is survived by wife Esha Devi and daughter Ruhani Ratta. Others in his family are father Rattan Lal, mother Shakuntla Devi, two sisters Rekha Devi and Vandana Devi, and brother Kavi Kumar. All were in a deep shock and crying.The 34-year-old soldier was liked by all in the village. He used to play with children whenever he was home. Around 14 years ago, he joined the Army and started supplementing income of father who was a cart-puller. He gave the work after his son started earning enough to run the family.Ravi was expected to reach home on February 18 to get his daughter admitted to a school. However, before he could return, he fell to the bullets during an anti-militancy operation in the Hajin area of Bandipora district yesterday.Talking to reporters, Rattan Lal said during his last chat with Ravi on February 13 evening, he had advised his son to take care of himself as the situation in the Valley was not good. “Ravi replied that everything was normal at the place of his posting, but next morning, an encounter started where he sacrificed his life for the nation,” he said.Saying he was proud of his son’s sacrifice, Rattan Lal said he wanted the government to take a call on Pakistan and go for the final assault. “We don’t want everyday violence and death of our soldiers,” he added.Ravi’s mortal remains reached his house around 2.30 pm. For around 30 minutes, his body was kept in his home and then taken for cremation. He was cremated with full military honours.Local MLA Chander Prakash Ganga, who is also Minister for Industries and Commerce, and newly appointed IGP, Jammu, SD Singh Jamwal also attended the cremation besides hundreds of villagers.
Major General (retd) Satbir Singh, a member of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, has been spearheading a campaign against the Prime Minister’s claim that his Government implemented ‘One Rank, One Pension’ for ex-servicemen. In an interview with National Herald correspondent Vishwa Deepak, he explains why.
The Prime Minister in his election rallies has claimed that his Government has implemented OROP. So why are you sitting here at Jantar Mantar demanding OROP?
Because he is lying to the people of India. He has done nothing of the kind. Jo diya wo OROP hai? (What has been given is not OROP). I am prepared to debate it live on any TV channel with him or anyone he chooses. I am sorry to say that obnoxious is the word for him and his colleagues.
OROP affects the jawans the most. Out of 24 lakh ex-servicemen, 85% are again jawans numbering 18 lakh people. Out of 6.45 lakh widows, 85% are jawans’ widows. And the Prime Minister patronisingly says OROP has been granted after making compromises with the needs of poor people. Shame on him.
Would you say that the PM is making a false claim to sway voters, specifically ex-servicemen, in Uttarakhand?
Of course he is doing it to mislead people and get votes. He spent three days in Uttarakhand and repeatedly said that OROP had been implemented by his Government. If he had really implemented it rightly, why would he have to make such a pitch and keep repeating it? Wouldn’t he have got electoral dividend?
Why do you say that OROP has not been granted?
On September 15 2013 when he called us at Rewari (Haryana), he promised to implement real OROP. What he has implemented is a one-time increase in pension. There are four major anomalies. First, the definition has been changed.
Defense personnel who served on the same rank and for the same length of service, we demanded, would be entitled to the same pension irrespective of their date of retirement. He has accepted the first part, but not the second. Moreover the equalisation of pension would take place once in five years—which would mean it is one rank and five pensions. Going by the provisions, people who retire later will get a higher pension. The scheme is effective from July 1, 2014, with 2013 as the base year, while we wanted OROP from April 1, 2014 and 2015 as the base year.
General, you have been campaigning against the Government and targeting the Prime Minister…have there been consequences?
They have filed a case of embezzlement and one of the officers had to spend six days in jail. We are campaigning with our money, not the Government’s. Nobody other than defence personnel has paid us a paisa. I am travelling with my own money. The Minister of State for Defence on January 14 said that the Government had implemented OROP but some ‘negative elements’ were still criticising it. I challenge him to come on any TV channel and debate the issue with me.
You claimed that you have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for 600 days. Hasn’t anyone from the Government reached out to you?
I come here every day and February 13 , 2017 is the 610th day. But while the Government is talking to militants, not one of them has come to talk to us.
Our people come from all over the country, camp here for a few days and go back. We are not agitating or indulging in any violence. But after this Government came to power, I have written 60 letters to the Prime Minister and around 100 to the Defence Minister. But there has been zero response.
You mean Mr Parrikar or Mr Jaitley?
Mr Jaitley was both Finance Minister and Defence Minister when we first went to discuss the issue with him. He said, “ General saab, we politicians do not fulfil all the promises we make during elections, all of them cannot be fulfilled”.
He did?
I have quoted him hundreds of times. There were 10’ of us. I was not alone. I have nine more witnesses.
Since your protest is not making any headway, what are your options?
We have filed a case in court. Three hearings have been completed and yet no one has appeared from the Government. I hope the judiciary will punish them when the verdict comes.
Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 7
Lt Gen SK Saini, 9 Corps GOC, called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhavan here today.He briefed him about the security situation in the area of responsibility of his Command.The Governor discussed issues relating to the continuing attempts at infiltration from across the International Border along the Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts and the need for strengthening the counter-infiltration grid.
The spate of casualties due to avalanches in Jammu and Kashmir raise the question of whether vacation of high-risk areas can minimise deaths or not. Perhaps the impact of the Kargil war has is responsible for the extra-cautious approach adopted for security measures in high-altitude areas.
WHAT do avalanches have to do with Kargil and the lessons from 1999? This needs explanation. On social media recently there have been comments on the spate of avalanche casualties of the Army in Gurez valley and Sonamarg areas of Kashmir. People wished to know why the Army was reluctant to vacate areas which were vulnerable to avalanches in the high-altitude terrain. If not permanently, then at least for the winter when dangers from avalanches exist; the same could be re-occupied later as the weather improves. Responses were quick, bringing out the essential facts about the LoC and the necessity for maintaining its sanctity through physical presence. The “Kargil syndrome” isn’t a term used in social media but responses alluded mostly to that broad understanding. It goes back to the days when the Army suffered a “walk- in” by Pakistani troops, into winter-vacated areas of Kargil, Dras and Batalik sectors in the winter of 1998-99. The Army suffered a heavy toll of casualties in recovering these through conventional assaults at obnoxious heights in the next summer. On hindsight, the Army is obviously playing it extremely safe. It has minimised winter vacation and left little to chance. Obviously, lesser the vacation in winter greater will be the casualties. How does this policy work and is their scope for more pragmatism through execution of winter vacation as part of winter redeployment? These are inevitable questions Indian citizens will ask as they get better informed on matters strategic. More technology is available for drone, helicopter, unattended sensor and satellite-based surveillance which many consider as alternatives. In 2011-12, the Army suffered horrific casualties when a field workshop company was wiped out by an unexpected avalanche of such intensity that it threw lorries 300 metres away in its wake. Eighteen good soldier-technicians of the electrical and mechanical engineers died in the tragedy which occurred at night. The next day, the Army’s transit camp was hit similarly, at Sonamarg with more casualties; the snow flood jumping right through a river and crossing to the plateau on the other side, something unimaginable. Both areas have been hit again this year, although not the exact spots. What the layman has to understand is that avalanches rarely strike at the same place twice and the predictability factor is rather poor. The Sonam avalanche, which buried 10 brave jawans in February 2016, witnessed a rare ice fall. Although the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), Manali has its detachments all over Jammu and Kashmir and does a marvellous job in issuing avalanche warnings, accurate predictions of time and place can be extremely difficult. SASE also does mapping of avalanche-threat areas, based upon data collected over years. Bulletins issued by it need to be read in detail to get an idea of potential avalanche areas. The problem is that a very large number of posts and picquets of the Army and other forces are deployed tactically keeping domination, defensibility, approaches and inter se distance between such posts. Vacating one may create an unviable gap or endanger the security of another. With this in mind, some posts are stocked and considered “winter cut off”. This denotes that except for the fact they occupy the real estate there are only limited tactical functions they can perform. The manpower deployed at these is without relief for as much as six months and no logistics resupply is done; men are specially selected for this arduous duty after spending leave and STD facilities are provided on priority. Occupation of a forward winter posture with maximum posts remaining occupied is done for two purposes. The first is to prevent a Kargil-like walk-in occupation by Pakistan in places where the snow level on their side is lower than ours. It ensures the sanctity of the LoC without any operational risk except that of avalanches or being heavily “snowed up”. The second purpose is to prevent infiltration into the Valley zone and the Poonch sector. Terrorists seek to take advantage of gaps created by winter vacation of some posts. Every year, frozen bodies of a few terrorists are invariably found although some may succeed in getting through. The Army delays such vacation till the last when it seems almost impossible to hold on any longer. There lies the dilemma of decision-making by senior commanders. In 2008, I requested permission for vacation of a post as the weather-prediction charts revealed heavy snow days approaching. I was advised to hold a little longer. The post had to remain deployed until abandoned in the face of an almost impossible situation. In the process of moving to another location a major avalanche struck, leading to deaths of 13 servicemen and civilian porters. I regret that situation till date. It was completely avoidable. Thereafter, the authority to withdraw was delegated to much lower commanders.Later, in the position of authority I made it known to my command that a few terrorists getting through could be accepted as we would soon neutralise them. However, lives of our own soldiers risked under climatic and terrain threats was not acceptable. Kargil has no doubt stymied our thinking to a great extent. It is not easy risking loss of posts or occupation of vacated areas by the adversary. In places such as Gurez valley, the scope for redeployment of posts is extremely limited due to space constraints and the lay of the ground. Besides that, many of the posts are under direct adversary observation. Building avalanche-deflection walls is a limited measure that works wherever there is a history of regular avalanches.Can portions of Gurez be vacated? It all depends on the state of trust with our adversary, Pakistan. Under the circumstances, more can be spent on technology and surveillance. However, encroachment or occupation by the adversary cannot be prevented if the latter is determined to play dirty. All actions will need to be reactive should we choose to vacate for winter and the posts are occupied by Pakistan. Drone flights and helicopter-surveillance sorties are surveillance measures to give an early warning of infiltration or occupation of vacated areas. The intrusions may be detected but ultimately will have to be physically countered and evicted.We are not at that stage where we can trust our neighbour not to back stab us. There can be no carte-blanche policy on the vacation of posts. This has to be entirely situational. The government could spend more on avalanche-rescue equipment, and build infrastructure to restrict avalanches. Perhaps a review of some posts which may have lost relevance could be authorised. Reluctance in this regard is very much likely while playing safe under the “Kargil syndrome”. The time for mass vacation of avalanche-prone areas on the LoC and the deployment of technology for detection of intrusions is not yet upon us; perhaps someday it will be. Situational discretion remains the flavour and rightly so. The writer, a former GOC of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, has extensive experience in handling high-altitude operations.
Azhar Qadri
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, January 27
Fourteen soldiers have died in twin avalanches that hit an Army post and a patrol party in the remote Gurez sector of north Kashmir as one of the worst snowstorms of recent years ended today in the region.The bodies of four soldiers were recovered from an avalanche site in Gurez, close to the Line of Control, today, taking the snow-related death toll in the Kashmir valley to 21.The snowstorm, which lasted from Tuesday to Thursday, triggered deadly avalanches in several parts of north, central and south Kashmir.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The worst hit was Gurez sector, where an Army post and a patrol party of soldiers were swept away by avalanches and four members of a family were buried inside their house. Army officials yesterday said coordinated search operations enabled the rescue of six soldiers. Bodies of 10 soldiers were recovered last evening and of four today morning, Army and police officials said.The Army identified the dead personnel as a Major, who died in an avalanche at Sonmarg on Wednesday, and a Naib Subedar, a Havildar, a Naik, 10 sepoys and a craftsman — all killed in Gurez avalanches.Besides, a total of 40 structures, including houses and shops, have been damaged by heavy snowfall in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Baramulla and Kupwara districts of the Valley. In Gulmarg, 6 feet of fresh snow has blocked entrances to hotels and markets. The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway remained cut off due to landslides and avalanches along its mountainous stretches. An official of the traffic department said a massive avalanche hit the highway near Shaitani Nullah, burying the road under 15 to 20 feet of snow. “The region received one of the heaviest spells of snowfall, surpassing all records of the past decade,” said Sonam Lotus, Director, Srinagar Meteorological Centre.
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, January 22
Ex-servicemen associated with the United Front Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (Jantar Mantar) led by General Satbir Singh today said they had decided to support the Congress as they felt ditched by the NDA government in the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission benefits extended to them.The organisation today held a rally near Jamsher village to announce support to Capt Amarinder, who too was present on the occasion. “Our anguish against the NDA government is much higher than the hope we got from the Congress in the state. Though ‘One rank, one pension’ is a union matter, we have decided to support the Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elections to express our anger against the BJP, which has reigned for over 10 years as coalition partner in the state,” said Brig JS Sandhu (retd).
New Delhi January 14, 2017 Last Updated at 01:23 IST
Army chief, General Bipin Rawat, who this month became the first senior official to publicly confirm the existence of India’s so-called Cold Start doctrine, explained on Friday why he acknowledged this controversial term publicly.
Cold Start is the Indian operational plan for rapidly mobilising infantry and armour to launch lightning strikes across the plains and deserts of Pakistan. The aim is to break into Pakistani before its defensive formations can prepare and occupy defensive positions along the border.
Indian policymakers and officials have always downplayed Cold Start, partly because it scared Pakistan’s army into relocated defensive formations close to the Indian border, and into developing highly destabilising “tactical nuclear weapons” (TNWs) — small-yield, nuclear bombs, delivered by short-range ballistic missiles like the Nasr (Hatf-IX) — to halt a Cold Start strike.
Previous Indian chiefs said there was no Cold Start plan. Instead, they pointed to a “proactive strategy”.
Rawat’s acknowledgment of Cold Start on January 6, in an interview to India Today, was a radical departure. It was sharply criticised by strategic analysts like Vipin Narang and Walter C Ladwig III, who claimed the “[Indian] army simply lacks the material and organisation to implement the more aggressive versions of Cold Start.” They argued that India has too few troops and tanks, it faces critical equipment shortages, and the army and air force do not coordinate air support. “This has put India in the worst possible strategic position: claiming a capability that it does not have, but which provides justification for Pakistan’s aggressive expansion of its conventional and nuclear forces”, Narang and Ladwig wrote in The Hindu.
Today, Rawat, at a press conference in New Delhi, initially downplayed his acknowledgment of Cold Start, arguing that offensive plans are a part of India’s overall defensive strategy, aimed at safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity.
“[We] know that the future wars will be short and intense and, when short and intense wars are the future forms of combat, you have to be prepared to move fast. Now this is something which you can term in whatever way you want”, said Rawat.
But Rawat also clarified that publicly acknowledging Cold Start was a signal to the army to be prepared for that eventuality. “The other reason for coming out with this was, to communicate to the rank and file and field commanders the kind of preparations they have to carry out for future combat. That is the messaging that was meant to that statement that I made,” said Rawat.
Asked by Business Standard about operational shortcomings that might prevent the success of Cold Start, Rawat stated: “Weaknesses have to be overcome. And these weaknesses can only be overcome if you accept the strategy (Cold Start). If you don’t accept the strategy, then you will let your weaknesses [limit you]. But when you enunciate a strategy you say: these are the weaknesses which I need to overcome to adopt success.”
It is ironic that Rawat, an infantry officer who the government chose because of his expertise in counter-insurgency, has made his first bold statement in the realm of warfighting and mechanised operations.
Cold Start was born of the failure of Operation Parakram in 2001-02, when the military moved into battle stations after Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists attacked Parliament on December 13, 2001. However, by the time the army’s three mechanised strike corps (which are stationed deep inside India in places like Mathura and Bhopal) were transported to the border and were ready to launch their tanks and infantry combat vehicles (ICVs), Pakistan’s defensive formations were deployed and ready to beat them back.
Thus was Cold Start conceived, a plan to attack Pakistan within 48 hours of any dire provocation traced back to Pakistan — like a particularly damaging terrorist attack, or the assassination of a top Indian leader. Instead of waiting for the mechanised strike corps to make their long journey to the border, the attack would be launched by 8-10 “integrated battle groups” (IBGs), cobbled together from the large number of tanks and reserve infantry in the defensive corps, already located along the border.
Benefiting from surprise, and with Pakistan’s armoured reserves divided, Cold Start estimates that many of the IBGs would pierce through Pakistan’s forward defences. That would allow the strike corps, as it reaches the border, to stream through those breaches and penetrate towards the large towns and cities in Pakistan’s heartland. This would allow New Delhi to call off the war quickly, in a victorious position.
Western policymakers have been critical of Cold Start, since it alarmed Pakistan into developing TNWs, which are seen as highly insecure and destabilising weapons. Given the Nasr missile’s range of just 60 kilometres, TNWs would per force be physically located with forward commanders, and control over them decentralised early in any conflict.
This “de-centralisation” would render TNWs vulnerable to theft by jihadi groups, or unauthorised use by renegade Pakistani commanders. It is unclear whether Pakistan has fool-proof security protocols for TNWs, like preferential access links (PALs). Nor is it known how early, with a battlefield debacle imminent, would control over nukes be handed over to local commanders — probably at the level of corps commanders — who would be presumably more prone to use the weapons.
