General Rawat believes that women are not ready for combat roles in the army because they could die. And that’s just one of the reasons he listed.

ndian Army chief General Bipin Rawat triggered outrage on Saturday when he listed a string of sexist reasons for keeping women out of combat roles in the army.

In an interview with News18, Rawat claimed that women are not ready for combat roles because army men, who largely come from small villages, would not be willing to accept a female commander. He also claimed that women could die in combat, and Indian families are not yet ready to deal with the sight of women’s bodies returning from war zones. Implying that a woman’s primary responsibility is childcare, Rawat said that the army would not be able to give a woman commanding officer six months of maternity leave. He added that there would be a “ruckus” if women were denied that maternity leave

In a bizarre statement, he also claimed that women in combat roles, surrounded by “100 jawans”, would inevitably complain about men peeping into their tents while they would be changing their clothes. “She will say somebody is peeping, so we will have to give a sheet around her,” he said.

Predictably, social media users reacted with indignation and disgust as they slammed Rawat’s statements.

New Delhi, December 8

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today lauded Lt Gen DS Hooda (retd) for his remarks in Chandigarh yesterday that the 2016 surgical strikes should have been carried out secretly, and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for drawing “political capital” from the issue.

“Spoken like a true soldier General. India is so proud of you. Mr 36 (sic) has absolutely no shame in using our military as a personal asset. He used the surgical strikes for political capital and the Rafale deal to increase Anil Ambani’s real capital by 30,000 Cr #SurgicalStrike,” Gandhi said on Twitter.

Later in the day, former minister P Chidambaram also spoke with “pride” of people of eminence shedding their fear and speaking their mind. “Glad to see important persons shedding their fear and breaking their silence. First it was Dr Arvind Subramanian who called demonetisation a massive monetary shock. Next it was outgoing CEC who said note ban had no impact on the use of black money in elections. Now, it is General Hooda who has decried the hype over the so-called ‘surgical strike’ and its politicisation by government,” he tweeted. — TNS

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.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 28

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said India was facing Pakistan-sponsored hybrid war since 1947 and advised against lowering guard in wake of recent overtures like opening of the Kartarpur Gurdwara corridor.

“In tackling hybrid warfare we have two options — one is to engage in hybrid warfare as a nation or be defensive. Pakistan is an example of what happens. There is no good or bad terrorist. The use of such elements will eventually cost the country itself. Creating unrest in other countries is not something that we do,” he said.

Gen Rawat said a coordinated approach and response was being given. Pakistan has used regular and irregular (terrorists) forces for hybrid warfare in J&K. Pakistan’s modus operandi for long time has been to send terrorists supported by regular forces, he said.

He described hybrid warfare as a well-sequenced warfare focusing on population and infrastructure. “As a nation, we have never been expansionist. We want to be peaceful with our neighbours,” he said at the annual YB Chavan Memorial lecture on “Addressing the Challenges of Hybrid Conflict in the 21st Century” at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

Chavan was the Defence Minister from November 21, 1962, to November 13, 1966.

General Rawat said the tolerance level of Kashmir had decreased and the Kashmir youth were being misguided.

Islamabad, November 23

Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu would visit the country to attend the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor, according to a media report on Friday.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will do the ground-breaking ceremony of the facilities at the crossing on the Pakistan side on November 28.  Chaudhry confirmed that the former Indian cricketer would visit the country. This will be Sidhu’s second visit to Pakistan this year.

Sidhu told Roznama Express that he has gladly accepted the invitation, sent by Khan for the November 28 event. He said the Pakistani premier was his friend and he would visit the country whenever he was invited by him.  “I don’t have words to express my joy,” he said.

A long-pending demand of the Sikh community to build a religious corridor linking India’s border district of Gurdaspur with a historic gurudwara in Pakistan may finally be fulfilled with the two countries announcing that stretches would be developed in their respective areas. — PTIWrites to Sushma

Chandigarh: Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has written to Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, saying, “I wish that the Government of India writes formally to Pakistan on visa and other related issues for easy travel of pilgrims once the corridor (Kartarpur) is complete.” TNS

Sidhu writes to Swaraj: ‘Take up visa issue with Pak’

Kapil Dev showcases his book on gurdwaras

Tribune News Service
Sultanpur Lodhi, November 23

Cricketer Kapil Dev, while attending the state government event to mark Parkash Utsav of Guru Nanak here today, presented his book on Sikhism to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, former PMDr Manmohan Singh and Governor VP Badnore.

Bound in bright red, the book bears a gold inscription marking the title “We the Sikhs around the world”.

The book has been authored by Dev with the help of a Dubai-based friend. It is regarding 100 gurdwaras across the world. It bears photographs and text about these gurdwaras and is based on a concept envisioned by the cricketer himself.

He added, “When you travel across the world and meet people, you realise the importance of Sikhism and the huge impact it has. People have worked so hard to preserve this legacy. So with the help of a friend from Dubai, I began this project to talk about gurdwaras across the world that are doing great work.

he gunfight raged in Setkipora Bijbehara.

Majid Jahangir
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, November 23

Six militants were killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday morning, police said.

The gunfight raged in Setkipora Bijbehara when security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area after an input about the militants’ presence around midnight.

“As the CASO was under way the militants hiding inside the area fired indiscriminately at the forces triggering a gunfight. In the gunfight six militants were killed,” a police officer said.

One of the militants was identified as Azad Malik of the LeT. He was an accused in the Shujaat Bukhari killing case. All other five slain militants are locals and have been identified as Unais Shafi, Shahid Bashir, Basit Istiyaq, Aqib Najar and Firdous Najar.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 13

Almost two decades after a colonel was dismissed by a Summary General Court Martial (SGCM) on corruption charge, he has been granted compassionate allowance with the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) observing that orders passed by the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare (DESW) to deny him the allowance were without jurisdiction and possibly done with malicious intent.

The petitioner was dismissed from service in February 1999 for criminal breach of trust in respect to government property, intent to defraud and committing an act prejudicial to good order and military discipline.

After two petitions to Army Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence seeking grant of pensionary benefits in 2001 remained unanswered, another petition submitted to the Chief of Army Staff was rejected in 2013 on the grounds that since the charges against him were serious and involved moral turpitude, the order of punishment could not be interfered with.

Thereafter, he made various representations for compassionate allowance, but without success. In 2016, he was informed that his petition sent to the Army HQ in 2015 was examined by the competent authority in the MoD and the same has not been accepted. In 2016, he was able to obtain copies of office notings that shed fresh light on the case and after his renewed demands were rejected, he approached the AFT.

The AFT’s Chandigarh Bench comprising Justice MA Chauhan and Vice Admiral AG Thapliyal observed that following advice from the Judge Advocate General, the Adjutant General at the Army HQ, the only competent authority to take a decision on such matters, had approved grant of 50 per cent pensionary benefits. “The consultant had no jurisdiction and authority to undo what was down by the Adjutant General.”

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 31

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to submit in a sealed cover in 10 days strategic, confidential and pricing details of 36 Rafale fighter jets being purchased from France, even as Attorney General KK Venugopal opposed it.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, however, said details  considered “strategic and confidential” be placed before the court (only) and might not be shared with the petitioners’ advocates. “The court would also like to be apprised of the details with regard to the pricing/cost, particularly the advantage thereof, if any, which again will be submitted in a sealed cover,” it said. Details that could legitimately come in the public domain with regard to induction of the Indian offset partner, if any, be also furnished to the petitioners, it said.

The Bench — which also included Justices UU Lalit and KM Joseph — said details, including the steps in the decision-making process for the procurement of jets, which could “legitimately” be brought into public domain be made available to the petitioners. The SC’s latest direction is a departure from its earlier order on October 10 when it had asked the Centre to present before it only the details of steps taken in the decision-making process leading to the award of the order for purchase of Rafale jet from France. It had then said the details sought “would not cover the issue of pricing or the question of technical suitability of the equipment for purposes of the requirement of the IAF”.  India signed a pact with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the IAF. Rafale is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft made by Dassault Aviation.

The directions came on pleas by advocate Vineet Dandha, advocate ML Sharma and the third one by advocate Prashant Bhushan and former Union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha, who have sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the deal. The SC noted in none of the PILs, the “suitability” of jets and its “utility” to the IAF had been questioned.

Departure from stand

• SC had earlier sought only details of decision-making process leading to deal
• Attorney General opposes it; says details sensitive, not even shared with Parliament
• CJI’s Bench says strategic and confidential details to be shared only with SC
• SC asks Centre to share confidential note given to it with advocates for petitioners
• Details regarding induction of Indian offset partner to be given to petitioners
• Petitioners to respond to the details; hearing on Nov 14