BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav had posted a video on social media alleging poor quality of food.

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, January 17

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Union Home Ministry and security forces seeking their response to a PIL alleging insufficient and bad quality of food being provided to jawans.A Bench comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal asked the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seem Bal and Assam Rifles to file status reports on the food quality.The petition has been filed by former central government employee Puran Chand Arya, citing a Facebook post by BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav on alleged poor working condition, including bad and inadequate food.The BSF, however, told the Bench that it had already verified and found that there was no substance in Yadav’s allegations. Nevertheless, a further probe was on.The petitioner has pleaded that action is needed on the issue to keep the morale of the security forces high. Clarity should be brought on ration-procurement and food preparation, he said.

NEW DELHI: Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said it was for women to take a call on serving alongside male soldiers in tough conditions and be a part of close combat roles.

Rawat said equal opportunities bring equal responsibilities to stress that women would have to operate in the same challenging conditions as men. He said a tank crew sleeps under the tank during the night and there are no separate toilets or accommodation.

He said soldiers are also required to go on long patrols that can sometimes stretch up to 35 days.

“Now at night, when you halt, all that happens is a blue sheet is pulled out and everybody sleeps on it together…If women are willing to move out in that environment, they need to take a call. Once they are willing to take this call, we will address this issue,” he added.

For the political and military leadership in India and Pakistan without the experience of a full-scale war like 1971, it’s a paradigm shift. There is an urgent need to counter the jingoism and rabid religious undercurrents that are stoking conflict. What is required is political maturity and not grandstanding.

COST OF CONFLICT: The Kargil war was confined to a specific theatre, while the 1971 India-Pakistan war was the last full-scale war. Both sides must prevent escalation of hostilities.

POLITICALLY and militarily, the India-Pakistan leadership across both the sides of the Line of Control is bereft of the experience and imperatives of a conventional “full-scale” war. The Indian Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat was commissioned in December 1978, whereas, the Pakistani army chief, General Qamar Bajwa was commissioned much later in October 1980. Though both the Generals are highly experienced in insurgencies and border management, however generationally, they are both from the post-1971 era. The 1971 war was the last “full-scale” war in the region. Interestingly, neither of them was directly involved in the Kargil war, either (although, unlike a “full-scale” war, the Kargil war was confined to a specific theatre).Politically, the current leadership in both Delhi and Islamabad had not yet debuted in the electoral sense as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was still only a pracharak for the RSS around 1971 and the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was gainfully employed in pushing his commercial interests veering around his family steel business. The former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the then national president of the erstwhile Jana Sangh in 1971 and the former Pakistani President Pervez Musharaf, as a company commander of a SSG commando unit, can claim to be the last active participants in their relevant domains during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was still a Professor of international trade in 1971. The tonality and texture of this pre-1971 political leadership carried the exact opposite instincts on both sides of the LoC. The Indian leadership carried the magnanimity and maturity of a victor, from the Agra initiative of a Vajpayee to the pacifist “Gujral Doctrine” of Inder Kumar Gujral. The festering wounds of 1971 humiliation ensured a bitter revenge-seeking and “score-settling” vengeance in Islamabad — from Zia-ul-Haq’s hawkish designs to Pervez Musharraf’s infamy as the architect of the ill-conceived Kargil misadventure. So earlier, the set pieces of national aspirations and governance toed a consistent line of known differences.Even though “war experience” is no guarantee of either prudent politics or soldering — history shows that a nation (and especially institutions like the military) that undergo the “recency” of war are more versed with the implications and are more adept at nuancing their policies, requirements and conduct. India and Pakistan first bloodied their wares in the immediate aftermath of their birth in 1947-48 in Kashmir, though the 15 months of battling was restricted to the Jammu and Kashmir theatre only. Post that, a relative lull and laze on the borders and an accompanying socio-economic frenzy overtook the Indian narrative towards more lofty and international statesmanship of Nehru and the collateral sidelining of the Indian Army. This period from the 1948 to the rude wake-up call in 1962 was arguably the era of the golden “cantonment soldering” — the Army messes regaled with gimlet-soaked drawls and war heroics of senior leadership who were done with their bit of serious soldering in World War II and the 1947-48 conflict. In parallel, the institution of the armed forces was unknowingly getting corroded with political interference, indifference and insufficient wherewithal. The Indian armed forces were voiceless in the corridors of power and the politico-bureaucracy combine was propounding utopian concepts like “Hindi-Cheeni-Bhai-Bhai” or conversely, the equally half-baked “forward policy”. The governmental arms like the Intelligence Bureau, diplomats of the foreign services, military top brass and the political establishment were operating in silos with inadequate interlinkages. Not surprisingly, India was to pay the price for the disintegrated and muddled structure of the Indian security framework in the Sino-India war of 1962. Excerpts from the officially unreleased, (though with the limited access of the leaked pages) “Henderson Brooks-Bhagat” report, point to the guilty men of the 1962 fiasco — from the irascible Defence Minister VK Menon, Director Intelligence Bureau BM Mullick (for sleeping through Chinese preparedness), Foreign Secretary MJ Desai (for underestimating the Chinese reaction towards ‘Forward Policy’) and certain Army officers like Lt Gen BM Kaul (a political favourite) for operational lapses and over-commitments. An entire governmental machinery of the political-diplomatic-intelligence-military combine, was suddenly baptised into the uncomfortable reality and inevitability of a “full-scale” war that shook the foundations of the nation with dismay.The hurtful experience of 1962 was to be a perverse blessing in disguise in the 1965 war. Now, the political establishment and the military were speaking in unison with the Indian armed forces and reacting in a manner that showed that the necessary amends and soldering imperatives were taken note of, in the preceding three years. The 1971 war was a glorious chapter for the Indian armed forces that reflected the battle-hardened experience and assertive military leadership across all levels of command. It did not happen accidentally. It took a visionary war veteran in the Indian COAS, Gen Manekshaw (later Field Marshal) to plan the entirety of the war in the minutest details, by considering various angularities, spade-work and scenarios. He did not fall for the political temptation and public pressures of the restive opinions to launch into a premature battle — he stood up and put forth the unambiguous requirements of the armed forces that were acceded to by the astute Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Wars are serious business that necessitates decision-making that is devoid of any electoral considerations, public passions and in today’s day and age, meeting the expectations of the “newsroom warriors,” who bay for immediate blood.Anything from a failed “surgical strike”, Baluchistan, to the take-over of Pakistani nuclear facilities by rogue elements can inflame the tinderbox of the region towards a full-scale war. This could potentially entail the launch of all elements of the war machinery, including all the three defence services. Besides the unavoidable geopolitical churning in the region, jingoistic passions and rabid religious undercurrents are stoking the fire. What is needed is the political maturity and not impulsiveness owing to political considerations. It requires detailed military preparations and not the tendency to toe the line blindly. Most importantly, we need a genuinely empowered security framework to plan for various contingencies that go way beyond the familiar and more recent considerations in “limited” wars like Kargil or the ongoing insurgencies.The writer is a former Lt Governor of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

General Bipin Rawat takes charge as the Chief of the Indian Army. ANI

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 31

Even as General Bipin Rawat took over as the Chief of the Indian Army, the Eastern Army commander, Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi on Saturday put to rest all speculation about his resignation and has said that he will continue to lead the eastern command with “full professional sincerity”.It was expected that Lt Gen Bakshi would quit as he was superseded and his junior General Rawat was appointed the chief.Addressing all ranks of the command through video-conferencing from his office at Fort William Kolkata, Lt Gen Bakshi said:  “I convey my best wishes and full support of Eastern Command to Gen Bipin Rawat on having taken over as the Chief of Army Staff.”Lt Gen Bakshi requested that speculations and trolling in media and social media should stop and everyone should focus on contributing their best to the betterment of the Army and the nation, Eastern Command spokesperson Wing Commander SS Birdi said.On Saturday, the new IAF chief Air Chief Marshall BS Dhanoa also assumed command. He is a fighter pilot and led a formation during the 1999 Kargil conflict.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. File photo

New York, December 25

Pakistan’s defense minister threatened Israel that his country could use nuclear weapons after a fake news report that his Israeli counterpart had threatened “nuclear retaliation” for Islamabad’s role in Syria against Islamic State, highlighting the serious problem proliferation of fake news poses.

A report in the New York Times said a fake news story prompted Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif to threaten to go nuclear.

In a post on Twitter, Asif lashed at Israel after a false report — which the minister apparently believed — that Israel had threatened Pakistan with nuclear weapons.

“Israeli def min threatens nuclear retaliation presuming pak role in Syria against Daesh,” the minister wrote on his official Twitter account, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. “Israel forgets Pakistan is a Nuclear state too.”

The NYT report said Asif appeared to be reacting to the fake news article published on awdnews.com, which was titled ‘Israeli Defense Minister: If Pakistan send ground troops to Syria on any pretext, we will destroy this country with a nuclear attack’.

The article had appeared on the website on December 20, alongside articles with headlines like ‘Clinton is staging a military coup against Trump’.

The fake story about Israel even misidentified the country’s defence minister, attributing quotations to a former minister, Moshe Yaalon. Israel’s current minister of defence is Avigdor Lieberman.

The Israeli Defence Ministry responded on Twitter to say the report was fictitious.

“The statement attributed to fmr Def Min Yaalon re Pakistan was never said,” the ministry wrote in Twitter post directed at Asif.

The Israeli ministry added in a second post: “Reports referred to by the Pakistani Def Min are entirely false”.

The NYT report added that the proliferation of fake news stories, spread on social networks and produced by a variety of sources including pranksters, foreign governments and enterprising individuals who hope to receive advertising revenue by driving traffic to their websites, has become an increasingly serious problem.

A North Carolina man was arrested this month after firing a gun at a Washington pizza parlor, because investigators said he was investigating claims in fake news articles that the pizzeria was at the center of a child sex slave ring linked to Hillary Clinton. — PTI

Keep politics out of Army Chief’s appointment

ARM IN ARM : Institutions like the Army are far too important to be fiddled with.

FOR the uninitiated, langar gups are rumours in the Army that emanate from messes, where uniformed persons gather and discuss issues pertaining to the military in general and the Army in particular. Although langar refers to jawans’ messes, the term generally refers to discussions where officers and jawans congregate and ‘shoot the breeze’!For over a month, when the appointment of the new Army Chief was not announced, speculations evolved into langar gups, with all kinds of permutations and combinations emerging. Many claimed inside knowledge about who will be the next Chief and the rank and file, besides being perturbed as to why the announcement was not forthcoming, rightly smelt that the powers that be were up to some hanky-panky! The startling news about the appointment of the next Chief confirmed it.Generally, appointments of new incumbents at the higher levels of the armed forces are announced two-three months in advance. This is because unlike hierarchies of the police, bureaucracy and others, the armed forces, being the custodians of the nation’s security, are much more important appointments and need to be announced much before time. If this is not done, not only the contenders remain on tenterhooks, but also wrong signals are sent across the board that ‘all is not well’. In the last few months unfortunately, even the Headquarters Command remained headless over months and hence it was clear to the discerning that the politico-bureaucratic combine was up to something. The announcements of the new Army and Air Chiefs at such a late stage have confirmed such misgivings.In countries like Pakistan, where elected representatives are mortally scared of the powerful army that can manoeuvre a military takeover in a jiffy, it is standard for the elected elite to weigh all consequences till nearly the last date, but in democracies such things do not, and must not, happen. Therefore, the only conclusion is that the leaders and their advisers are up to no good. Announcing that Lt Gen Bipin Rawat will be the next Chief, superceding two Generals senior to him, smacks of arrogance and stupidity on the part of the government. Lame excuses of operational experience or lack of it does not cut ice with veterans like me who are experienced and are au fait with the tricks of governments. Officers are posted to appointments in accordance with well laid out systems based on their profiles, and no one opts for so-called operational appointments or otherwise. It is all the luck of the draw and when officers become Army Commanders, they all are professionally the best, otherwise they would not have reached such exalted heights. In my view, it is more important to have a full tenure as an Army Commander and not a truncated one of a few months to command the third largest Army in the world. Commanding at various levels up the chain adds to one’s experience as a professional, but it will be naïve to place experience of commanding an Army lower than commanding units and formations at subordinate levels, whether in counterinsurgency operations, on the borders, or elsewhere.It is, no doubt, the prerogative of the government of the day to appoint whoever they consider meets their criteria, but governments usually think many times before grossly interfering with what has generally been happening in the past. Trotting out excuses, justifying their actions and scotching perceptions with lame excuses, tend to reinforce that there was some skullduggery indeed. Yes, even in the past there have been a few instances where the seniority principle was sacrificed, but they were quite unconvincing. The easing out of General Thorat by the then combine of the Prime Minster and the Defence Minister and appointing General Thapar instead, was a case of sacrificing merit and professionalism at the altar of sycophancy that resulted in the biggest debacle for our country in 1962. The excuses now trotted out were uttered earlier too, when the highly professional and greatly admired the late Gen SK Sinha was passed over, ostensibly for lack of operational experience, when the actual reason was that he was opposed to military action against Punjab militants; what followed is well known. In keeping with the credo of an officer and a gentleman, he resigned. Later, the same General (with less operational experience, as the government had averred) was appointed Governor in two insurgency-infested states, which he managed with aplomb! Even earlier, the highly professional, highly decorated and a soldier’s General — PS Bhagat — was denied his rightful appointment based on whims and ulterior motives by another PM. In each of these cases, the political leadership succumbed to manipulators, mostly bureaucrats, sycophants and parochial advisers.At this stage, I need to narrate a discussion held on the sidelines of a seminar at the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad, many years back. Military intellectuals Gen Raghavan and Air Vice Marshal Kak and I discussed the pros and cons of selecting a service chief on the basis of seniority, as was the norm, vis-à-vis an open-ended selection. We came to the conclusion that there were more negatives in the latter, as chances of selection based on political, sycophantic and non-professional reasons may become predominant in due course, with professional and character qualities being sacrificed on account of extraneous issues. With such precedence, even appointments of the Army and Corps Commanders may meet such a fate later. I have no quarrel with the Chief-designate, as I hardly know him, but it is the principle that is of utmost importance. Institutions like the Army are far too important to be fiddled with because of political or other considerations. We are fortunate that we have an apolitical and a competent Army, which will continue to conduct itself with élan and pride irrespective of who leads it. We have had a gamut of average leaders, along with a few highly superior ones, but the Army has weathered all storms.If the present PM continues with his dictatorial ways, like the first PM of Independent India did, without consulting advisers who would give him unbiased advice, the nation is in big trouble. Rhetorics with modulated utterances may go down well with ignorant masses, but they are no substitute for good governance. It is only Modi bhagats, including the few still in the armed forces with their personal agendas, are quoted by the sarkari propaganda machine and the paid media, while the bulk of the citizenry is not at all convinced.   The moot point remains, the nation and the Army need a Chief who delivers and not one who sways with the wind because he is grateful for small mercies. I hope that the new incumbent will take the Army to greater heights of professionalism and not succumb to blandishments and sweet words.

The writer is a former Vice-Chief of Army Staff

NEW DELHI: Army chief-designate Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat has reached out to the two generals superseded by the government to elevate him to the top position, amid the ongoing political quarrel over the seniority principle being set aside.

Sources in Kolkata-based Eastern Command and Pu ne-based Southern Command confirmed to HT that Rawat spoke on the phone with Lieutenant Generals Praveen Bakshi and PM Hariz seeking their involvement in planning the future of the force.

The conversations took place on Sunday, a day after Rawat was designated as the next army chief. The exact details of the conversations are not known, but the sources said Rawat sought the support of the two generals ahead of slipping into the new role.

Whether Rawat’s gesture will work or not is anybody’s guess.

In promoting Rawat, the claims of Bakshi and Hariz to the top job were ignored. South Block sources said the generals were equally competent but Rawat’s experience in Kashmir and the Northeast tipped the scales in his favour.

The superseded generals could choose to serve, resign move court. In most cases of supersession, officers have chosen to resign rather than serve under a junior.

But the suspense surrounding the government’s plan to create the post of chief of defence staff or permanent chairman of the chiefs of staff committee could influence the decisions of Bakshi and Hariz, who were commissioned in December 1977 and June 1978 respectively. Rawat was commissioned into 5/11 Gorkha Rifles in December 1978.

Rawat was first thrust into the spotlight in 2008 when the Indian brigade led by him saved a key Congolese province from being overrun by rebels.

Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, then the Force Commander of the UN mission in the Congo, wrote in the commendation awarded to Rawat that it was due to his “leadership, courage and experience” that North

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

The government tonight appointed Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the next Chief of Army Staff, superseding two seniormost commanders — Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt Gen PM Hariz.The last time an Army commander was superseded was in 1983 when General AS Vaidya was appointed Army Chief. In protest, his senior Lt Gen SK Sinha had quit. The government tonight also appointed Air Marshal BS Dhanoa, the Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, as the next Chief. Air Marshal Dhanoa is a fighter pilot who commanded a fighter squadron during the Kargil conflict and himself flew night-strike missions in the mountainous terrain.He has served as Senior Air Staff Officer of two operational Commands and commanded the South Western Air Command. Son of a former Punjab Chief Secretary, SS Dhanoa, he is the third officer from the Sikh community to be elevated to the highest rank, the other two being Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh and Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh (1981 to 1984).Lt Gen Rawat and Air Marshal Dhanoa will take over in the afternoon of December 31.continued on page 7

Mohali link of new Air Chief

Chandigarh, December 17

The next Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, has his roots in Mohali. He was born in Gharuan village, adjoining Chandigarh’s satellite township, on September 7, 1957.Air Marshal Dhanoa’s father, Sarayan Singh, was the Punjab Chief Secretary during the 1980s and later served as adviser to the state Governor, while his sister is residing in Chandigarh. His grandfather, Capt Sant Singh, had served with the erstwhile British Indian Army. According to locals, the Air Marshal’s family had a house and some land in the village, but had disposed it of. He had last visited the village in September 2014 to attend a “bhog” ceremony.Gharuan is a village of about 10,000 inhabitants and while residents are by and large unaware about Air Marshal Dhanoa, a few still remember the legacy of Capt Sant Singh. Some of Air Marshal Dhanoa’s relatives still reside there. Air Marshal Dhanoa is an alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College and the National Defence Academy.  — Vijay Mohan

Day of big appointments: Army, intel chiefs named

Oppn parties question why senior army contenders ignored

NEW DELHI: Lt Gen Bipin Rawat was named India’s next army chief on Saturday as the government abandoned a three-decadesold tradition of elevating seniormost officers as military chiefs.

It, however, stuck to the practice in elevating vice chief air marshal BS Dhanoa — a Kargil war veteran who hails from Punjab’s Mohali — as the next head of the Indian Air Force.

The two new chiefs — both 1978 batch officers — will take charge on December 31.

Political parties usually avoid comment on military appointments but the choice of Rawat was immediately criticised by the opposition Congress and CPI(M). Congress spokesman Man is hTew ari questioned why the government ignored others for Rawat, who is now the the force’s vice chief. A vice chief is not necessarily the second seniormost officer. In early 1980s, Lt Gen SK Sinha was overlooked in the appointment of Gen AS Vaidya as the army chief.

In promoting Rawat, the claims of Eastern Army commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, the senior-most general on the day present army chief Dalbir Singh retires, and Southern Army commander Lt Gen PM Hariz, were ignored.

There were early indications that the government might not follow established norms.

The names of new chiefs are conventionally announced 2-3 months before an incumbent retires. But this time the next appointments have come barely a fortnight before the incumbents retire.

Dhanoa, who was awarded the Yudh Seva Medal after Kargil, will be the third Sikh to head the IAF after distinguished military leaders Arjan Singh and Dilbag Singh.Rawat will be the second consecutive chief from the Gorkha Rifles. He will succeed Gen Dalbir Singh who was commissioned into 4/5 Gorkha Rifles. Rawat, a Kashmir and Northeast veteran, survived a chopper accident when he was commander the Dimapurbased Headquarters 3 Corps. He headed the Indian brigade during the UN peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2008.

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 14

With mercury dipping gradually, cardiologists have cautioned the heart patients as winter usually lead to increase in heart problems and heart attacks.Fall in temperature poses a risk for the patients suffering from heart diseases and high blood pressure.Doctors have also advised to avoid morning and evening walks which are considered to be a boon otherwise.City-based cardiologist Kulwinder Singh said, “I suggest that the elderly and heart patients should avoid going out in harsh climatic conditions as it increases the risk of sudden heart attack.”He said the drop in temperature caused arteries to shrink, thus restricting the blood flow and reducing the oxygen supply to heart.“Patients with heart attacks usually increased during winters. People who are suffering from cardio vascular diseases should be conscious about their health during winters,” he said.Cardiologists say that it is important to protect oneself from cold breeze and the elderly, especially those suffering from heart diseases, should take a break from morning and evening walks and medicine should be taken regularly.Another city-based cardiologist, Gautam Sangha said the number of heart patients increased during winters and those suffering from obesity, hypertension and smokers were at a greater risk.“During winters, the heart pumps faster to maintain the body heat and arteries are tightened restricting the blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart. Patients should regularly visit cardiologists blood pressure check-up or any other problems. Too much exercise should be avoided and instead of morning and evening walks, afternoon walk is recommended. A stroll after lunch is best during winters,” said he.Clinical nutritionist Gagan Chhabra said the people should be careful while eating. They should consume less oily food and dry fruit.One could indulge in soups and tea made with cinnamon and ginger to keep oneself warm, rather than indulging in fried foods which resulted in high cholesterol, she said.

Militants fired at an army patrol team at Beewra in Anantnag’s Srigufwara on Wednesday morning, sparking a gun battle. File photo

Srinagar, December 14A top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander was one of two militants killed in separate encounters with security forces in Kashmir’s Anantnag and Baramulla districts on Wednesday.Abu Bakar, a top commander of the militant LeT carrying on his head a bounty of Rs 10 lakh, was killed in counter-insurgency operations in Baramullah’s Sopore. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)In another incident, militants fired at an army patrol team at Beewra in Anantnag’s Srigufwara on Wednesday morning, sparking a gun battle, a policeman said.A suspected militant identified as Basit Ahmad Dar was killed.Dar had recently joined the Hizbul Mujahideen, the policeman said.— PTI/TNS