Current Events :
HT Correspondent
KAMALJIT SINGH/HTArmymen at Pandher village after reports of two suspected terrorists hiding in sugarcane fields, in Gurdaspur on Thursday.NEW DELHI: Talks between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan slated for January 15 seemed to be on thin ice as New Delhi on Thursday linked the event with “decisive and prompt” action by Islamabad on the deadly terror attack at the Pathankot airbase.
The foreign ministry stated the position without setting a deadline for Pakistan, even as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif discussed the terrorist strike at a high-level meeting in Islamabad. He was reportedly briefed about the status of a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which is suspected to be behind the attack.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his cabinet colleagues that bilateral talks would not resume until Islamabad took action against the terror group and he had made this clear during a phone call with Sharif. “Action is a must. We are going to be very strict about it,” Modi was learnt to have said at the meeting.
Indian security agencies have identified five key figures from JeM who were involved in the conspiracy and New Delhi wants Islamabad to act against them. The terrorists under the scanner are the group’s chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ashfaq Ahmad, Hafiz Abdul Shakur and Kasim Jan.
Unlike in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case where it remained in constant denial, Pakistan has not rejected India’s assertions about the role of the terror outfit in the Pathankot attack.
“India wants peaceful ties with all neighbours, including Pakistan but will not countenance cross-border terrorism. Actionable intelligence was given to Pakistan. Ball is in Pakistan’s court now,” ministry of external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters on Thursday.
He, however, parried questions about the possibility of the talks being cancelled, maintaining that India was not fixing any deadline for Pakistan to respond, nor was it “foreshadowing” the talks.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who assured us a prompt response… India now awaits a prompt and decisive action,” said Swarup. “Eight days remain for the foreign secretary-level talks between the countries; let’s see what happens in the days before January 15.”The meeting Sharif chaired in Islamabad was attended by his national security adviser, Naseer Khan Janjua, foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry and foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz.
Janjua, according to sources, briefed them about his discussions with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval.A brief statement issued after the meeting by Sharif’s office only said “issues pertaining to national and regional security were discussed” but did not give details.
Pakistan has condemned the Pathankot attack and said it wants to build on the goodwill created by a December 25 meeting between Modi and Sharif when Indian PM called up his Pakistani counterpart from Kabul and took an impromptu decision to fly down to Lahore on the latter’s invitation.
GURDASPUR: Security personnel, including an Israel-trained SWAT team, spilled into the fields and byways of Punjab’s Pandher village on Thursday to flush out two suspected terrorists, with the authorities fearing an attack on a key military facility days after a terror siege at the nearby Pathankot airbase.
Sources confirmed that government forces were prepared for an offensive a day after locals reported seeing two men in military fatigues acting suspiciously near the army cantonment in Gurdaspur district. When confronted, the men took cover in a sugarcane field, witnesses said.
Punjab Police deputy inspector general (border range) Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh said: “We are not taking any chances. Aerial surveillance and troop movement is on.” “A drone helped locate their location and by Thursday afternoon, the army and police teams took position,” a police source said.
Soldiers concealed themselves on rooftops, behind trees and at a brick kiln as armoured vehicles rolled into the village in the afternoon. A helicopter had conducted surveillance sorties earlier in the day. By night, the sugarcane field spread over 30 acres was lit up by searchlights.
Pandher village is nearly 20km off the India-Pakistan border and about a stone’s throw from the Tibri military cantonment. The facility is not far from the Pathankot air force station that saw a four-day long counterterror operation in which six terrorists were killed.
Govt betrays nervousness in Pathankot bulletins
Patriotism was the emotion of the moment as our soldiers battled foreign intruders on the premises of a premium defence establishment in Pathankot over the weekend. The national mood was entirely in keeping with the developments. In hindsight, however, one can discern instances where those at the helm of steering the security operation too seemed to get carried away by the need to respond to the heightened emotions. Both the government and the media did well to give out as few operational details as possible; a lesson from Mumbai, perhaps. But the government made a few attempts to sound as if they were on top of the situation when in reality the various agencies were themselves perhaps not sure of what was happening.Because of the very nature of such operations, clarity on the exact ground situation cannot be expected till all is over. Union ministers in their tweets and senior officers of the security establishment (a few in bullet-proof jackets at a press briefing) made statements that later proved premature. All of this unnecessary confusion caused by ham-handed communication made the security forces seem inept, when that may not have been the case. The electronic media was equally caught up in the patriotic fervour, repeatedly broadcasting long clips of mourning of bereaved families of soldiers. All of this affects the national mood, which is quickly reflected in social media. And the present government is acutely sensitive to what goes on in the virtual world.The Defence Minister has referred to certain “gaps” in the security response to the attack. The government now needs to show confidence in being able to acknowledge wherever the lapses were so that appropriate remedy may be applied. The NDA government has the advantage of nationalistic credentials and the security of numbers in Parliament. That should give it the confidence to remain silent when there is nothing to be said and only give facts when it does speak. The media management of the government has been shown lacking once again. Hope the decisions it takes are not in response to the gallery.
IAF BASE ATTACKED
Vijay Mohan,Tribune News Service,Pathankot, January 6
While the rationale of employing the National Security Guard (NSG) on a military installation to deal with a terrorist attack is a topic of intense debate in the security circles, the first-ever joint operation could possibly see the armed forces and the NSG working together in the future.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said during his visit to the Pathankot air base that he has asked the Army and the NSG to conduct regular training together. Joint training, according to an officer, translates into joint operations being undertaken further down the road.The armed forces, all branches of which have their own Special Forces to undertake extraordinary missions, function under the purview of the Ministry of Defence, while the NSG comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.While the Army and to some extent the Navy’s Marine Commando Force have been undertaking anti-terrorist operations, they have never jointly engaged the same adversary. The last time the armed forces and the NSG operated simultaneously was during the terror strike in Mumbai in 2008, but they were deployed at different sites.Parrikar had claimed that the NSG was deployed at Pathankot because it was “better trained” to deal with terrorist situations, a remark that has not gone down well in the Army fraternity, considering that the Army has been involved in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations for decades and its Special Forces and well trained and highly experienced in this arena.The NSG has two functional groups: the Special Action Group (SAG) and the Special Operations Group (SOG).‘Terror activities up in BJP rule’Raising these questions, ex-Home Minister and senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde alleged that terror activities escalated whenever there was a BJP government at the Centre.
Giving the government 15 days to begin discussions with them to resolve the impasse on the issue of One Rank One Pension (OROP), ex-servicemen on Sunday announced that they would boycott the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 unless OROP is implemented in its rightful form.
“We will give the government 15 days to begin discussions and a notice period of another seven days beyond that. After that we will take the protest to the people. We will boycott the Republic Day celebrations and we will also request the ex-servicemen contingent that marches on Rajpath on January 26 to boycott the parade, Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh (retd), Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) said at a rally in Delhi.
Early this month, the ex-servicemen had announced that the government has agreed to appoint V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs to mediate between the government and veterans. However, Maj. Gen. Singh said that the government failed to adhere to that and demanded immediate action.
Maj. Gen. Singh said that the veterans would not vote for the BJP or its allies till OROP is implemented in its rightful form. “We voted for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections because of their assurance on OROP. But they have failed to honour it,” he told The Hindu.
Col. Anil Kaul (retd), media advisor, IESM, said that the notification issued by the government on November 7 is flawed and deviates from the accepted definition of OROP.
Veterans have listed seven points of deviation in the notification. The major issues of disagreement are the issue of pre-mature retirement (PMR) and pension equalisation. The notification stated that “those opting for PMR henceforth on their own accord will not be eligible for OROP”, which caused major concern among the serving community. On the equalisation, veterans have been demanding it annually as against five years proposed by the government in the spirit of the definition of OROP.
NEW DELHI: A delegation of ex-servicemen from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region on Sunday met finance minister Arun Jaitley and submitted a memorandum seeking corrections in the One Rank One Pension (OROP) notification.
PTI PHOTOEx-servicemen during a protest outside finance minister Arun Jaitley’s residence in New Delhi on Sunday.Their protest on the issue entered 203rd day on Sunday.“A five-member delegation met the finance minister and told him that the actual OROP has not been granted. The notification has serious flaws and we requested him to rectify them and grant the actual OROP,” Gen Satbir Singh (retd) said.“The minister has assured us that he will speak to the defence minister about our demands,” he said. About 100 ex-servicemen also protested outside Jaitley’s residence and then moved to Jantar Mantar.“For last six months, ex-servicemen are protesting at Jantar Mantar demanding OROP which has been passed by both Houses of Parliament. But the government has been neglecting our demands time and again. It is our request to give us the real OROP,” Arif Ali Khan, one of the protesters, said.Lieutenant Kameshwar Pandey (retd) said, “We feel cheated as this is not the real OROP. A proper parliamentary procedure must be followed to make any amendments. We just want the government to refrain from such manipulations.”
Simran SodhiTribune News Service,New Delhi, December 12
India and Japan today signed an agreement on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, bringing to end years of tough negotiations between the two countries. The agreement was signed during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India. Another hallmark agreement signed between the two countries is building of the first bullet train network between Mumbai and Ahmedabad at a cost of about Rs 98,000 crore.The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on nuclear energy was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abe. “No friend will matter more in realising India’s economic dreams than Japan. We have made enormous progress in economic cooperation as also in our regional partnership and security cooperation,” said Modi after signing the deal.Abe in return said his country’s public and private sector would act in unison to support the growth of India. It is also learnt that during the one-hour summit meeting between the two Prime Ministers, Abe said he was pleased that the two countries had an agreement and that it ‘wouldn’t have been accomplished by other Prime Ministers. No other leaders could have done it”.While the MoU on nuclear deal brings an end to the negotiations between India and Japan, the process is yet to be completed. Yasuhisa Kawamura, Press Secretary accompanying Abe, at a media briefing explained that the final document will have to “withstand the scrutiny of the Diet (parliament)” before Japan can go ahead with the implementation side of the deal. In other words, the MoU today lays the groundwork for the final agreement which will be signed after technical details have been sorted out.Kawamura also said if India was to go in for another nuclear test, “It will be quite natural for Japan to review the cooperation”. But he added Japan did not see that happening. The joint statement issued at the end of the summit states: “The two Prime Ministers welcomed the agreement reached between the two governments on the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India for cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and confirmed that this agreement will be signed after the technical details are finalised, including those related to the necessary internal procedures.”Another significant announcement was in the area of defence that Japan would now be a regular partner in the India-US Malabar exercises.
ALONG THE INDIA-CHINA BORDER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH: “You will be out for the next five days,” the Indian Army Major said in a matter of fact tone. The group of 12 men he was addressing sat on a Mountain ridge. It had been snowing since morning. The brown rocky sliver of land was slowly turning white. “Your job will be maintain the sanctity of the Line of Actual Control, watch out for movement of Chinese troops, take note of their new locations and report back,” was his brief.
No matter how bad the weather is, long-range Foot Patrols of the Indian Army are regular along the nearly 900 km McMohan line – drawn by the then British Foreign Secretary Henry McMohan in 1914 to demarcate the border – that is now the de-facto border between Indian and China. There are several areas along the line claimed by both, often leading to face-offs and transgressions.
On mountain peaks over 14000 feet high, a literal cat and mouse game plays out every day. “We have to ensure that the Chinese not only know we present but that we constantly watch them,” a senior military commander told NDTV.
In the past, China has claimed not only Tawang but the entire Arunachal Pradesh. Therefore, as a counter, India tries to dominate every ridge and mountain pass through foot patrols and border posts. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army instead is positioned deep inside Chinese territory.
“Our aim is to meet Chinese patrols whenever they cross what we consider our territory. This gives a clear message that we are serious about our claims,” the commander said.
On average, every foot patrol covers over at least 25 km of mountainous territory often climbing over several peaks. For the past few years, Indian soldiers are also being trained to speak Chinese dialects. “It is easier to tell them that they have crossed over to our territory,” an official said.
India and China signed the Border Defence Cooperation (BDCA) in 2013 – an agreement to reduce misunderstandings and improve communications between the two nuclear-armed states along their disputed border. Both sides now meet regularly. “The agreement has helped us solve local issues,” Brigadier Kushwaha adds.
Back in Tezpur, the 4 Corps Headquarters – which protects Tawang and the western Arunachal Pradesh – the assessment is that as India bridges the infrastructure, military and economic gap – the Chinese will become more aggressive.
LONE WINNER OF MVC AND VICTORIA CROSS, DAUGHTER REGRETS FORGOTTEN MEMORIALS
MANSA: Remembering Mansa’s naib subedar Nand Singh — lone winner of the twin bravery awards of Victoria Cross and Maha Vir Chakra — on the eve of 68 years of his martyrdom, his daughter, Amarjeet Kaur (68), regrets that the state government has forgotten his family and village.
She is the only child of the naib subedar. His wife, Joginder Kaur, passed away in 2001. In 1944, as jemadar in the British Indian army, Nand Singh of Bahadurpur village near Bareta received its highest military honour — Victoria Cross — for showing bravery against the Japanese forces on the Arakan front in Burma during World WarII. On December 12, 1947, he laid down his life fighting Pakistani intruders in Jammu and Kashmir.
“After my father died, my uncles from Bareta forced my mother to move to Sangrur. I was born in the same year. They then forced us to shift to Patiala, where I received my education and got married. They grabbed the 60 acres given to my father for his bravery, and no one even from the defence services came to our help,” said the martyr’s daughter, who now stays in SAS Nagar, and whom HT contacted after a commemoration event on Friday.
The state government has named a polytechnic, a bus stand, and even a street after the martyr but not looked after any. District defence services welfare director brigadier Jatinder Singh Arora on Friday attended a programme at Nand Singh’s village but no one from the district administration was present. Asked to explain, deputy commissioner Isha Kalia said: “I am not aware of any such event.”
The villager of the Bahadurpur are surprised that the state government did not care to send a representative to the commemoration event organised a year before the assembly elections. “The last commemoration was in 2011,” said Baldev Sharma of Bareta.
A CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE IS A DECK WITH ONE OR TWO PYLONS ERECTED ABOVE THE PIERS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SPAN. CABLES ARE ATTACHED DIAGONALLY TO THE GIRDER FOR SUPPORT
BASOHLI: North India’s first cablestayed bridge — the fourth of its kind in the country — that will provide connectivity to three states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab was on Thursday thrown open to traffic.
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated the bridge named ‘Atal Setu’ on the Ravi at Basholi, situated on the DuneraBasohli-Bhadharwah road in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district and dedicated it to the nation. Union minister of state in Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh and army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag were also present.
Described as an engineering marvel in this part of the country, the Basohli bridge is the fourth of its kind in India. The other three cable-stayed bridges are — Hooghly bridge at Kolkata, Naini bridge in Allahabad and Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link in Mumbai, officials said. The bridge is strategically important from the defence point of view as well.
With the bridge thrown open, connectivity and tourism among the three states are expected to improve. The work on the maiden cable-stayed bridge in the state started in September 2011 on the demand of people of Basohli where over 22 villages were submerged in water and evacuated to other places after the construction of Ranjit Sagar dam.
The 592-metre span bridge was constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a cost of `145 crore. It is a joint venture of Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and SP Singla Construction group.
Out of the 592-metre span bridge, 350 metres is cable-stayed while rest is plain bridge. “A typical cable-stayed bridge is a deck with one or two pylons erected above the piers in the middle of the span,” officials said, adding, “The cables are attached diagonally to the girder to provide additional supports.” “The pylons form the primary load-bearing structure in these types of bridges. Large amounts of compression forces are transferred from the deck to the cables to the pylons and into the foundation,” they said.
The officials said these bridges have a low centre of gravity which makes them efficient in resisting earthquakes.
“Cable-stayed bridges provide outstanding architectural appearance due to their small diameter cables and unique overhead structure,” they added. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi set into motion the bridge’s construction by laying the foundation in May 2011.
Sushma meets Sharif, Aziz; Islamabad assures of speeding up probe into Mumbai attacks
Afzal Khan & Simran Sodhi
Tribune News Service
Islamabad/New Delhi, Dec 9
Ending months of deadlock, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today in Islamabad announced the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan that will include peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and Siachen.
In a joint statement issued after Swaraj met Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Pakistan PM on Foreign Affairs, both sides condemned terrorism and resolved to cooperate for eliminating it.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Swaraj announced that the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries would meet and discuss the modalities to hold the comprehensive bilateral dialogue. “India and Pakistan have decided to restart the composite dialogue. It will now be called comprehensive bilateral dialogue. It will include all issues from composite dialogue and much more,” she said.
The two leaders noted the successful talks on terrorism and security-related issues in Bangkok by the two NSAs and decided that the NSAs would continue to address all issues related to terrorism. Pakistan has assured India of “steps to expedite the early conclusion” of the Mumbai attack trial, something that India has been pressing for long.
Both sides decided to ask the Foreign Secretaries to work out the modalities and schedule of the meetings under the dialogue, including peace and security, confidence-building measures, Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project, economic and commercial cooperation, counter-terrorism, narcotics control, humanitarian issues, people-to-people exchanges and religious tourism.
Earlier today, Swaraj called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Their hour-long meeting centred on improving bilateral ties and removing the irritants that have dogged the relation. Officials at the Pakistan PM’s house described the meeting as cordial and constructive.
Swaraj was received by Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz on her arrival at the PM’s residence. Greeting the External Affairs Minister with a smile, Sharif thanked her for coming to Pakistan.
