Bengal CM warns Centre of legal action

Exercise was conducted last year as well, GOC Bengal area (officiating) Maj Gen Sunil Yadav said. PTI file photo

Kolkata, December 2The Indian Army on Friday refuted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegations that troops were deployed at toll plazas without the state government’s knowledge.”This is being done in coordination with local police authorities. The exercise was earlier planned for November 27 and 28. The dates were changed to November 30 to December 2 on a specific request by Kolkata Police due to Bharat Bandh called on November 28,” said GOC Bengal area (officiating) Maj Gen Sunil Yadav. “We deny all charges with all contempt.” Allegations of collection of money by Army personnel are also totally baseless.”

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Maj Gen Yadav said the Indian Army’s Eastern Command had conducted a similar exercise in November 2015 and that two inspectors of the Kolkata Police had surveyed the toll plaza on November 27.Banerjee had called the army deployment “unprecedented and a very serious matter”.”The issues raised by the police were addressed and were telephonically informed to the police,” he said. “It is happening in nine states now across 80 locations… We have our specific targets for data collection. After doing the work for 36 hours our work was done and we had left the toll plaza near Nabanna. The exercise will continue as planned earlier and will end tonight.”(Read: Controversy over army deployment in Bengal echoes in Parliament)A defence spokesperson said on Thursday that the army usually conducted a biennial exercise throughout the country with the aim of getting statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the army in case of an emergency.”There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out according to government orders”, Wing Commander SS Birdi had said.The exercise gave an estimate about the number of vehicles passing through a certain area that could be tapped during operations, he had said. Banerjee, who left the secretariat on Friday evening after staying put for 36 hours in protest, threatened to explore “legal options” if the army was not withdrawn.

We have never seen such arrogance (by Centre). If army is not withdrawn we will explore legal options,” she said.

https://www.facebook.com/ANINEWS.IN/videos/1079210382191724/

Banerjee said she had great respect for the army, but was “sad” at the manner in which they were being used for “political vendetta”. — Agencies

Manmohan Singh releases Congress manifesto for Punjab. —Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 9

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday released the Congress manifesto for Punjab and hailed state unit chief Amarinder Singh as someone whose leadership a financially-strained Punjab needed.Blaming 10 years of Akali-BJP rule for the current economic mess in Punjab, Singh described the state manifesto of Congress as a forward-looking, visionary document that will help put the state back on track.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Releasing the manifesto in the presence of Amarinder Singh, Ambika Soni and AICC Punjab in charge Asha Kumari here, the former prime minister said: “Punjab is a state with potential, but this potential was not utilised in the last 10 years.The people of Punjab need a better tomorrow in terms of agriculture and manufacturing. Captain sahab’s leadership is badly needed by the state. I sincerely believe that under the leadership of Capt Amrinder Singh, we will undo the damage done to Punjab in 10 years. People of the state will have higher per capita income and better infrastructure and agriculture growth. “Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh gave details of the manifesto, which promises to hit at drug cartelswithin four weeks of government installation, ending VIP culture, one job per family, waiver of Rs 67,000 crore farm loans, houses to the homeless and free education for weaker section girls from KG to PhD. Read: Cong manifesto sacred promise to people, vision document: Manpreet

”We took six months to prepare the manifesto. We have gone through villages and reached out to the people. In Punjab we have Rs 5 crore deficit in budget. To tide over all this we have come with programmes for people from every walk of life. Rural debts are Rs 67 000 crore.We will  negotiate with the banks so farmers don’t have to pay, “ Amarinder Singh said.

He referred to Congress ‘ Ghar Ghar main Naukri’ plan to target 90 lakh new voters this time in the age group 18-35 years. The Congress has also promised Rs 2,500 stipend to unemployed youth registered in the state till they get jobs.”We will stop drugs in four weeks’ time, create an industrial pool, offer 33 pc reservation for women in government and contractual jobs, “Amarinder Singh said adding that he will keep all the promises.He also mentioned the creation of Guardians of Governance department in the CMO and ex-servicemen will be overseeing progress of schemes for veterans.Among other sops Congress offered to end 10 year exile in Punjab is free smart phones for students.

Manmohan on demonetisation

“Demonetisation will have an impact on the elections of Punjab. I said in Parliament that it would adversely affect GDP growth. New data shows GDP down from 7.6 per cent to 7.1 per cent. Demonetisation will deeply harm GDP growth,” the former prime minister said.

Highlights:

—No travel for CM in state helicopter

—No state banquet to anyone, except foreign dignitaries

—One job for every household

—Total elimination of political interference in police functioning—Commission of inquiry to find false cases registered against political activist during last 10 years

—Police and political nexuses would be broken

—Free insurance for police

—Third-party audit of expenditure in last three years

—Teachers for teaching only, no other duty

—Free textbooks to all students, books would be available online also

—200 scholarships for bright students to study abroad under the Partap Kairon scholarship scheme

—Electricity tariff for industry pegged at Rs 5 for five years                    —Freight subsidy for industrial products

—No advance tax, no imprisonment for traders in tax cases

—33 per cent reservation in all housing schemes

—50 per cent jobs to Punjab residents in industry

—Old-age pension Rs 1,500 per month

—Public sector thermal plants will be run at optimum level, re-negotiation with private thermal plants on electricity rates

—New ministry for retired defence personnel

—Free education for girls from Class 1 till PhD

—Special security scheme for media

—State kitchen to provide meal at Rs 5 per head

— Ending VIP culture: Abolishing red beacon lights except on emergency vehicles, 90% cut in security personnel for politicians and officials,

2-year ban on foreign travel except where mandatory, medical insurance to reduce financial burden on government.

— Punjab river water for people of the state only: No new canal construction, including SYL, to be allowed

.— Zero tolerance for drug business

— Employment generation: Shaheed Bhagat Singh Employment Generation scheme for youth, unemployment allowance of Rs 2,500 per month till job provided to those registered with the bureaus.

— Agriculture & Allied Occupations:Farm  loan waiver, free power to farmers, increase in crop compensation, crop insurance.

Navy Chief: LCA Tejas ‘not good enough’ for aircraft carriers, need new jet

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 2

Aimed at countering a growing Chinese submarine fleet, India is reviewing its submarine action plan with an immediate target of having 22 underwater vessels by 2021-22.The Navy is also looking at a new fighter jet for its aircraft carriers. It has found the naval version of the light combat aircraft (LCA) — presently being inducted by the IAF — “not powerful enough” to takeoff from the short runaway of the aircraft carriers.Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, said: “We would sort out the void of submarines by 2021-22 when the fleet will have 22 vessels.” “We are studying the long-term maritime capability plan and this review shall include submarines,” Admiral Lanba said.The present plan to make 24 submarines by 2030 has not been enough as the first sub under the plan — the Kalvari — is slated to be commissioned early next year. India currently has 14 submarines: nine Kilo-class (EKMs), four German-designed HDWs (SSKs) and one Akula class nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) on a 10-year lease from Russia (since 2012).In comparison, China is rapidly expanding its submarine fleet. The US Department of Defence, in its annual report to the US Congress, spells out the rise of China’s submarine fleet. The report, “Military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China 2016”, says: “The People’s Liberation Army Navy places a high priority on the modernisation of its submarine force and presently possesses 61 vessels. By 2020, this force will likely grow to between 69 and 78 submarines.”On the LCA Tejas, the Admiral said: “It is not yet up to the mark”, and the Navy is looking for a temporary replacement jet to launch off the carriers. The Navy will continue to back the DRDO on Tejas’ development. “The naval version of the LCA is heavier. When fully loaded, it does not have the required engine thrust,” the Navy Chief said. The available runaway on aircraft carriers is 250-275 m. At the moment, MiG-29K would operate from INS Vikrant, but another fighter jet would be required within the next five years.

India to train B’desh Navy

• The Indian Navy will train the Bangladesh Navy in operating Chinese submarines obtained by the eastern neighbour from Beijing. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar discussed the training during his two-day visit to Bangladesh on Thursday. The first of the two submarines were handed over to Dhaka on November 14, but India is not overtly worried at the development.

Joint operations and precise planning in the war led to India’s victory sooner than Pakistan expected

dEFENCE mINISTER jAGjIVAN rAM WITH iNDIAN TROOPS AFTER THE VICTORY IN THE EASTERN SECTOR

KV Prasad

The iconic picture (see page 1) of General Jagjit Singh Aurora seated next to General AAK Niazi and overlooking the signing of the instrument of surrender of 93,000 Pakistanis on December 16, 1971, and flanked by senior officers of the Indian Armed Forces remains permanently etched as a prized trophy of the war that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.

The war itself may have lasted slightly over 12 days but its preparations began a good nine months before the commencement of open hostilities on December 3, when Pakistan Air Force pounded major airfields in the northern India.

A classic battle plan drawn on boards much in advance and gone through with a fine tooth comb in the war rooms included the thrust in the Eastern Sector, the real area where teeming millions from across the then East Pakistan began pouring into India to escape atrocities and brutalities inflicted by the Pakistan army against its own citizens.

Military historians have recorded in detail the plan mounted in the Eastern Theatre to work its way around Pakistani army stationed in East Pakistan and factoring possible Chinese collaboration with the Indian Navy and Air Force playing a complementary or supplementary role in the final march towards Dhaka.

The Indian Army was tasked to mount strikes from three directions through the Siliguri Corridor where the 33 Corps under Lt. Gen ML Thapan were to capture Gaibanda and Bogra via Pirganj, while containing Rangpur and Dinajpur. Push to Jessore through 2 Corp under Lt. Gen Tapeshwar Nath Raina with key objectives to capture Jhenida and Magura with a view to secure ferry sites on River Padma and Madhumati. 4 Corp under Lt. Gen Sangat Singh with three army divisions, three squadrons of armour and eight battalions of East Bengal regiment was to cut through to Dhaka taking Chittagong, Ashuganj and Sylhet sectors. The Gorkhas played a significant role in the fall of garrison at Sylhet.

Navy: The Eastern Theatre also saw for the first time operations in tandem by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The latter moved in its sole aircraft carrier INS Vikrant under Captain Swaraj Prakash along with frigates INS Brahmaputra and INS Beas to attack Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar after Pakistan’s American-built diesel submarine PNS Ghazi sank outside Visakhapatnam harbor in the wee hours of December 4. Besides Chittagong, the naval manoeuvre choked Pakistan’s sea lanes of communication to vital ports of Khulna and Chalna.

Air Force: Participation began early when it started lifting troops and material to forward locations. Besides providing support to ground forces, IAF Gnats downed two Pakistani Sabres and damaged the third intruder over Boyra on November 22, in the Eastern Sector. The Indian Air Force established supremacy in this sector two days after the war was declared with devastating attacks on major Pakistani air fields in East Pakistan, besides dropping para-troops across rivers.

The IAF delivered the coup de grace on December 14 with four MiG-21s and four Hunters bombing the Government House in Dhaka where Governor AM Malik was holding meeting with officials which ended all resistance.

While jointness is much talked about in military circles, the 1971 War showcases joint operations. In his book, India’s Wars — A Military History 1947-1971, Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramanian quotes Lt. Gen Shamsher Mehta (Retd) recalling, ‘informal camaraderie, pre-launch bonding, and free-flowing operational communication, where rank and protocol did not matter, was the hallmark of operations in the 4 Corps Sector. However, what was also clear was that this synergy was “personality driven” and not “institutionally driven” joint operations that was on display’.

THE security forces know this the world over: the desperate always find ways to cross the borders. The Indian army, despite taking every precaution in the blue book of counter-insurgency, has suffered unacceptably high casualties in yet another militant attack in Jammu & Kashmir. Militants have been continuously probing the army’s defences in the state ever since the Central Government sought to preen over the “surgical strikes” when it went on to suggest it had ended Pakistani appetite for staging violent incidents in India. But the army has since then fended off three attempts to break into their garrisons. The militants finally hit pay dirt in Nagrota on early Tuesday morning.Clearly, the first round of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gamble of punitive military action against Pakistan has not paid off. Pakistan is in its zone, playing this cat-and-mouse game of ceasefire violations and launching attacks by hastily trained militants to keep the Indian leadership off-balance. On the other hand, its envoy in Delhi is a picture of contrived reasonableness as he sidesteps all the recent violence from Uri to Nagrota and offers to hold talks “if India is interested”. Modi’s adoption of the policy of an eye for an eye very early in his tenure has now made it difficult for him to walk back from that approach.The Prime Minister has painted himself in a corner. His anti-Pakistan cheering crowd will not easily allow him to pick up the tools of diplomatic and political rapprochement with Pakistan. After all if the “surgical strikes” were payback for the Uri hit, then according to their logic, India should carry out another round of attacks to avenge the deaths of 25 soldiers since then. A SWOT analysis would show that India will always come second best against the well-honed Pakistani purveyors of “giving the [stronger] enemy a thousand cuts”. Modi needs to utilise Pakistan foreign policy pundit Sartaj Aziz’s offer for talks when he visits Amritsar this weekend. Bilateral ties have been well muddied as the Prime Minister himself has led the jingoistic charge against Pakistan. But being a proponent of out-of-the-box thinking, it is also time for him to review this singular accent on a muscular approach.

Pakistan has a new Army Chief. In Pakistan’s scheme of things, this is a very consequential appointment. Two former Indian army generals (retd.) offer their asssement about the change of guard at the Rawalpindi General Headquarters.

LITTLE ELSE CHANGES: The incoming chief will adhere to the prescriptions by the Deep State but should avoid personal wars of his own, especially towards the end of his tenure

Nawaz Sharif has the dubious distinction of a fractious relationship with all five Chiefs of Army Staff he has worked with, including the three that he chose himself.It started with his first handpicked choice of General Waheed Kakar (superseding four senior officers) in 1993 subsequently reneging and pressurising Nawaz Sharif to tender his resignation as the Prime Minister. The next General that Nawaz Sharif had to deal with was General Jehangir Karamat (choice of the previous Benazir Bhutto government), and soon the irreconcilable disagreement between the two flared up, leading to the general’s premature resignation. Having burnt his fingers, Nawaz wanted to play absolutely safe. He superseded a ‘pliant’ Mohajir Gen Pervez Musharraf. He soon demonstrated his independent adventurism with Kargil and finally Nawaz Sharif was bumped off and exiled in a bloodless coup. In his third return to power in 2013, Nawaz had to ‘manage’ a cold and unpredictable Gen Pervez Kayani (chosen by his bête noire, Gen  Musharaf in 2007). After he ‘hung his boots as promised (after an  extension), Nawaz quickly pounced upon the opportunity to make his third personal choice in Gen Raheel Sharif.Bobby (Gen Sharif’s pet name), like the new chief, was not the frontrunner and therefore seemed a ‘safe’ choice who could oblige! Except, Bobby too, would prove otherwise. He had lived his fairly illustrious military life in the shadow of his brother’s legacy, the late Major Rana Shabbir Sharif (recipient of Pakistan’s highest gallantry award, ‘Nishan-e-Haider’ in 1971 war). Bobby was always struggling to ‘live up’ to the proud legacy of his elder brother, who incidentally was the batch mate of Gen Pervez Musharraf. Belonging to the proud martial stock of the Janjua clan, Gen Raheel Sharif was the quintessential Pakistani general – barrel chested, plain speaking and perceptibly nationalistic. Soon, he would follow the independent streak that typifies the generals in the ‘Army House’ in the manicured cantonment town of Rawalpindi, as opposed to the despised politicos in Islamabad.Expectedly, General Raheel Sharif came into his own and decided on the national narrative by taking on homegrown terror (after the Peshawar school massacre) and started defining the contours of foreign policy with dashes to Kabul, Riyadh, Washington, Beijing etc. on briefs that went beyond military matters. A hapless Nawaz Sharif was often left suffering the indignity of  making political retractions (post Ufa summit), policy flip-flops (with India) and getting lectured on domestic corruption (after ‘Panamagate’) by his Chief of Army Staff. Today, with the ensuing ‘selective’ war on terror, the ‘Panamagate’ expose and the flaring volatility on the LOC, made the Pakistani armed forces and Gen Raheel Sharif in particular, the real McCoy in Pakistan. By keeping his word on retirement, Gen. Sharif has further strengthened his legacy, and importantly of the Pakistani armed forces. Bobby won all the battles against the politicos, and built-up the relevance and favourable perception of the parallel institution, the armed forces. Bobby ensured that he could indulge in leisurely game hunts, whilst, the institution retains the glint in its bayonets, without having to resort to unnecessary formality and complexities of a military coup d’état.   Gen Bajwa is the fourth time Nawaz Sharif has made a selection on his own. Unsurprisingly, his supposed apoliticalness and low profile ensured that he too, hopped over four generals. His credentials are eerily similar to those of Gen Raheel Sharif — both were ‘dark horses’, both were IG (Training and Insp) before elevation, both are of Punjabi stock and supposedly, apolitical. However, a careful analysis of the Pakistani military history bears out the deep institutional truth, of a close-knit decision-making network that operates through a guarded and consultative grouping of corps commanders, which toes its own line. The military institution is larger than the individual, and the institution takes care of its own – the brazen freedom afforded on Gen Musharraf is a testimony. Clearly, Gen Bajwa does not carry the operational scars of the Indo-Pak war (he joined the Baloch Regiment in 1980) or suffered a personal angularity like that of Gen Raheel Sharif’s family in the `71 war. However, his familial credentials of military upbringing are impeccable, with both his father and father-in-law having served in the Pakistani Army. Gen Bajwa is the veritable inheritor of the well-oiled Pakistani military juggernaut, with carefully selected military men well ensconced in sensitive positions like the NSA (Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua) and the ISI chief (Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar) to oversee the seamless continuum of operations.The present arrangement of an ostensible civilian government, with the reigns firmly in the hands of the burly military men works perfectly fine for the institution of the Pakistani armed forces. No perceptible change of strategic track is envisaged by the strategists in New Delhi. Nawaz Sharif has personally punted thrice before and got it terribly wrong. Gen Bajwa is the fourth time Nawaz has thrown the dice in a perennial power struggle that he has always lost, so far.The writer is a former Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry

INTERESTING FACTS

• Pak has appointed 16 Chiefs including Bajwa but the first two were British.
• Gul Hassan was sacked after the `71 defeat. Zia and Asif Nawaz Junjua died in harness. Karamat was eased out.
• Three took over the reins — Ayub Khan, Zia and Musharraf. Ayub made himself Field Marshal. Yahya Khan became President after Ayub.
• All three Pak Army Chiefs who took over the reigns remained COAS, some preferring Army House over President House.
• The longest tenure was by Gen Zia (12 years) and the shortest by Gul Hassan (less than 3 months).
• Most were from Infantry with Armored Corps having three (Gul Hassan, Zia and Jahangir Karamat) and Artillery two (Tikka Khan and Mushraff).
• Nawaz appointed five while his move to appoint Ziauddin to replace Mushraff was scuttled.
• Baloch Regiment has given the maximum of four Chiefs (Yahya, Aslam Beg, Kayani and Bajwa)

Jaipur, November 28

A former Army man died today while standing in a bank queue to withdraw cash in Ladnu city of Nagaur district. Veteran Prahalad Singh, 70, who had queued up at State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur’s Ladnu branch at 9 am, fainted and died soon after the bank opened, Ladnu SHO NM Kumawat said.On November 19, former servicemen Ratna Ram, 75, died in a bank queue at Pilani. With today’s death, five persons have lost their lives so far in Rajasthan following the demonetisation decision. Meanwhile, ‘Bharat Bandh’ against the demonetisation evoked a poor response in the state capital as big businessmen did not support the Opposition parties’ call.Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sachin Pilot said the party was just supporting the cause and not participating in ‘Akrosh Bandh’. No untoward incident was reported so far in Rajasthan, a senior cop of the police headquarters claimed. — OC

Parrikar says, “We don’t itch for a fight.” File photo

Panaji, November 26

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday said India did not seek war, but would “gouge out eyes” of the enemy if provoked.”We don’t itch for a fight, but if someone looks at the country with evil eye, we will gouge his eyes out and put them back in his hand, we have that much power,” he said while addressing a rally in Aldona Assembly constituency in Goa.Goans can tell the world that they had sent a man to the Centre who had slapped the enemy across the face, he said.“There was no firing on the border for the last three days because if they (Pakistan) fire once, we fire twice at them. We are giving tit-for-tat response, and when they realised it, they approached us, seeking to stop it,” Parrikar said in an apparent referrence to the request by Pakistan for DGMO-level talks three days ago.Asserting that, Armed Forces were fully prepared, Parrikar said his mother had taught him that “even if you are going to hunt a rabbit, be prepared to kill a tiger”. — PTI

Five soldiers hurt in Manipur ambush

Imphal: Five Special Forces personnel of the Indian Army were injured in an ambush by militants in Chandel district of Manipur on Saturday. An IED blast was triggered during a combing operation followed by light arms fire by the militants. The incident occurred at Sajik Tampak in Chandel district, close to the Myanmar border. In 2015, 18 soldiers were killed in an ambush in Chandel, while in May six personnel of Assam Rifles died in the district. PTI

CAUGHT IN TRAP The complainant went with meet the accused with a CBI official, where they recorded the conversation in which the accused demanded `44,000 bribe for senior garrison engineer

PANCHKULA: The assistant garrison engineer, Western Command, RS Verma, who was arrested on Thursday red handed while accepting `25,000 as bribe at Chandimandir, was seeking bribe for his senior officer too. This fact has been revealed in the transcript of conversations recorded by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The transcript of RS Verma and the complainant was submitted before the court on Friday.Meanwhile, the CBI did not press for RS Verma’s police custody and the court sent him to Ambala jail.

The transcript revealed how bribe needed to be paid for getting completion certificates and how contractors are being threatened in the name of blacklisting.

Surender Sharma, a resident of Hisar, who is one of the partners in AR Construction Co, had not only complained against RS Verma but also against his senior BM Verma. He had alleged that both the garrison engineers were not clearing his 3 bills amounting to `10 lakh, `14 lakh and `2 lakh.

He had told CBI that for clearing bills, RS Verma was seeking `60,000 while for BM Verma he was asking 10% of a tender of `44 lakh, ie `44,000.

Sharma gave the complaint on November 23 and the same day he went with CBI’s recorder to meet RS Verma. After the conversation was recorded, the trap was laid on November 24 where he was arrested with `25,000 as bribe.

The CBI told the court that RS Verma directed Sharma to arrange as much as he could and hand over the same to him.

As per the recordings, BM Verma was not present in his office, so Sharma couldn’t go and meet him. The CBI told the court that verification of demand of bribe by BM Verma couldn’t be done on this account. The CBI also told the court that when Sharma asked RS Verma that whether he should call BM Verma on phone to verify his demand, he suggested him to meet him in person.

“Unfortunately, he couldn’t be trapped. My work at Chandimandir cantonment was related to fencing, tiling and other maintenance work,” Sharma told HT.

Western Command chief Lt Gen Surinder Singh calls on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Jammu on Thursday. Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 24

Lt Gen Surinder Singh, Army Commander, Western Command, called on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here today and briefed her about the latest situation on the border as a result of continuing cross-border shelling.The Chief Minister asked the Army Commander to extend all possible help to the civil administration in border areas for the rehabilitation and safety of people living there.The meeting between the two took place two days after three soldiers were killed in the Machil sector. India has since lodged a strong protest with Pakistan against the killing and mutilation of their soldiers and militarily responded to violations of the ceasefire.The Army launched a major fire assault along the LoC in Kashmir, causing “substantive damage” and disrupting Pakistani army’s movement in the Neelum Valley.