Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 28

The people of the Pangi region in Chamba district are facing the problem of poor mobility between Keylong in the tribal district of Lahaul Spiti and Killar in Chamba district because of poor road condition. The road is narrow and bumpy due to which Himachal Road Transport Corporation is finding it tough to run its new model buses (star buses) on the route. The star buses are bigger in size as compared to the old buses.Regional Manager of the HRTC at Keylong Mangal Chand Manepa said a trial of 37-seater star bus was conducted on this route. During the trial the roof of the bus got stuck with rock cliffs at several places.Talking to The Tribune, Manepa said, “During the trial of a star bus on this route it was found that the road was not suitable for its plying. At several places the rooftop of the bus got stuck with cliffs on the roadside, which may pose a threat to the commuters for safe traveling. However, when we removed the carrier of the bus the trial was smooth.”“The old model buses are not in good condition but we have adequate number of new model star buses. To facilitate the people of Pangi region with better transportation facility we have urged the Border Roads Organization to widen this road”, he said.A large number of tourists and people from Lahaul and Pangi region use this 140-km-long road for travelling in summer season either to visit Lahaul or Chamba or vice versa.But bad condition of this road makes the journey tedious and risky.The Regional Manager stated that the HRTC wanted to run the 47-seater star bus service on this route to cope up with the rush of passengers provided the BRO develops the road for smooth travel. BRO Commander Colonel AK Awasthi was not available for the comment.Bus trial on the routeRegional Manager of the HRTC at Keylong Mangal Chand Manepa said a trial of 37-seater star bus was conducted on this route. During the trial the roof of the bus got stuck with rock cliffs at several places.

A member of the IAF, on Guard of Honour duty, faints during the ceremonial reception of Seychelles President Danny Antoine Rollen Faure at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on Monday, June 25, 2018. PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with an IAF soldier who fainted while presenting the guard of honour to visiting Seychelles President Danny Antoine Rollen Faure during his ceremonial reception, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday, June 25, 2018.  PTI

New Delhi, June 25

The summer heat took its toll on an IAF personnel who collapsed during the guard of honour ceremony organised at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for visiting Seychelles President Danny Faure.Faure, who is on his first bilateral visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Modi on Monday morning.After the ceremony ended and the dignitary had left, Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked up to the airman and enquired about his health.Modi asked him to be careful about his health.After spending a few minutes with him, Modi left for his official residence, sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said.The airman had fainted when the guard of honour was being presented to the visiting dignitary. He was attended by his colleagues and others present there. – PTI

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 20

Governor NN Vohra reviewed a wide range of security management issues relating to the state with senior civil, police, Army and Central intelligence agency officers in a meeting held at Raj Bhawan here on Wednesday.The meeting also reviewed important security issues related to the annual Amarnath yatra which is scheduled to commence on June 28, and identified certain issues to be dealt with on an urgent basis.Referring to a recent incident, the Governor stressed the need for prompt action being taken to ensure the safety and security of people at large by making full use of all available technologies.While reiterating the importance of maintaining constant surveillance of the ground situation, the Governor directed that immediate action must be taken on reports received from any quarters regarding any problem arising from security management. He directed the Chief Secretary to closely monitor and ensure prompt redressal of all difficulties and grievances relating to the felt needs of people and, besides, see that there was no delay in the implementation of welfare measures and developmental works on the ground.The Governor stressed the need of a cohesive action being taken to enforce constant vigil on the International Border and Line of Control, effectively maintaining internal security and ensuring the safety of protected persons, sensitive establishments and installations. In this context, he asked representatives of all the security forces and agencies to identify all existing gaps and ensure coordinated action on the ground for providing prompt and strong counter terror responses on all fronts.The meeting was attended by Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Northern Command chief; BB Vyas, Chief Secretary; SP Vaid, Director General of Police; Umang Narula, Principal Secretary to the Governor; RK Goyal, Home Secretary; Muneer Ahmad Khan, ADGP, Home Guards and Security; and senior officers of the Central intelligence agencies.Resolve grievances of people: Vohra  The Governor directed the Chief Secretary to closely monitor and ensure prompt redressal of all difficulties and grievances relating to the felt needs of people and, besides, see that there was no delay in the implementation of welfare measures and developmental works on the ground. The Governor stressed the need of a cohesive action being taken to enforce constant vigil on the International Border and Line of Control, effectively maintaining internal security and ensuring the safety of protected persons, sensitive establishments and installations.

Yatra security reviewed

The meeting also reviewed important security issues related to the annual Amarnath yatra which is scheduled to commence on June 28, and identified certain issues to be dealt with on an urgent basis. The Governor stressed the need  to ensure the safety and security of people. 

Salani (Poonch), Jun 17 (PTI) Their beloved Aurangzeb did not return home for Eid, abducted and killed as he was by terrorists, but as they struggle to come to terms with their grief, the resolve of the deceased rifleman’s family to serve the country’s armed forces has only strengthened.

“My son has laid down his life for the country. He was a brave soldier. I and my sons will also sacrifice (ourselves) for the nation. We want goons to be wiped out,” said Mohammad Hanief, Aurangzeb’s father and a former Sepoy of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry.

Youngest of Aurangzeb’s four brothers, 15-year-old Aasim eagerly awaited the rifleman’s return on Eid with all the gifts including his much needed cricket bat. But what transpired has left Aasim shaken to the core. But still, it has not shaken his will to join the Army.

Aasim was on the phone talking to Aurangzeb, when the latter was abducted.

“My brother (Aurangzeb) was on his way to Poonch in a private vehicle. He was talking to me. I heard a shout ordering the vehicle to stop. I thought there was some checking. I never imagined militants were kidnapping my unarmed brother,” he said.

Aurangzeb of 44, Rashtriya Rifles, was abducted and killed by terrorists in Pulwama district when on way home for Eid. He had been part of Major Rohit Shukla’s team that gunned down Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sameer Tiger.

The Army jawan had boarded a private vehicle in Shopian for Rajouri. Terrorists intercepted the vehicle as it approached Kalampora and abducted the jawan. His bullet-riddled body was found at Gussu village, about 10 km from Kalampora, in Pulwama district.

Aurangzeb had talked to me on mobile and promised to bring new clothes and gifts including a cricket bat, Aasim said. “But he did not come rushing and as usual hugged me. He came in a coffin. I do not need any gift of clothes but only my brother. They killed an unarmed person,” the young boy cried.

But, despite the immeasurable loss, his spirit remains unbroken.

“I will join Army like my brothers and father,” Aasim said. For residents of Aurangzeb’s native Salani hamlet, joining the forces is a way of life.

As the coffin, carried by Army jawans and officers on a serpentine track from Sagra army helipad to reached village Salani, Aurangzeb’s parents, Hanief and Raj Bi, brothers, Mohmmad Kasim, Tariq, and five sisters wept bitterly.

Thousands from the area had gathered and shouted patriotic slogans.

I give PM Modi 72 hours to avenge my son’s death or else we are ready to take revenge on our own. Kashmir is ours. We must not let Kashmir burn. Instead, we must eliminate the goons who are destroying the Valley, Hanief said.

In a video, widely seen on social media, an emotional Hanief can be seen asking why Pakistani flags were being waved in Kashmir.

Kashmir is ours. Why is Pakistan’s flag flying in Kashmir? Why not the Indian flag? The Indian flag should be hoisted here, Hanief says in the video.

“The State government does not allow Army to work on anti militancy operations. They (Army) would teach stone-pelters and militants a lesson if they are given free hand to work. But this government does not allow them,” Hanief is heard saying. PTI AB ADS ADS

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 14

A soldier of the Army’s counter-insurgency unit and two unidentified militants were killed in a gunfight in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district where security forces are battling a group of highly motivated militants from the past five days.The gunfight broke out in the wee hours at Panar forest in Bandipora, over 60 km from Srinagar, where a massive combing operation has been underway since June 9.“In the ongoing operation, two terrorists were killed and one Army soldier was martyred,” Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.The operation, he said, was still in progress. The identities and group affiliation of the slain militants could not be established immediately.Defence sources, giving details about the operation, said militants ambushed an Army patrol of the 14 Rashtriya Rifles in the Bandipora forest area in the wee hours in which Rifleman Manvendra Singh got injured.“He was airlifted to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar, but was declared brought dead on his arrival,” a source said. “The militants fled after the ambush, but Army men chased them and in the gunfight that followed, two terrorists were killed,” the source added.The ongoing operation has been termed as a “difficult one” by the defence sources. “Primarily, it is a difficult operation and militants are still hiding in the jungle. There are some pockets where there is civil population and we are combing the area very carefully,” a defence official said.The massive anti-militancy operation in Bandipora was launched last Saturday to track down a group of freshly infiltrated militants which was hiding in the area.Prior to Thursday’s gunfight, security forces and militants have exchanged fire at least six times in the large forest area over the past five days. But each time, the militants had managed to give the forces the slip. The Army, however, has maintained a tight cordon around the forest to ensure that militants don’t manage to escape.The first contact with the militants was established on Saturday evening when an Army patrol was fired upon by militants. The fire was retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted briefly.

Combing underway

• A gunfight broke out inthe wee hours at Panar forest in Bandipora, over 60 km from Srinagar, where a massive combing operation has been underway since June 9.
• In the ongoing operation, two terrorists were killed and one Army soldier, Rifleman Manvendra Singh of Kabiltha village in Uttarakhand was martyred.

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 4

The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, on Monday posted the Major Leetul Gogoi case for arguments on June 12 after the petitioner sought further police investigation into the matter to explore human trafficking angle.On May 30, the J&K Police, in its report to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, had said the woman who was detained along with Major Gogoi from a Srinagar hotel on May 23 was 19 years old. She had gone with the officer of her own will, the police said.The Chief Judicial Magistrate had sought the status report of the investigation of the hotel fracas involving Major Gogoi on the petition of human rights activist Ahsan Untoo.During the hearing on Monday, the petitioner’s counsel Bilal Ahmad termed the police report “unsatisfactory.” He urged the court to direct the police to further investigate the matter so as to explore other angles, including human trafficking, too.“The role of Sameer Malla, who accompanied the Major and the girl to the hotel, is suspicious and has not been investigated,” argued the counsel.“It may or may not be a case of human trafficking, but the police has not investigated this aspect,” he said.Countering his submission, the prosecution led by a chief prosecuting officer submitted that it was a case involving two consenting adults. “It may be morally wrong, but legally no offence is made out against the Major,” the chief prosecuting officer submitted while citing the statement recorded by the girl before a magistrate and absence of any complaint either by the girl or the hotel management.In its report to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, the police had said neither the woman nor the hotel owner lodged any formal complaint against Major Gogoi.

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 1

As many as 40 cadets of the Army Cadet College (ACC) wing graduated on Friday and were awarded degrees during a ceremony held at the historic Chetwode Hall of the Indian Military Academy (IMA).Of the 40 cadets, 21 are from science stream and the remaining from humanities. The degrees were conferred upon them by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The Commandant, IMA, Lt Gen SK Jha, said the ACC had a rich history of training selected personnel from other ranks of all the three services, who had the potential to become officers in the Army. He complimented the Commander, ACC wing, the head of the academic department, and faculty members for their efforts in shaping the cadets into potential officers. He presented the Chief of Army Staff Medals to Cadets Prakram Singh, Gole Kiran and Money Pal Singh for winning gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively. The Commandant’s Silver Medals were presented to Cadets CB Thapa, Money Pal Singh and Manoranjan Kumar Mishra for securing the first position in service subjects, humanities, and science stream, respectively. Earlier, Principal of the ACC wing Naveen Kumar read out the college report highlighting the high standards and commendable academic performance by the cadets.