A BSF man pays tribute to Constable Rameez Ahmad Parray during a wreath-laying ceremony at Hajin in Bandipora on Thursday. PTI

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Hajin, October 1

A sluggish town in north Kashmir which once housed the base of a counter-insurgency militia which hunted militants and their support network is undergoing a change of heart as it begins sympathising with the militant cause.The change, its several residents said, came in pauses.Hajin, surrounded by harvested rice fields, is at the crossroads of its own existence. There are no policemen on its roads and no paramilitary personnel patrol its neighbourhood.“They only come out in huge convoys in bullet-proof vehicles and that leads to stone-throwing protests,” said Riyaz Ahmad, a tea vendor in Hajin town. “There was a time when this town would be bustling till late evening, but now every shop shuts at dusk. There is fear everywhere,” he said.For years, Hajin had remained the quiet backwater of the Kashmir valley. In the mid-1990s, the township evoked fear as it housed the base of a brute counter-insurgency militia Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon, which operated outside the ambit of law.Less than 100 metres from the fortified residence of the now disbanded Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon’s slain commander Kuka Parray, a former folk singer who led a murderous campaign, a wounded Mohammad Afzal attends to a slow trickle of visitors at his home in Parray Mohalla.Afzal, a carpet weaver, and his family had scuffled with militants on Wednesday evening who had come to kill his brother Mohammad Rameez, a BSF constable who was at home on leave.“He was talking on the phone when militants came to him and asked for his identity card, which he refused to show. They took away his phone and left. They returned after 15 minutes, we tried to resist but they stabbed us with knives,” Afzal told The Tribune.By the time the militants left, Afzal, his another brother, his father and his aunt were grievously wounded with knives by militants. Afzal’s constable brother was dead. Three bullets had pierced his head, stomach and leg.The audacity with which the militants moved around with ease in Parray Mohalla is the evidence of how much has changed in Hajin. In the neighbourhood that once was the base within the base of Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon, residents now talk about militants with reverence.“The militant gun is not bound by any law but they will never hurt any innocent,” a young man, who refused to give his name, said at his shop at Parray Mohalla. A police constable who served five years in the area said many young people in the town now “sympathise with and support” the militants because they want to “shed the baggage of the past”.The moment of change in Hajin first came during the 2008 protests. Even though the strong-arm crowd control measures of the police contained the protests, they agonised large sections of the population. “We faced a lot of oppression. The police made no distinction between men and women, young and old,” the shopkeeper in Parray Mohalla said.By 2010, Hajin and its adjoining towns had a zero footfall of militants. “It is where we became a little off guard,” a senior police official said. In 2015, a group of foreign militants made their first entry to the township and managed to set their base.The counter-insurgency operations to neutralise the militants faced resentment as locals took to stone-throwing, a repeat of a phenomena that was born in faraway districts of south Kashmir. When the unrest swept the Kashmir valley last year, Hajin had completed its transition.For the first time in the last two decades, its residents were militants in militant ranks. Abid Hamid Mir, a former student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, and Nasrullah, became militants in May this year. “He would often say that he would pick up a gun and he could not bear the oppression, but thought he was a kid,” Abid’s mother Jawahira said. In August, Abid was the first Hajin militant to die in two decades.Haji Dar, a mid-aged imam who had come to condole the death of the BSF constable, said the militant commander Burhan Wani’s killing “changed everything”. “It built the support for militants,” he said. Another man interjected, “this is a baand gaam (folk singers’ village), it changes mood with the changing wind”.Change began in 2008

• In the mid-1990s, the township in north Kashmir evoked fear as it housed the base of a brute counter-insurgency militia Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon, which operated outside the ambit of law
• The moment of change in Hajin first came during the 2008 protests. Even though the strong-arm crowd control measures of the police contained the protests, they agonised large sections of the population

The country’s first fully integrated Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), being developed by the Defence Research and Developed Organisation (DRDO), has successfully completed user assisted technical trials for desert terrain at the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan.

P K Mehta, DRDO’s director general for armament and combat engineering system, told TOI on Wednesday, “We have achieved the desired results in the user assisted trials and the gun is now poised for further trials (for other terrains) in the coming months.”

The trials in the deserts were carried out by DRDO scientists and the Indian Army’s director general for artillery from August 24 to September 7. A large number of extended range full bore artillery ammunitions were successfully fired from the gun during the trials.

Project director S V Gade of the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune, who anchored the trials, said, “The users (Indian Army) fired all type of ammunitions and achieved the desired range and consistency for the live ammunition. In fact, the gun successfully hit a target at 48km distance. No other contemporary artillery guns are able to achieve a range of more than 40km so far.” The ATAGS is capable of firing a Bi-Modular Charge System (BMCS) Zone 7 propellant, which no other country is able to fire as on date, he added.

Gade said, “We have also validated firing table in a limited way of the gun, which was very crucial task for us.”

The ATAGS has an all-electric drive which gives advantage over traditional hydraulic drives which exists in other towed guns. The electric drives of the ATAGS gives controls in handling ammunition, opening and closing the breech mech. and ramming the round into firing chamber, Gade added.

“The gun will undergo refinements and will be ready for high altitude trials which are likely to be conducted at Sikkim in December, depending on a confirmation from the army authorities,” Gade said. The gun is expected to be inducted in the Indian Army by 2020, sources in DRDO said.

Dr Manmohan Singh addresses ISB leadership summit. Photo: Vicky Gharu

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 22

Former PM Manmohan Singh today said the government’s demonetisation “adventure” was unnecessary. He was speaking at a leadership summit at ISB here. “I don’t think demonetisation was required at all. More than 86 per cent of the country’s currency was demonetised. There was bound to be a fallout. Demonetisation has not been successful in any civilised country. The adventure was not necessary.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“The economy has slowed down. I predicted this months ago. This is owing to demonetisation coupled with GST. The latter is good in the long run, but there are glitches. We all want to grow at 7 or 8 per cent as we want to lift people from poverty. There is a need for political consensus on policy-making.” Asserting that private investment had gone down by about 5 per cent as compared to the UPA regime, he called for more spending in the health sector. “India is not spending enough on healthcare. Private sector has a role but we cannot rely exclusively on private players,” he said.Replying to a question, he said the government was not spending enough on the public sector. “It is a mere 30 per cent of the GDP, which is far less than other capitalist countries in the world.” On US protectionism, the former PM said, “I think globalisation has come to stay. Whatever the US President in his election campaign might have said, I am confident that American public opinion will prevail. I also feel that in Europe there is recognition that a multilateral world trading system needs to be sustained and encouraged.”

Srinagar, September 16

The Army has taken cognisance of a video showing troops dishonouring the bodies of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants killed in an encounter, a spokesperson said on Saturday.LeT commander Abu Ismail and associate Abu Qasim were killed in Aribagh area of Nowgam on the outskirts of the city here on Thursday.A video in which soldiers can be seen trampling over the bodies went viral on social media. The video shows bodies being dragged from the site of the encounter into a lane.“Army has taken cognisance of the video and suitable action will follow,” said Srinagar-based Defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia.Ismail, the mastermind of the July 10 attack on a bus carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims which had left eight yatris dead, and Qasim were killed by forces in a brief gunfight on Thursday. PTI

Dehradun, August 20

A day after a gentleman cadet from Bhatinda died during training at Indian Military Academy, another Gentleman cadet from Darjeeling passed away due to illness last night.Gentleman cadet Naveen Chetri (23) belonged to Darjeeling district in West Bengal and was undergoing training at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was not keeping well for quite some time and was undergoing treatment at Military Hospital. He was referred to Mahant Indresh Hospital after his condition deteriorated. Naveen belonged to Cariappa Battallion of IMA. His demise comes after a gentleman cadet from Bhatinda reportedly died of exhaustion on Friday while undertaking a cross country race. A postmortem examination has been conducted on the deceased. — TNS

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj shakes hands with her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani prior to their meeting in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 11

Agreeing to provide further assistance to Afghan national defence and security forces, India today asserted its relationship with Afghanistan was an “article of faith”. Both sides signed four pacts, including motor vehicles agreement, and new development partnership in 116 high-impact projects.”For India, strategic partnership and friendship with Afghanistan is an article of faith. It is not just another relationship or an engagement, but a spiritual and civilisation connect,” External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said at a joint statement with her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani.At the conclusion of the 2nd Strategic Partnership Council meet here, the Afghan Foreign Minister said India had further agreed to provide assistance to Afghan national defence forces and that his country had been pressing for greater assistance in defence supplies and capacity building.Afghanistan, he said, had long been pressing for greater Indian assistance in defence supplies and capacity building. Last year, India gave four MI-25 attack helicopters to Afghanistan to augment its fleet as NATO forces reduced its presence.  “We jointly agreed to embark on a New Development Partnership in keeping with the priorities of Afghanistan, 116 new High Impact Development Projects would be jointly implemented that would bring socio-economic and infrastructure development,” said Swaraj.She said India would assist in Shatoot dam and drinking water supply project for Kabul; low-cost housing for returning refugees; water supply network for Charikar city; polyclinic in Mazar-e-Sharif, among others. Focus, she said, would continue on building governance and democratic institutions; human resource capacity and skill development, including in the areas of education, health, agriculture, energy, administration, application of remote sensing in resource management and space technology in governance.Underscoring the importance of connectivity and transit for Afghanistan, Swaraj said an air freight corridor was started in June 2017 to provide direct access to farmers of Afghanistan to the Indian markets. “’We are expediting the development of Chahbahar Port in trilateral cooperation with Iran. We will begin supply of wheat to Afghanistan in coming weeks through the port,” Swaraj said.Both sides also discussed steps to enhance trade and investment cooperation and the India-Afghanistan trade and investment in Delhi later this month will provide an opportunity to bring businesses together. In addition, India has liberalised visa for Afghan businessmen. The visiting dignitary asserted that Kabul’s friendship with New Delhi did not mean hostility to any other country, adding that it was not a zero-sum game.

Ties with Kabul ‘article of faith’

• For India, strategic partnershipand friendship with Afghanistan is an articleof faith. It is not just another relationship oran engagement, but a spiritual and civilisation connect. We jointly agreed to embark on the New Development Partnership in keeping with the priorities of Afghanistan. —Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister

A file photo of Pangong Lake in the Ladakh region.

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 18

In a significant development, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will review the security scenario in eastern Ladakh over the weekend.His visit comes after Indian and Chinese troops clashed at a spot, north of the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, on August 15. A subsequent meeting of the military commanders of the two countries resolved to work at the ‘existing peace mechanisms’.The Army Chief will be briefed by the Leh-based 14 Corps Commander on Sunday. The Northern Command chief, entire top brass of the 14 Corps and the local Indian Air Force Commander of the Leh air base shall be part of the review.Eastern Ladakh, part of J&K, shares a 826-km frontier with China and is geographically defined as the area from Karakoram Pass in the north to Demchok in the south-east of the Ladakh region.An Indian assessment is that the Karakoram range in the country could be the possible military target for China. It can threaten New Delhi’s hold over Siachen as well as cut off the Depsang plains and Daulat Baig Oldie, an advanced landing ground for aircraft at 16,200 feet.In the past four-five years, Indian troops have been added to prepositioned locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the name for the de facto border.Additions to mechanised forces and artillery guns have been made, backed by the T-72 Russian-origin tanks. The plateaus interspersed in the folds of the major mountain ranges — the Greater Himalayas, Karokaram, Ladakh and Zanskar — are ideal tank country, flat with ample places to hide in the folds of the valleys.The latest Indian stance along the Line of Actual Controlis not akin to Jawaharlal Nehru’s failed 1960-1961 “forward policy”, but it mandates holding claims line along the Line of Actual Control.The “forward policy”, as explained by Neville Maxwell in his book “India’s China war”, entailed taking up permanent positions along the high ridgelines of eastern Ladakh as per India’s perception of the boundary of 1954. The latest Indian positions are more in line with maintaining the sanctity of the Line of Actual Control.On maiden trip, Prez to visit Ladakh on MondayNew Delhi: In his maiden domestic tour, President Ram Nath Kovind will visit the Ladakh region on Monday where he will present the President’s Colours to battalions of the Ladakh Scouts, an infantry regiment of the Army. Sources said President Kovind would visit a meditation centre after the award ceremony. The President’s Colours is one of the greatest honours bestowed upon a unit in recognition of its exceptional service rendered by it to the nation, both during war and in peace. IANS

Our Correspondent

Patiala, September 10

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will organise a religious function on September 12 to commemorate Sikh martyrs of the Saragarhi battle at Gurdwara Wazidpur Sahib, Ferozepur district.Notably, the Saragarhi Gurdwara stands in the honour of 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army who sacrificed their lives but refused to buzz from duty.SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar  said the Sikh bravehearts did not think twice before laying down their lives in line of duty and it would be an honour for the SGPC to orgnaise a programme to commemorate them.He said the Sikh body was regularly highlighting the influential individuals from the history to laud their contribution in the expansion of Sikh religion among masses.

ARMOURED CORPS

1 JC242311Y RIS MAJ & HONY LT SUKHBIR SINGH 
2 JC243078H RIS MAJ & HONY LT BALWAN SINGH 
3 JC242645N RIS MAJ & HONY LT NIRMAL SINGH 
4 JC242692L RIS MAJ & HONY LT TULSI RAM YADAV 
5 JC243331Y RIS & HONY LT HARWINDER SINGH 
6 JC242368N RIS MAJ & HONY LT SANTONU GHOSH 
7 JC243137K RIS MAJ & HONY LT AMARJIT SINGH 
8 JC242711L RIS MAJ & HONY LT GOPISETTY VENKATASYAM

REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY

9 JC269426W SUB MAJ & HONY LT ANIL KUMAR SINGH 
10 JC268092A SUB MAJ & HONY LT BAHADUR SINGH 
11 JC267632F SUB MAJ & HONY LT DINESH KUMAR 
12 JC267622X SUB MAJ & HONY LT G RAVI 
13 JC270912A SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAMINI GOSWAMI 
14 JC270204N SUB MAJ & HONY LT JOGI NAGESWARA RAO 
15 JC267736H SUB MAJ & HONY LT MAHADEO ROY 
16 JC269694A SUB MAJ & HONY LT PARTHABA SAHU 
17 JC263378L SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJENDAR SINGH 
18 JC269525Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJENDRA BALKRISHNA 
                                                BAWANKULE 
19 JC269523N SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJESH KUMAR BHARDWAJ 
20 JC270096P SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAMESH KUMAR 
21 JC269668Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAMESH SINGH PAL 
22 JC270433Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT SAMPURAN SINGH 
23 JC269242X SUB MAJ & HONY LT SATENDER KUMAR SINGH 
24 JC216169H SUB MAJ & HONY LT SUBHASH CHANDRA RT
25 JC268628L SUB MAJ & HONY LT VISHNU DATT TIWARI 
26 JC273074F SUB & HONY LT AJAY SINGH 
27 JC275568K SUB & HONY LT CHANDRA PAL SINGH 
28 JC274487X SUB & HONY LT D THANGA RAJ 
29 JC275170P SUB & HONY LT GOPAL DASS 
30 JC278726Y SUB & HONY LT HARI RAM 
31 JC268810L SUB & HONY LT JASVEER SINGH 
32 JC276114H SUB & HONY LT TARSEM SINGH

ARMY AIR DEFENCE

33 JC300023A SUB MAJ & HONY LT KAILASH YADAV 
34 JC299603A SUB MAJ & HONY LT YELAM PALLE VENKATA REDDY
35 JC302368A SUB & HONY LT AUTI BAPU SADASHIV 
36 JC301676N SUB & HONY LT HARMESH KUMAR 
37 JC301722X SUB & HONY LT MANOJ KUMAR SHARMA 
38 JC302512K SUB & HONY LT RAMESH SINGH

ARMY AVIATION CORPS

39 JC269999A SUB MAJ & HONY LT BIKRAM SINGH

ENGINEERS

MADRAS ENGINEER GROUP

BENGAL ENGINEER GROUP

53 JC338624P SUB MAJ & HONY LT ARJUN SINGH
54 JC338125A SUB MAJ & HONY LT BIDYADHAR PANDA
55 JC338165F SUB MAJ & HONY LT BRIJ KANT MISHRA
56 JC329800A SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAVI PAL SINGH
57 JC338123P SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHIV PRASAD
58 JC339690K SUB & HONY LT KALAM SINGH

71 JC370518K SUB MAJ & HONY LT ASHOK KUMAR
72 JC371976M SUB MAJ & HONY LT DEEP RAM SHARMA
73 JC376510N SUB MAJ & HONY LT GODHAN SINGH
74 JC375589P SUB MAJ & HONY LT HARI KISHAN
75 JC376944N SUB MAJ & HONY LT HARI SHANKER YADAV
76 JC376471A SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAI KISHAN
77 JC375591M SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAI NARAIN
78 JC376873X SUB MAJ & HONY LT KAMATA PRASAD DWIVEDI
79 JC376517X SUB MAJ & HONY LT PARITOSH PAUL
80 JC376509Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAM PRABHAT TRIPATHI
81 JC376522H SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAM PRAWESH PRASAD
82 JC375671K SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAM VAKIL
83 JC376994Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT SANJAYA KUMAR MOHANTY
84 JC374961P SUB MAJ & HONY LT SANJOY GHOSH
85 JC371965A SUB MAJ & HONY LT SUNAHARI LAL
86 JC370977H SUB MAJ & HONY LT VINOD KUMAR CHANDEL
87 JC380510L SUB & HONY LT PARDEEP KUMAR
88 JC379311L SUB & HONY LT PARKASH CHAND CHANDEL
 

INFANTRY

THE BRIGADE OF GUARDS

THE GRENADIERS

THE RAJPUT REGIMENT

133 JC479852F SUB MAJ & HONY LT DEVENDRA SINGH SIKARWAR
134 JC479667N SUB MAJ & HONY LT MOHD MAHROOF,SC
135 JC479701H SUB MAJ & HONY LT VIRENDER SINGH AHIR
136 JC480821N SUB & HONY LT BEERENDRA SINGH
137 JC480541A SUB & HONY LT SURENDER SINGH
138 JC480729P SUB & HONY LT VINOD SINGH

192 JC590200X SUB MAJ & HONY LT KAMAL KISHOR GHILDIYAL
193 JC590197H SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHRI PRASAD THAPA, SM
194 JC590306K SUB & HONY LT SOORBEER SINGH GUSAIN
 

THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR LIGHT INFANTRY

195 JC593468A SUB MAJ & HONY LT ASHOK KUMAR
196 JC593045M SUB MAJ & HONY LT KAMAL SINGH
197 JC593728A SUB & HONY LT LAL CHAND
198 JC593921M SUB & HONY LT PRITAM SINGH
199 JC593628P SUB & HONY LT RAFIQ AHMAD MALIK
200 JC593998P SUB & HONY LT SABAR HUSSAIN
201 JC593534X SUB & HONY LT VIJAY KUMAR

ARMY SERVICE CORPS (SOUTH)

213 JC665068M SUB MAJ & HONY LT BHIM BAHADUR THAPA
214 JC664817L SUB MAJ & HONY LT G BALAJI
215 JC665064W SUB MAJ & HONY LT JANG BAHADUR SINGH
216 JC642180M SUB MAJ & HONY LT MADHUSUDAN BISWAS
217 JC664539H SUB MAJ & HONY LT NEMI CHAND KHATI
218 JC664034M SUB MAJ & HONY LT PRITPAL SINGH
219 JC664625N SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAM DULARE
220 JC642432N SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHYAMAL KUMAR BISWAS

ARMY SERVICE CORPS (ANIMAL TRANSPORT)

221 JC681299M RIS & HONY LT AWADH KUMAR
222 JC681290X RIS & HONY LT MATTA THAVITI NAIDU REDDY
223 JC681291A RIS & HONY LT NAGENDRA PRASAD
224 JC681324A RIS & HONY LT SUSANTA KUMAR PRADHAN

ARMY MEDICAL CORPS

225 JC696636N SUB MAJ & HONY LT ARVIND KUMAR
226 JC693693K SUB MAJ & HONY LT BACHAN SINGH
227 JC696551X SUB MAJ & HONY LT DHIRENDRA PRASAD RAI
228 JC695949A SUB MAJ & HONY LT GOPAL SINGH
229 JC695897P SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAI KARAN
230 JC696578P SUB MAJ & HONY LT KESHAV SINGH
231 JC695901M SUB MAJ & HONY LT MANGE RAM
232 JC696554L SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAMA KRISHNAN V K
233 JC695747Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT SATBIR SINGH
234 JC696497P SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHRI CHAND
235 JC696500K SUB MAJ & HONY LT SRIBASH SAHA

236 JC725792H SUB MAJ & HONY LT AMBA LAL JANGID
237 JC725661X SUB MAJ & HONY LT BHOORE SINGH
238 JC725858N SUB MAJ & HONY LT BRIJ MOHAN
239 JC726393L SUB MAJ & HONY LT CHANDI PRASAD
240 JC725689X SUB MAJ & HONY LT GOPAL SINGH RATHORE
241 JC725756X SUB MAJ & HONY LT PARBAT SINGH SISODIYA
242 JC724013H SUB MAJ & HONY LT VIJENDER SINGH
243 JC730369M SUB & HONY LT M RAJEN KUMAR SINGH
244 JC727990M SUB & HONY LT PRADIP KUMAR PANDA
245 JC722336M SUB & HONY LT RUKMANI KUMAR TRIPATHI RT

CORPS OF ELECTRONICS AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

REMOUNT AND VETERINARY CORPS

274 JC797559L RIS MAJ & HONY LT SURENDRA PAL SINGH

THE INTELLIGENCE CORPS

275 JC810877W SUB MAJ & HONY LT CHUNI LAL SHARMA
276 JC811310M SUB & HONY LT SATISH CHANDER
277 JC811427L SUB & HONY LT YASHPAL SINGH

THE PIONEER CORPS

280 JC829445W SUB & HONY LT SHISH RAM

DEFENCE SECURITY CORPS

281 JC841406K SUB MAJ & HONY LT NAN BAHADUR
282 JC842683F SUB & HONY LT JAI BHAGWAN
283 JC842767P SUB & HONY LT SUK DHOJ GURUNG

284 TJ4692M SUB & HONY LT HAWALDAR YADAVA
285 TJ5229H SUB & HONY LT MAHAVIR SINGH RAJPUT
286 TJ5353K SUB & HONY LT NARAYAN LAL
287 TJ5180X SUB & HONY LT SRI AMRIT LAL PATEL

hose trying to label it a ‘victory’ for us must be cautioned about what victory involves — that it’s not the end of conflict with China.

 At Doklam, the Indian Army took its precautions, didn’t show undue aggression and held its ground in as risky a situation as Nathu-La, allowing New Delhi to execute quiet political handling and deft diplomacy.