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18 years on, Kargil war continues to confound

Veterans say there is little historical analysis of 1999 conflict, its impact

CHANDIGARH: Lt Gen SH Kulkarni (retd) spoke for many when he asked whether the establishment has learnt any lessons from the Kargil War of 1999. Why did Kargil happen? Have we acted upon the lessons it served us or are we setting the stage for another Kargil?

ANIL DAYAL/HT■ Col Balwan Singh, a Maha Vir Chakra winner, addressing the session on Kargil War during the Military Literature Festival at the Lake Club in Chandigarh on Friday.He rued that there was little historical analysis of the war and its social impact. “Would it have been in our interest to widen the war? The navy could have inflicted great hardships had it been allowed to attack Pakistan. I retired three years ago, and there was no answer to any of these issues,” fumed the general.

These questions also resonated with the audience at the session on Kargil War 1999 during the Military Literature Festival 2017, here on Friday. So did the blow-by-blow account that Col Balwan Singh, Maha Vir Chakra winner, provided of the battle for Tiger Hill.

A young lieutenant with 18 Grenadiers at that time, he was leading the ghatak platoon that was tasked with capturing Tiger Hill on July 3. Though just three months into service, he led his team to the hilltop, taking a very steep, unexplored route, took the enemy by surprise and stormed their bunkers, killing four Pakistanis despite being wounded. “That was a very decisive battle, after which the enemy started fleeing,” recounted Singh.

Interestingly, Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav, Param Vir Chakra, who was part of Col Balwan’s platoon, was also present.

A QUESTION OF INTELLIGENCE

While Col Balwan brought the war to life, other panelists debated the inter-force coordination and the quality of intelligence inputs that played a big role in Kargil. Author of a book on Operation Vijay, Lt Gen Mohinder Puri (retd), who was commanding 8 Mountain Division, which was moved from the Valley to Kargil, described how they managed to surprise the intruders and secure a victory.

Surprise was a big element in the operations. Air Marshal Vinod Patney, who moderated the session, described how they too were taken aback when they were asked to rehash their plans at the last minute. “It was on May 25 that I got a call from the chief that we were on deployment the next day. Then he dropped a bombshell. He said don’t cross the Line of Control, not a single bomb should fall across it. This was totally different from the plans we had prepared.”

The operation was a surprise for the aircraft as well. “None of our aircraft was designed for combat operations in such mountainous terrain. In fact, no combat aircraft has been designed to operate there,” he said, adding that the IAF was in perfect sync with the army and not a single army soldier or installation was affected by the air shelling.

When asked about the tri-services doctrine, the Air Marshal declared, “Integrated command is a bad word.”

Commenting on the “surprise” element, Brig Davinder Singh (retd) said there were indications of intrusion and increased firing in the Kargil sector, but these were not interpreted rightly. “All our intelligence gathering resources are with the RAW, not with the army. What can we do if they choose to keep half the information to themselves.”

Be it intelligence or lack of it, the time taken by the Indian establishment to react, or the last minute change in operations, 18 years on, Kargil continues to confound.


Ministry of Defence doubles honorarium for gallantry awardees

Ministry of Defence doubles honorarium for gallantry awardees
An Ashoka Chakra awardee will be paid Rs 12,000 a month, up from Rs 6,000. Ashoka Chakra is the highest peace-time gallantry award. PTI file

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 6

In an important decision, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has doubled the honorarium for gallantry awardees. The monies will be admissible from August 1.A notification of the MoD signed on December 4 says the highest war-time gallantry awardee of the Paramvir Chakra, will get Rs 20,000 per month, up from Rs 10,000 being paid as of now.An Ashoka Chakra awardee will be paid Rs 12,000 a month, up from Rs 6,000. Ashoka Chakra is the highest peace-time gallantry award.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

New honorarium for Maha Vir Chakra and Kirti Chakra will be Rs 10,000 and Rs 9,000, respectively. This has also been doubled. A Vir Chakra awardee will be getting Rs 7,000, a Shaurya Chakra awardee Rs 6,000 while a Sena medal, Nao Sena medal and Vayu Sena medal awardee will get Rs 2,000 per month.The award will be dispensed to the widow of the awardee in case the awardee is dead. In case the awardee was a bachelor, the award will be paid to the father and mother.The previous enhancement was made in 2012.On the other hand, the MoD is reconsidering the cap it imposed on the fees paid for children of martyrs. The MoD had imposed a cap of Rs 10,000 per month and this would have impacted 3,200 children studying in various stages of their education, including in professional colleges. 


Can’t rule out Rohingya terror links: BSF report

NEW DELHI: The Border Security Force (BSF) has not caught any Rohingya with arms or terror links but it cannot be ruled out, KK Sharma, chief of the paramilitary force, said on Wednesday, adding that there were about 36,000 Rohingyas in the country.

AP FILETill Oct. 31, 2017, fake notes worth ₹50 lakh, all of ₹2,000 denomination, were seized by BSF.“The threat that they have links with terror organisations is a very serious one. It has been given by our sister agencies and I don’t doubt them,” Sharma said on Wednesday. He said his troops apprehended 87 Rohingya Muslims along the India-Bangladesh border in 2017 and 76 “had been sent back to Bangladesh”.

The annual report released by the BSF on Wednesday said agents lure Rohingyas with good job opportunities in India and motivate them that they will work with their own community in states such as J&K, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

“Apart from being a natural choice due to its Muslim majority, the Rohingyas say they pick J&K on economic considerations and most of them follow a similar pattern. Once a Rohingya reaches Jammu, he stays there for a few months and then invites other relatives, informing them of job opportunities and better pay,” it said.

In its annually collected data, released two days before its 52nd raising day, the BSF highlighted key issues and initiatives taken along the eastern border.

Issues such as Maoism, narcotics smuggling, fake Indian currency networks, illegal sale of arms and ammunition, cattle smuggling and illegal immigration of Rohingya Muslims rank high on the agenda of the force. The operational initiatives taken by BSF in 2017 have been on the eastern border with some of them waiting approval from the ministry of home affairs.

The BSF data between December 2016 and October 2017 — a period post demonetisation — suggested that fake Indian currency networks took a major hit after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement last year in November, but they continue to operate and have even replicated the new ₹2,000 note to the best of their “abilities”

This year till October 31, fake notes worth ₹50 lakh, all of ₹2,000 denomination, were seized by the BSF. In 2013, the force seized fake notes worth ₹95 lakh, followed by ₹1.9 crore in 2014, ₹2.8 crore in 2015 and ₹1.5 crore last year.

The BSF also claimed to have penetrated areas previously considered safe havens for Left-wing extremists, apprehending 120 Maoists in Odisha and Chhattisgarh along with weapons.

In addition, the paramilitary force managed to recover over 10,000kg narcotics and seized 1.20 lakh cattle.

Sharma said the government in Bangladesh, being “friendly”, had helped the force maintain law and order but more had to be done for its upkeep.


India’s first Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh —-28TH&29 NOV 2017::CHANDIGARH

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India’s first Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh 

India’s first Military Literature Festival (MLF) will be held in Chandigarh in December as a tribute to the armed forces, whose contributions to the nation remain etched in history as iconic events, Punjab Local Bodies and Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhusaid on Friday.

The MLF will be held in Chandigarh from Nov 28 to 29, 2017. Sidhu told media here that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, himself a military historian and author, was pioneering this initiative, which is being jointly promoted by the Punjab government and the Chandigarh Administration with the objective of spreading awareness about the subject among people.
Top thinkers, authors, historians, curators and experts related to defence matters will participate in the event, he said.

“With Punjab standing tall in terms of Param Vir Chakras won by its men, the festival is an apt and glowing tribute to the grit, courage and fearless determination of the country’s defence personnel,” Sidhu said.

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 Punjab Chief Minister’s Senior Advisor, Lt. Gen. T.S. Shergill (retd), said military literature had ancient roots, with the longest poem, the Mahabharata, being all about warfare.
 He also spoke about the relevance of technology to military and literature, underlining the importance of promoting all aspects of the subject.
A two-day military literary festival, the first such event in the country that would focus on contemporary thought and promote recent publications on defence and national security, is being organised here by the Punjab Government from Nov27 to 28.Sources said the modalities and programme of the event were being worked out and different themes explored. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had held a meeting in this regard yesterday.“Books published recently are being shortlisted and their authors would be invited to talk about their work. Panel discussions on the topic would also be held,” an official said. Besides, there could also be talks by eminent persons on current military issues and other aspects of national security as well as subjects like war stories, military history and acts of gallantry, the official added.The idea of a military literary festival was mooted by Governor VP Singh Badnore earlier this year while releasing a book on the legendary Saragarhi battle authored by the CM. He opined that a number of senior and distinguished retired defence officers, including close to a 100 lieutenant generals, were based in Chandigarh and their expertise and experience should be a source of enlightenment for others.

The Military Literature Festival

Opening Ceremony 08 December 10:00 to 11:00 Lake Club
Tea 08 December 11:00 to 11:30 Lake Club
Panel Discussions 08 December 11:30 to 13:45 Lake Club
Lunch 08 December 13:45 to 14:35 Lake Club
Panel Discussions 08 December 14:45 to 18:15 Lake Club
Mega Social Evening 08 December 19:00 onwards Capital Complex
Dinner (By Invite Only) 08 December 20:00 onwards CM Residence
Panel Discussions 09 December 10:00 to 13:30 Lake Club
Lunch 09 December 13:30 to 14:30 Lake Club
Panel Discussions 09 December 14:30 to 16:45 Lake Club
Closing Ceremony 09 December 17:00 to 18:00 Lake Club
Tea 09 December 17:00 to 17:30 Lake Club
Dinner with Concert (By Invite Only) 09 December 20:00 onwards Hotel Mt View

  FOR REGISTRATION OPEN SITE

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http://www.militaryliteraturefestival.com

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India’s first Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh next month

Military lit fest: Dalrymple, Rikhye to be in attendance

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government and Chandigarh administration will jointly organise the three-day Military Literature Festival from December 7 at the Lake Club.

KESHAV SINGH/HT■ (From left) Lt Gen TS Shergill, Punjab tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Western Command chief Lt Gen GS Dhillon at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh on Friday.

The event aims to bring the Indian and foreign defence analysts under a single roof and also showcase the country’s military history. Seminars on India’s defence literature, art, music, photography, among others will be organised during the festival.

To create awareness about the country’s defence forces, around 1,200 students from rural areas around the tricity will be invited to attend the festival. The festival is open to all and there shall be no registration fee.

Prominent Indian and foreign authors and defence experts have confirmed their participation in the event. These include US-based Ravi Rikhye; emeritus professor of history at Ulster University Tom Fraser; historian William Dalrymple; curator at the Imperial War Museum London Alan Jeffreys; military historian and publisher Tom Donovan, author of ‘Battleground Chhamb, 1971 Gen AJS Sandhu, military historian Rana Chhina, and Brigadier Darshan Khullar, among others.


Army pays tributes to Pulwama martyr

Army pays tributes to Pulwama martyr
Army men pay tributes to Sepoy Vrahma Pal Singh, who was killed in Pulwama. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 7

The Army today paid tributes to its comrade who was killed during an anti-militancy operationin Pulwama district on Monday evening.In a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment, Lt Gen JS Sandhu, Corps Commander, Chinar Corps, and all ranks paid homage to the slain soldier.“In a show of solidarity, officials and representatives from the state government and other security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the martyr, Sepoy Vrahma Pal Singh,” an Army spokesman said.Singh sustained bullet injury during an anti-militancy operation at Kandi Aglar in Pulwama district. He was provided immediate first aid and was evacuated to the 92 Base hospital, but succumbed to the injuries.“The mortal remains of the martyr were flown for last rites to his native place, where he would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family of the martyr and remains committed to their dignity and well-being,” the spokesman added.Hailing from Shaujana Rani village in Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh, 30-year-old Singh had joined the Army in 2004. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a three-year-old son.


Rosh rally was held at Pathankot by UFESM Pathankot along with Sanjha Morcha

Rosh rally was held at Pathankot by UFESM Pathankot along with Sanjha Morcha on 01 Nov 17 to condemn Central  Govt for the following follies 
1.Illtreating veterans and ladies at Jantar Mantar on 30 Oct 17.
2.Misusing  Armd Forces as a labour force for Civil jobs to fulfil  political goals, thereby degrading their War Potential.
3.Telling lies to Nation that OROP has been given to Veteran’s. PM is now sayings that it will be given in stages, while addressing Jawans at GUREZ on Diwali.
4.Making One Man Commission Report (Justice Reddy)to address OROP anomalies Public.Same is laying with Govt  since last year.
Brig Prahald Singh
President UFESM pathankot and
Chairman Sanjha Morcha
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Himachal polls: Congress releases manifesto; promises 1.5 lakh jobs

Himachal polls: Congress releases manifesto; promises 1.5 lakh jobs
Congress woos farmers, employees in election manifesto. Tribune photo: Amit Kanwar

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 1

The ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday released its manifesto, promising to strengthen the farm sector by granting interest-free loans to farmers, creation of 1.50 lakh jobs in the government sector and free laptops to 50,000 college students.

The manifesto lays thrust on strengthening the farm sector and proposes a Rs 1-lakh interest-free loan and 90 per cent subsidy on anti-hail net.Also read: BJP on backfoot in Himachal, says Vikramaditya Singh(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The manifesto also attempts to woo employees, pensioners and daily wagers.

Our manifesto is a golden link in the chain of colossal progress in Himachal. Once again, we embark on this momentous journey

It says the contractual employees would be regularised in two years and pensioners would get substantial hike in pension. The VAT on petrol and diesel would be reduced and the GST limit would be enhanced from present Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh to give benefit to traders, a issue raked by the BJP time and again.The Congress also promises higher compensation to landowners in land acquisition for four landing and other road projects.It also proposes pension scheme for workers in unorganised sector and says marriage grant to daughters of widows would be increased to Rs 1 lakh.The manifesto released by Chief minister Virbhadra Singh, Health Minister Kaul Singh, who is also chairman of manifesto Committee and AICC general secretary Sushil Kumar Shinde claimed that Congress had fulfilled 95 per cent of poll promises and would implement the remaining promises and fresh promises in the next term, if voted to power.

Singh said his government has ensured speedy and uniform development of the entire state, which is visible on the ground and development and welfare of all sections of people would be the main poll plank.

Kaul Singh said the Congress provided government jobs to 75,000 youth during the present term and 1.50 lakh jobs would be given in the next five years. For land acquired by the government, four times the market value will be provided as compensation.

The manifesto also promises enhancement of pension by 5, 10 and 15 per cent after the age of 65, 70 and 75 years, additional increments to employees after fourth, ninth and fourteenth year of service, increasing daily wages to Rs 350 and free laptops to 50,000 college students.

The Congress also promised decentralisation of administrative and financial powers down to panchayat level and continue food subsidy scheme to control price rise.

Speaking to reporters, Virbhadra Singh said the BJP’s decision to filed P K Dhumal would have no impact on prospects of the Congress.

The Himachal Pradesh elections will be held on November 9 and the result will be declared on December 18.


J&K shouldn’t be another Syria’

NEWDELHI: The biggest challenge and the top priority in Kashmir are to deradicalise youth and militants and prevent the state from turning into a Syria of India, said Dineshwar Sharma, the newlynamed interlocutor for talks in Jammu and Kashmir.

PTI PHOTOA jawan stands guard during a shutdown in Srinagar on Friday. Separatists in the Valley called for the shutdown to protest ‘India’s annexation of Kashmir’ on this day in 1947.

An old Kashmir hand who headed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for two years from December 2015, Sharma said his mission to bring an end to violence would include talking to anyone “even a rickshaw puller or a cart puller” who can contribute so that peace is ushered in the state “as soon as possible”.

“I feel the pain and sometimes I become emotional also. I want to see this kind of violence ends as soon as possible from all sides. The youth of Kashmir like Zakir Musa (Kashmir al-Qaeda chief) and Burhan Wani (slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander) get hype when they talk about (establishing Islamic) Caliphate,” said Sharma. He said the way Kashmir’s youth was moving, “which is radicalisation”, will ultimately “finish Kashmir. “I am worried about the people of Kashmir. If all this picked up, the situation will be like Yemen, Syria and Libya. People will start fighting in so many groups. So, it is very important that everybody, all of us, contribute …”

“I will have to convince the youth of Kashmir that they are only ruining their future and the future of all Kashmiris in the name of whether they call it azadi (independence), Islamic caliphate or Islam…”

“I am open to talking to everybody… He can be an ordinary student, ordinary youth, a rick shawwala or a the lawala with some good idea. I will consider that,” he said.

The former IPS officer, who led the spy agency’s “Islamist Terrorism Desk”, was widely known to have advocated a policy of arresting the problem by counselling and reforming, instead of arresting the potential recruits of the global terror network.

He is known to have established friendly relationships with arrested militants in a bid to reform them when he was assistant director IB from 1992-94 — the time when militancy was at its peak in J&K.


2 Army jawans injured in ‘accidental’ firing in Poonch district

2 Army jawans injured in ‘accidental’ firing in Poonch district
The incident happened in the forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tarkundi belt.

Jammu, October 28

Two Army jawans have been injured in firing under suspicious circumstances along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Saturday, a police official said.The incident happened in the forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tarkundi belt.“It is being reported to us that it was due to an accidental fire,” the official said, adding that more information was awaited.The injured jawans had been admitted to hospital, he said. PTI