Kashmiri youth look at their “disabled”mobile phones in Srinagar. AFP

THE nation is caught in a no-holds-barred war on television and social media across an undefined LoC. It is here that the Twitter Warriors get their daily high of Vitamin-N or Nationalism. With no real expertise and commitment, we have an entire generation wasting their creativity on issues best left to experts. In the process, many reputations are being tarnished and we seem to be losing our capacity of accepting dissent and light-hearted repartee.While it will be difficult to legislate a template for a medium that abhors discipline yet it may be worthwhile to initiate a debate for voluntary self regulation. The basic questions that beg answers are; when to comment, where or which medium and what to comment on. Since it is laissez faire on social media, who and why are obviously irrelevant questions. The intention is channelisation of debate and certainly not stifling it. It is important that social media warriors resist the urge for “fastest finger first” and exercise some restraint specially with regard to operational situations. A twitter or TV war on an ongoing action, besides compromising security puts pressure on Commanders in the field. This is made worse with visuals, graphics and even satellite imagery in some cases duly annotated by so-called armchair experts.We have had instances where media questioned operational commanders on the duration of the operation, thereby jeopardising risk mitigation to minimise casualties.  There is an urgent need on the part of the Army to refine our systems for dissemination of information by setting up efficient and interactive Incident Command Posts with media interfaces to share information at periodicity,  conforming to media deadlines. It will be a good idea if the real experts with mini battalion of followers on Twitter defer their opinion as they can virtually unleash an uncontrolled chain reaction. This apart, direct message/ communication facility needs to be utilised by all parties on sensitive issues with a view to get the complete story before shooting the tweet. The official Twitter handlers of security agencies should set up links with known opinion makers and media to dynamically share their version and answer queries.  The growing tendency to analyse tactical issues needs to be curbed as it is difficult even for Veterans to keep pace with the dynamics of terrain, force levels and, above all, constraints of myriad challenges of local commanders. Hybrid war is a dirty one and  the adversary uses dangerous, deceptive and disruptive tactics. This can often be countered with some innovative jugaad only, which may appear crude. Pre-mature comments are likely to    breed  risk-averse junior leadership driven by zero-error syndrome. A fix-the-commander attitude, even without an inquiry, displays total lack of faith in the Army’s time- tested self-correction techniques and rather high levels of accountability. It is not as if all culprits get punished in the armed forces but the chances of their escaping are remote and often the punishment is strict, which in most cases is either set aside or toned down by courts. A culture of brutal accountability in the armed forces is in stark contrast to its almost total absence amongst politicians and bureaucrats causing frustration in the forces. The new iconoclastic tendency where respect for elders is diminishing, coupled with a competitive urge to project an ultra- nationalist image is deplorable and needs to be curbed. In recent instances, an ex Chief was insulted and many a General have received less-than-fair treatment in the studios. It is difficult not to  love institution like Army yet it can’t be beyond scrutiny. While healthy and informed criticism is welcome, wisdom demands discretion and tolerance. The bottom line is have faith in the Army and allow it to do its job. On social media and in TV studios, it is high time for introspection and cooling off, for nations build their future based on real toil and certainly not through endles arguments, even if we are known as Argumentative Indians.

Net loss

Authorities in the Kashmir Valley ordered internet service providers to block 15 social media services for at least one month, saying they were being misused by “anti-national and anti-social elements”. The move followed an upsurge in violence in the region. The writer is currently Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chair at Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 19

Years after multiple judicial pronouncements and strictures by courts, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) today issued orders authorising disability pension to those who had sought pre-mature retirement prior to 2006.In 2004, the Delhi High Court had deprecated the MoD rule that prohibited grant of disability and war injury benefits to premature retirees. Similar orders were passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and later upheld by the SC.In 2009, the MoD issued a letter authorising disability benefits to voluntary retirees but had restricted its applicability to only post-2006 retirees. The cut-off date of 2006 was also struck down by the Principal as well as Chandigarh Benches of the Armed Forces Tribunal and the decision was reinforced in 2014 by a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court headed by Justice Hemant Gupta. The MoD, however, continued to refuse benefits to affected disabled personnel, except those who approached courts.In November 2015, a committee of experts constituted by then Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, to reduce litigation in the armed forces come down heavily on the MoD for indulging in filing frivolous appeals against its employees, including disabled soldiers.The panel specifically recommended the removal of the prohibition once it had been struck down by courts. The committee stated that the denial of benefits was based upon a “false foundation, wrong inputs and unethical propaganda”.

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 4

Switching back to the practice it discontinued in the early 2000s, the Army in a joint operation with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the J&K Police today carried out a “cordon and search operation” in villages and towns in south Kashmir, signalling a change in military tactics aimed at gaining an upper hand over militancy in the state.This morning, the Army backed by the CRPF and the J&K Police rolled out at least four battalions — comprising 4,000 troops backed by helicopters and UAVs — bringing back the operational strategy used in the 1990s, said a senior functionary.The cordon and search operation, referred to as “CASO” in military parlance, was around specific villages and hamlets suspected to be safe havens for militants in Shopian district, 60 km south of Srinagar. “We have beefed up our counter-infiltration posture in J&K,” Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said in Delhi today.The Army is conducting a combing operation in the state to bring the situation under control, said General Rawat, adding a rise in casualties and bank robberies was a major reason for ordering the operation. Sources said the operation was spread across 80-100 sq kms.The CASO had been discontinued as it caused undue hardship to local population, alienating them from the forces, a senior official in the security establishment said.Instead, the forces had moved to intelligence-backed operations. Top brass of the Army has been told that operations will have to continue and the Army will have to get “physical control of the area”, the sources said.The Army has also told the government that Pakistan-based terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahedeen are operating together and sharing resources — a phenomenon common in the early 2000s.

Getting ‘physical control of area’The Army has brought back cordon and search operation (CASO), used in the 1990s, to bring the situation under control in the ValleyThe Army had switched to intelligence-backed operations in early 2000s as the CASO caused undue hardship to local populationThe top brass has been told that operations will have to continue and the Army will have to get ‘physical control of area’

Will ‘retaliate’ against beheading

• New Delhi: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday reacted to the beheading of two soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector in J&K by the Pakistan army, saying the security forces will retaliate to these actions.
• Replying to a volley of questions on whether the Army will respond to the barbaric act, General Rawat, without giving a direct reply, said the armed forces would effectively respond to such actions by the neighbouring country.
• “We do not talk about plans beforehand. We share details after execution of the plan,” General Rawat said. Pressed further, he said, “When this kind of action takes place, we also carry out retaliatory action.” He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event. — TNS

Army personnel who had brought the body in a sealed coffin tried to persuade them not to open the coffin.

 Uttar Pradesh Minister Surya Pratap Shahi at the cremation of slain BSF head constable Prem Sagar in Deoria. (Photo: PTI)

Century-old residential buildings on the periphery of Jallianwala Bagh pose a threat to the lives of tourists visiting the memorial in Amritsar. Tribune photo: Vishal Kumar

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 18

Blame it on lack of political will or funds, the poor upkeep of the historic Jallianwala Bagh ends up denting the significance it has.The 6.5-acre park houses a memorial established in 1951 to commemorate the martyrs massacred by the British on April 13, 1919.Despite it being declared a heritage site by Union Minister Arun Jaitley, the Jallianwala Bagh is in a dismal state.The century-old structures that share its boundary wall are on the verge of collapse, putting to risk the lives of thousands of visitors.The bullet markings are missing at several points. While the dusty paths and heaps of garbage point towards a lack of maintenance, the light and sound show facility installed in 2010 has been lying defunct for more than four years.Similarly, the 18-minute documentary, which was shown through a projector daily in seven shows at a 50-seat hall at the park, too has been discontinued. An official said a report to revamp the infrastructure and conservation of the old buildings on the periphery of the park was prepared, but nothing came of it. “The trust headed by the PM hasn’t scheduled even a single meeting since the NDA government under Narendra Modi came to power. Proposals were made several times and once, even the tenders were called, but in vain,” he said.The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, which is responsible for the park’s upkeep, runs under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. It comes directly under the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Culture.Lately, Union Minister of Tourism Mahesh Sharma visited the place. Dejected by the dismal state of affairs, he termed it ‘pathetic’.MP Shwait Malik, who had raised the issue in Parliament recently, alleged negligence on the part of the trust. “A comprehensive plan has been conceptualised to overhaul the infrastructure. The Centre will be commemorating the centenary of the massacre in 2019. Before that, this plan will have to be executed. The northern side buildings on the bagh’s periphery have already been purchased from the owner. There is a proposal to convert it into a library…“The other rickety structures too will be preserved. The light and sound show will be replaced with a 4-D audio-video system,” he said.Sukhdev Singh, convener of INTACH, Punjab, which is into preserving historic sites, said, “At present, its façade has been changed totally with inappropriate construction. Conservation experts need to be taken into the loop before taking up the revamp plan.”

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 30

The latest images of militants on social media sites show a group of nine masked men armed with assault rifles, wearing fatigues and posing in front of an Islamist black flag.The images have surfaced on the social media and instant messaging mobile applications despite the state government banning the use of online communication tools.The ban has been implemented by the telecom companies but circumvented by local users by using proxy and virtual private network applications. The use of virtual private networks or VPNs has reduced the practicability of the government’s ban to zero.With the use of VPNs, the users are able to access all 22 social media sites and instant messaging applications which the state government had banned earlier this week.The latest set of pictures released by militants on social media sites include 12 images shot at an unidentified mountainous location.It is rare for militants to pose before a black flag, which has become synonymous with global militant movements like the Al-Qaida and Islamic State, but it fits into the pattern of recent statements in which several militants have vowed to fight for an Islamist cause and have rejected nationalism.Militants have also been able to release a video in which one of them is seen lecturing and training a batch of new recruits about the use of assault rifle. The video, which was shared on Facebook last night, has generated nearly 50,000 views and has been shared by almost 1,500 users.The ban on social media sites and instant messaging applications includes the three most popular platforms: Facebook — where the militant video and picture have been shared —Twitter and Whatsapp.It is for the first time that the state government has banned social media in the Kashmir valley even as the shutdown of internet has been a frequent feature in the region.

Virtual private networks at work

• The ban on social media sites and instant messaging applications has been implemented by the telecom companies but circumvented by local users, who use proxy and virtual private network applications
• The use of virtual private networks or VPNs has reduced the practicability of the ban to zero. With the use of VPNs

PoJK refugees seek internally displaced persons’ status

Jammu, April 30

Refugees of the Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) have sought internally displaced persons (IDP) status for them.An organisation — Roots in PoJK — said those who survived the massacre at Muzaffarbad, Mirpur, Kotli and Bimber areas of the occupied Kashmir had faced untold miseries and should be provided facilities as given to IDPs across the world by the United Nations.“The entire world witnessed the forced displacement of the minority community due to the aggression of Pakistan since 1947. Lakhs of people left their movable and immovable properties in the areas of Mirpur, Muzaffrabad, Kotli, Bhimber, Sudhnati and Rawlakote which is still under the illegal occupation of Pakistan,” said Ronik Sharma, head, Roots in PoJK.He said a majority of people who had faced displacement were Hindus and Sikhs and many of them had lost their family members. — TNS

Dangerous trend in Kashmir
Soldiers near the attack site in Kupwara. tribune photo: Amin War
Arun Joshi
tribune news service
Thursday morning’s fidayeen attack at an Army camp in Panzgam, Kupwara, in many ways was more terrifying than most terror attacks since July 1999 —- the first suicide attack on Army camp in Kashmir.
Never before had the locals gheraoed an Army camp to seek the bodies of the fidayeen. It seems an increase in the combatant role of the civilians, taking it to the next level from that of protests at encounter sites.
Earlier, the crowds would raise slogans and hurl stones to enable the militants to escape alive from the encounter sites. That has happened so many times that now it is beyond the memorised statistics. This new phenomenon indicates new challenges thrown at the security forces, which are now being forced to shun restraint.
Any civilian casualty in this kind of a situation spells double trouble for the Army. One, it suffers casualties, which in itself is a horrifying scenario. Two, dealing with the stone-hurling menacing crowds deters it from search operations besides bringing a bad name to it for targeting protesting civilians.
Crowds on Thursday were seeking militants’ bodies to stall the investigations. Normally, the DNA tests are conducted to nail Pakistan’s involvement. The fidayeen in almost 100 per cent of the cases are foreigners, and mostly Pakistanis. Islamabad and its agents were behind this situation.
What should be remembered is that the civilian killings put the Army on the back foot. Separatists and politicians like Farooq Abdullah then get a chance to abuse the Army and India.
There is another spectrum. That is, the timing of the attack at a time when videos showing the new power of militants are in circulation, hailing their own will to fight unto the last in a bid to inspire others.
Another aspect that comes to the fore is that despite being the victim of so many fidayeen attacks, the security forces have not adopted the safety requirements against such attacks. They should have been more alert this time when they knew that new batches of infiltrators were trying to sneak into the country from across the Line of Control. Kupwara is a border district. This adds to their vulnerabilities.
Fresh security assessment needs to be made in the light of the new trend that has the potential to spread across the Valley — beyond the confines of the Army camps and surroundings.
Never before had the locals gheraoed an Army camp to seek the bodies of the fidayeen. It seems an increase in the combatant role of the civilians, taking it to the next level from that of protests at encounter sites.

PLAYING CHINESE CHECKERS IN NEPAL BY MAJ GEN ASHOK K. MEHTA (RETD)

ANOTHER FAYAZ…BY BRIG GURINDER SINGH (RETD)

MARTYR’S KIN GET RS 1 LAKH FROM NGO

AC, SOFA, CARPET PUT UP AT MARTYR’S HOME REMOVED AFTER YOGI’S VISIT

PAK SHELLING LEAVES VILLAGERS SHOCKED

CENTRE TO SPEND RS 11,000 CR ON ROADS IN NAXAL-AFFECTED DISTRICTS

CHINA VOWS $124 BN FOR NEW SILK ROAD SNUBS ABSENTEE INDIA, SAYING BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE RESPECTS ‘TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY’

CHINA, PAK TAKE VEILED SWIPE AT INDIA

2,000 FROM LOC SHIFT TO CAMPS BORDER VILLAGES IN NOWSHERA EVACUATED AS PAK FIRING CONTINUES

WHAT AILS THE ARMY’S OFFICER CLASS?

MILITANT LEADER QUITS HIZB AFTER WAR OF WORDS

AT LT FAYAZ’S HOME, A ‘SPEECHLESS’ FAMILY TRIES TO COPE WITH THEIR LOSS

ARMY CHIEF VISITS CHETAK CORPS

RESH ORDERS FOR CALCULATING PENSION OF PRE-2016 RETIREES

INDIA’S LONGEST BRIDGE TO BE INAUGURATED NEAR CHINA BORDER

UD CHIEF HAFIZ SAEED SPREADING TERRORISM IN NAME OF JIHAD: PAKISTAN

2 MILITANTS KILLED IN HANDWARA GUNFIGHT:TWO LASHKAR MILITANTS KILLED IN HANDWARA

PRIDE OF KASHMIR: LT UMMER FAYAZ

CONCESSIONARY FARE ::SENIOR CITIZEN

PUNJAB NEWS :::15 MAY 2017

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