Discussions for the creation of a Joint Services Act by the government featured in the Army Commanders’ conference along with talks on training in the fields of space, artificial intelligence and military education, keeping in mind modern warfare.

NEW DELHI: The need for a Joint Services Act to integrate the three armed forces, ahead of the creation of the post of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), was taken up during the ongoing Army Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Officials said discussions at the conference also featured around rollout of training for Army personnel in the fields of space, artificial intelligence and military education, keeping in mind the changing spectrums of war and conflicts.

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Considered a bridge too far since Independence and despite the innumerable odds, the Kartarpur corridor — a 4.6-km border crossing to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan — would be thrown open to public on November 9

Work underway at the site of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur (Pakistan), which will be opened next month for pilgrims from India. 

Two Indian Air Force (IAF) officers will face court-martial for the Mi-17 chopper crash in which six of its personnel were killed due to friendly fire by own missile system on February 27 over Srinagar. As many as four other officers will also face administrative action in the case which includes two Air Commodores (equivalent to Army Brigadiers) and two Flight Lieutenants (Captain equivalents in Army) for their respective roles in the entire case. “Two officers including a Group Captain and a Wing Commander would be tried by a court-martial for their lapses in the case due to which six IAF personnel were killed in friendly fire,” defence sources told news agency ANI. On the morning of February 27, when Pakistan counter-attacked in response to the Balakot airstrike, an IAF Mi-17 chopper crashed over Budgam area near Srinagar killing all six of its occupants. It was revealed that the chopper was hit by its own air defence system SPYDER deployed in Srinagar. The chopper of the Srinagar-based 154 Helicopter Unit crashed within 10 minutes of taking off even as a dogfight raged over 100 kilometres away between intruding Pakistani jets and the IAF, in which Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was also involved. Six IAF personnel onboard and a civilian on the ground had lost their lives in the crash. Soon after taking over, newly-appointed IAF chief RKS Bhadauria had stated that the Mi-17 chopper crash on February 27 was a “big mistake” on part of the Air Force. Earlier, Bhadauria had said, “Court of Inquiry has completed and it was our mistake as our missile had hit our own chopper.” The fateful Mi-17 helicopter was shot down by an Indian missile when Indian air defences were on high alert following the February 26 Balakot airstrike that targetted a terrorist camp in Pakistan. The helicopter crashed near Budgam, killing all six Indian Air Force personnel on board. The helicopter was flown by squadron leader Siddharth Vashisht with other members squadron leader Ninad Mandvgane, Kumar Pandey, sergeant Vikrant Sehrawat, corporals Deepak Pandey and Pankaj Kumar.

idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website http://idrw.org/2-iaf-officers-face-court-martial-4-others-administrative-action-for-shooting-down-of-mi-17-chopper/ .

Coffee Table Book on Rezang La Battle likely to be released on 18 Nov 2019 on the Rezang La Day. Foreword written by Brig Jatar, senior most living veteran who was deployed ay Mugger Hill as OIC B & D Coys on thay fateful night.

About The Author

Col NN Bhatia, popularly known as Nini Bhatia in the army was commissioned in 13 Kumaon (Rezang La) in mid 1963 and retired in Sept 1995 after 32 years of distinguished service. He is a diehard Kumaoni & written four books-Kumaoni Nostalgia, Industrial & Infrastructure Security in two volumes & biography of legendary Kumaoni mountaineer Col Narinder Kumar ‘Bull’ of the international fame-‘Soldier Mountaineer’. He is prolific writer & has been columnist with ‘Lahore Times’ & ‘Turkey Tribune’. He regularly contributes articles on matters military, national, industrial and infrastructure security and is a free lance industrial security consultant of national repute. He is deeply involved for the repatriation of 54 Indian prisoners of war (POWs) languishing in the Pakistani jails since 1971 war and welfare of retired soldiers in distress, ‘Veer Naris’ and their families. He can be contacted on narindrabhatia@hotmail.com and 9818044762.

About the Book
13 Kumaon became the first pure Ahir Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment prior to the 1962 Sino-Indian War. As there was no other Battalion with 100% Ahir composition, there were misgivings in some quarters. However, these were soon laid to rest when the Battalion faced its baptism of fire in Chushul in the 1962 Sino-Indian war and covered itself with glory. The gallant men of C Company of the Battalion under their redoubtable Company Commander, Late Major Shaitan Singh, PVC put up a fight at Rezang La, the like of which was never fought by any Unit in the Indian Army in its entire history and the nearest example perhaps could be ‘The Battle of Saragarhi’- both depicting bitterest irony of life that the greatest acts of the chivalry, bravery and sacrifice occur against the heaviest odds. Out of the 124 brave hearts, 120 were martyred pitched against overwhelming 4000-5000 Chinese hordes having superior weapons and logistic support!
Since 1962 Sino- Indian War has not been de-classified, many authors have written articles and books on the ‘Battle of Rezang La’ but most of these are factually incorrect and lack firsthand knowledge of the troops, the terrain and the conduct of the Battle. Col Bhatia was commissioned in 13 Kumaon located at Darbuk half way between Leh and Chushul after the Rezang La. He visited Chushul on the first anniversary of the Rezang La Battle and interacted with the few war survivors with whom he served for many years. He had for years discussed the epic Battle with late Lt Gen DD Saklani, PVSM, AVSM who was the Adjutant of 13 Kumaon during the war and Maj (later Brig) Raghunath V Jatar (Retd) who was deployed at Mugger Hill on that fateful night. He had access to the Battalion’s War Diary and rare photographs, maps and sketches of that period. According to author, ‘I hope this book written ‘straight from the heart’ of the soldier within me, will motivate our armed forces, youth and posterity. Reading the book with somewhat the same emotions that run in me, would eventually bind you to my writings -leaving you humming ‘Bedu Pako Bara Massa’ or ‘Attarah November Basath Ko’ synergizing your enjoyment while unfolding soul stirring Macaulay’s inscription on the Chushul Memorial constructed to commemorate the 114 fallen martyrs who fought against heavy odds on 18 November 1962 in the Rezang La Battle, replicating remarkable story of a valiant last stand on 12 September 1897 at the Battle of Saragarhi that would reverberate around forever.

‘Will you stand with me?
Fight and die if need be?
Hold against the hordes until the last man falls?
Will you sacrifice all you have gained in life?
Reject your comfort for a greater end?
Stand together never waiver,
Brave in the face of overwhelming odds,
For our future and for freedom,
We unite in liberty, or death’.

From When Myth and History Merged with Mystery.
Matti Frost

New Delhi, October 8

Pakistan has activated at least 20 terror camps and another 20 launch pads along the Line of Control with increased efforts to ensure infiltration of as many terrorists as it can into Jammu and Kashmir before the onset of winter, officials said on Tuesday.

The terror training camps and launch pads, with at least 50 terrorists in each, were activated after these were temporarily shut down following the bombing of a CRPF bus in Pulwama in February and subsequent retaliatory bombing of terror camps in Balakot by the Indian Air Force.

Pakistani agencies were desperately looking to carry out spectacular terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and even in the hinterlands following the abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and its bifurcation into two Union Territories, a security official said quoting intelligence inputs.

Since the terrorists have not been able to carry out any major attack, the Pakistani agencies were trying hard to push as many terrorists as they can into Jammu and Kashmir.

“We have intelligence inputs that Pakistan has activated at least 20 terror training camps and another 20 launch pads with about 50 terrorists in each. All these terrorists will infiltrate through LoC wherever and whenever there are opportunities,” the official said.

Even though the security forces remain on high alert and have enhanced their vigil along the border, many terrorists have been able to infiltrate in recent weeks.

Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh has said 200 to 300 terrorists are active in the state and Pakistan has intensified cross-border firing to push in as many of them as possible before the onset of winter.

“The number of active terrorists (in Jammu and Kashmir) is between 200 to 300… The figure usually does not remain static and goes up and down,” Singh told reporters during a visit to the border district of Poonch on Sunday.

Singh has also said a large number of ceasefire violations are taking place in both Kashmir and Jammu regions.

The ceasefire violations have been taking place in Kanachak, R S Pura and Hira Nagar (along the International Border) and quite frequently along the LoC in Poonch, Rajouri, Uri, Nambla, Karnah and Keran.

There have also been intelligence inputs that top terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad, operating in Jammu and Kashmir, have recently held a meeting and decided to intensify their attacks on security forces and other sensitive targets, another official said.

Following the central government’s August 5 announcement of the abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has also intensified its diplomatic offensive against India, especial in the West.

In the recently concluded United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the situation in Kashmir would deteriorate once the restrictions imposed there is lifted.

“You hope for the best but be prepared for the worst,” he said.

Khan said once the curfew is lifted, “there will be a reaction” and India would blame Pakistan.

“Two nuclear-armed countries will come face to face, like we came in February,” he said, a reference to the stand-off between the two nations following the Pulwama terror attack and India’s subsequent air strikes on terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan.

The central government has been maintaining that there is no curfew or restriction in Jammu and Kashmir and Section 144 of the CrPC (banning unlawful assembly) is in force in only 10 police station areas of Kashmir, out of 196 police stations.

India would like to make itself useful to countries in the Indian Ocean Region, and leverage its size and advantages to help the economy and security of the countries in its vicinity, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has said. Doval, who was in Goa to attend the 2nd Goa Maritime Conclave for the Indian Ocean Region countries hosted by the Navy, reached out to countries of the Indian Ocean offering them the technological and infrastructural facilities that India has been able to build up.

“India has certain geographical advantages and also the advantage of size… and having initiated some of the things can add to the common goal,” Doval said. “The technological and infrastructural facilities that India has been able to build up, we would like to throw open and make it available for the best use of the countries of the region,” Ajit Doval said, pointing out that India had provided navigational warnings, and hydrographic surveys to the neighbouring countries.

“In our neighbourhood first policy, this is our commitment. That in fighting terror, organised crime, drug trafficking, narcotics, arms smuggling, we would like to cooperate with all of you,” he said.
“But India still lacks in many areas where we would like to develop and grow, but in a way where we would not only maximise our national benefits but also become more useful to countries in our neighbourhood,” Doval said.

Doval, however, underscored that the plan was only to cooperate and not become a naval alliance.

“I would like to underline that we are not part of any alliance. Our cooperation is not directed against any country. Our cooperation is truly intended and focussed on bringing about a change that will only add towards the prosperity of each country and region,” Doval said.
“There are many things that need to be done but none of us are in a position to do it alone but together we can do and contribute and that brings about the element of contra complementarity. It has got a much greater space because all of us have a non-contiguous relationships, we do not have any areas of strategic conflict. We consider that anything that is good for one country is going to contribute to the wellness of the rest,” Doval said.

The maritime conclave is being hosted by Karambir Singh, the Chief of Naval Staff and witnessed the naval chiefs of Indian Ocean littoral countries including the countries of Maldives, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Indonesia, Singapore, Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, Myanmar and others.

Earlier, Chief of Naval Staff Karambir Singh listed out the problems facing the Indian Ocean Region countries and the challenges the navies faced.
“Climate change, rising sea levels, natural calamities pose clear and present dangers. Maritime terror, drug smuggling IUU (illegal unreported unregulated) fishing, poaching, trafficking, etc, have increasingly occupied navies across the region,” Singh said in his inaugural speech.

“Thirdly, there is a recognition that no one nation can do it all alone. The vastness of the oceans is only contradicted by the inadequacy of our individual resources. No single entity can single-handedly requisition the full scale of assets, economics and expertise to tackle the gamut of challenges faced. This is also crucial, given the transnational nature of threats,” he added.

Gen. Bipin Rawat

COAS

Indian Army

Respected sir,

Let me begin with congratulating you on holding your prestigious office. It may not be unreasonable to say that you must have worked really hard in your service towards our beloved country. You must have been as dedicated as any farmer is to his field, probably even more. Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan. Both you and the farmers are sons of soil, whose lives are devoted to the motherland. You dedicated your life to serving our beloved country. I cannot even fathom the number of sacrifices you must have made to honour the call of duty. Well, thank you so much for everything.

However, today I am constrained to write this letter to you. I believe that as one of the citizens of our beloved country (because that is what connects your office to me) I can write to you in distress. I have seen your pictures on various social media platforms, interacting with families of your larger family of our Armed Forces. That is when I thought that I could write to you because of your commitment towards your service, which is so evident from the pictures.

I have never done this before and therefore allow me room for a few errors too, which are purely unintentional. I have never written to any other COAS; you stand apart so much. Imagine, just imagine, a commoner in India can think of approaching you on a public platform in a situation of distress. The trust that you’ve built for yourself just speaks for itself.

Sir, when I was in school and later in college, I listened to and read stories about Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, whom we all so fondly remember as our “Sam Bahadur”. It is very difficult to explain how he is so “ours” even today and that too when most of us never met him. His stories are awe-inspiring and I am sure that you remember most of those stories. After all it is that honourable legacy that you have been called to shoulder, because you hold today one of the most respected offices. It would be difficult to disagree that if our Sam Bahadur heard this, he would say that it is not just one man but all the men in uniform—the soldiers, officers and jawans alike—who make this institution what it is. Who make it respected almost to the degree of being revered.

Sir, I may be inexperienced and may not be as knowledgeable as you are. That is an absurd comparison on my part. However, with whatever little experience I have, I understand that with greater power comes even greater responsibility. And the ability, rather sensibility, to exercise restraint is one of the non-negotiable aspects of that responsibility. That is so pretty much irrespective of the context.

In this regard, I feel extremely distressed by your absolutely unprovoked statements that are doing the rounds these days. You will always know more than me but even then I can sense a blatant lack of responsibility in your statements on the latest turn of events in the Valley. You have been making statements saying, “If the adversary has to activate LoC, that is his choice.”

There are two other statements attributed to you, that are very provoking in nature and that too without anybody provoking you. In fact it kind of disturbs me to even quote them here. Links to them are here and here for your ready reference.

These statements are devoid of the degree of rationality and responsibility that comes with the office you hold today. We are not talking about a cricket match, that a provocation like that is harmless. Unfortunately it appears that these unprovoked “warnings” were intended to provoke. And I hope I am absolutely wrong here.

Sir, courage does not align with jingoism. There is as much courage in exercising restraint for the greater good as lies in fighting a rightful battle. We live in times when our beloved country must only work towards solutions through peaceful means. This being our first choice, it should be expressed through our words and backed by such actions.

Preparedness to defend ourselves, should the need arise, that is something different. It is not the same as telling somebody again and again that, ‘Hey, I am prepared, remember I am prepared, dare you, I am prepared.’ This is plain and simple provocation. I find it very disturbing to see all this coming from you.

It is never a wrong think for any adult to pause, take stock and reassess. You may have done it many times. Please do reassess once again to check if these statements stem from a false machismo than the degree of maturity required. I believe that in delicate situations, restraint and maturity will save coming generations.

Sir, would it be wrong to assume that just like the rest of us, even you were heartbroken, disgusted and extremely ashamed of those fellow citizens/netizens who viciously trolled Mita Santra, the wife of one of our slain CRPF jawans whom we lost to the dastardly attack in Pulwama in February.

Mita was trolled for not wanting war and her firm belief that “war is never a solution”. She was trolled by jingoistic Indians. Armchair self-proclaimed patriots questioned her integrity and love for her family. This was barely a few days after her life had changed forever.

In this distressing and very difficult situation, may I request you to kindly exercise your discretion in making public statements a little more judiciously. Because with power, you have also been bestowed with greater responsibility. Would it also be possible to keep some good distance from politics and politicians alike? After all, it is our beloved Sam Bahadur’s legacy and you would remember that he had the courage to speak truth to power and say ‘no’ when required, even putting his service at stake. I am guessing that during his time, there was nothing called a “career” in the Army and it was actually a “service” to the beloved nation.

Sir, I stumbled upon one of Manekshaw’s lectures on YouTube and it turned out to be a real gem. It would be wrong to assume that you have not seen it yet. But considering you are all over the media, taking out time to pause, think and reassess is very difficult. Here is a link for your ready reference. I would urge you to please make time to watch it. Maybe your watching it would help our beloved country and each one of us, individually and collectively, and future generations will be indebted.

I sincerely thank you for your time and consideration and hope we shall see more maturity and restraint in your statements and absolutely no provocation, even unintentional.

Sir, congratulations once again. I read that you are being considered for the proposed post of Chief of Defence Staff. Even greater power—very high degree of responsibility.

In anticipation,

Yours truly,

Shruti, a helpless citizen of our sovereign socialist, secular, democratic republic.

Shruti Lokre is Mumbai-based lawyer. Views are personal.