Accounts for 7.7 per cent of Army’s manpower, though its share in national population is 2.3 per cent

hoto for representational purpose only. Reuters

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 15

Piping its neighbours, Punjab, often referred to as the sword army of the nation, has the second highest number of soldiers, other than officers, serving in the Army amongst all states and union territories in the country.

The strength of army personnel from Punjab is 89,088, according to information placed by the Ministry of Defence in Parliament today. This accounts for 7.7 per cent of the Army’s rank and file, even though its share of the national population is 2.3 per cent.

With 1,67,557 soldiers, Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states contributing manpower to the Army. While Uttar Pradesh, the nation’s most populous state, makes up 16.5 per cent of the country’s population, its share in the rank and file is 14.5 per cent. Maharashtra, with 87,835 soldiers occupies the third slot followed by Rajasthan, with 79,481 soldiers.

Among other states in the region, Haryana is sixth in the national tally while Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh 11th and 12th position, respectively. The contribution of these states to the Army, however, is significantly more than their share of the national population.

The Ministry’s data shows that with 65,987 soldiers, Haryana accounts for 5.7 per cent of the rank and file where as its share of the national population is 2.09 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh have 47,457 and 46,960 active duty soldiers, respectively. While they account for 1.01 per cent and 0.57 per cent of the national population, respectively, they make up 4.1 and 4 per cent of the army’s strength,

The Army currently has 11,51,726 soldiers on its rolls against the authorised strength of 12,29,559, facing a deficiency of 77,833 men in the ranks. As far as officers, other than those in the medical stream, are concerned, the present holding is 42,959 against the authorised 50,806.  

Unlike the Air Force and the Navy, the Army does not maintain state-wise details of the number of officers on its strength. As far as the Air Force is concerned, Haryana has the second highest number of officers after Uttar Pradesh and the third highest number of airmen.

Incidentally, the number of doctors presently with the Army Medical Corps and the Army Dental Corps is 6,608, which is higher that the sanctioned strength of 5,736. The posted strength of Military Nursing Officers at present is 3,841 against the authorised number of 4,389.

The region has a strong martial heritage and a rich military history that dates back thousands of years, and is a witness to many wars and battles. Joining the armed forces is a tradition in many families and several generations have donned the uniform.

In the infantry, the largest component of the army, the Punjab Regiment, Dogra Regiment, Sikh Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry, Jammu and Kashmir Regiment, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and Ladakh Scouts draw their manposer from this region. Soldiers from these states also make up a sizable chunk of other arms and services.

Vacancies in the rank and file are allotted to the state on the basis of their respective population. In case a state fails to fill up the allotted vacancies, these can then filled from, other states.

New delhi: 

Five Lieutenant Colonels, a Major and a Lieutenant of the Indian Army were among 23 people named by the CBI in an investigation into corruption involving recruitment to the force on Monday following searches in 30 places in 13 cities.

The accused include 17 army personnel in all and six others with “allegations pertaining to bribery and irregularities in recruitment of officers and other ranks through Service Selection Board”, the CBI said.

The agency said the case was registered based on a complaint from the office of Additional Directorate General, Discipline & Vigilance, Adjutant General’s Branch, Integrated HQ of Ministry of Defence (Army).

The CBI received a complaint last month that serving personnel were involved in accepting bribes for helping candidates clear medical exams at the Base Hospital in New Delhi.

Lt Col MVSNA Bhagwan of the Army Air Defence Corps, the alleged mastermind of the recruitment racket, is among those named, they said.

The complaint said that Lt Col Bhagwan, currently on study leave, and Naib Subedar Kuldeep Singh also received kickbacks from potential officer candidates at SSB centres.

The agency said that Lt Col Surender Singh of 31 SSB centre North; Lt Col YS Chauhan of 6 Mountain Division Ordnance Unit; Lt Col Sukhdev Arora of Directorate General of Recruiting; Lt Col Vinay, GTO, Selection Centre South, Bangalore; and Major Bhavesh Kumar allegedly facilitated the selection of candidates through SSB.

It is alleged that bribes in several lakh rupees were paid to the officers and their relatives through cheques, cash, and online transfers for the selection of candidates, they said.

Searches were conducted today at 30 places including the Base Hospital at the Delhi Cantonment, other army establishments, civilian areas covering 13 cities, the CBI said.

The locations searched include those in Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Guwahati, Kapurthala, Bathinda, Kaithal, Palwal, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Vishakhapatnam, Jorhat and Chirangon.

CommentsThe searches led to the recovery of several incriminating documents which are being studied, the agency said

he accused: Lt Col Surender Singh, SSB, Kapurthala, Lt Col YS Chauhan, 6 Mountain Division, Bareilly, Lt Col Sukhdev Arora, DG Recruiting New Delhi, Lt Col Vinay, GTO, Banglore, Lt Navjot Singh Kanwar, 21 Mountain Division, Guwahati, Lt Col MVSNA Bhagwan, AAD Corps, Main Subedar Kuldeep Singh, Delhi Cantt etc. Some family members of serving personnel have also been booked.

These weapon systems have been a part of the Regiment of Artillery for over half a century

The decommissioning ceremony was held at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in north-western Rajasthan, where the last customary salvos were fired.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16

The Indian Army on Tuesday decommissioned two of the longest-serving artillery weapon systems, the 130mm M-46 Catapult self-propelled guns and the 160mm Tampella mortars.

These weapon systems have been a part of the Regiment of Artillery for over half a century. The decommissioning ceremony was held at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in north-western Rajasthan, where the last customary salvos were fired.

The Catapult was an integration of the Soviet origin M-46 towed artillery gun with the hull of the Vijayanta tank. While the Catapult was first produced in 1987, the army had started procuring the M-46 from 1986 onwards.

About 1,000 guns, which had a range of 27 km, had been inducted. In 2008, about 180 of these guns were upgraded to 155 mm caliber by Israel and some more were similarly modified by the Ordnance Factory Board.

Close to 100 Catapults using the 130 mm guns were built on the Vijayanta’s hull. Later, the Army carried out trials on the Arjun tank’s hull which reportedly proved to be successful and a requirement of 40 such systems had been projected.

The Tampella was a heavy mortar weighing 7,300 kg that fired a projectile weighing over 40 kg to a range of 8 km. Only a limited number of these weapons had been procured and given their weight, 7-member crew strength and range, were no longer relevant in today’s operational environment. They were last used in the Kargil conflict.

The K-9 Vajra 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, Dhanush 155 mm  towed artillery gun and the US made M-777 155 mm ultra-light howitzer are among recent inductions in Regiment of Artillery to replace old obsolete weapons.

An Indian Army soldier with the Sig 716 rifle | Photo: Snehesh Alex Philip | ThePrintText Size: A- A+

Chaubatia (Uttarakhand): With the much awaited deal for AK 203 getting delayed, the Army is equipping its over 400 infantry battalions with the American Sig Sauer assault rifles, procured under fast-tracked process (FTP), as against the original plan to arm only its frontline troops with the latest weapon.

The Army had initially bought the Sig 716 G2 Patrol assault/battlefield rifles, chambered for the 7.62×51 mm rounds, in 2019 under FTP for frontline soldiers — posted at the borders and involved in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations.

However, all infantry battalions are now getting equipped with the American rifles, sources in the defence establishment said.

This will replace some of the obsolete Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56×45 mm rifles in use for over two decades.

According to the plan, at least two companies (about 100 soldiers each) in all the infantry battalions are being given the Sig 716 — irrespective of whether they are in the field or at peace stations.

The quantity will, however, differ with some of the battalions getting more weapons and the others.

Each infantry battalion of the Army has four companies, commonly referred to as the Alfa, Bravo, Charlie and Delta companies.

However, certain battalions have their own unique names. For example, 1 Mahar as the Whiskey, X Ray, Yankee and Zulu company. 13 Kumaon does not have a Charlie company but is called Rezang La company in honour of the fallen soldiers of C company.

ThePrint had in December 2020 reported that while the initial lot of the modern assault rifles from the US was sent to those guarding the Line of Control with Pakistan and for counter-terrorism operations in Kashmir, troops at the LAC in the northern sector in Ladakh are also being equipped with it now.

In December, the Defence Acquisition Council had accorded approval for the procurement of additional 72,400 Sig 716 rifles for approximately Rs 780 crore. This was also done under FTP and is part of the option clause of the original deal signed in 2019.

Also read: From next week, troops at LoC and LAC to get new & more lethal Israeli Light Machine Guns 

Shoot to kill

The Sig 716 rifles are more accurate and lethal than the INSAS because it has a higher caliber — 7.62 mm as against 5.56 mm.

It was in the 1980s that the Indian Army sought a lighter assault rifle chambered to fire the 5.56×45 mm cartridge. It was meant to provide relief to the Indian soldiers who fought the Siachen battle and the LTTE in Sri Lanka with the 5.1 kg Ishapore 7.62×51 mm rifle, but the INSAS has faced constant issues since its introduction in 1998.

At that time, the Army’s logic was that the rifle should injure an enemy soldier. This meant at least 2-3 other soldiers will be required to take away the injured soldier. However, with warfare tactics changing and the Army getting involved in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations too, the force wanted a high caliber weapon that is a “shoot to kill system”.

SiG 716 an instant hit with soldiers

Weighing just 3.82 kg without the magazine, the American rifles were welcomed by the infantry soldiers that ThePrint spoke to.

They explained the rifle has an effective kill range of 600 metres and with greater accuracy than that of the INSAS.

With corking from behind than the side, which is the case in most of the small arms, the rifle becomes ambidextrous.

Even though the butt of the rifle is not collapsible, it comes with six adjustable positions, and hence comes handy in operations.

While the 2019 order for the Sig rifles included a limited set of ammunition, the Army is now using the Ordnance Factory Board rounds meant for the SLR rifles of the late 1980s.

“The Sig 716 is good for operations at the border and also in CI/CT. With a shorter barrel than that of the INSAS, it is good for room intervention operation and for urban warfare,” an officer explained.

AK 203 to be the mainstay of Army

The formal process to replace the INSAS began over a decade ago, but never saw the light of the day. Among the many reasons was the fact that the Army changed specifications for the replacement twice.

It first wanted a dual-caliber rifle which could shoot two types of cartridges — the AK-47 bullet and the INSAS bullet, much to the dismay of every small arms manufacturer in the world. The Army eventually scrapped the process and then demanded a modified INSAS.

However, in 2018, India and Russia announced a deal to jointly manufacture the AK 103, which was then upgraded to AK 203.

On 3 March 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an Indo-Russian joint venture, under which AK-203 will be manufactured at the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district.

However, cost negotiations for the over 6 lakh rifles got stuck. This forces the Army to go in for emergency procurement of the SiG 716 rifles in 2019 and again in 2020.

Under the deal, the first 20,000 AK 203 rifles, which will be the mainstay of the armed forces for years to come, will be imported from Russia at a cost of about $1,100 (or Rs 80,000) a piece, depending on the conversion rate.

(Edited by Sanghamitra Mazumdar)

Also read: Anil Ambani’s Reliance firm still not ready to showcase LMG for Army, trials delayed again

ational Defence Academy | Twitter | Headquarters Integrated Defence StaffText Size: A- A+

New Delhi: An internal probe by the Army revealed that at least two candidates made it into the prestigious Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, and another cleared the Service Selection Board (SSB) of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in December 2020 through corrupt practices, ThePrint has learnt. 

The investigation, sources in the defence establishment said, also revealed that a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) managed to become an officer in the Grenadiers regiment after paying close to Rs 10 lakh to the main accused, a Lieutenant Colonel rank officer.https://f4fde36d4c2d7edfe8b04b9ef1532ee8.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

The alleged scam is believed to involve several serving personnel, including five Lt Colonel rank officers and two Majors.

The probe began last month after the Army’s Military Intelligence wing got a tip-off about the alleged payment of bribes to clear rejected officer candidates during their review medical exam at the Base Hospital in New Delhi, sources told ThePrint. 

The Army investigation led to the identification of some of the accused. However, the Army chief, sources said, suspected that the scam may run deeper and directed that the case be handed over to the CBI, which filed an FIR in the matter Monday.

“The Army first did an internal investigation and found that there were many others who were involved, including serving officers and their family members. Having realised that the scale could be higher, the Army chief decided to hand over the case to the CBI so that a proper investigation could be done and this case be made an example of,” a source said.

Based on this direction, the Additional Directorate General, Discipline & Vigilance, Adjutant General’s Branch in the Army Headquarters, wrote to the CBI on 13 March, giving full details of the alleged scam. The case, the officer said, “involves wider network of service personnel and civilians”.

“To take this case to the logical conclusion, the case is being shared with CBI. The same will ensure that culprits do not go scot-free,” the Army note to the CBI said.

The CBI Monday booked 17 Army officers and personnel — including a Lt Col, Major, Naib Subedar, and Sepoy — and six private individuals, among others, for alleged bribery and irregularities in recruitment of officers and other ranks through SSB.

In a statement, the CBI said it had conducted searches at 30 places, including the Base Hospital, Delhi Cantonment, other Army establishments, and civilian areas covering 13 cities — Kapurthala, Bathinda, Delhi, Kaithal, Palwal, Lucknow, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Guwahati, Jorhat and Chirangon — and recovered several “incriminating documents”. The documents are being scrutinised as the investigation continues, the CBI added.

The aforementioned source said the allegations will lead to a lot of noise against the force, and questions on the recruitment format, but added that Army chief Gen M.M. Naravane “felt that a firm example should be made of all those who took part in this corrupt practice

Also read: ‘Booze Brigadier’ to egg & tent scams: Indian military must check falling standards in ethics

The accused

The Army’s internal probe led to the identification of Lt Col. MVSNA Bhagwan of the Army Air Defence as the alleged mastermind of the scam. Lt Col. Bhagwan is currently on study leave in Visakhapatnam.

Naib Subedar Kuldeep Singh, posted at the Base Hospital, Delhi Cantonment, is believed to be the main middleman who scouted for candidates willing to pay money for selection through the SSB.

Naib Subedar Singh is accused of seeking assistance from Lt Col Bhagwan for SSB exams “in lieu of money” and “touted aspiring candidates” to him, according to the Army probe.

Along with him, the Army has identified Major Bhavesh Kumar, Group Testing Officer, Selection Centre North, Kapurthala, Lt Col Surender Singh, 31 SSB Selection Centre North, Lt Col Y.S. Chauhan, 6 Mountain Division Ordnance Unit, Lt Col. Sukhdev Arora, Directorate General Recruiting, New Delhi, and Lt Col Vinay, Group Testing Officer, Selection Centre South Bangalore, as “facilitators”.

Besides them, the Army has identified Lieutenant Navjot Singh Kanwar of 12 Grenadiers for “fraudulently” clearing SSB for SL (Special List) Commission, a way for NCOs to become officers.

Others accused are Cadet Hemant Dagar, SSC (Tech)—53 OTA, along with Cadet Inderjeet NCC (SPL) Entry—47, OTA.

Havildar Pawan Kumar is accused of paying money to get his son Neeraj Kumar to clear the SSB. The son cleared the SSB at the NDA in December 2020.

The CBI FIR mentions more Army personnel as accused, including Major Amit Fagna of 422 Field Hospital Delhi Cantonment.

Modus operandi

Sources said the scam revolved around clearance of candidates rejected temporarily by the medical board. One of the accused, Havildar Rajesh Kumar, Independent Recruitment Organisation, Delhi Cantt, used to collect a list of such rejected candidates and divulged the merit list prematurely.

It is suspected that payments for these transactions used to be made through cash and UPI to family members of the accused, including parents.

Military Intelligence, sources said, managed to track down several UPI payments and also video footage of “packages being exchanged”.

The CBI FIR says Major Bhavesh Kumar allegedly accepted bribes for 10-11 candidates, while Lt Col Surender Singh is alleged to have “accepted bribe for selection of 10-15 candidates”. 

Also read: Don’t criticise CDS, service chiefs for integrity pledge. Accept corruption in armed forces

Role played by the crucial Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of RSS, which meets this week

ashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers taking part in ‘Path-Sanchalan’ in Ahmedabad (representational image) | PTIText Size: A- A+

New Delhi: The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the top decision-making body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is all set to hold its annual meeting in Bengaluru on 19-20 March. 

In recent years, there has always been a great deal of buzz and speculation around these meetings, especially since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ideological mentee of the RSS, came to power in 2014.https://1fa97e4ab79b4ddf37dc400f6e55f2f5.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Due to lack of an understanding about the structure and functioning of the ABPS, observers and commentators often end up interpreting these organisational meetings from a unidimensional perspective, with the RSS-BJP relationship as the reference point. The reality is quite different, though.

The structure of the ABPS itself defines its functioning. It is, therefore, important to understand it, although it may appear to be a little complex for a rank outsider.

Also read: Material mindset causing ‘unchecked desires’, stress and divorce, says RSS

Who all participate in the meeting & what all is discussed

The RSS functionaries at prant (state/province) level and above, take part in the ABPS meetings. In addition, representatives of more than three dozen organisations, which are ideological mentees of the RSS, also participate. 

The list of these organisations include Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Sewa Bharati, Vanvasi Kalyan Asram, Bharatiya Mazdoor Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Vidya Bharati, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal and Swadeshi Jagran Manch.

The meeting generally lasts between two and four days, and is attended by RSS brass, including the sarsanghchalak (chief mentor) and sarkaryavah (general secretary), who preside over it. There are several sessions during the day where issues are discussed, presentations about RSS activities on the ground are put forward and future plans made.

A report on the status of the RSS is also presented at the meeting by the sarkaryavah, and the challenges faced by the nation as well as a way forward for the organisation are also discussed. The representatives of different organisations also share an overview of their works, highlighting the new initiatives they have undertaken.

The objective is to replicate good practices in social work across sectors and throughout the country, while facilitating synergy among various organisations and initiatives taken at different levels by the swayamsevaks.

Also read: The media thinks the RSS is obsessed with the BJP. It couldn’t be more wronghttps://1fa97e4ab79b4ddf37dc400f6e55f2f5.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

ABPS meet to elect a new sarkaryavah this year

The members of the ABPS go back after every meeting with a message from the brass as to what is going to be the broad direction of the RSS work for the coming year. 

This message is then percolated down to the shakha-level through a series of meetings. The shakha is the basic unit of the RSS, which is held daily for an hour at more than 60,000 places across the country. It is broadly a one-hour meeting of RSS volunteers (swayamsevaks) where they take up activities aimed at creating people with noble character who keep the nation ahead of everything.

The ABPS usually also passes resolutions on issues of national significance, spelling out the RSS’ stand and approach on them. In the past, it has passed resolutions on issues ranging from cow protection, Sabarimala to India’s foreign policy.

The ABPS also forms an electoral college as according to the RSS’ constitution, the sarkaryavah has to be elected after every three years. The election of the sarkaryavah has always been unanimous ever since the process started in 1950 when ABPS met for the first time and elected Bhaiyya ji Dani to the position. This year the ABPS meet will elect a new sarkaryavah.

Over 1,000 members

The ABPS comprises delegates of RSS shakhas from all over the country — sanghchalaks (mentors), karyavahak (chief executive) and pracharaks (full-time workers) of kshetras (regions) and prantas (provinces). 

It also comprises members of Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal, another key decision-making body of the RSS, although a smaller body than ABPS.

According to the constitution of the RSS, “The ABPS shall review the work of the sangh and lay down its policies and programmes. Sarkaryavah may invite certain categories of workers to attend the meetings of the ABPS. However, such special invitees shall not be entitled to vote.

“There are certain permanent invitees in the ABPS that include heads of different spheres of sangh work in Kshetra Karyakari Mandals (Regional Executive Councils) and Kshetriya Pracharak Pramukh (Regional in-charge of full-time workers) and Prant Pracharak Pramukh (State level in-charge of full-time workers).”

The ABPS is supposed to meet at least once a year. Every third year, the meeting is held in Nagpur. Last year, the ABPS meet, which was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru, was postponed due to the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown.  

Had this meet not been postponed, then this year’s meeting would have been held in Nagpur. But the RSS decided that since the meeting in Bengaluru couldn’t be held last year, so it would be held in Bengaluru this year.

The ABPS currently has more than 1,000 members, but due to the prevailing situation of the pandemic, the meeting would be physically attended by only a handful of delegates, while the rest would participate online from their states, districts and regions.

The last ABPS meeting was held in 2019 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, where sarkaryavah Bhaiyya ji Joshi mentioned in his annual report that the number of daily shakhas stood at 59,266. In March, 2018, this number was pegged at 58,967. 

The writer is research director with the Delhi-based think tank Vichar Vinimay Kendra. He has authored two books on RSS. 

(Edited by Debalina Dey)

Also read: Why covering RSS top decision-making body’s annual meeting is a nightmare for journalists

Union of India/ PCDA/ IAF have lost a petition in Supreme court against Veteran JWO Bharat singh khatana for grant pension as per last Rank held. This is applicable for Pre 2006 retirees only. Now every one who held the rank for less than 10 months are eligible for pension of retired rank as per the supreme court judgement. Earlier, everyone who approached CDA/AFRO/DAV were getting reply that the case is under appeal in supreme court. I request every individual to write a letter to DAV/PCDA and seek revision of pension as per last rank held

India should draw comfort from the fact that it has been offered a seat on the decision-making table along with China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and the US. This is a big opportunity, given the fact that India has been losing leverage in Afghanistan ever since the Taliban came back to battle in 2004, getting stronger and stronger. So, the issue for India is whether it should stick to its stance of loyalty to the Afghan government or be flexible in its approach.

WIST IN THE TALE: A few weeks before the day agreed upon for the withdrawal of US forces, America has come out with a new peace plan for Afghanistan. REUTERS

Lt Gen NPS Hira (Retd)

Former Deputy Chief of Army Staff

Afghanistan has been suffering for the past 40 years. Today, it is one of the poorest countries and has the highest daily death toll from militant violence and security forces’ killings. With a few weeks to go before May 1, the day agreed upon for the final withdrawal of American forces, the US has come out with its new proposal for peace in Afghanistan. Perhaps, no analyst would disagree that in the present circumstances there may be no solution to the problem without power-sharing with the Taliban.

The situation has been further precipitated by Donald Trump’s election agenda of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he continued with the withdrawal even after he had lost the elections. If we go back to the time before the US elections were due in 2016, Barack Obama had planned to withdraw completely out of Afghanistan. But when he realised that doing so was against American interests, he changed the plan and left 10,000 troops in Afghanistan to keep the options open for the new President to be elected.

But Trump is made of a different clay. He has, unfortunately, tried to close down the options for Biden. As a result, much as Biden may desire to promote the western style of democracy, his options to put pressure on the Taliban stand constrained. A lot has been written about the details of the new plan of Biden as well as the bad optics of the language of the letter by Antony Blinken to Afghanistan’s elected President Ghani.

Biden’s plan needs to be viewed in the larger context of the limited options open to him. The plan, in essence, is an interim power-sharing set-up between the Afghan government and the Taliban, an essential revision of Afghanistan’s Constitution as well as the judicial system by commissions with members from the Afghan government as well as the Taliban. This exercise is to be followed by fresh elections in Afghanistan. A ceasefire has also been proposed in Afghanistan during this period.

Neither the Afghan government nor the Taliban are happy with the plan, though it is difficult to say if Biden can be faulted for his effort. There is a fair amount of public opinion in the US to get its troops out of Afghanistan and let the Afghans decide their own fate, irrespective of the course it may take.

Ghani secured his presidency last year for a further period of five years. He is obviously unhappy with the plan because if put into effect, he as well as his government stand to lose a lot. The harsh tone of Blinken’s letter to Ghani suggests that if he were not to accept the proposal, the US may have no option but to watch him thrown to the wolves, if the US is to complete its withdrawal as planned.

To be fair to Biden, the Taliban have been as much, if not more, pressured to agree to a ceasefire and also face a popular mandate. The Taliban’s only strength in this tug-of-war is the use of violence and, therefore, this proposal is anathema to them. The plan has built-in safeguards for women, human rights and a popular mandate of the people.

Given the animosity and distrust between the Afghan government and the Taliban, both can draw comfort from the fact that the US has proposed this plan to unfold under the supervision of the United Nations. This implies the deployment of a peacekeeping or, more aptly, a peace-enforcement contingent from different nations. The plan does seem to rely on a fair amount of wishful thinking, but Biden does not have a choice. It is difficult to think of any other better option under these circumstances for peace in Afghanistan.

India should draw comfort from the fact that it has been offered a seat on the decision-making table along with China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and the US. This is a big opportunity, given the fact that India has been losing leverage in Afghanistan ever since the Taliban came back to battle in 2004, getting stronger and stronger.

So, the issue for India is whether it should stick to its stance of loyalty to the Afghan government or be flexible in its approach. The people in Afghanistan have suffered a lot. To help improve their sad plight, it may be more apt to take a humane approach.

No doubt, the Afghan government is an elected body, but one may also not overlook that the Taliban have come to enjoy a considerable following among the rural masses and cannot be wished away. It represents the Pashtuns, which is the biggest and most dominant ethnic tribe and has ruled Kabul in the past. The Taliban have also recently been taking recruits from all ethnicities, including the Hazaras, who are Shia Muslims.

So, if the Taliban agree to a ceasefire and also to take part in the elections, it may not be a bad option to work with them in the larger interest of peace.

Since a man of Biden’s sensibilities for democracy and human rights has come around to the above viewpoint, as is reflected in the proposed plan, India may also need to look at it with an open mind. It is logical to conclude that if we cannot wish the Taliban away, it is better to get them to agree to join the democratic process and moderate their policies.

One can also read between the lines: that if the Taliban do not agree, Biden, by floating this proposal, has created sufficient grounds for the US military to stay back in Afghanistan and continue with its military option against the Taliban. So, the plan has not only made Ghani’s position somewhat vulnerable, it has also put the Taliban in a tighter corner. It looks unlikely that the Taliban would agree to the proposal, unless the US shows its teeth by declaring its intention to stay put beyond May 1. Even with that option, finding a solution to the Afghan problem is a tall order.

In the past, India had good reasons for not getting involved militarily in Afghanistan, but as a part of the UN contingent, it is a good opportunity to send troops to Afghanistan. This is likely to give India more leverage in Afghanistan against Pakistan than what it has today. Its soft power in Afghanistan will multiply manifold if it is able to put boots on the ground under the UN mandate. Its presence will help take care of its immediate interests as well as build a lasting relationship with Afghanistan, irrespective of the composition of the future governments.

Routes critical in maintaining supplies to Army, IAF stationed along LAC

Amid the ongoing military tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, India is racing to open both road routes that connect the plateau of Ladakh with mainland India. File photo

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 15

Amid the ongoing military tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, India is racing to open both road routes that connect the plateau of Ladakh with mainland India.

In February end, Zoji-La, a 11,500-ft-high mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh route, was opened weeks ahead of the schedule. Now, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has sent a special team to open Baralacha-La, a 16,000-ft-high Himalayan pass on the Manali-Leh route.

Strategic move

• Zoji-La, a 11,500-ft-high mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh route, was opened last month, weeks ahead of the schedule
• Baralacha-La, a 16,000-ft-high pass on the Manali-Leh route, is likely to be opened by month-end
• Supplies to the Army and IAF in eastern Ladakh are dependent on these two road routes

Baralacha-La is the first high pass on the 427-km-long Manali–Leh highway. The road normally opens in mid-May, but the BRO might open it by the end of this month. Supplies like oil, food, ammunition and spares for the Army and IAF locations in Eastern Ladakh are dependent on these two routes. Once the passes close during the winter, the only option is to fly men and supplies from logistics hubs in Chandigarh or Hindon.

On Sunday, a team of the BRO clad in arctic clothing trekked across the snowbound Baralacha-La to reach Sarchu, a location where the road opening equipment was kept during the winter. The team is fully stocked with ration, spare parts, communication equipment etc.

Connectivity on 59 roads achieved

Connectivity has been achieved on 59 roads with 3,205 km length along the India-China border, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

It attempted to cross the pass on March 11 and again on March 12, but heavy snowfall held them back. The crossing was again attempted on March 13, which was successful. The team, however, fell short of the destination, Sarchu, where it reached the next day. Snow clearance work has started on access routes to the pass. There is a minimum of 20 feet of snow for more than 10-15 km on either side of the pass.

Meanwhile, Zoji-La, located 130 km east of Srinagar, was opened in February, but fresh snow around March 10 blocked the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road.

More than 1,000 such kits will be delivered to state-run undertaking for further integration and production of missile

The group will extend support in maintenance and repair operations for in-service air defence missile systems.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16

Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems Private Limited (KRAS), in collaboration with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, on Tuesday rolled out the first batch of medium range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) kits for the Indian Army and the Air Force under the government’s Make-in-India initiative.

KRAS will deliver more than 1,000 such missile kits to India’s state-run undertaking, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for further integration and production of the missile, according to a statement issued here.

Stating that the venture marked a step-change in technological expertise and collective demonstration of the capability to be the global manufacturing hub for defence products, Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyani Group, added that apart from the missile kits, the group will extend support in maintenance and repair operations for in-service air defence missile systems.

Brig Gen Pinhas Yungman, Head of Air and Missile Defense Systems division of Rafael, said that the company, which had been a reliable partner to the Indian armed forces for almost three decades, will not only build products for them but also trigger and help achieve the government’s vision of exports from India.