New Delhi, August 29 Indian and Chinese military officers met last week after Ladakh shepherds alleged they were stopped by PLA troops south-west of Demchok, the southernmost Indian territory in east Ladakh. The shepherds, who rear sheep and yak, graze their animals around the Indus river — Demchok is on its banks. The incident is learnt to have occurred on August 21 along the LAC and the military commanders of the two sides met on Tuesday, sources said. There was no face-off or confrontation between the Indian and Chinese forces, Army sources said, adding such incidents were a “routine”. The PLA troops raised objections despite the shepherds being on the Indian side of the LAC. MORE INS

Lt Gen Harinder Singh.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 31

Lt Gen Harinder Singh, who had commanded the Leh-based 14 Corps during the volatile stand-off with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in 2020, hung up his boots today.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen Harinder belongs to the Maratha Light Infantry and has, during a career spanning about 40 years, tenanted important command, staff and instructional appointments.

While overseeing the Army’s operations in Ladakh as the corps commander, he was also closely involved in talks with the Chinese for the disengagement of troops and de-escalation along the LAC.

A former services hockey player, he has commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in active counter-terrorist operations in the Kupwara sector and later commanded two brigades, including the United Nations Multi-national Brigade in Eastern Congo.

An international graduate fellow of Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Hawaii, USA, he has held two fellowships at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, besides publishing several monographs, papers and write-ups in international and national journals.

In March this year, both India and Pakistan had agreed and reiterated their respective commitment to implement the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in its true spirit

Photo for representational purpose only. iStock

Islamabad, May 29

The Pakistani delegation crossed over to India on Sunday morning and it is scheduled to have meetings with the Indian side in New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday.

“There will be talks on the sharing of flood forecast data while the PCJW (Pakistan Commission for Indus Water) annual report will also be discussed during the negotiations,” said Pakistan’s Commissioner for Indus Water, Syed Muhammad Mehr Ali Shah.

The Pak delegation during its previous rounds of talks had shared its reservations and objections over the spillway and freeboard of the Pakal Dul project, demanding that a visit to the site should be arranged in the early part of May and another annual meeting on the issue should be held and discussions on the matter could be made part of the annual report and minutes of the PCIW.

However, the demand to visit the Pakal Dul project has not been met by the Indian side yet and the Pak delegation will not be visiting the dams.

“The Pakistani delegation will not visit the under construction Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnaj dams, but the matter and other projects will be discussed,” said Mehr Ali Shah.

“Pakistan had always insisted on the implementation of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and raised its voice on India’s behaviour in a timely manner,” Shah added.

In March this year, both India and Pakistan had agreed and reiterated their respective commitment to implement the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in its true spirit and had expressed hope that the next meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission would be held as per schedule or on an early date in India.

Not much is expected out of the meeting. However, the routine meetings between the two arch-rival neighbours, held alternatively in India and Pakistan annually, are certainly a forward movement towards bilateral engagements.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has been transformed into a strong, confident and self-reliant nation which is fully equipped to deal with all kinds of threats and challenges, said Union Minister Rajnath Singh in Rajasthan on Tuesday.
He stated that the steps taken by the government in the last eight years have injected new confidence into the armed forces.
He asserted that India has never attacked any country, nor has it captured an inch of a foreign land, but if anyone ever tries to harm the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the nation, a befitting reply will be given.
“We clarified our stand on terrorism when our Armed Forces, displaying tremendous might, carried out surgical strikes in 2016 and Balakot airstrikes in 2019. It was proof that India’s military prowess is no less than any country,” Singh said.
He assured the nation that the armed forces are deployed with full readiness to protect the people from anti-India elements.
Singh pointed out that the efforts taken by the government have started to bear fruit as India is not only catering to its own needs but is also fulfilling the requirements of other countries.
He appreciated the fact that defence exports, which were worth about Rs 900 crore eight years ago, have now grown to around Rs 13,000 crore.
He added that a target of Rs 2.75 lakh crore worth of defence exports by 2047 has been set, exuding confidence that India is well on course to achieve the objective.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure the safety of Indians who not only reside within the country but also in other parts of the world.
He stressed that the safe return of Indian nationals from Ukraine, amid its ongoing situation with Russia, was a testament to PM Modi’s resolve to ensure the safety and security of every Indian.

Washington: The United States is concerned about India’s plans to participate in joint military exercises with Russia, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday, adding that “every participating country will make its own decisions”.
Moscow last month announced plans to hold “Vostok” exercises in which China, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Mongolia are also participants.
According to Russian News Agency, TASS, the Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise will be held under the command of the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, at 13 training grounds in the Eastern Military District. The exercises are expected to take place till September 5.
“The United States has concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages a unprovoked, brutal war against Ukraine. But, of course, every participating country will make its own decisions. And I’ll leave it at that,” the Press Secretary said.
Press Secretary was asked about the Biden administration’s view over India-US relationships as reports of New Delhi participating in military exercises with Russia.
“We have concerns, and any country exercising with Russia while Russia is waging this unprovoked,” she added.
The Russian Defence Ministry had stated, earlier, that during the drills the participating forces would practice measures to maintain military security in the eastern region.
India had inked the USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia for five squadrons of S-400s in October 2018. Marking the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Russian-Indian diplomatic ties, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov in June said that the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system is proceeding well and in accordance with the schedule.
According to Washington-based experts, India remains important to US strategy. They also pointed out that India-US security relations have grown rapidly over the last decade and a half.

Simran Randhawa says it is easy to chant for war and action from the safety of one’s home but there is a price for every victory

New Delhi, May 29Simran Randhawa recalls using a toy phone to make imaginary calls to “talk” to her father, Major Sukhvinder Singh Randhawa, who was killed during an anti-militancy operation in Pulwama in 1997 she she was just

Narrating her experience in her book ‘Cost of War’, Simran says it is easy to chant for war and action from the safety of one’s home but there is a price for every victory.

“I wanted to write a book to describe how a child feels after he or she has lost father. War does not just end with fallen soldiers. It also leaves behind the tattered lives of their families,” 26-year-old Simran, currently studying psychology in Canada, said.

Her father, Major Randhawa, was awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously after he laid down his life but only after killing two terrorists on June 17, 1997. She was 18 months at that time.

Her mother, Lt Col RJ Randhawa, was the first married women officer commissioned in the Army and the credit goes to Ranjana Malik, the then president of the Army Wives Welfare Association, who pursued her case through her husband and then Army chief Gen Ved Prakash Malik.

“It was a case closely followed by Ranjana and I had a meeting with the then Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) Mulayam Singh Yadav, who gave clearance for relaxing the rules and allowing her to be commissioned in the army,” Malik said at the book launch.

In the book, Simran talks about moments of her life where she missed her father and questioned those who indulge in warmongering.

“…it is easy to chant for war and action from the safety of your own homes. It is easy to talk about the inaction of the Army or the government when you are looking at a TV screen and not a hail of bullets.

“Every time you demand war, think of us. I think we, as a country, sometimes forget that there is a price for every victory. We forget until you pass by a war memorial and see the never-ending names, we forget until you see someone like me cry, and our lives ruined. I think sometimes we forget that there are lives that bleed for each victory,” she writes.

She remembered her visit to the National War Memorial where everyone sees a stone for all the fallen soldiers. “And towards the end you see rows of empty stones, waiting for soldiers to fall. What an ominous sight, to expect more bloodshed. In a way it is practical to have room for more stones, but in every other way, it is utterly heartbreaking,” she said.

Having preserved her every single memory, Simran writes that people generally say that children forget with the passage of time. “Well let me tell you something, they don’t. They might not remember details or facts, but they remember how they feel,” she said.

“I remembered the feeling of loss. The feeling of calling out for someone who is just a memory now. I remember using a toy phone to make imaginary calls to papa on some imaginary military base that he is on.

“A base that he couldn’t return from or call from. I remember looking at families and just knowing that something was missing…,” she wrote.

Former chief of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Lt Gen KJS Dhillon said the book is a feeling of a young girl who felt lucky to be born a premature baby, as that would mean she spent a few more moments in the lap of her soldier father.

Former Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, while complimenting the author, said this not only the cost of war but the “cost of peace” for the nation, paid by the families of soldiers, sailors and air warriors.  

New Delhi: German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann held his first press briefing in New Delhi where he termed China’s claim on the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as ‘outrageous ‘.
“We should not forget that China claims Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of China, which is outrageous. So, I think that the infringement at the border is extremely difficult and should not be accepted”, said the Ambassador in his first press briefing in New Delhi.
While speaking to ANI post briefing, the new German Ambassador lauded Indian values, saying that the partnership between the two countries will be great. He also praised India’s democracy, its judicial system and the separation of powers.
“When I presented my credentials to the President of India, she said to me that Germany and India share the same values of democracy and that’s true because we do share the same values of democracy and therefore we want to work together as like-minded countries. I feel that the different institutions in Indian society, be that Parliament, the executive or the judiciary. These are all partners for us and we want to work with them together,” the envoy said.
Calling climate change one of the biggest issues, the ambassador said that he believes that climate change is on the table and calls India and Germany’s partnership a great partnership.
“I think this is one of the biggest items that are on the table. We agreed on a common partnership for green and sustainable development during the intergovernmental consultation in May and I think that it will be a task for our bilateral relations in future to fulfil this partnership. We have to look into tackling climate change and also stop wrecking biodiversity. Therefore, we have developed programmes with India. Concrete programmes will try to develop various means to get out of this crisis. And, I hope that this partnership will be a great partnership,” he said.
Ambassador Ackermann also expressed his concern regarding the visa delay faced by the Indian students in Germany and said that “we are very unhappy about the current situation and believe that by the end of the year things may get back to normal.”
“We are very unhappy about the current situation. We want Indian citizens to get visas. This is of great concern to us. I think that by the end of the year, we may get back to normal. Indians travelling to Europe will grow and I want it to grow. We just find ways. We have more than 30,000 Indian students in Germany. They are doing great. They are excellent students,” he said.
As the UN nuclear watchdog heads to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the ambassador called this a big concern and expressed hope that this war comes to an end.
“We are very concerned about this nuclear power plant station. We hope that IAEA gets access to it. But that’s only a small part of the whole problem. We want this war to end but it has to end with a solution that is acceptable to both sides,” he said.
The German Ambassador also acknowledged that the Indian side has well-recognized the problem of the violation of international rules regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“We might not agree on every line regarding Ukraine, but I want to state that out of my first impression of Indian colleagues. Ukraine’s problem has manifold impacts on the world… Indian side very well recognises the problem of the violation of international law,” he said.
He also said Germany had seen India’s stand during the UN Security Council (UNSC) session where New Delhi voted against the Russian proposal to prevent Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from addressing the forum.
Earlier, the Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia requested a procedural vote concerning the Ukrainian president’s participation in the meeting through video conference.
Russia voted against it while China abstained from voting.

With deep sorrow we inform you that Col. Ranjit singh Boparai left for his heavenly abode today . He breathed his last around 10:15 PM on ( Wednesday ) His creamation was fine at 1:00 PM ( Thursday 11 th. August) at Balongi cremation ground

New Delhi: Indian experts are calling for China to change its behaviour amid the bitter relations between the two countries due to the border standoff.
Experts believe that the Chinese have to understand and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India if they are looking at any meaningful and good relationship between the two countries.
“India has always said that the border incursions are indeed a red line as far as China is concerned. But China really believes in changing the status quo wherever it can and it tries to do that. But after the Galwan incident, they have understood that India cannot just stand and watch or will not respond”, Anil Kumar Trigunayat, former senior diplomat told ANI.
This comes after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made his remarks that the state of the border will determine the state of the India-China relationship. He was speaking at the launch of the Asia Society Policy Institute yesterday.
“Much of the future of Asia depends on how relations between India and China develop in the foreseeable future. For ties to return to a positive trajectory and remain sustainable, they must be based on the three mutuals: mutual sensitivity, mutual respect and mutual interest. Their current status is, of course, well known to all of you. I can only reiterate that the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship,” said EAM.
“We can reasonably expect Asia to continue rising because the economic and demographic trends point in that direction. How divided it would be depends on how well or badly its fissures are managed. And this, in turn, would demand adherence to laws, norms and rules. For a start, sovereignty and territorial integrity will have to be respected”, he further added.
Indian experts see this remarks by the minister as a reflection of India’s foreign policy and believe that things can no longer remain the same between India and China if China continues its hostile stance on the Line of Actual Control.
“External Affairs Minister made it very clear that if you want other situations in the India and China equation to improve, it has to start first with the border. If the border tensions go then we can look into normalizing the other aspects of the India-China relationship and that message has been conveyed very clearly”, said Major General Dhruv C Katoch (Retd) to ANI.
The experts also added that China needs to stop its ‘wolf-warrior diplomacy’ and they need to introspect on what kind of China they wish to emerge on the global stage.
Relations between India and China soured following a standoff in April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger Area, Galwan Valley, Hot Springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June, 2020.