PRESIDENT ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA , Director (Hony) Sr Veterans Association, Ontario, .Member Indo- Canadian Veteran Association Canada
COL CHARANJIT SINGH,BENGAL SAPPERS
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JOINT PRESIDENT ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
COL AVTAR SINGH BHINDER, SIKH REGT
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PRESIDENT DISTT PATIALA CUM JOINT SECRETARY SANJHA MORCHA
CAPT KUSHWANT SINGH DHILLON,BOMBAY SAPPERS
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PRESIDENT TRI CITY COORDINATOR
COL B S BRAR (BHUPI BRAR)
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PRESIDENT CHANDIGARH ZONE
COL SHANJIT SINGH BHULLAR
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PRESIDENT CALCUTTA ZONE SANJHA MORCHA
MAJOR JOGINDER SINGH KOCHAR
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LEGAL ADVISOR SANJHA MORCHA
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Print Media Reproduced Defence Related News
Field commanders of Indian, Chinese armies hold interaction in eastern Ladakh The interaction took place between 11 am and 2 pm at a border point in Chushul, the sources said
India and China on Friday held another round of brigade commander-level talks in eastern Ladakh to explore ways to bring down tensions triggered by Beijing’s fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake area, government sources said.
The interaction took place between 11 am and 2 pm at a border point in Chushul, the sources said.
The outcome of the interaction was not immediately known.
Three rounds of Brigade Commander-level talks between the two militaries earlier this week remained inconclusive.
Both sides have significantly increased deployment of troops around Chushul and several other areas in the last few days following the fresh confrontation.
Tensions flared up in the region after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake five days ago when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the festering border row.
India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to India’s move. India has, however, maintained that the heights are on its side of the LAC.
India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following the Chinese attempts.
Army Chief Gen MM Naravane paid a two-day visit to Ladakh from Thursday during which he carried out a comprehensive review of India’s security preparedness in the region.
He visited the region in view of the escalating tensions triggered by China’s fresh attempts.
“The situation along the LAC is tense. We have undertaken precautionary deployment in some areas. The troops are prepared for all contingencies that may arise. All these actions have been carried out only along the LAC,” Gen Naravane said at the end of his visit. PTI
Defence Ministers meet amid tension Rajnath, Wei hold parleys on SCO sidelines
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds a meeting with Chinese counterpart Gen Wei Fenghe in Moscow. Twitter
New Delhi, September 4
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe for over two hours in Moscow on Friday in the first highest-level contact after border tension erupted in Ladakh in May as the Indian leader said peace and security in the region demanded a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules.
Indo-Russian maritime drill begins near Malacca strait
The navies of India and Russia on Friday started the 11th edition of exercise ‘Indra Navy’, a biennial bilateral maritime event. The exercise was conducted west of the Strait of Malacca. The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices between the two navies.
Rajnath’s comments, seen as a veiled message to China ahead of his bilateral talks with Wei, came at a meeting of the Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Russian capital.
According to Indian Government sources, the bilateral meeting was requested by the Chinese Defence Minister. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia DB Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation at the talks that began around 9.30 pm at a Moscow hotel and ended at 11.50 pm.
At the SCO meeting, Rajnath said “a peaceful, stable and secure region of the SCO member states – which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population — demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other’s interests and a peaceful resolution of differences”.
The minister suggested the need for institutional capacity to deal with both traditional and non-traditional threats, above all, terrorism, drug-trafficking and transnational crime. “India unequivocally condemns terrorism in all forms and manifestations, and condemns its proponents. India values the works of SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure,” Rajnath said.
He said India was committed to the evolution of a global security architecture which would be open, transparent, inclusive, rules-based and anchored in international laws.
Meanwhile, the navies of India and Russia on Friday started the 11th edition of exercise ‘Indra Navy’, a biennial bilateral maritime event. The exercise was conducted west of the Strait of Malacca. — TNS
Army Chief General MM Naravane during his two-day visit to Ladakh made it clear that the force would ensure the status quo along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh was not unilaterally changed by the People’s Liberation Army of China.
Keeping in view the tense situation along the LAC, the Army has undertaken precautionary deployment in some areas. General Naravane today returned to Delhi from Leh where he met a section of troops and commanders. He asked all ranks to maintain high operational readiness.
Meanwhile, Brigadier-level officers of India and China met today for the fifth consecutive day at Chushul. — TN
‘Very nasty’ situation along India-China border, would love to help: Trump
Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been “very nasty” and the Chinese are “going at it” much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help.
“While we’re at it, we’re talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It’s been very nasty,” Trump told reporters on Friday evening at a White House news conference.
Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation.
“And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that,” he said.
When asked if China is bullying India, he said that he hoped it is not the case but noted that China is “certainly going at it”.
“I hope not… But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand,” Trump said in response to a question. PTI
Hindi, Dogri among 5 official languages in J&K but Punjabi Excluded
In a major move after the Centre’s decision to do away with special provisions under Article 370 of the Constitution and reorganising the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir into two UTs, the government today approved a draft legislation to make Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi and English official languages of J&K.
The decision, once passed by Parliament and got Presidential assent, will change the recognition of Urdu as the sole official language of the erstwhile state. As of now, the official language of J&K is Urdu and Kashmiri is recognised as a regional language.
Briefing the media after a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “The government has approved the introduction in Parliament the Jammu & Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, in which five languages — Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi and English — will be its official languages.”
Noting that the decision has been taken on public demand, Javadekar said the Bill was expected to be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session, which is slated to begin from September 14.
The erstwhile state of J&K, comprising the Ladakh region, was stripped of its statehood and reorganised into two Union Territories in August 2019.
Cabinet okays draft bill; Over to Parliament
The draft Bill proposes to include Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri, Hindi and English as official languages of J&K
It is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session slated to begin from September 14
Why not Punjabi, it’s anti-minority: APSCC
Srinagar: The All-Party Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) on Wednesday flayed the Centre over the exclusion of Punjabi from the J&K Official Languages Bill, describing the move as “anti-minority”. Its president Jagmohan Singh Raina said before the abrogation of Article 370, “Punjabi was a recognised language duly certified by the Constitution of J&K.” PTI
The Sikh shrine in Garhwal Himalayas will open for devotees on Friday. File photo
Gopeshwar, September 3
The yatra to the Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand began on Thursday and the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off at Govindghat.
The Sikh shrine in Garhwal Himalayas will open for devotees on Friday.
Only a limited number of devotees led by ‘Panj Pyaras’ were allowed to proceed for the high altitude shrine amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gurdwara Prabandhan Samiti officials said.
The pilgrims were gifted ‘saropas’ as per the custom, they said, adding that they will stop for the night at Ghanghariya.
The yatra is beginning late by three months this year due to the pandemic. PTI
With all existing peace agreements on managing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China having been breached, whatever little sanctity attached to the un-demarcated boundary is under serious threat.
Breach of agreements
Don’t confront patrols in disputed areas, show a banner and retreat
Reality: Troops of both sides are now within rifle-shot range of each other
Don’t tail patrols
Reality: Both sides have had casualties in clashes
Control over aircraft flying
Reality: LAC seeing unprecedented activity by copters, fighter jets
Resolve local issues at border meeting points
Reality: Till now, no impact of border meetings
Since 1993, there have been a series of peace agreements which maintained the LAC sanctity, but all of them have been violated by China over the past four months.
Military-level talks have so far ended in deadlock and armies of both nuclear-armed countries are making pre-emptive moves across the 826-km frontier in Ladakh. The Indian assessment is clear — the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China is
trying to alter the status of the LAC and is not open to reasoning. India’s plan for the short term is restoration of the April status quo ante while its long-term strategy demands demarcating the LAC on ground.
Since May this year, the PLA has been making a westward push to capture more territory. The PLA first prevented Indian patrols in ‘grey areas’ – the points where the perception of the LAC varies and both have been making claims and counter-claims.
“The situation is by far more serious than that in 1962,” said a functionary referring to the India-China war that year. This time, forces on either side are backed by latest technology such as satellite imagery, UAVs, long-range guns, missile launchers, fighter jets and radars.
After months of negotiations having yielded nothing, the PLA made another westward movement on August 29-30 night. The Indian Army quickly rushed to occupy mountain tops along a 70-km stretch on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, a 135-km glacial lake. The PLA had done the same on the northern bank of the lake when it prevented Indian movement east of Finger-4, a mountain ridge.
The LAC is at present not demarcated, but is assessed by the area under the control of troops of each country.
China has been rejecting every proposal to define the boundary in the last 174 years, or since 1846.
The British made five different proposals to define the boundary in 1846-47, 1865, 1873, 1899 and 1914, but China rejected all of them.
In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested demarcation of the LAC. China wanted special representatives (National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi) to resolve the issue. The talks are going on.
The latest data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed that 104 personnel of the paramilitary forces lost their lives in 2019 due to accidents, as the figures stand at 2,006 in the past six years.
A break-up of the data for 2019 indicates that at least two personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), which work under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), died in accidents every week.
Of the total 2,006 such fatalities in the past six years, the maximum of 1,232 died in 2014 and the minimum of 104 each in 2018 and 2019.
Fourteen personnel were killed in action in 2019. As on January 1, 2019, the CAPF had an actual strength of 9,23,800 personnel.
Won’t supply arms to Pakistan: Russia In Moscow, Rajnath Singh and his counterpart discuss the making of AK203 rifle
Russia has assured India that it will not supply arms to Pakistan during an India-Russia meeting in Moscow on Thursday evening.
In the past, Russia supplied half a dozen helicopters to Pakistan that was objected by India and the supplies were suspended. Russia is the largest supplier of weapons and equipment to India, including the lease of a classified nuclear submarine.
Moscow also assured that it stands by New Delhi’s security interests at a wider level.
The discussions were part of an hour-long meeting the Indian delegation led by Rajnath Singh had with the Russian delegation led by Defence Minister Gen Sergey Shoigu.
The two sides also discussed the making of a new type of rifle, the AK203, in India. Both sides said the discussions were at an advanced stage for the establishment of an India-Russian joint venture for the production of the rifle, which is considered one of the most modern weapons available for infantry forces.
Besides, the two countries started a vital two-day “Indra” naval exercise to be conducted off the Straits of Malacca on September 4 and 5. At the meeting, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh noted “these exercises demonstrated the common interests of both countries in maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region”.
The Indian delegation comprised Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and other senior officials. Singh will also attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation here on Friday.
Corps of Army Air Defence raising day to change to 15 September to recognise WW-II origin
Corps of Army Air Defence. | Photo: Twitter/@adgpi
New Delhi: Beginning this year, the Corps of Army Air Defence (AAD), an aerial combat support arm of the Army, will celebrate its raising day on 15 September instead of 10 January, in recognition of its role in World War II, ThePrint has learnt.
Senior Army officers privy to the matter said there was a growing demand within serving officers and veterans in the Army to change the raising day of the corps given the role it played in World War II.
The Army’s first air defence battery was raised in Mumbai on 15 September 1940, according to official records.
“For many soldiers, it was an emotional issue. The deliberations on this began two years ago. The final approval, however, came through this year,” a senior Army officer told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
Incidentally, the Corps of AAD did not celebrate the raising day on 10 January this year.
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The day had been celebrated on 10 January since 1994 to mark the corps’ bifurcation from the Regiment of Artillery as an independent corps. It was earlier known as the Corps of Air Defence (AD) Artillery.
The officer quoted above added that many of those who served in the AAD, including the ones before 1994, felt that the raising day should be marked to honour its true valour embedded in history.
“It was decided that instead of celebrating bifurcation from an existing arm, it was more prudent to celebrate this date, as anti-aircraft batteries existed during World War II,” said a second Army officer, who too did not wish to be named.
The raising day of a unit holds significance to military personnel as it marks the unit’s operationalisation by integrating troops from all across.
This year, 15 September will mark the 81st raising day of the Corps of AAD.
This corps is tasked with defending India’s air space from low flying aerial strikes or attacks by enemy aircrafts and missiles, especially those below 5,000 feet, and protecting strategically located military installations like airfields, dams and ammunition depots.
Lt. Gen. Ram Pratap (Retd.), former director general of the Corps of AAD, said the move will be of huge significance to the Army, especially soldiers of the unit, as it would correct the impression of the unit’s age.
“It was increasingly felt that celebrating 10 January as the raising day of the corps was like truncating the illustrious history of AAD, since the first Air Defence battery was raised on 15 September 1940 and in October next year, the 26 Air Defence regiment (the oldest) was raised,” the Army veteran said.
While the Army website says the unit was raised on 14 September, Army officers maintained the correct date is 15 September.
Pratap said even when the AAD was bifurcated from the Regiment of Artillery in 1994, it was felt that a wrong message was going to the masses about the raising year and a correction was pertinent. He was commanding an AD unit at that time.
Maj. Gen. P.K. Saighal, who retired as the commandant of the Army Air Defence College, said another reason in consideration to make the change was the practical difficulties officers and veterans incurred due to its proximity to the Army Day celebrations on 15 January.
According to the corps’ official records, the history of air defence artillery in India began in 1939, when the British Indian government felt the need to have an anti-aircraft defence in India.
In July 1940, at the behest of Sir Claude Auchinleck, the commander-in-chief of British Indian Armed Forces, the Anti Aircraft and Coastal Defence Wing was set up at Karachi for training of officers in anti-aircraft techniques.
In August 1940, the British War Office decided to create an anti-aircraft branch of Indian Artillery. The anti-aircraft units and training establishments began to be raised. Indian soldiers were posted to these establishments from the Regiment of Artillery and Infantry Units and later through fresh commission and enrollment.
On 15 September 1940, 1 Indian Anti Aircraft Technical Training Battery was raised at Colaba in Bombay (now Mumbai). It also included the nucleus of the first anti-aircraft unit of Indian Artillery – the ‘R’ (Royal) Heavy Anti Aircraft (HAA) Regiment.
With this nucleus, the ‘R’ HAA Regiment commenced its raising on 1 October 1940 at Colaba. The 1 Technical Training Battery moved from Colaba to Drigh Road, Karachi in December 1940, which was later expanded and renamed as Anti Aircraft Training Centre (AATC).
After the establishment of AATC and raising of the HAA Regiment, the 1st & 2nd Light Anti Aircraft (LAA) Regiments were raised and named ‘U’ Light Anti Aircraft Regiment and ‘S’ Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment.
The ‘R’ HAA Regiment later came to be known as 1 Indian Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, ‘U’ Light Anti Aircraft Regiment became the 1 Indian Light Anti Aircraft Regiment and ‘S’ Light Anti Aircraft Regiment was renamed as 2 Indian Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment.
By 1943, there were a total of 33 anti-aircraft regiments, seven anti-aircraft brigade headquarters and three AATCs.
World War II role
The Indian anti-aircraft regiments served in various theatres during World War II, from Singapore in the Far East to Iraq in the Middle East. They played a crucial role in Hong Kong, Singapore-Malaya, Burma and in the Indian subcontinent during WW-II, the records show.
On 7 December 1941, when the Japanese landed its troops in Singapore, supported by air and naval power, the 1 Indian HAA Regiment that was deployed there was overwhelmed. It suffered heavy casualties but after downing several Japanese aircraft.
A total of 320 personnel of the regiment lost their lives in defending Malaya-Singapore. They were honoured with a memorial in Singapore, which stands as a testimony to the sacrifice of India’s first anti-aircraft unit.
“These names are all that remain of the Regiment as the 1st Indian Heavy Anti-Aircraft regiment was never raised again; dying as it were with the surrender on 15 February 1942; never to be resurrected,” Col. Mandeep Singh (Retd) wrote in Force magazine.
While 1 Indian HAA Regiment and 1 and 5 Light Anti Aircraft Batteries were defending the skies in Singapore-Malaya, the balance of Indian anti-aircraft regiments was employed in India and Burma against the Japanese onslaught.
These regiments defended allied forces in India and Burma from 1942 to 1945, and contributed immensely in the victory of allied forces in Burma while defending the subcontinent.
However, immediately after World War II ended, a large number of these units were disbanded. At the time of Partition, only two air defence artillery units — 2 LAA (Now 26 Air Defence Regiment) and 3 LAA (Now 27 Air Defence Missile Regiment) — were left with India, along with the Anti Aircraft Training School, show records.
After 1971, the erstwhile AD Artillery saw rapid modernisation with the induction of several latest weapon systems. It later participated in numerous operations in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, among others.
