File image of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat |

New Delhi: Prime time news Monday may not have been as colourful as the Holi celebrations held across Hindu news channels during the day but there were some interesting debates and interviews.

NDTV 24×7’s Vishnu Som spoke to Myanmar’s erstwhile envoy to the United Nations about the humanitarian crisis in the country and Rahul Shivshankar interviewed Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat on Times Now.

Shivshankar asked: “We’re talking about strategic dimension to Atmanirbhar Bharat. How close are we to becoming a force which is self-reliant and perhaps indigenised to a point that our dependency on expensive imports will be over?”

General Rawat delivered a history lesson: “If you look back at our nation, when we got Independence, we did have a good defence industry. However, over the years, we relied exclusively on the capabilities of our DPSUs, ordnance factories and the sole inventor of research and development was the DRDO.”

He added: “Now times are changing — we have seen the manner in which the automobile industry revolutionised the way we are moving around in swanky cars. Look at the way in which the IT industry revolutionized — who brought in this revolutionization?”

Rawat then answered his own question: “It all happened with the private sector.”

At NDTV 24×7, anchor Vishnu Som spoke to Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, who was disowned by the ruling military junta after he denounced it as illegal at the United Nations. However, Kyaw Moe Tun continues to be at the UN.

“The world is looking very, very closely at Myanmar and the genocide in that country. More than 100 people were killed over the weekend by the military. The humanitarian situation is becoming far more critical,” said Som.

He then asked Kyaw Moe Tun: “There are reports coming in that various state governments, like the government in Manipur have issued orders to district administration officials saying that food and shelter camps shouldn’t be provided to refugees from your country. Is this something that worries you given what we’re seeing in your country?”

Tun replied: “Of course, we are really concerned about this horrible situation… We would really like to seek protection, from the international community.”

On Aaj Tak, anchor Sayeed Ansari discussed the West Bengal election in light of the death of a BJP worker’s mother, which led to a political slugfest between ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP has alleged the woman had been attacked by workers of TMC, an allegation the latter denies.

BJP spokesperson Saurabh Sikdar said it was shameful that the elections were underway in many states, but such incidents of political violence only happen in West Bengal. “Let people use their voting rights and let them decide who they want to see in power,’’ he declared, dramatically.

Manojit Mandal of the TMC was “disappointed” that the death of an 85-year-old woman had been turned into an “electoral issue”. “TMC is not connected to this in any way. Home Minister Amit Shah himself tweets about it, BJP terms it a political murder — are there no real issues left to fight the election on?”

“Is the Maha Vikas Aghadi in problem?” Kalra asked. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut had also written against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of the NCP in his weekly column in party mouthpiece Saamana, and indirectly asked Sharad Pawar to sack him.

BJP’s Shweta Shalini pointed out that it was evident that the NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena government was not going to stay. “BJP doesn’t need to make the government fall, a chair with three legs cannot stay stable.”

Shiv Sena’s Kishore Tiwari said no such meeting has taken place between Shah and Pawar and denied the possibility of BJP and NCP getting together. “It is the BJP which is creating trouble for NCP’s home minister in the Sachin Waze case. In such a situation, BJP should not talk about the chair with three legs…” he added.

NCP’s Vidya Chavan agreed: there is no possibility of the Maharashtra government falling, she said. “There are no differences between NCP and Shiv Sena and what Raut writes in his editorial is his personal opinion — it will not influence the government.”

Photo for representation only. – File photo

Anandpur Sahib, March 28

Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders will give a new programme to farmers of the country on March 30 to take on the Centre so that the three laws are repealed and MSP of a majority of crops fixed by the government. This was stated by BKU general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal here today.

Lakhowal, who was here along with farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Ruldu Singh, Manjit Rai, Kuldeep Singh Bajidpur and Yograj, addressed a gathering at a Kisan Conference and said the NDA government was testing the patience of farmers. The conference was organised on the second day of Hola Mohalla by Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union. — TNS

Army chief Gen. M M Naravane | ANI File photoText Size: A- A+

New Delhi: Taking a tough stand against corruption, Army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said that the force has zero-tolerance towards those who use wrong practices to join the Army and the services of those found to have done so can be terminated, even after 20 years of service. “There have been few instances, both in the recruitment of soldiers where question papers had leaked out and in the selection process for officer cadets where there was connivance between staff at Services Selection Board (SSB). Both cases came to light because of our own internal probe,” the Army Chief told ANI.

“No matter when such misdeeds come to light anybody who enrolled or got selected through improper means his services can be terminated anytime whether it is during training, service or 20 years later,” he said.

Asserting that he will not tolerate such incidents, General Naravane said: “We will not tolerate any such incidents and we will come down heavily on whoever tries to malign Army through very incorrect activities. There is no question of shielding anybody who is indulging in such kind of malpractices.”

On handing over the paper leak case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Army Chief said: “When these cases came to light we realised that there are other parties involved, civilians involved, transactions made to a bank, call records that need to be looked into. We do not have the authority to do this kind of investigation. So we decided to give it to CBI.”

The Army Relations Recruitment exam scheduled for February 28 was cancelled after the alleged paper leak. Earlier in a joint operation with Military Intelligence of the Indian Army, Pune City Police’s crime branch had arrested several accused of running a recruitment scam in various parts of the country.

Till now a total of 10 accused have been arrested in the case by Pune city police with two separate FIRs registered against two Major rank officers of the Indian Army, two serving defence personnel, a defence civilian and several retired soldiers along with some owners of pre-military training institutes. (ANI)

Also read:Threat to India only abated, not gone entirely, says Naravane on Pangong Lake disengagement

Photo for representation only. – File photo

Mansa, March 28

Scores of farmers under the banner of the BKU (Dakaunda) faction participated in a protest rally organised against the three agricultural laws at Burj Rathi village in Mansa district on Sunday. The protesters vowed to “fight the battle till its logical conclusion” and continue to support and contribute to the agitation in whatever way they can.

Makhan Singh, a union leader, said, “Apart from boycotting the BJP in villages of the Malwa region, we will not support any other political party. We have decided that since wheat harvest will start soon, many farmers will be returning from protest venues from Delhi to their native villages. During this time, women will hold the fort there. — TNS

France is a significant source of FDI in India with more than 1,000 French establishments already present in the country.

Representational image of Indian and French flags | Wikimedia CommonsText Size: A- A+

New Delhi: France, which has emerged as one of the closest strategic partners of India in recent years, is looking at bilateral business growth beyond defence by focusing on energy and technology, said an Indo-French trade body.

While defence has been a key element in bilateral trade, according to the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI), the share of aviation and aeronautics has fallen to 30 per cent in 2020, from 50 per cent in 2019.

However, it is not clear if the dip also includes the defence sector since the chamber does not maintain the numbers in that regard.

“Traditionally, it is true that a big chunk of Indo-French economic ties have been defence and aerospace. Now, we see a number of industries doing so well and coming into limelight, even if we take the last two years,” Payal S. Kanwar, director-general of IFCCI, told ThePrint in an interview.

She said there is an increased focus in the clean energy and digital sectors, and these are the fields where the French can offer more.

France is a significant source of FDI in India with more than 1,000 French establishments already present in the country.

According to the official figures, France is the ninth largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of $9.67 billion from April 2000 to September 2020, which represents 1.93 per cent of the total FDI inflows.

The highest FDI equity inflows are in the services sector (19.22 per cent), with cement and gypsum products (10.05 per cent) in the second place, followed by air transport, including air freight, (8.13 per cent), petroleum and natural gas (7.70 per cent) and electrical equipment (5.74 per cent).

Also read: 3 more Rafale jets take off for India from France

‘France is largest European employer in India’

Giving details of the new investments, Kanwar said these included Schneider Electric’s $2 billion acquisition of L&T’s electrical business, Total’s announcement of $2.5 billion in Adani Green Energy Limited, and French airport operator Groupe ADP carrying out a 49 per cent buyout of GMR’s airport business.

“Right now, in terms of French investment in India, it is currently about $9 billion, which has actually quadrupled in the last 10 years. France is also the largest European employer in the country with 3.5 lakh jobs with very few expats,” Kanwar said.

She added that what she sees at the chamber level is “expanded footprints within the country”.

“We see new plants, R&D centres coming up. French companies are quite bullish on India,” she said.

According to official figures, in 2020, the India-France bilateral trade stood at 9.04 billion Euros, a drop of 21.99 per cent as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. This downfall could be due to the Covid.

India’s exports to France in the period were valued at 4.80 billion Euros, down by 22.9 per cent in the corresponding period. Indian imports from France decreased by 20.95 per cent to 4.23 billion Euros.

‘It is not going to be a cakewalk’

Kanwar said while companies do face challenges, the situation has improved under the Narendra Modi government.

“We all know it is not going to be a cakewalk,” she said, adding that GST was an issue for some companies, and customs and import duties for others.

Kanwar said the common issue was with regard to labour and land acquisition laws. However, the French industry welcomes the Modi government’s efforts to streamline these issues, she said. 

(Edited by Debalina Dey)

Also read: India, France to hold annual dialogue on bilateral issues on 7 January, says MEA

Farmer leaders at the Kirti Kisan Mahapanchayat at the grain market in Ludhiana on Sunday. Tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan

Ludhiana, March 28

Farmer unions’ leaders today warned against the “divisive policies” of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ‘Kirti Kisan Mahapanchayat’ held at Dana Mandi near Jalandhar Bypass here.

• Balbir Singh Rajewal, BKU (Rajewal) President
• United fight can ensure justice
• Only a united fight by farmers, farm workers and other working classes will ensure justice from an adamant dispensation working to scuttle the ongoing stir and safeguarding the interests of big corporates.

“The danger of exploitation looms large not only on the farmers of the country with the three farm laws and the electricity Act, but also on the workers at large,” warned the speakers at the event.

The mahapanchayat, organised by a non-political organisation floated by former bureaucrats SR Ladhar and Jagtar Singh, was attended by cadres of several farmers’ groups, trade unions and the OBC Welfare Front.

BKU (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said protesting farmers’ unions would forever remain indebted to the people, especially the working classes of Punjab and other states, for making the agitation as a peoples’ struggle.

He said the three laws enacted by the Modi government without any debate or consultation with the farmers would not only destroy the basic structure of mandis and marketing of food grain, but would also make the common people suffer due to profit-oriented policies of corporates.

Ladhar and other speakers at the rally castigated the government for letting loose the reign of terror and oppression on farmers and workers. He said while the farmers would be left at the mercy of big corporates under the new laws, the labour would also face oppression and exploitation at the hands of employers under the labour laws which would become operative from April 1, 2021.

He said the government had made a nefarious attempt to snatch the basic rights of the workers like fixed working hours, right to form unions, right to strike work and reasonably good working conditions in the name of so-called labour reforms. “The farmers and workers would have to fight a united battle to secure their democratic and constitutional rights,” he said. — OC

BRO has restored this highway more than one-and-a-half-month ahead of schedule

The highway has been restored for traffic. — Tribune Photo

Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, March 28

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) authority has restored the 425 km long Manali-Leh Highway on Sunday which would provide access to military and common civilians.  

The first convoy of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) bowsers was flagged from the Himachal side by Stanzin Chosphel, Executive Councillor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). This was in the presence of BRO officials after they announced the opening of this highway. 

Despite the many challenges this year, the BRO has managed to restore this highway more than one-and-a-half-month ahead of schedule.  

Generally, the Leh Highway remains closed for about six months during the winters, cutting off Ladhak from the rest of the country. 

This makes the region dependent on supplies via aerial route.  

Because of the ongoing border tension with China, this year the Union Government had asked the BRO to restore the highway as soon as possible.  

As a result, the BRO had started a snow clearance operation between Manali to Leh in mid-February, simultaneously clearing four important passes along the route viz Baralachla (16,047 ft), Nakeela (16,170 ft), Lachungla (16,616 ft) and Tanglangla (17,582 ft). 

In order to increase attack points, a strategy was formed, and therefore,  Baralachla and Tanglangla were addressed from both sides.

According to sources with the BRO—this year—the latest hi-tech machinery was swiftly inducted, and BRO teams worked relentlessly day and night to provide early productivity. 

The dynamics were different this year with the inauguration of Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, and there was no necessity of opening Rohtang Pass as the Lahaul valley remains connected throughout the winters via Atal tunnel. 

This facilitated the complete focus of BRO to be diverted for the opening of Baralachala with additional resources to restore connectivity at the earliest.

According to sources, the opening of Baralachala Pass was formulated as a two-pronged thrust to commence, simultaneously, from two sides one from Patsio to Baralachla and the second point from Sarchu to Baralachala.

With the opening of the Manali-Leh highway, the residents of Lahaul valley have been delighted, who are expecting a huge tourist influx in the valley in the coming days. 

The snow festival is being celebrated in Lahaul valley these days to attract tourists here.

The people of Lahaul and Ladakh have conveyed their gratitude to Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhary, VSM, DGBR and applauded the tremendous efforts put in by BRO to restore this highway in time.

DSGMC chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa with farmers released on bail.

New Delhi, March 28

The legal team set up by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has managed to secure bail for more than 100 farmers who were arrested during a clash between farmers and the police on January 26.

The farmers whose bails had been secured were honoured at Red Fort. A legal team of the DSGMC had been set up to get the detained protesters released. DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa had set up the team that worked from Rakabganj gurdwara.

After the clash on January 26, several families from Punjab had reported that their family members were missing. Protesting farmers had deviated from a pre-approved route of the tractor rally on Republic Day and clashed with the police when they were stopped from entering parts of Central and New Delhi. — TNS

Rs 5l relief for deceased tikri protester

Fazilka: Fazilka Congress MLA Davinder Singh Ghubaya handed over a cheque for Rs3 lakh to Sumitra Bai, the wife of late farmer Bhajan Singh who had died at the Tikri border while participating in dharna against the three farm laws. Bhajan Singh had died due to cardiac arrest on March 18 and his last rites were performed in a local gurdwara on Saturday. A cheque for Rs2 lakh was also given to the kin of the farmer at the time of his cremation.

• India and the US on Sunday kicked off a two-day naval exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean Region, reflecting the growing congruence in their defence and military partnership.
• The exercise came a week after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin came to India. A spokesperson said the exercise was aimed at consolidating the synergy achieved during the Malabar exercise. PTI

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