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Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, September 8

Punjabis are taking over the world with their killer Bhangra moves.

In a viral video, Punjabis were seen teaching Bhangra to the Ottawa police personnel. The 22-second clip was shared on the microblogging website by Hardi Singh.

“Bhangra Drill for Ottawa Police! Desi moves rule!! Nach paye saare!!!,” his tweet read.

The clip shows the police personnel maintaining distance, and following the footsteps of their instructor.

On a bright sunny day, the personnel with big smiles on their faces, dance their heart o

This is Dr Jigmet Wangchuk, Medical Officer at Primary Health Care Centre in Chushul, Ladakh taking a short break on his way up the mountain. Like many citizens, he has turned into a volunteer for the Indian Army, carrying medicines and water on his back for our brave soldiers deployed on the LAC.

This is love for an army that has always put the nation and its people before itself. The Indian Army has the blessings of a billion people and that makes it invincible.

God bless Dr Jigmet and our soldiers.

Dogras always had a special place in Military Warefare and produced Many distigushed Generals who not only commanded Indian Army n Indian Navy But also extended the international boundries of India Rt up to Tibet Giligit Baltistan.Its a great pride to be a Dogra Soldier.well done Col RS Jamwal , your mother land is proud of you.

The native breeds in Ladakh predominantly include the Bakharwal dog, colloquially called the Gaddi Kutta, the Tibetan Mastiff, mostly found in border areas, and even local feral dogs. The Bakharwal is descended from the Tibetan Mastiff.

“Native dogs of Ladakh are being locally trained and will used on a required basis for various functions,” an Army source told ThePrint.

A senior Army officer told ThePrint that when trained, the local Bakharwal dogs can act as good guard dogs at military posts to alert sentries and others in case of any intrusion.

“On training, they can also be employed as sled dogs at the icy heights of Ladakh for casualty evacuation,” the officer said, adding that a few dogs are being trained for the purpose.

The officer added that the local feral dogs could be used for mine detection on training as they have “very good sniffing powers”.

Native dog breeds are in focus as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address, had urged people to adopt Indian breeds if they planned to keep them as pets and had said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research is also conducting research on such dogs.

“I have been told that Indian breed dogs are very good and competent. Among the Indian breeds, Mudhol hound and Himachali hound are high pedigree dogs. Rajapalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai and Combai are also very good Indian breeds,” he had said.

He specifically had mentioned Sophie, a Cocker Spaniel, and Vida, a Labrador, who were involved in counter-infiltration and counter-terrorism operations, and were awarded with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) commendations during Independence Day celebrations this year.

Also read: Rajapalayam, Kanni, Combai — all about Indian dog breeds PM Modi talked about in Mann ki Baat

Avalanche rescue, mine detection: roles played by dogs in Ladakh

Army sources told ThePrint that the force has dogs for explosives and mine detection in Ladakh and that they are deployed as and when required to secure lanes of communications in the forward areas.

Sources, however, clarified that the canines deployed in the Ladakh region are primarily avalanche rescue operations (ARO) dogs and are integral part of various search and rescue operations.

“Bestowed with a naturally gifted sense of smell, the ARO dogs can quickly detect the victims buried up to 20-30 ft of snow. During disasters, these silent warriors are looked upon as reliable saviours,” an Army source said.

“Primarily Labradors and German Shepherds are deployed in Ladakh due to extreme weather conditions for their thick coat,” an officer said.

“Until date, the Army dogs and Army dog trainers of Army Dog Units in Ladakh have been awarded 10 COAS and 07 GOC-in-C commendation cards for their contributions in search and rescue missions,” the officer added.

Speaking of mountain dogs, such as the Ladakhi breeds, animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi told ThePrint that most of them survive easily at a higher altitude.

“They are sturdy, have a thick coat and are acclimatised to cold and desolate conditions,” she said. “They are friendly with humans and also make for great shepherds. They are made to order for the hills.

“However, if kept in a warmer climate or in the plains, they suffer much and develop health problems that may be fatal,” he added.

‘Army dogs as force multipliers’

The Indian Army deploys dogs for eight different requirements — track, guard, mine detection, explosive detection, infantry patrol, AOR, search and rescue, assault and narcotic detection.

Senior Army officials told ThePrint that the dogs have had stellar operation success and act as force multipliers in various counter insurgency and counter terror operations. They have also saved lives during avalanches, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

According to data with the Army, the force’s dogs have contributed to at least 53 operational successes since July 2019. They include 30 instances of recovery of IEDs and explosives, five instances where they tracked and located terrorists leading to their killing, 14 instances where they contributed in the recovery of arms, ammunition and other war-like stores, and four instances where they have contributed in the rescue of live individuals and mortal remains in snow-bound areas.

There is also an increasing demand from friendly foreign countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and  Cambodia for these dogs. Countries such as South Africa, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Seychelles have shown interest in getting their Army personnel trained in dog handling courses conducted by the Indian Army.

Also read: Situation in eastern Ladakh still ‘sensitive’. China, India deploy tanks, additional troops

In a statement, Army said China is continuing with provocative activities to escalate the situation at the LAC when India is committed to disengagement.

New Delhi: Opening a new phase of tensions in Eastern Ladakh, Chinese troops fired warning shots in the air when challenged by Indian soldiers as they attempted to close in with one of India’s forward positions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army said.

The Army, in a statement, also termed a statement by China’s Western Theatre Command, which had accused India of crossing the LAC and opening fire, “an attempt to mislead their domestic and international audience”.

Accusing China of continuing with “provocative activities to escalate the situation, the Army statement said, “India, while is committed to disengagement and de-escalating the situation on the LAC, China continues to undertake provocative activities to escalate.”

The Army underlined that at no stage have the Indian soldiers transgressed across the LAC or resorted to use of any aggressive means, including firing.

“It is the PLA that has been blatantly violating agreements and carrying out aggressive manoeuvres, while engagement at military, diplomatic and political level is in progress.”

The statement added, “In the instant case on 07 September 2020, it was the PLA troops who were attempting to close-in with one of our forward positions along the LAC and when dissuaded by own troops, PLA troops fired a few rounds in the air in an attempt to intimidate own troops. However, despite the grave provocation, own troops exercised great restraint and behaved in a mature and responsible manner.”

The Indian Army said it is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility, but is also determined to protect national integrity and sovereignty at all costs.

“The statement by the Western Theatre Command is an attempt to mislead their domestic and international audience,” the Army statement said.

The Ministry of External Affairs has also issued a similar statement.

Sources in the defence and security establishment said the action took place Monday evening along the LAC on the Rezang-La-Rechin La ridgeline after the Chinese attempted to transgress into the Indian-dominated territory on the southern bank of Pangong Tso.

The firing incident, confirmed by both India and China, breaks the over four-decades-old record of not a single shot being fired despite an unsettled border that witnesses several face-offs every year.

ThePrint had reported on 4 September that new rules of engagement are in play at the LAC.

Commanders on both sides are talking to each other to calm the situation, the sources said.

They said the Chinese in large numbers and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) were attempting to wrest control of a post on the ridgeline.

Also read: New tension at Pangong as China accuses Indian Army of firing warning shots at its troops

China accused India of crossing LAC and opening fire

China has again accused Indian troops of crossing the LAC, even though Army sources underlined that they have not crossed the Indian perception of the LAC.

Chinese perception of their own LAC comes well within Indian territory and is known as the Green Line.

The source maintained that Indians are within their own perception of the LAC but the Chinese consider the areas as their own territory and hence comes their claim of Indians crossing it.

The China’s Western Theatre Command, which takes care of the border with India, issued a statement late Monday night accusing Indian troops of opening warning shots.

Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesperson of the Western Theatre Command, said Indian troops crossed the LAC at the west section of the China-India border, into the Shenpao mountain region near the south bank of Pangong Tso.

“During the operation, the Indian army blatantly fired threats to the patrol personnel of the Chinese border guards who had made representations, and the Chinese border guards were forced to take countermeasures to stabilize the situation on the ground,” China’s state-owned Global Times reported.

The PLA added that the Indian side’s move seriously violated related agreements reached by both sides, stirred up tensions in the region, and would easily cause misunderstandings and misjudgments, which “is a serious military provocation and is very vile in nature”.

Also read: India’s use of secret guerrilla force SFF in Ladakh signals a larger design to contain China

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is meeting his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the situation along the Line of Actual Control or LAC.

esday talked about harsh weather conditions in the area, fact is that Indian Army has been used to such conditions since Operation Maghdoot in Siachen in 1984. “ The Indian soldier is prepared for mountain and snow from the very beginning with virtually all of them serving either on the Line of Control with Pakistan, Siachen Glacier or the LAC,” said a military commander. The PLA on the other hand last bled in Vietnam in 1979.

The basic problem facing disengagement is that Chinese have road infrastructure right upto the LAC in Ladakh, while the Indian Army troops have to traverse mountain passes, nullahs and ridges to reach their current posts and positions. “If China is serious about disengagement and de-escalation, then both sides have to bilaterally commit that the other side will not occupy the heights once vacated by the present occupant. Only then will the disengagement be successful,” said a military commander.

In the past 27 years, the PLA have nibbled into the LAC with the Indian Army troops with their defensive mindset sticking only to the patrolling points (defined by the China Study Group), which fall well short of Indian perception line. However, the Indian Army’s posture has changed since the initial PLA transgressions in May. And this time, the Indian troops are not even willing to given an inch within their side of the LAC.