Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 25

For a legend as tall as Balbir Singh Sr, memories of his career were part and parcel of his everyday life. There was not a single day when he would not reminisce the good old times of his golden years as a hockey player and would love to talk about it whenever he had a chance.

“You are very young, I could make you sit on the same sofa for three days and talk about my achievements and what all my team has done,” Balbir was quoted as having said to a reporter during an interview on his 91st birthday in 2015.

A favourite of the media fraternity in the city, the hockey veteran never failed to amaze them with his sharp memory. He used to share numerous moments of his life — starting from his young school days to the journey of grabbing three Olympics gold medals. The cheery legend never did part with two things until the end of his garlanded journey — the hockey stick and his love for the nation. The other fascinating thing about him that everyone was fond of was his admiration for his team. “I am nothing without my team and country,” Balbir used to reiterate frequently. His love for the country largely descended from his father (Dalip Singh Dosanjh), who was a freedom fighter.On an odd day, he would not hesitate in criticising the authorities for losing the memorabilia he had handed over to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in 1985 for a museum.

That included his captain’s blazer from the Melbourne Olympics, 36 medals and over 100 rare photographs.

Striker who wanted to be a goalkeeper

“I wanted to be a goalkeeper. But as destiny wanted, I got an amazing coach who forced me to play as a striker. I was poor in studies and my father decided to send me to Lahore. But the problem with my academics remained,” he had revealed during an interview. Perhaps, he was the only hockey player whose well-wishers approached the then Indian High Commissioner in London, VK Krishna Menon, after he was not selected for the 39-member probables squad during the 1950s.

“I’ve personally lost a good friend, the gem of Indian sports,” said legendary sprinter Milkha Singh after hearing of the death of three-time Olympics gold medallist Balbir Singh Sr this morning.

“It’s very sad. We joined the Punjab Sports Department together in 1960 and even my wife (Nirmal Milkha Singh) had worked under him,” Milkha said. “As far as my memory goes, we were part of the Indian contingent during the 1956 Melbourne, 1960 Rome and 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Apart from these major events, we were part of the Indian contingent in many Asian Games and other international tournaments.”

However, Balbir was not part of the team in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, though he may have travelled there on his own.

“Balbir was one of the finest hockey players of India after Major Dhyan Chand,” Milkha said. “His contribution cannot be forgotten in decades to come. It’s so disheartening that his death came when the world is under a lockdown. He deserved a huge farewell. I just wish everyone in this country pays a tribute to the departed soul.”

Balbir Singh Sr and Milkha Singh, two of the greatest sportspersons of India, enjoyed such popularity during their heyday that it is said they did not require an appointment to meet Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Indian Prime Minister. “It is true. We could meet him at a short notice. He loved hockey,” Balbir had once said.

Hockey Chandigarh pays tributes to the legend

Meanwhile, Hockey Chandigarh secretary Anil Vohra expressed grief on the death of the hockey icon. “He was the lifetime president of Rock Rovers Hockey Club, one of the oldest clubs in Indian hockey. He will remain in our memories and his achievements will be an example to live up to for the coming generations,” said Vohra.

The UT Sports Department and the Panjab University Sports Department also paid tributes to Balbir Singh Sr

New Delhi, May 26

India will not stop infrastructure development projects in strategic areas along the nearly 3,500-km Sino-India border, notwithstanding China’s well-coordinated efforts to stall them by attempting to vitiate the situation in areas like eastern Ladakh, government sources said on Tuesday.

It is learnt that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had conveyed to top military brass that there was no need for reviewing the implementation of any of the key projects along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand or in Arunachal Pradesh in view of the aggressive behaviour by Chinese troops in several sensitive areas.

Also read PM Modi meets India’s top military brass amid escalating border tension with China

In view of the nearly 20-day standoff between the two sides, the Indian Army has significantly ramped up its presence in sensitive border areas in North Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh besides Ladakh to send across a message that India will not be wilting under any aggressive military posturing by China, the sources said.

They said Army Chief Gen MM Naravane had been briefing the Defence Minister about the fast-evolving situation in eastern Ladakh on an almost daily basis and it has been decided to put up a stiff counter to China’s transgressions into Indian areas along the LAC, the de-facto boundary between the two countries.

The Chinese side has been particularly peeved at India laying a key road in the finger area of Pangong Tso Lake region besides another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley.

Singh, on Tuesday, held a meeting with three service chiefs on the implementation of a wide range of reform measures in the armed forces. It is not immediately clear whether the situation in eastern Ladakh figured in the deliberations.

In the last five years, India has been focusing on improving road and other key infrastructure along the LAC as part of efforts to bolster military preparedness to deal with any challenge from the Chinese side.

The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on the evening of May 5 which spilt over to the next day before the two sides agreed to “disengage” following a meeting at the level of local commanders.

Over 100 Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in the violence. The trigger for the incident was China’s strong objection to the road being laid by India in the Finger area in Pangong Tso lake.

Also read: Govt should be more transparent on what is happening at border with China: Rahul

The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in North Sikkim on May 9. Since then, the Chinese military has increased its strength in Pangong Tso lake, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldi, and is resorting to “aggressive patrolling” in these areas. The India Army was also carrying out a similar exercise in the region, sources said.

India last week said the Chinese military was hindering normal patrolling by its troops and asserted that India has always taken a very responsible approach towards border management.

At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava also strongly refuted China’s contention that the tension was triggered due to trespassing by Indian forces on the Chinese side.

India’s response came two days after China accused the Indian Army of trespassing into its territory, claiming that it was an “attempt to unilaterally change the status” of the LAC in Sikkim and Ladakh.

On May 5, the Indian and Chinese army personnel clashed with iron rods, sticks, and even resorted to stone-pelting in the Pangong Tso lake area in which soldiers on both sides sustained injuries.

In a separate incident, nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel were engaged in a face-off near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector on May 9. At least 10 soldiers from both sides sustained injuries.

The troops of India and China were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam tri-junction in 2017 which even triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first informal summit in April 2018 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, months after the Doklam standoff.

In the summit, the two leaders decided to issue “strategic guidance” to their militaries to strengthen communications so that they can build trust and understanding.

Modi and Xi held their second informal summit in Mamallapuram near Chennai in October last year with a focus on further broadening bilateral ties. PTI

Sandeep Dikshit
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 26

The reason for the stand-off between troops of India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh remains a subject of conjecture among foreign policy experts in the absence of any authoritative commentary from both governments.

At a regular press conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson received no queries on the LAC stand-off, an indication that both sides would work out the issue away from public glare and commentary.

Quiet diplomacy

The reticence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Office comments on global issues but the LAC suggest quiet diplomacy is being given a chance

The Chinese side has generally withheld comments on the issue except for some observations by “The Global Times”. A regular commentator on India, Long Xingchun, wrote that most face-offs were resolved without the media getting to know about them. He, however, saw the face-off at the Galwan valley as having been planned by India in advance and cautioned that it could snowball into a confrontation worse than Doklam. The MEA has commented on the stand-off twice, on May 14 and May 21, and its Chinese Foreign Office once, that too briefly.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi did not touch on India at all during his 90-minute especially convened press conference on Sunday while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also adopted a low profile on the issue.

Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran as well as former Ambassadors to China Ashok Kantha and Gautam Bambawale are united in asserting that Chinese aggressiveness on the border is part of its pattern of pushing its advantage on territorial claims while the adversaries are engaged in Covid. This is also an observation made by top US diplomat for the region Alice Wells, who said the LAC stand-off was a reminder that Chinese aggression was not just rhetorical.

However with no word coming from the actual policy-making circles except for a few accounts of the stand-off, strategic experts too have been unable to foresee the end game.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 26

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting on Tuesday with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat besides other senior officials on a day the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops continued in the Galwan valley of eastern Ladakh. Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh RK Mathur, who was in Delhi, also called on the Prime Minister, said official sources.

Singh is learnt to have heard them out, discussing troop numbers and risk to infrastructure. Earlier, the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army held several meetings to resolve the LAC situation in eastern Ladakh.

Defence sources said India, for now, had decided that road construction along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh must continue and Indian fortifications and troop deployment must match those of the Chinese. The Indian Army has been asked to hold ground while talks to defuse the situation would continue.

Meanwhile, reports said China continued to add to its military strength across eastern Ladakh as tensions festered in the Galwan valley and north of the Pangong Tso, a 135-km glacial lake.

Some 8,000-10,000 troops along a stretch of 826 km and armoured personal carriers and artillery guns have already been deployed on both sides. Troop build-up on both sides is concentrated at three spots —- one at Galwan and two around Pangong Tso. The cause of the flare-up is apparently the 255-km Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Baig Oldie road.

Opposite the road or eastwards of it is the Aksai Chin plateau, illegally occupied by China.

China and India have a string of air bases close to the LAC which can be used to launch an offensive. A senior official explained that fully functional Chinese airfields at Kashgar, Korla, Yarkand, Hotan, Ngari Gunsa and Gardzong virtually form a ‘ring’ around Ladakh.

On Friday, General Manoj Mukund Naravane had visited Leh, the headquarters of 14 Corps, and reviewed security deployment of forces along the LAC.

India denies trespassing

Refutes China’s contention that tension triggered due to trespassing by its forces; says Chinese troops hindering patrolling

China irked by infra

• China has been peeved about India laying a key road in finger area of Pangong Tso region and another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Baig Oldie road along Galwan valley.

Increased patrolling

• Since the face-offs, China increased its strength in Pangong Tso, Galwan valley, Demchok and Daulat Baig Oldie.
• India Army too carrying out patrolling in region.

Scale up battle preparedness: Xi

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday ordered the military to scale up the battle preparedness. He was speaking at a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army during the parliament session. His comments came in the backdrop of the LAC stand-off. PTI

Doklam stand-off lasted 73 days

• India, China were engaged in 73-day stand-off in Doklam in 2017, triggering fears of a war
• The LAC covers 3,488 kms. China claims Arunachal as part of southern Tibet, India contests it.

This will be the first major event for the IAF since the outbreak of COVID-19

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Coimbatore, May 27

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria flew a Tejas single-seater light combat aircraft at the Sulur air force station on Wednesday.

Officials said Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria, who worked with the team that developed the Tejas jet, flew the aircraft which is part of the IAF’s 45 Squadron.

The Chief of Air Staff was in Sulur to operationalise the IAF’s 18 Squadron, which is codenamed as ‘Flying Bullets’. It will be the second squadron in the Indian Air Force to fly the Tejas aircraft.

The Tejas has been developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and the HAL. The lifespan of the jet would be a minimum of 30 years just like any other front-line combat aircraft.

The combat jets are classified under various generations depending on their avionics, capability and weapons systems. The current fleet of fighter jets with the IAF range from three-and-half generation to the fourth generation.

The Indian Air Force has already placed an order for 40 Tejas and is likely to seal a contract “very soon” with HAL for another 83 aircraft at a cost of around Rs 38,000 crore.

A naval version of the Tejas light combat aircraft is in the development stage. PTI

The commanders are also expected to delve into the overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi, May 27

Top commanders of the Indian Army on Wednesday began deliberations on key security challenges facing India, including the tense standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in several areas of eastern Ladakh.

The three-day conference is being presided over by Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane.

The commanders are also expected to delve into the overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the main focus will be on the situation in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball face-off in sensitive areas like Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie, government sources said.

“All aspects of India’s security challenges, including along borders with Pakistan and China, will be discussed at length by the commanders,” said a senior military official on condition of anonymity.

Both India and China have significantly increased their presence in all sensitive areas in the region, in an indication that neither side is ready to back off.

The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on the evening of May 5 which spilt over to the next day before the two sides agreed to “disengage” following a meeting at the level of local commanders.

Over 100 Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in the violence.

The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in North Sikkim on May 9.

The commanders’ conference was originally scheduled to be held from April 13-18, but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The second phase of the conference will take place in the last week of June.

On the face-off in eastern Ladakh, India last week said that it has always taken a very responsible approach towards border management but the Chinese military was hindering normal patrolling by its troops.

It is learnt that both India and China are looking at a solution to the issue through talks.

On May 5, the Indian and the Chinese army personnel clashed with iron rods, sticks, and even resorted to stone-pelting in the Pangong Tso lake area in which soldiers on both sides sustained injuries.

In a separate incident, nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel were engaged in a face-off near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector on May 9. At least 10 soldiers from both sides sustained injuries.

The troops of India and China were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam tri-junction in 2017 which even triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. PTI 

The comments by the Foreign Ministry spokesman come in the backdrop of the continuing standoff between the militaries of India and China at the LAC

Beijing, May 27

China on Wednesday said the situation at the border with India is “overall stable and controllable”, and both the countries have proper mechanisms and communication channels to resolve the issues through a dialogue and consultation.

The comments by the Foreign Ministry spokesman came in the backdrop of the continuing standoff between the militaries of India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, during a media briefing here, said that China’s position on the border-related issues is clear and consistent.

“We have been following the important consensus reached by the two leaders and strictly observing the agreements between the two countries,” he said, apparently referring to the directions of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their two informal summits, asking the militaries of the two countries to take more confidence-building measures to maintain peace and tranquillity along the borders.

The foreign ministry’s remarks came a day after President Xi ordered the military to scale up the battle preparedness, visualising the worst-case scenarios and asked it to resolutely defend the country’s sovereignty.

Zhao said: “We are committed to safeguarding our territorial sovereignty and security, and safeguarding peace and stability in the border areas. Now the China-India border area situation is overall stable and controllable.”

“Between the two countries, we have good border-related mechanism and communication channels. We are capable of resolving the issues properly though dialogue and consultation,” he said, confirming reports that the diplomatic efforts were on to ease the border tensions.

Asked where the talks are taking place, Zhao said the two countries had established border-related mechanisms and diplomatic channels.

“This includes the communication between border troops and between our diplomatic missions,” he added.

The nearly 3,500-km-long LAC is the de-facto border between the two countries.

Several areas along the LAC in Ladakh and North Sikkim have witnessed major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese armies recently, in a clear signal of escalating tension and hardening of respective positions by the two sides even two weeks after they were engaged in two separate face-offs.

India has said the Chinese military was hindering normal patrolling by its troops along the LAC in Ladakh and Sikkim and strongly refuted Beijing’s contention that the escalating tension between the two armies was triggered by trespassing of Indian forces across the Chinese side.

The Ministry of External Affairs said all Indian activities were carried out on its side of the border, asserting that India had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management. At the same time, it said, India was deeply committed to protecting its sovereignty and security.

“Any suggestion that Indian troops had undertaken activity across the LAC in the Western sector or the Sikkim sector is not accurate. Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas and abide by it scrupulously,” MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at an online media briefing last week. PTI

According to an agreement signed between the two countries, China shares hydrological data of the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers with India from May 15 and June 1, respectively, until the end of October.

Nearly 10 days before its scheduled date, China has initiated the process of sharing hydrological data for the Sutlej river with India, an annual practice during the monsoon which is crucial for generating information on floods in north India, officials said on Friday.

According to an agreement signed between the two countries, China shares hydrological data of the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers with India from May 15 and June 1, respectively, until the end of October.

For the Sutlej river, known as Langqen Zangbod in China, data is shared from a station at Tsada, the officials said.

The river, a major tributary of the Indus, originates in Tibet and enters India through Himachal Pradesh.

This year, China initiated the process on May 18-19, nearly 10 days before the scheduled date, the officials added.

The development comes amid the recent face-offs between the armies of the two countries at the eastern and northern borders of India.

On Thursday, India had said that the Chinese military was hindering normal patrolling by its troops along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and Sikkim. It also strongly refuted China’s contention that the escalating tension between the two armies was triggered by trespassing of Indian forces across the Chinese side.

Around 250 Indian and Chinese army personnel clashed with iron rods, sticks, and even resorted to stone-pelting in Pangong Tso area in Eastern Ladakh on May 5. Four days later, there was a similar face-off near Naku La Pass in North Sikkim.

The data is crucial for India for generating flood-related information in north and northeast India, the officials said.

Prior to the sharing of data, both sides check whether the existing data sharing systems are working fine. Accordingly, China sends a test mail with data that has to be acknowledged by India, signifying that the communication line is working fine.

But this usually happens two to three days before the actual data sharing begins, the officials said.

Data sharing for the Brahmaputra river started from May 15.

In 2017, China had stopped sharing the data citing that the hydrological data gathering sites were washed away due to floods. It also coincided with the 73-day Doklam stand-off between the two neighbours that took place during the peak monsoon period.

It resumed sharing data from 2018.