New Delhi, April 20

Top Army commanders have favoured a collective approach in bringing the radicalised youth of Jammu and Kashmir into the mainstream and focus on minimising collateral damage in anti-terror operations in the state.The commanders, at a six-day conference which began on Monday, also delved into a host of issues, including the situation along the borders with China and modernisation of the force with a limited budgetary allocation, a senior Army official said.Director General Staff Duties Lt General AK Sharma said the commanders confabulated on the prevalent situation in the Kashmir valley and reviewed recent developments affecting the modus operandi of the operations of the armed forces deployed there. “It was felt that priority must be accorded towards ushering in peace by conducting counter-terrorist operations that minimise collateral damage,” he said.Security forces have been facing stiff opposition from Valley residents some of whom had resorted to stone throwing at them in certain areas. Sharma said the commanders felt that radicalised youth must be brought into the mainstream by carrying out de-radicalisation initiatives and favoured a collective approach that focuses on convincing the youth to shun violence and gun culture.He said the commanders also reviewed the situation along the Line of Control and the increase in ceasefire violations there. They also talked about “adequacy of the response mechanisms” to ceasefire violations by Pakistan. He said Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat expressed satisfaction at the way the Army was adapting to dynamic security challenges and stressed the need to lay down judicious priorities to ensure that the allocated resources are utilised optimally. The Army commanders will discuss matters related exclusively to military operations on Saturday. — PTI

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NEW DELHI:  Nine years after it first made a request for more than 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets, the government today signed a major ‘Make in India’ contract which will see the army finally acquire the life-saving kit its soldiers desperately require during operations.

The contract has been won by SMPP Pvt Ltd, a small Delhi-based company which has a Research and Development Centre in the Okhla Industrial Area. The Rs. 639 crore order signed today is the biggest order SMPP have ever signed. In a statement, the company, which hopes to complete delivery of all the jackets within three years, has said its body armour meets the most stringent standards of the Indian Army. “These bulletproof jackets have ‘Boron Carbide Ceramic’ which is the lightest material for ballistic protection,” the company said.

The army, which has struggled to acquire body armour for its soldiers because of an oppressively slow procurement system, says the new jackets have modular parts which provide “immense protection and flexibility to soldiers operating in different operational situations ranging from long distance patrolling to high risk room intervention scenarios”. The jackets are designed to sustain the impact of even the latest hard steel core bullets in saving the lives of soldiers in operations.

In 2009, the government accepted an army requirement for 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets but the order fell through after none of the vendors cleared trials conducted by the army. Only one of the four participants cleared the first round where the jackets had to demonstrate their ability to withstand .30 calibre armour-piercing bullets in a series of tests in different conditions.

he manufacturer which cleared the first round failed in the next where the bulletproof jacket was deliberately degraded to replicate typical wear and tear in real life conditions.

With a glaring lack of bulletproof jackets at its disposal, the army signed on for 50,000 bulletproof jackets as part of an interim emergency purchase in March 2016. This was hardly a solution since these jackets were designed to older specifications and did not meet the standards that the army was looking for. Neither did the order of 50,000 jackets make a serious dent towards meeting the army’s overall requirement of more than 3.5 lakh bulletproof jackets for its soldiers.

With today’s contract out of the way, the top brass of the army will be relieved to know that its soldiers will finally have world class basic equipment. Besides being a significant win for the government’s Make in India initiative, the new body armour “will boost the confidence of the soldier and provide moral ascendency to security forces”.

DEHRUNA(ANANTNAG): Hizbul Mujahedeen militant Rouf Khanday, all of 18 years old, and one of the 13 suspected insurgents gunned down by security forces in Kashmir on Sunday, had two last wishes: one, that his father lead his funeral prayer and second, that his parents repay the ₹150 he owed to the shopkeeper who sold mobile recharge coupons in his village.

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 5

Questioning the government’s claim that Aadhaar will enable authorities to check frauds in banks and financial institutions, the Supreme Court on Thursday said such scams happened because bank officials were hand-in-glove with fraudsters and Aadhaar can do little to stop it.“A bank fraud does not take place because of multiple identities. A loan is given by a banker and he knows who the borrower is. A fraud can take place if the banker is hand-in-glove with the customer… Aadhaar can do little to stop it,” a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra told Attorney General KK Venugopal after he said Aadhaar would prevent bank fraud.As the top law officer said Aadhaar would stop creation of benami accounts and help authorities to track illegal transactions, the Bench – which also included justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, agreed. “But, to stop bank frauds, the manger or official at that level needs to carry out due diligence before advancing loans,” said Justice Sikri.The courtroom burst into laughter after the AG said, “What the court wants to say is that Nirav Modis will continue to flourish despite Aadhaar.” As the AG’s arguments remained inconclusive, he would resume on April 10.The Bench wondered if asking the entire population to link their mobile phones with Aadhaar “just to catch a few terrorists” was the right thing. “What if authorities, through administrative orders, ask citizens to part with their DNA, semen and blood samples as part of their Aadhaar demographics?” asked the Bench.Justice Chandrachud questioned the government, saying it has assumed that all the services for which it was asking for Aadhaar amounted to legitimate state interest.“The core issue is that how far you can cast the net of Aadhaar asking citizens to give their biometric details for services that are not covered under Section 7 (deals with welfare schemes) of the Aadhaar law,” Justice Chandrachud said.

Kim’s sudden Beijing visit enhances the crucial role that China plays in maneuvering North Korea’s equations with the rest of the world.

On a pointed question pertaining to the strategic Chinese investments abroad for either long-term military platforms or controlling the local governments, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying quoted two Chinese sayings in its defense – first that ‘one’s mentality will determine how he perceives the world’ and second, ‘if one suspects his neighbour of stealing his axe, all behaviour of that innocent neighbour appears suspicious to him!’ Trying to allay specific fears about the Chinese intent on the increasingly-China-dependent states in Africa, Hua Chunying said, “China welcomes African countries aboard the express train of its development and is willing to make positive contributions to promoting the peace, security, development and rejuvenation of African countries.” Ironically, that very day of the Chinese statement, a heavily-armoured train actually chugged into Beijing, carrying the secretive entourage of the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un. Read This – Mamata’s unity efforts The ostensibly ‘unofficial visit’ was also the first international visit made by Kim Jong-un since he assumed power in 2011. While the suddenness, secrecy and the mode of conveyance has raised eyebrows across the world, the timing is not surprising given the impending meetings between Kim Jong-un and his South Korean counterpart President Moon Jae-in, which is to be followed by the unprecedented meeting of the North Korean strongman with the US President Donald Trump, around May. As North Korea’s biggest trading partner, military ally, and diplomatic vanguard, China is singularly responsible for the survival and sustenance of the North Korean regime. Since the bloody Korean War (1950-1953), when Kim Jong-un’s grandfather Kim Il-sung was supported by China’s Mao Zedong and the USSR – the North Koreans are perennially indebted to Beijing for the installation and perpetuation of the successive Kim-dynasts. Fittingly, Kim Jong-un’s toast to the Chinese President Xi Jinping during the recent visit was very servile: “It is appropriate that my first trip abroad is in China’s capital, and my responsibility to consider continuing NK-China relations as valuable as life!” Read This – Polyhouse: A versatile solution The strange sight of the 21-car armoured train in Bejing has reiterated the criticality of China in any possible future-solution to the dangerous theatrics and sabre-rattling unleashed by both the despot in Pyongyang and his equally colourful nemesis in Washington DC, US President Donald Trump. The obvious trust and equation between North Korea and China came to the forefront as Kim Jong-un felt safe enough to travel to China, without the pathological fear of a looming decapitation strike that haunts the North Korean establishment. The complexities and intrigues of the Sino-North Korean relationship belie the real instigator of the North Korean dictator’s sudden visit to China. Was it Kim Jong-un who wanted full Chinese alignment on the exact contours and extent of possible concessions with the South Koreans and the Americans, or was it the wary Chinese who wanted to secure a seat in any future discussions pertaining to the North Korean impasse? Most probably, it was a combination of both as the North Korean regime could implode and melt-away without the firing of a single-shot if the Chinese were to withdraw their beneficence, and likewise, an uninvolved China in the rapprochement process of North Korea could strip Beijing of a strategic pawn, military shield, and economic backyard for its wares. Importantly, both nations have signed a mutual defense treaty wherein they have stated that ‘in the event of one of the parties being subjected to armed attack by any state or several states together and thus being involved in a state of war, the other party shall immediately render military and other assistance by all means at its disposal’. This treaty was first signed by the governments in 1961, and subsequently renewed in 1981, 2001, and is now in effect until 2021. The stakes in the crucial meetings of Kim Jong-un with Moon and Trump are as high for Bejing as they are for Pyongyang. Potentially, the carefully plotted and positioned structures of Chinese assertion, dominance and geopolitical import are at risk in case of either any major concessions afforded by North Korea or escalations from the current structures in the North Korean narrative. The non-progress in talks could also license a military strike by the US, which could shoot-up tensions in the Chinese neighbourhood and bring rival forces to near its borders. Already, China is battling international opprobrium in the South China Sea and it could be doubly stretched in case the security situation worsens for Bejing in the Korean peninsula. Ideally the Chinese would want to bat for an incremental de-escalation via the ‘freeze-for-freeze’ methodology, which potentially kills two birds with one stone – the suspension of military drills and the possible withdrawal of the US military forces from the Korean peninsula, in exchange for North Korea suspending nuclear testing. This way, the Chinese manage to debar US presence in its vicinity, whilst also controlling the reckless bravado of the North Korean maverick. A possible thaw without altering the fundamentals of the sovereign-alignments or regime-changes would be in China’s best interest. Additionally, the optics of a successful peace-broker would enhance Beijing’s international prestige and prospects as it embarks on its quest for global super-powership and moral legitimacy. Inaction or non-intervention is not an option for the Chinese, as Mao Zedong had famously stated, ‘Passivity is fatal to us. Our goal is to make the enemy passive’; and, in this case, the enemy is the one that can upset the apple cart of the carefully charted coordinates of the Chinese dream, including the vassal states like North Korea under its strategic tutelage. Contrary to the publically declared position of a denuclearised Korean peninsula, China has tactically tolerated and even supported the nuclearisation program of North Korea. This existing arrangement of an anti-west, belligerent and roguish neighbour that is existentially beholden and completely dependent on the Chinese diktats and interests, works to Beijing’s advantage and it will not allow any major progressions or regression from the existing storyline in North Korea. The game plan, ‘red-lines’ and the absolute ‘no-go’ zones for the forthcoming discussions that North Korea would be partaking in would have been carefully discussed and agreed upon – between the two illiberal and mutually-aligned leaders. Lt General Bhopinder Singh (retd) is former Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands & Puducherry. The views expressed are strictly personal

http://www.millenniumpost.in/opinion/strategic-chinese-checkers-291783

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

India’s ambition of setting up a joint military base in the remote coral Assumption (Assomption) Islands has suffered a major jolt. Giving in to Opposition protests, Seychelles President Danny Faure has reportedly shelved plans to present an amended agreement for ratification in parliament in April.Faure, who was recently in India at the inaugural summit of the International Solar Alliance, was quoted by local media as saying: “It is not proper for me to send the agreement to the Speaker when the Leader of the Opposition, who is in majority in the Assembly, has signalled he will not ratify it.”Under the agreement struck in 2015 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, India is to invest $550 million in building the base to be shared by militaries of both countries for up to 30 years. New Delhi wants to ensure safety of its vessels in southern Indian Ocean and increase strategic presence in waters with an aggressive China expanding its maritime footprint. Seychelles government agreed the deal would help coastguards to patrol its 1.3 million square kilometres Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).Assumption has strategic importance for monitoring shipping of international vessels through Mozambique Channel. After consistent protests by locals, even some ruling party members and the political opposition on grounds of sovereignty and environmental concerns, the deal was revised this year to clarify issues such as prohibition of any nuclear use of the island as well as India not be allowed to use the base in war.Indian-origin leader of opposition Wavel Ramkalawan was invited in January to attend the Global PIO Parliamentary Conference in Delhi. Despite India’s attempts at engaging Ramkalawan, he was quoted as saying: “I hope I have made it clear that this is the end of the Assumption agreement and that I don’t expect to see it on any agenda between President Faure and the Opposition.”

Daughter of martyr policeman Deepak Thushoo who died in militant encounter in Kashmir, wailing near the body before last rites at Jagti township in Nagrota outskirts of Jammu on Thursday.Tribune Photo: Inderjeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 22

The Army and J&K Police paid floral tributes to the five security personnel killed in a fierce gunfight in the frontier Kupwara district on Wednesday.The Army held a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh cantonment, where Lt Gen AK Bhatt, Chinar Corps Commander, and all ranks paid homage to the three soldiers killed in the gunfight on behalf of the nation. “In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the martyrs,” Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.Havildar Jorabar Singh, Naik Ranjeet Khalkho and Naik Mohammad Ashraf Rather were killed in an anti-militancy operation in Halmatpora, Kupwara .Jorabar Singh, 45, had joined the Army in 1993 and hailed from Rait village in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. He is survived by his wife and three children.Ranjeet Khalkho, 33, hailed from Dudhakhuti village in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and had joined the Army in 2001. He is survived by his parents, a brother and three sisters.Mohommad Ashraf Rather, 35, had joined the Army in 2004. He belonged to Reshigund village of Kralpora in Kupwara, Kashmir, and is survived by his wife and a daughter.Floral tributes were also paid to the two policemen — Senior Grade Constable Deepak Thusoo of Nagrota and Special Police Officer Mohammad Yousuf of Kachhama in Kupwara — killed in the Kupwara gunfight.Member of Parliament Fayaz Ahmad Mir led the police and security forces personnel in paying tributes to the two slain policemen in Kupwara. In Srinagar, Inspector General of Police Swayam Prakash Pani led the police and security forces officers in the wreath-laying ceremony for the two policemen.Deepak Thusoo is survived by his aged parents, wife, 12-year-old son, 7-year-old daughter and an unmarried sister, a police spokesman said.Mohammad Yousuf is survived by his aged parents, three sons and two minor daughters, the youngest being five years old.

Ajay Banerjee

TRibune News Service

New Delhi, March 7

In what reflects a ‘lack of interest’ by foreign companies in the Indian defence manufacturing sector, there has been a mere Rs 1.17 crore foreign direct investment (FDI) since May 2014. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Touting FDI in defence as a major shift in policy, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had okayed up to 49 per cent stake for foreign companies partnering Indian companies. As per the MoD figures given in Parliament, the defence industry received FDI worth Rs 1.17 crore from April 2014 to December 2017, a mere shadow of the overall FDI inflow into the country during 2016-17 fiscal which stands at Rs 3,86,885 crore. In 2016, a revised FDI policy on defence was announced, allowing FDI up to 49 per cent under the automatic route and beyond that through the government route, “wherever it was likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded”.The government had also come out with a “Security Manual for Licensed Defence Industries”, prescribing guidelines on physical, information, documentation, cyber and personnel security aspects. The defence manufacturing sector needs significant capital investment and infusion of technology for which foreign investment can play a critical role.