Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

A day after an Army man was robbed of his trolley bag and cash at Ram Darbar, the complainant himself traced the accused and handed him over to the police. Complainant Shewale Sandip, a sepoy in the Indian Army, who is a native of Maharastra had reached Chandigarh on February 20. At around 9.30 pm, while he was going to the transit camp at Hallo Majra, two boys had stopped him and robbed him of his luggage containing his uniform and other belongings. The victim had chased the accused and saw them entering a house in Hallo Majra. Sources said the victim then returned and went to Zirakpur. The very next day, the victim again reached Hallo Majra and started looking for the accused. The victim saw one of the boys near the same house and nabbed him. The police was informed about the incident and the accused was handed over to the police. The matter is under investigation at the Sector 31 police station. The police said an investigation had been initiated. “We are investigating whether the accused is the same who had robbed the victim”, said a police official.

Siachen braveheart Hanumanthappa Koppad’s wife is pleading for a job so she can live a dignified life. Will those in authority wake up, wonders Anusha Ravi.”I will sweep the floor if I have to, but give me a job so that I can lead a life of dignity,” these are very painful words coming from the widow of a soldier who was called the Siachen braveheart. Life has not been easy for Mahadevi Koppad since her husband and Siachen braveheart Hanumanthappa Koppad passed away in 2016. The last one year has been a tumultuous one for the single mother whose eyes tear up each time her three-year-old little girl points to Hanumanthappa’s photographs and says Appa.

“It is not easy being a single mother. She misses her father and I can only try to give her all the love that she would have received had he been alive. I want her to join the army like her father did. I will tell her stories of soldiers, their sacrifice and their bravery to inspire her,” Mahadevi said in this exclusive conversation with OneIndia. [Hanumanthappa wife breaks silence on anti-national activities: Know what she said] There were one too many politicians, bureaucrats and representatives who came to offer condolences when Hanumanthappa passed away. Many promises were made, some were fulfilled while others are yet to see the light of day. The Karnataka government has given the family cash and land as promised but that hasn’t ensured the dignity of life for Mahadevi. [Hanumanthappa Koppad, a hero forgotten?]

The young single mother pleads for a job so she can live a dignified life. “I want a job to take care of myself and my child. I have not asked for anything specific, I will sweep the floor if I have to, but give me a job is all I ask. Authorities call me now and then and say that I will surely be given a job but for a year I have waited in vain. I am tired. I can’t keep pleading with the government for a job. Give me the option of living my life in dignity,” she said evidently disgusted with the system that denied the widow of a brave soldier the option of being independent. [Lance Naik Hanumanthappa: Daring soldier to the core] For a year now, the martyr’s wife has seen material for the memorial that was promised being dumped in her village but it is far from completion.

The memorial was planned near the village panchayat office. The chief minister’s office claims that funds have been released for the memorial and material required have been purchased but what then stops authorities from beginning the construction? A lack of will, it seems. While the Karnataka government needs to be appreciated for sanctioning the land and cash for the martyr’s family, denying job for his wife is truly unfortunate. Many from the government now claim that the responsibility of giving her a job falls on the centre government. They are pointing fingers at the director general of resettlement while it was, in fact, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who had announced a job for a family member. IPL 2017: Ben Stokes awestruck after ‘life-changing’ jackpot at auction Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella banned after T20 dissent Bangladesh recall Mustafizur Rahman for Sri Lanka test series Featured Posts We asked Koppad what she had to say about this blame game, her answer should knock the conscience of this nation and its people. “They are political parties at the end of the day and blame game comes naturally to them. If a soldier says the same? What will you do? If a soldier plays the blame game, can this country sleep peacefully? If a soldier works for a state and not a nation, where will the government go? The blame game is not the answer, playing with our lives is not the answer,” she said slamming all those trying to shirk away from responsibilities and promises made. “I have God on my side.

I believe that my husband is alive and is with me each minute. I have undergone many troubles this past year and I shall survive this too. Most of my troubles are personal but being independent will put an end to it. If nothing, a job will help keep my mind occupied and give me peace’, she said. Hanumantappa lay his life down for this country and his wife and daughter are struggling for a dignified life. The big words and the deep condolences are of little use if a martyr’s wife has to plead for what is rightfully hers. It is time for those in authority to wake up.

http://

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar shakas hands with top Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi in Beijing on Tuesday ahead of India-China strategic Dialogue on Wednesday. PTI photo

Beijing, February 21India’s foreign secretary S Jaishankar will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday, as the two countries hold bilateral talks despite several sticking points between them, including Beijing’s position about New Delhi’s membership to Nuclear Supplier’s Group.Jaishankar, who landed in China after his visit to Sri Lanka, met top diplomat Yang Jiechi.Jiechi, China’s State Councillor of the Communist Party of China and Beijing’s Special Representative for border talks between India and China — a leader who, under Beijing’s system, functions directly under the country’s leadership — at Zhongnanhai.”We truly hope that in the year ahead our two countries can enhance our exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation so that we can jointly contribute more to peace and stability and development of our region and the world at large,” Yang said, recalling President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit last year.Jaishankar is expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, besides attending an upgraded strategic dialogue with China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui on Wednesday.The meetings are likely to witness talks on some contentious issues — such as China’s resistance to India’s entry into the elite NSG and its position over India’s call for UN sanctions on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. China’s $46 billion investment on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — a project that passes through the contested Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir — will also likely be discussed.China, an ally of Pakistan, has been reluctant to allow India into the NSG citing India’s position on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.India is not a signatory to the treaty.Another sore point between the two countries, besides an unresolved border dispute, is China’s efforts to block India’s application to have Azhar — a man who has been accused of having been involved in several terrorist attacks in India, including one at a military base in Pathankot last year — listed as a terrorist in UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee list.Sanctions against Azhar would mean a travel ban and assets freeze for him. Last month, China had frustrated a resolution by the US for the sanctions. Beijing had already blocked two of India’s resolutions before.      

Counter terrorism

In an interview before the meeting to China’s state run newspaper Global Times Jaishankar said India was worried about the CPEC project and terrorism.”For us, there are questions of sovereignty which need to be addressed first,” he said in oblique references to CPEC passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) over which New Delhi has already conveyed its protest to Beijing.He also said India and China should loosely work on “countering terrorism”, a hint at China’s ‘technical hold’ on India’s application for sanctions.”China has a very strong, principled position on counter-terrorism. We hope the position China already has will be further implemented,” Jaishankar said, adding that India was holding discussions with China. — PTI

PROBLEMS OF J&K ARE NOT THOSE THAT REQUIRE A MILITARY SOLUTION BUT ARE RESULT OF FAILURE TO RESOLVE THEM THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLITICAL MEANS, WHICH RESULTED IN THESE BEING PUSHED INTO THE MILITARY’S LAP.

During the recent antiterrorist operations in the Kashmir valley, villagers have been coming out in large numbers and blocking actions of the security forces. Often young boys have been throwing stones at the security forces and in the process, interfering with these operations and even being instrumental in the escape of terrorists. Often during the firefight with security forces, it is the terrorists who shoot locals knowing that the blame for civilian casualties will invariably be pinned on security forces.

POLICE ACTION LACKING

Pelting security forces with stones in the Valley has been going on for quite some time. The fact that the local police have not been arresting protesters has only encouraged them to continue with this practice. There is a visible impact on actions of troops when locals come out in large numbers to help terrorists hiding in houses during counterinsurgency operations. To avoid casualties to civilians, security forces often have to deviate from their usual tactics and in the process take higher number of casualties on themselves.

It’s in this background that the army chief cautioned the local population of the Valley, particularly the youth, against this practice of blocking operations of security forces and often helping terrorists escape. This act of blocking security forces operations is not only an-anti national activity, but equally a serious infringement of law. No one can condone such activity. Equally hoisting ISIS and Pakistani flags is unacceptable and cannot be overlooked.

NO GROUND FOR SYMPATHY

Burhan Wani was a confirmed terrorist and during his encounter with the security forces, he was heavily armed. There was no ground for the sort of sympathy that surfaced on his killing. The later demonstrations and stone pelting by young boys was unnecessarily countered by the use of pellet guns by the central police. The best course was to round up these boys, put them behind bars and make them face the law of the land.

There is alienation in the Valley, though there is no discernible cause for the same. India has been treating people of Jammu and Kashmir with kid glove and pouring much money in all manner of welfare schemes. Many in India advocate talking to the people of J&K (mainly the Kashmir valley) and yet fail to spell out the content of such talks. Yet another group advocates a political solution for resolving the problem of J&K and do not know of a solution which will placate the troublesome and anti-national elements in the Valley and at the same time uphold the territorial integrity of the country.

K-ISSUE MISHANDLED

Undeniably problems of J&K are not those that require a military solution but are the result of failure to resolve them through administrative and political means, which resulted in these being pushed into the military’s lap. Over the years and at every step, we have been mishandling the Kashmir issue, and repeatedly failed to act firmly. Finally, suffering the ignominy of eviction of Pandits from the Valley and that too during the governor’s rule in the state. An environment of complete collapse of law and order machinery prevailed in the Valley and no heads rolled.

When holy relic (Muay Mukadus) went missing from Hazratbal Shrine, nearly three quarters of a million crowds assembled in Srinagar. It set on fire a police station, tehsil headquarters and the chief minister’s hotel under construction. When fire brigade vehicles arrived, these too were set on fire. Finally, the call was made to the army. We moved our fire brigade vehicles with a fully armed protection group and the crowds stayed away. The civil administration panicked and handed over the city of Srinagar to the army.

That night we moved two infantry battalions from Baramulla and deployed these in the town. For the next four days, nearly three quarter of a million crowd kept assembling in Srinagar and yet no one dare light a match, leave aside setting any building on fire. Such was the salutary effect of the military on marauding mobs.

Since then, much water has flowed down the Jhelum and the army is now being targeted with stones. This is the result of gross mishandling of the issue of J&K and pusillanimity of the successive governments in Delhi and overuse of the military in law and order situations.

What the Army Chief has said should have been said by his predecessors and should have got it implemented. The government in Delhi has rightly supported him in his warning to the errant youth and mischief-makers in the Valley. (The writer, a former deputy chief of army staff, is a commentator on defence and security issues. Views expressed are personal)

The grieving wife of slain Rifleman Ravi Kumar at Meen Sarkar Tabela village in Samba district. Tribune Photo: Inderjeet Singh

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Meen Sarkar Tabela (Vijaypur), February 15She is lost in her thoughts and her eyes are searching for the most loving person on the earth for her, her father. But she is unaware that her father, Rifleman Ravi Kumar, who sacrificed his life for the nation, will never return.As she grows older, Ravi Kumar’s three-year-old daughter Ruhani Ratta will realise and will have to adjust to the fact that her father is no more.While everyone in this village in Samba district was mourning Ravi’s death, Ruhani was wondering why so many people had come to their home and what was inside the coffin that was surrounded by Army men and villagers.Ravi is survived by wife Esha Devi and daughter Ruhani Ratta. Others in his family are father Rattan Lal, mother Shakuntla Devi, two sisters Rekha Devi and Vandana Devi, and brother Kavi Kumar. All were in a deep shock and crying.The 34-year-old soldier was liked by all in the village. He used to play with children whenever he was home. Around 14 years ago, he joined the Army and started supplementing income of father who was a cart-puller. He gave the work after his son started earning enough to run the family.Ravi was expected to reach home on February 18 to get his daughter admitted to a school. However, before he could return, he fell to the bullets during an anti-militancy operation in the Hajin area of Bandipora district yesterday.Talking to reporters, Rattan Lal said during his last chat with Ravi on February 13 evening, he had advised his son to take care of himself as the situation in the Valley was not good. “Ravi replied that everything was normal at the place of his posting, but next morning, an encounter started where he sacrificed his life for the nation,” he said.Saying he was proud of his son’s sacrifice, Rattan Lal said he wanted the government to take a call on Pakistan and go for the final assault. “We don’t want everyday violence and death of our soldiers,” he added.Ravi’s mortal remains reached his house around 2.30 pm. For around 30 minutes, his body was kept in his home and then taken for cremation. He was cremated with full military honours.Local MLA Chander Prakash Ganga, who is also Minister for Industries and Commerce, and newly appointed IGP, Jammu, SD Singh Jamwal also attended the cremation besides hundreds of villagers.

The retired Army officer is spearheading a campaign against the Prime Minister’s claim that his Government implemented One Rank, One Pension for ex-servicemen

Lt Gen SK Saini with Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan in Jammu on Tuesday. Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 7

Lt Gen SK Saini, 9 Corps GOC, called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhavan here today.He briefed him about the security situation in the area of responsibility of his Command.The Governor discussed issues relating to the continuing attempts at infiltration from across the International Border along the Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts and the need for strengthening the counter-infiltration grid.

The spate of casualties due to avalanches in Jammu and Kashmir raise the question of whether vacation of high-risk areas can minimise deaths or not. Perhaps the impact of the Kargil war has is responsible for the extra-cautious approach adopted for security measures in high-altitude areas.

Countering NATURE’S FURY: This photograph released by the Army on January 27 shows a rescue operation underway to find soldiers trapped at the site of a snow avalanche in Gurez sector, 130 km north of Srinagar. AFP

WHAT do avalanches have to do with Kargil and the lessons from 1999? This needs explanation. On social media recently there have been comments on the spate of avalanche casualties of the Army in Gurez valley and Sonamarg areas of Kashmir. People wished to know why the Army was reluctant to vacate areas which were vulnerable to avalanches in the high-altitude terrain. If not permanently, then at least for the winter when dangers from avalanches exist; the same could be re-occupied later as the weather improves. Responses were quick, bringing out the essential facts about the LoC and the necessity for maintaining its sanctity through physical presence. The “Kargil syndrome” isn’t a term used in social media but responses alluded mostly to that broad understanding. It goes back to the days when the Army suffered a “walk- in” by Pakistani troops, into winter-vacated areas of Kargil, Dras and Batalik sectors in the winter of 1998-99.  The Army suffered a heavy toll of casualties in recovering these through conventional assaults at obnoxious heights in the next summer. On hindsight, the Army is obviously playing it extremely safe. It has minimised winter vacation and left little to chance. Obviously, lesser the vacation in winter greater will be the casualties. How does this policy work and is their scope for more pragmatism through execution of winter vacation as part of winter redeployment? These are inevitable questions Indian citizens will ask as they get better informed on matters strategic. More technology is available for drone, helicopter, unattended sensor and satellite-based surveillance which many consider as alternatives. In 2011-12, the Army suffered horrific casualties when a field workshop company was wiped out by an unexpected avalanche of such intensity that it threw lorries 300 metres away in its wake. Eighteen good soldier-technicians of the electrical and mechanical engineers died in the tragedy which occurred at night. The next day, the Army’s transit camp was hit similarly, at Sonamarg with more casualties; the snow flood jumping right through a river and crossing to the plateau on the other side, something unimaginable. Both areas have been hit again this year, although not the exact spots. What the layman has to understand is that avalanches rarely strike at the same place twice and the predictability factor is rather poor. The Sonam avalanche, which buried 10 brave jawans in February 2016, witnessed a rare ice fall.  Although the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), Manali has its detachments all over Jammu and Kashmir and does a marvellous job in issuing avalanche warnings, accurate predictions of time and place can be extremely difficult. SASE also does mapping of avalanche-threat areas, based upon data collected over years. Bulletins issued by it need to be read in detail to get an idea of potential avalanche areas. The problem is that a very large number of posts and picquets of the Army and other forces are deployed tactically keeping domination, defensibility, approaches and inter se distance between such posts. Vacating one may create an unviable gap or endanger the security of another. With this in mind, some posts are stocked and considered “winter cut off”. This denotes that except for the fact they occupy the real estate there are only limited tactical functions they can perform. The manpower deployed at these is without relief for as much as six months and no logistics resupply is done; men are specially selected for this arduous duty after spending leave and STD facilities are provided on priority. Occupation of a forward winter posture with maximum posts remaining occupied is done for two purposes. The first is to prevent a Kargil-like walk-in occupation by Pakistan in places where the snow level on their side is lower than ours. It ensures the sanctity of the LoC without any operational risk except that of avalanches or being heavily “snowed up”. The second purpose is to prevent infiltration into the Valley zone and the Poonch sector. Terrorists seek to take advantage of gaps created by winter vacation of some posts. Every year, frozen bodies of a few terrorists are invariably found although some may succeed in getting through. The Army delays such vacation till the last when it seems almost impossible to hold on any longer. There lies the dilemma of decision-making by senior commanders. In 2008, I requested permission for vacation of a post as the weather-prediction charts revealed heavy snow days approaching. I was advised to hold a little longer. The post had to remain deployed until abandoned in the face of an almost impossible situation. In the process of moving to another location a major avalanche struck, leading to deaths of 13 servicemen and civilian porters. I regret that situation till date. It was completely avoidable. Thereafter, the authority to withdraw was delegated to much lower commanders.Later, in the position of authority I made it known to my command that a few terrorists getting through could be accepted as we would soon neutralise them. However, lives of our own soldiers risked under climatic and terrain threats was not acceptable. Kargil has no doubt stymied our thinking to a great extent. It is not easy risking loss of posts or occupation of vacated areas by the adversary.  In places such as Gurez valley, the scope for redeployment of posts is extremely limited due to space constraints and the lay of the ground. Besides that, many of the posts are under direct adversary observation. Building avalanche-deflection walls is a limited measure that works wherever there is a history of regular avalanches.Can portions of Gurez be vacated? It all depends on the state of trust with our adversary, Pakistan. Under the circumstances, more can be spent on technology and surveillance. However, encroachment or occupation by the adversary cannot be prevented if the latter is determined to play dirty. All actions will need to be reactive should we choose to vacate for winter and the posts are occupied by Pakistan. Drone flights and helicopter-surveillance sorties are surveillance measures to give an early warning of infiltration or occupation of vacated areas. The intrusions may be detected but ultimately will have to be physically countered and evicted.We are not at that stage where we can trust our neighbour not to back stab us. There can be no carte-blanche policy on the vacation of posts. This has to be entirely situational.  The government could spend more on avalanche-rescue equipment, and build infrastructure to restrict avalanches. Perhaps a review of some posts which may have lost relevance could be authorised. Reluctance in this regard is very much likely while playing safe under the “Kargil syndrome”.  The time for mass vacation of avalanche-prone areas on the LoC and the deployment of technology for detection of intrusions is not yet upon us; perhaps someday it will be. Situational discretion remains the flavour and rightly so.  The writer, a former GOC of the Srinagar-based  15 Corps, has extensive experience in handling high-altitude operations.

Soldiers clear snow from their stranded vehicles near a base camp in Gulmarg on Friday. PTI

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 27

Fourteen soldiers have died in twin avalanches that hit an Army post and a patrol party in the remote Gurez sector of north Kashmir as one of the worst snowstorms of recent years ended today in the region.The bodies of four soldiers were recovered from an avalanche site in Gurez, close to the Line of Control, today, taking the snow-related death toll in the Kashmir valley to 21.The snowstorm, which lasted from Tuesday to Thursday, triggered deadly avalanches in several parts of north, central and south Kashmir.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The worst hit was Gurez sector, where an Army post and a patrol party of soldiers were swept away by avalanches and four members of a family were buried inside their house. Army officials yesterday said coordinated search operations enabled the rescue of six soldiers. Bodies of 10 soldiers were recovered last evening and of  four today morning, Army and police officials said.The Army identified the dead personnel as a Major, who died in an avalanche at Sonmarg on Wednesday, and a Naib Subedar, a Havildar, a Naik, 10 sepoys and a craftsman — all killed in Gurez avalanches.Besides, a total of 40 structures, including houses and shops, have been damaged by heavy snowfall in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Baramulla and Kupwara districts of the Valley. In Gulmarg, 6 feet of fresh snow has blocked entrances to hotels and markets. The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway remained cut off due to landslides and avalanches along its mountainous stretches. An official of the traffic department said a massive avalanche hit the highway near Shaitani Nullah, burying the road under 15 to 20 feet of snow. “The region received one of the heaviest spells of snowfall, surpassing all records of the past decade,” said Sonam Lotus, Director, Srinagar Meteorological Centre.