Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Tuesday gave approval for the procurement of two additional regiments of the Akash missile, an air defence weapon.

These Akash Missile Systems will be supplied by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The missile to be procured is an upgraded version of the previously inducted Akash missiles and will include seeker technology. It possesses a 360- degree coverage and will be of compact configuration with reduced signature.

The upgraded Akash Weapon System is an operationally critical equipment which will provide protection to vital assets.

In all, the DAC okayed the procurement of equipment for nearly Rs 9,100 crore.

The DAC also gave approval for progressing Design and Development of Individual Under-Water Breathing Apparatus for T-90 tanks developed by the DRDO.

The DAC also approved the design and development of test equipment for guided weapons system of T-90 tank. The equipment is being developed by the DRDO.

KARTARPUR, at a tantalisingly approachable distance of 3 km from the border, has a multi-hued significance for the Sikhs. It is here that Guru Nanak Dev spent 17 years, establishing the first Sikh centre, naming his successor before giving up his mortal body. Kartarpur is within sighting distance, but the route is barred by the two armies. The birthplaces of Guru Ram Das and the samadhi of Guru Arjan Dev, both in Pakistan, are also out of bounds, except for a fortunate few who make the pilgrimage to Pakistan, as much a land of gurus as is India. Navtoj Sidhu’s announcement about Pakistan’s readiness to open a corridor to the Kartarpur shrine naturally sent a thrill of anticipation among the devout.

The sentiment for reviving lost connections while forsaking the baggage of the past has strong bipartisan support in both Punjabs. Sukhbir Badal disregarded rabid anti-Pakistan discourse by his alliance partner to visit Lahore in 2012. The present CM Amarinder Singh preceded him by a decade and was gifted a horse. Neither the horse lived for long nor did the Captain’s initiative to break the ice. Each time the two Punjabs have tried to make amends, the initiative has run into the wall of obdurate and unyielding state interests where the bigger picture does not allow for minor concessions.

A visa-free corridor was first proposed by Benazir Bhutto nearly 25 years back and has since then struck an emotional chord in Indian Punjab. New Delhi has much to be upset with Islamabad but gurdwara diplomacy and a reciprocal ‘shrine diplomacy’ in India will build up a badly-needed peace constituency to neutralise the existing negativity in Indo-Pak ties. A liberal visa policy will bring increasingly larger number of Sikh devotees which will help in the upkeep of the nearly 200 gurdwaras and historical sites in Pakistan. A constructive approach towards the Kartarpur shrine will not just heal emotional scars, but also help move towards peace in the region, more so as the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak approaches.

Kartarpur corridor: ‘When opportunity knocks, open the door,’ Sidhu writes to Swaraj

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, September 9

Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asking her to “make every possible effort and bring boundless joy and happiness to the Sikh community world over” over the demand to open up a Kartarpur Sahib corridor.

Sidhu says in his letter dated September 8, 2018: “Pakistan has shown a positive intent towards the long-pending demand of ‘Kartarpur Sahib Corridor’.”

Full contents of the letter have been reproduced below.

I hope you are doing well and in the best of spirits. Sushma Ji, when the partition happened in 1947, not only geographical, economic, emotional and social setbacks came but many historical Gurudwaras were left in Pakistan. Since then, the Sikhs living in India, who always offer prayers to pay obeisance in the separated Gurudwaras have to rely on visas to make a visit to the holy shrines left there.

Among various historical Gurudwaras left in Pakistan, Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib Ji is of great significance. This is the place where Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent almost 18 years of his life. The Gurudwara Sahib is very close to the International border.

Such is the sentiment of the pilgrims in India that they visit the border everyday just to have a glimpse of this holy shrine through binoculars arranged by the Border Security Force at the Border in the Dera Baba Nanak region of India.

Some touch the holy earth and some depart with tearful eyes. But are deprived of paying obeisance at this holy shrine.

The visa wrangles have deprived numerous pilgrims from reaching this historic Gurudwara over the years. The rift between two neighbours grew so much over the years that even visiting historical Gurudwaras at will became a problem.

Now an opportunity has knocked on our doors. Pakistan has shown a positive intent towards the long pending demand of ‘Kartarpur Sahib Corridor’. Pilgrims and we all have been demanding for this corridor since years. Some positivity came on this issue when I visited Pakistan for the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan but now with their Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary categorically saying that Corridor will be opened and even visa won’t be required to visit this as part of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak dev Ji, it is time for India to take a positive step on this highly emotional issue.

When opportunity knocks, kindly step up and open the door.

The opening of this Corridor will be a huge thing for the Sikh community all over the world. Even though both neighbours have had sour relations for decades but the corridor if opened can bring peace and prosperity between the two countries.

This can break barriers, build bridges and improve relations between the two nations.

My humble submission to you is to make every possible effort and bring boundless joy and happiness to the Sikh community world-over as the Kartarpur Sahib corridor is one dream they have lived forever. With Pakistan showing positive intent, common belief is that this can turn into reality.

Appropriate measures on the Kartarpur Sahib corridor must be taken as Sikh sentiments are strongly attached with it. Hoping for a positive response from you!

Thanking you.  

Personal regards
Navjot Singh Sidhu
Cabinet Minister, Punjab

Treatment under Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy) now permitted for ECHS beneficiaries. #स्वास्थ्य #सहयोग#सहायता #संपर्क Press Information Bureau – PIB, Government of IndiaMinistry of Defence, Government of India HQ IDS – India

To meet the aspirations of large number of#Veterans, Government has allowed #ECHSpatients to claim travel allowances as entitled for the rank at the time of retirement for Rail Journeys / Travel by Government Transport. Press Information Bureau – PIB, Government of India Ministry of Defence, Government of India

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 11

In what will change an important part of their personal gear, the Army has approved an order for 12.75 lakh pairs of new-design high-ankle combat boots to be used by troops in all-weather conditions and in different terrain barring snow-bound areas.One of the parameters to select the boots was that troops should be able to wear them in temperatures varying from zero to 50 degrees Celsius. A cost negotiation committee finalised the boots, their cost, supply and logistics parameters before seeking final approval from the Ministry of Defence, said sources.The selection came after an extensive user trial by thousands of troops in 2016, followed by a feedback session. The Army assessed the feedback before four private companies were selected as eligible bidders. The annual requirement will be 6 lakh pairs of shoes, or 1,643 pairs daily, manufacturing which would be tough for any company. The Army has, thus, suggested distributing the order among three suppliers: Lowest bidder to get 40 pc of the order and 30 pc each for the other two.The Master General Ordnance has set a benchmark of providing better quality boots in tune with the latest concept of military boots available in the footwear industry in India and abroad. The Army had wanted the shoes be light in weight and the toe be made of scratch-resistant leather.12 lakh pairs needed

• Selected boots have special polyutherene sole with shock-absorbing capacity
• Possess slip-resistant properties, making these user-friendly in mountains
• All-weather feature ensures wearability in temp from zero to 50 degrees Celsius

Satya Prakash

Tribunew News Service

New Delhi, July 30

CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma on Monday told the SC that the agency had filed two chargesheets against 15 security personnel in connection with fake encounter killings and 14 of them had been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.Verma, who was summoned by the top court to explain the delay in implementing the court’s order, told a Bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur that five more chargesheets/final reports would be filed by August-end.The Bench, which also included Justice UU Lalit, grilled him on various aspects of CBI Manual that provides for almost seven layers of scrutiny before a chargesheet is filed in a case. The agency had maintained that it was simply following its Manual and that was one of the major reasons of the delay.To cut short procedural delays, the Bench asked the CBI SIT to have only three-layered scrutiny before filing of final reports/chargesheets as the SIT chief himself was a Joint Director-rank officer.In view of serious allegations, petitioners demanded that the accused be arrested and subjected to custodial interrogation. However, the Bench left it to the discretion of the CBI Director to take the final call and posted the matter for further hearing on August 20. It asked Verma to remain personally present on the next date of hearing as well. Angry over non-compliance of its order to file chargesheets in seven cases relating to Manipur extra-judicial killings, the SC had on July 27 ordered the CBI Director to personally appear before it on Monday.

The elections in Pakistan have drawn tremendous interest in India, with almost 24×7 coverage by television channels although, ironically, no Indian journalist received a visa to cover the event from within Pakistan. Many Pakistani journalists were harnessed to do some justice to the news flow to India. At the outset, it was clear and is increasingly becoming even more transparent that the election was well orchestrated by the Pakistan army. It ensured a near-absolute victory of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, such that a few smaller parties would need to join in to form a government that is sufficiently weak to be under the army’s control, without making it look anything illegal. That army, reputed to own a nation, is now into its third experiment having earlier dealt with the restiveness of Nawaz Sharif and the PPP leadership. Imran and his PTI will remain effectively under control until he too starts to grow wings. It’s from this assumption that any analysis of the future of Indo-Pak relations must flow. But before that, the election game may not yet be over. The PML-N, PPP and even Fazlur Rehman’s Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) are up in arms about the perceived blatant rigging and Punjab is where it has probably been rampant; that’s the PML-N territory. It may just not be the take it or leave it kind of result that the Army may have expected because voices are being raised even as we have heard not a sound from the international observers from the Commonwealth. So even as the army bullies its way to government formation, the curtains on the internal dynamics itself may not drop for some time. Pakistani civil society may be weak but PML-N street power in Punjab could be something to reckon with especially with its leader in jail.

Imran is familiar with India, has many friends from his earlier avatar and is considered an educated, erudite, sophisticated Pakistani celebratory with a ready and welcome presence at talk shows. However, in political terms that means nothing because he has changed personality as the chameleon to suit the political ambition he has been led into. He has been mouthing support for anti-blasphemy laws and generally playing to the galleries as expected with the electoral rhetoric and the political climate of the street. One would be unrealistic to expect from him anything different, at least in his first few years. The Pakistani realpolitik is army-driven to ensure that the army always remains the power behind the throne. To do that, the relationship with India must remain sufficiently on tenterhooks without crossing a given rubicon.

No one can fault Imran Khan for his initial statements which may generally be in the right direction but it’s also true that no designated head of government ever commences his tenure with threats of war or coercion; these are sweet nothings which people expect to hear.

He has stated his intention of taking two steps for every step that India takes towards durable peace. He would do well to remember that in 2014-15, PM Narendra Modi had taken more than two steps without a single one in response from Pakistan because the Pakistan army could not absorb a peace initiative. Having tracked Imran’s record of utterances in the recent past, people in India expect that with his purported change in thinking he would only play to the Pakistan army’s interests which essentially means no change in Pakistan’s policy towards India. For him to identify Kashmir as the core issue and mention human rights violations in the same breath reflect no change in thinking. If a real difference has to be made in the context of India-Pakistan relations, then early enough he must indicate what sort of action he intends to take against those radical elements long considered Pakistan’s strategic assets against India. Given his inclination towards supporting many of these radical elements, can he be expected to do anything transformational towards addressing India’s concern on terror? That is hardly likely, at least definitely not in the near future as India prepares to get to the starting blocks of its own elections. Any such attempt will be perceived negatively within Pakistan and will remain against the Pakistan army’s carefully crafted strategy. It will, however, also add to Modi’s popularity in India – something that Pakistan would consider completely counter to its interests.

The only silver lining on which many in India may continue to place their bets is the greylisting of Pakistan by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) a few weeks prior to the election, an event which got partially subsumed in the fervour of the election. Pakistan’s economy is in the dumps and the likelihood of Islamabad having to seek a bailout by the IMF does place it on the back foot. However, the international community has historically shown a propensity towards coercing Pakistan on terror and other related activities only up to a point and never beyond. Strategically, Pakistan continues to enjoy the status of a bridge nation, between China and the West, and between the sectarian divide within the Middle East. It also provides the proverbial path to a resolution on anything to do with Afghanistan. It has overcome strictures such as FATF greylisting in the past too and may therefore not entirely be inclined towards doing anything more than simply lobbying with the international community this time as well. That is a field it is adept at and Imran Khan’s suave presence may well help it even more.

India will have to wait and watch. If, however, against all assessment Imran Khan does turn out to be a Pakistani leader who can be his own man then nothing should keep us from backing him to attempt a long- required change in India-Pakistan relationship. The ball is in his hand and he must bowl it straight and not with the reverse swing for which he is famous.

The author commanded the 15 Corps in Jammu and Kashmir. Views expressed are personal.

Ambala, July 13

A 73-year-old woman was strangled to death at her house in Ambala Cantt on Thursday, the police have said.The deceased has been identified as Usha Devi. She was alone in the house. Her son, Colonel Sandeep Kumar, is posted in Rajasthan.On Thursday night, a neighbour visited Usha Devi’s house and found her dead. Her hands and legs were tied. There were injury marks on her head, and her mouth was gagged.The police said, “It appears miscreants had entered the house with the motive to loot, as her belongings were lying scattered in the room.” — TNS