The wall has been breached.’ This tweet said it all as several parts of Delhi witnessed an unprecedented Internet shutdown during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Phone calls and SMS services were also suspended, throwing life out of gear for lakhs of residents. Ironically, the public was made to suffer hardships in the ‘interest of public safety’. A similar clampdown was foisted on Mangaluru, where two persons were killed in police firing, and some cities of UP.

Citing law and order, the powers that be have been making disproportionate use of authority to deprive people of the telecommunication lifeline. According to a UNESCO report, citizens of South Asian countries experienced at least 97 instances of Internet shutdown between May 2017 and April 2018, including 82 cases in India alone. The South Asia Press Freedom Report observed that Net shutdown and deliberate slowdown were increasing across the world, with the subcontinent faring the worst. However, the efficacy of these curbs is debatable. In August 2017, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab were digitally cut off ahead of (and after) the verdict in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Despite the preventive measure, around 40 persons died in violence that broke out after the sect chief was convicted.

The digital gag, especially if it’s enforced without substantial provocation, is an infringement of the citizen’s right to freedom of speech and expression. The law-enforcement agencies should try to counter misinformation and fake news by reaching out to the people through various channels. Repressive measures show Indian democracy in a poor light and reek of authoritarianism. No wonder a Chinese news website has hailed the shutdown in India as a ‘necessary regulation’ and a ‘reasonable choice based on national interests’. China has itself been blocking the Net in its troubled Xinjian region over the years, including a period lasting over 300 days in 2009-10. With the anti-CAA fire spreading fast, the Indian authorities need to realise that the excessive use of force is only worsening the tense situation. Clampdown and crackdown ought to be the last resort, not the first.

New Delhi, December 21

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will hold deliberations on Monday over how technology was rapidly changing the character of war fighting across the globe and challenges before the Indian forces in non-contact warfare.

During the deliberation, Indian Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane will focus on contact-less wars and how major powers have increased the non-conventional components as part of their force restructuring.

Rawat will retire on December 31 and the government has announced Lt Gen Naravane his successor.

Concerned about non-contact warfare challenges before India, Rawat had stated: “It is a serious issue. We are preparing for non-contact warfare.” The discussion, slated to take place during Army Technology Seminar at Manekshaw Centre, will be attended by stakeholders — military operations practitioners, policy makers, industry and academia.

The focus areas would also be on harvesting indigenous capabilities in the defence sector and uses of technologies for non-contact warfare and emerging challenges from other actors.

“The innovators in uniform will showcase their products and offer these to industry to refine and productionise,” said a senior Army officer.

In non-contact warfare, the victory of any country would be on defeating the opponent’s armed forces in his own territory, destroying of the enemy’s economic potential and subverting adversary’s political system.

“For that the country needs to technologically upgrade their command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mechanism,” the officer said, adding the meet would chart the future course of action in non-contact warfare. — IANS

‘Real spy world not like Bond, girls, guns’

Pune: Underlining the importance of intel in successful military operations, Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Manoj Naravane on Saturday said the world of intelligence is not like the glamorous portrayal of “James Bond, guns and girls” but more of “John Le Carr’s ‘Smiley’ novels”. ‘When we talk or think about intelligence, we normally think of James Bond, guns, girls, guitar and glamour, but the world of Intelligence is not that. The world of intelligence is more of John Le Carre’s Smiley novels… Unseen, unheard, unknown, working behind the scenes, analysing volumes of information,”the Lt General said. pti

Jammu, December 21

At least two Pakistani soldiers were reportedly killed as the Indian Army retaliated “effectively and befittingly” to ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Akhnoor and Sunderbani sectors of J&K today, defence sources said.

They said Pakistani troops fired on forward posts in Khour and Pallanwalla areas of the Akhnoor sector here, violating the ceasefire in the early hours, prompting strong retaliation by the Indian Army.

In the morning, the Army spotted two bodies near the LoC, sources said, adding wireless intercepts confirmed the killing of two Pakistani soldiers.

A physical verification, however, could not be carried out because of tense situation along the border, they added.

“There was heavy exchange of fire between India and Pakistan armies after the latter violated the ceasefire in the Akhnoor sector during the intervening night of December 20 and 21,” Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said.He said the Pakistan army also initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation using small arms fire and mortar and artillery shelling in Keri Battal area of Sunderbani sector around 11.30 am.

“The Indian Army retaliated befittingly,” he said, adding the heavy exchange of fire between the two sides was on when last reports were received.

A police official said a number of forward villages were hit by the Pakistani shells, but there was no report of any casualty. — PTI

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 21

Striving to work towards more confidence-building measures, India and China today agreed that it is important to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas and stressed on approaching the boundary issue from the strategic perspective of bilateral ties.

During the talks here between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the decades-old Sino-India boundary issue under the framework of Special Representatives dialogue, the two sides resolved to intensify efforts to achieve “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution” to boundary question.

The solution would be achieved in accordance with the directives provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping (both met in Chennai in October), a statement said. This was the 22nd meeting of the special representatives.

The special representatives agreed on working towards more confidence-building measures (CBMs), the existing ones promoting exchanges and communication between the border personnel. The boundary all along the Himalayan ridgeline in an east-west axis is not demarcated on ground.

The special representatives underlined the importance of approaching the boundary issue from the strategic perspective of India-China relations and agreed that an early settlement of the issue served the fundamental interests of both countries.

“Both sides agreed that it is important to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas for overall development of the bilateral relationship, pending final settlement of the boundary question,” a statement said.

The special representatives said stable and balanced development of India-China relations was a positive factor for peace and prosperity in the region as well as the world. There was consensus that both sides should respect each other’s sensitivities and concerns to build mutual trust.

Pak, China ink deal for artillery guns

Pakistan Army has inked a deal with China Northern Industries Corporation to procure artillery guns, the SH-15 Howitzer. Pakistan wants to procure 236 of these artillery guns. “It could be nuclear-capable,” said a source. Trials were held near Karachi earlier this year.

Islamabad, December 22

A global watchdog for terror financing has sought more clarifications and data from Pakistan on actions taken by it against madrassas belonging to the banned outfits, weeks after Islamabad submitted a report to the Paris-based body detailing steps taken by the country to curb terrorism and money laundering.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which kept Pakistan on the Grey List for an extended period till February 2020, had warned in October that Islamabad would be put on the Black List if it did not comply with the remaining 22 points in a list of 27 questions.

Pakistan submitted a report comprising answers to 22 questions to the FATF on December 6.

In response to the report, the FATF’s Joint Group has sent 150 questions to Pakistan, seeking some clarifications, updates and most importantly actions taken against the madrassas belonging to the proscribed outfits.

“We did receive a response from the FATF on our compliance report through an email in which they raised a set of 150 questions. Some of them are seeking more data, some clarifications, and most importantly questions related to madrassas and actions taken against them having affiliation with proscribed outfits,” The News quoted a top official source as saying.

According to officials, Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamat-ud Dawah’s network includes 300 seminaries and schools.

In March 2019, Punjab police said that government seized control of 160 madrassas, 32 schools, two colleges, four hospitals, 178 ambulances and 153 dispensaries associated with the JuD and its so-called charity wing Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) in province.

At least 56 madrassas and facilities being run by the JuD and FIF in southern Sindh province were also taken over by authorities in the same month.

Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The US declared the LeT as a foreign terrorist organisation in June 2014.

Pakistan has been given January 8, 2020 deadline to respond to the 150 questions, the official said on Saturday.

The next FATF meeting is scheduled to be held from January 21 to 24 in Beijing where Pakistan will be given an opportunity to defend the points in the report.

Pakistan expects another relaxation probably up to June 2020 in the FATF’s upcoming plenary review meeting, as the February deadline is too short a period for Islamabad to comply with the remaining 22 action plans.

The FATF in its previous statement had said, “Should significant and sustainable progress not be made across the full range of its action plan by the next plenary, the FATF will take action, which could include the FATF calling on its members and urging all jurisdictions to advise their FIs (financial institutions) to give special attention to business relations and transactions with Pakistan”.

Earlier, the FATF had asked 27 questions pertaining to Pakistan’s efforts to stop terrorism financing. But Islamabad managed to satisfy the global watchdog over just five of them.

Pakistan was placed on the Grey List by the FATF in June last year and was given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019, or face the risk of being placed on the blacklist with Iran and North Korea.

The FATF said Pakistan must demonstrate effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against all UN designated terrorists like Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Maulana Masood Azhar, and those acting for or on their behalf.

The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. — PTI

Talking to The Indian Express, Defence PRO, Jammu, Lt Col Devender Anand, said: “We only requested and persuaded them against seeing that sight because due to a heavy explosion at the place of the cross-border firing, the body was badly damaged. The family would not have been in peace after seeing it.

At Sukhwinder Singh’s native Fatehpur village in Talwara under the Mukerian subdivision of Hoshiarpur. (Express photo)

More than twenty-four hours after mortal remains of her son, Rifleman Sukhwinder Singh (21), were consigned to flames, Rani Devi says she has a gnawing ache of not even being able to her son’s face one last time. The mother says that Army officials present during the final rites had requested her not to see her martyred son’s face.

Talking to The Indian Express, Defence PRO, Jammu, Lt Col Devender Anand, said: “We only requested and persuaded them against seeing that sight because due to a heavy explosion at the place of the cross-border firing, the body was badly damaged. The family would not have been in peace after seeing it.”

Swaran Singh, the uncle of Sukhwinder Singh, said: “Maybe it was good for us or for the Army. The Army is a better judge.”

Sukhwinder Singh hailed from Fatehpur village in Talwara under the Mukerian subdivision of Hoshiarpur. He was killed in an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan at Sunderbani Sector of Rajouri district.

Cabinet Minister Sunder Sham Arora, who is from Hoshiarpur, visited the soldier’s place on Thursday. Arora too said that the Army had not shown the body to the family because of the damage it suffered in the attack.

Arora said that he will take up the case with Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh so that family can be supported in every way possible.

“This village belongs to soldiers and I am thinking of making some memorial in their name here including the village gate and a road to the village,” said Arora.

The comparative figures in the number of militants killed in 2016 and 2017 were, respectively, 130 and 200, and going up to 246 in 2018.

The unprecedented communications shutdown in Kashmir has hit the government’s counter-militancy operations, according to top J&K Police officials. A total of 82 operations took place in J&K so far this year, including two in Jammu region, down from 97 anti-militancy operations conducted in 2018.

Data accessed by The Indian Express shows this years’ figures for the number of militants killed are at a three-year low.

Since the beginning of the year, 155 militants have been killed in the Valley in these 82 operations, a sharp decline from last year’s figure of 246. A majority of these 155 militants — approximately 120 — were killed up to the end of July, before the lockdown began on August 5 with the announcement of scrapping of the state’s special status under Article 370.

The comparative figures in the number of militants killed in 2016 and 2017 were, respectively, 130 and 200, and going up to 246 in 2018.

Director-General of J&K Police Dilbag Singh told The Indian Express, “Communication does affect anti-militancy operations, so partially, yes, it is that. But this dip is also because of the police’s preoccupation with law and order duties during this period (since August 5, when special status to the erstwhile state under Article 370 was scrapped).”

According to officials, the figures are “relatively low” also owing to the fact that operations at the Line of Control (LoC) saw a sharp decline. “Compared to approximately 30 operations last year along the LoC, this year there was only one operation, in which two militants were killed,” a source said.

D-G Dilbagh Singh had told The Indian Express in September that lack of communication was affecting anti-militancy operations in the Valley. “The police also work with sources (informers), but if the sources’ phones are not functional how do we speak to them? To some extent, yes, information is a little delayed. But it is reaching us,” Singh had said.

Meanwhile, sources said 608 individuals are currently under “preventive detention” in J&K, including those booked under PSA, and more than 200 people are held in jails outside. “Not more than 1,400 individuals are in Kashmir jails, and that includes (people accused in) all crimes,” a police source said.

In terms of ‘law and order incidents’, police records show 310 incidents recorded since August 5, including 240 in Srinagar alone. In comparison, more than 1,500 law and order incidents were reported from Kashmir in 2016 in the uprising following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.

The administration has claimed that no lives have been lost in action by security forces in Kashmir since suspension of special status. In comparison, 62 civilians lost their lives in the unrest in 2016.