Guwahati, December 12

Assam continued to be in flames on Thursday as anti-Citizenship Amendment Bill protesters set ablaze the house of an MLA, torched vehicles and burnt down the circle office as the government removed two key police officers including the Guwahati police commissioner.

Munna Prasad Gupta was appointed the new Guwahati police chief replacing Deepak Kumar, while state additional director general of police (Law and Order) Mukesh Agarwal was also transferred.

G.P. Singh has become the additional director general of police (Law and Order).

As per an official, two persons, protesting against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, died of bullet injuries at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

Officials said protesters set fire to the house of MLA Binod Hazarika in Chabua, and went on the rampage torching vehicles and the circle office.

Thousands of people defied curfew in Guwahati and took to the streets, prompting police to open fire, even as protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill intensified in Assam.

Police said they had to open fire in Lalung Gaon area in Guwahati after stones were hurled by protestors. The agitators claimed that at least four persons were injured in the shooting.

Police also had to fire in the air in several other areas of the city, including the Guwahati-Shillong Road which turned into a war zone as protestors vandalised shops and buildings, burnt tyres and clashed with security forces.

Students’ body AASU and peasants’ organisation KMSS called for a mega gathering at Latashil playground in the city, which was attended by hundreds of people.

Notwithstanding the restrictions, several prominent personalities from the film and music industry, including icon Zueen Garg, joined the gathering along with college and university students.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal have betrayed the people of Assam by ensuring passage of the Bill,” AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said at the meet.

Leaders of the AASU and the North East Students’ Organization (NESO) said they will observe December 12 as ‘Black Day’ every year in protest against the passage of the Bill in Parliament.

Kamrup district witnessed an absolute shutdown with offices, schools and colleges closed for the day. Shops were also shut, with no transport plying as all major roads, including the NH 31, being blocked.

Police said they had to fire three rounds in the air in Rangia town as protestors threw stones and burnt tyres.

Agitators were also baton-charged at several places in the town.

Police also fired in the air in Golaghat district to disperse protesters who blocked the NH 39, officials said.

Tea garden workers stopped work in Lakhimpur and Charaideo districts and also at Numaligarh in Golaghat district and some areas in Tinsukia district.

All educational institutions across the state are closed.

Five columns of the Army have been deployed in different parts of the state and are conducting flag marches in Guwahati, Tinsukia, Jorhat and Dibrugarh, officials said.

Several flights and trains to and from Assam have also been cancelled.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there. —PTI

Bangladesh Foreign Minister cancels India visit following passage of CAB

New Delhi, December 12

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen has cancelled his three-day visit to India beginning Thursday over the situation arising out of the passage of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, diplomatic sources said.

According to an earlier advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, Momen was scheduled to arrive here at 5:20 pm on Thursday.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister has cancelled his trip to India over prevailing situation following passage of the Bill, sources said.

There have been massive protests in Assam and several northeastern states against the proposed legislation which seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslim persecuted religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. —PTI

About Military Literature Festival (MLF).

Punjab has borne the brunt of ruthless invaders since times inmemorable. History has it that the people of this land were subjected to untold horrors and deprivations over the ages. Repeated wars gave birth to a hardy population that brought forth some of the finest warriors who walked the earth. With war came sacrifices that spurred great tales of heroism and valor. The great Mahabharata, the world’s longest poem, is set in this very region.

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Final Detailed Programme

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 12

Ending speculation, the Government of India has made it clear that it would not bring any legislation on the lines of Article 371 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for protection of land and property.

If the residents want such safeguards, they will have to wait for the constitution of the next Legislative Assembly vested with the powers to make laws, said Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy. He was responding to a query by PDP Rajya Sabha member Nazir Ahmed Laway.

Various groups and political parties in the UT, which lost its special status on August 5 when the Centre abrogated Articles 370 and 35-A, have been seeking safeguards to protect their land and jobs.

The BJP unit of Jammu and Kashmir has suggested domicile certificates to locals for protection of land rights.

Army Service Corps celebrates its anniversary

Chandigarh, December 8

The Army Service Corps (ASC) celebrated its 259th Corps Day at Headquarters Western Command, Chandimandir, today.

The occasion was marked by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Veer Smriti.

Major General NS Rajpurohit, head, ASC branch, along with veterans and serving officers and other ranks of the corps, paid tributes to the martyrs. Lieutenant General RP Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-chief, Western Cape, extended his greetings to all ranks, civilian employees, their families and veterans of the corps on this day. — TNS

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The Air Force part of the exercise will be held in Pune. File

THE second edition of Indra, a tri-services exercise between India and Russia, which will be simultaneously held at Babina, Pune and Goa, was inaugurated at Babina on Wednesday. Among other joint operations, the Indo-Russia troops will get lessons in prevention of arms smuggling through the sea route and anti-piracy measures during the exercise.

Company-sized mechanised contingents, fighters, helicopters, transport aircraft and ships of respective Army, Air Force and Navy of the two countries will participate in this 10-day exercise. Indra will consist of a five-day training phase with a training curriculum.

“Tactical field exercises will comprise actions towards prevention of arms smuggling through the sea route and piracy attacks, cordon house intervention and handling and neutralisation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for anti-terror operations. This training phase will be followed by a three-day validation exercise, where the acquired skills will be put to test,” said a senior officer.

The Army part of the exercise will be held at Babina near Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, the Air Force part in Pune and the Navy part at Goa and in the Arabian Sea. Indra initially began as a bilateral naval exercise between the Indian and Russian Federation navies in 2003, and the first joint tri-services exercise was conducted in 2017.

Officials said that the Navy component will be held in two phases — the harbour phase will be held at Goa till December 15 and the sea phase, for the remaining four days, in the Arabian Sea. The Indian Navy will be represented by INS Aditya, a Fleet Support Ship and INS Tarkash, a frontline Guided Missile Frigate. On Tuesday, Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) Ships Yaroslav Mudry, Viktor Konetsky and Elyna arrived at Goa to be part of the exercise.

“The Navy component activities to be practiced include underway replenishment, where fuel, supplies and ammunition are transferred from one ship to another while underway, as well as air defence drills, surface firings and other tactical procedures. In addition, Dornier and P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft, MIG-29 K Fighter Aircraft and other integral rotary wing helicopters from the Navy will also participate in the exercise,” said another officer.

The Indian Army will also be fielding a Ghatak Platoon of commandos and the Air Force will press into action its frontline fighter jets Sukhoi-30 MKI, Jaguar fighter jets and Mi-17 helicopters, and an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).

Speaking about the Air Force component, an officer said, “The joint teams of the air warriors from both countries, along with the air assets, will conduct reconnaissance missions, combat air patrols, flying aircraft in different formations. These teams will perform joint tasks as part of the simulated anti-terror missions.”

A press statement from the Army on Wednesday said, “Exercise Indra-2019 will further cement the long-standing strategic ties between India and Russia. As part of the exercise, important lectures, demonstrations and drills related to counter-terrorism operations will be conducted. Both the countries will also share their valuable experience in countering such situations and refine drills and procedures for joint operations.”

The Punjab State War Memorial wears a deserted look in Jalandhar on Saturday. tribune Photo: Sarabjit Singh

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 7

Call it a miscommunication or a faux pas, the Armed Forces Flag Day, which is annually organised on this day by the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, was this time not observed in any of the districts of Punjab today.

Jalandhar DSWO Major Yashpaul said, “Since we got the communication, we postponed the celebration by three days.” Asked as to how it could be as it seemed unprecedented, he replied, “We cannot counter-question the orders.”

Col Davinder Singh, DSWO, Hoshiarpur, said, “We too have got the orders. We are duty-bound. So we will observe the day on December 10.”

Asked about the same, officials at the Raj Bhawan said that there was clearly some error in comprehending what Governor VP Singh Badnore had intended to convey.

“Since he was away to Indore today, he wanted to inform the Sainik Welfare Directorate staff that he will not be available for flag pinning ritual this morning and that they could come to him on Tuesday for this. In no way he intended that the programmes in the entire state be postponed for three days. This is entirely a goof up on the part of the directorate,” said an official attached with the Governor.

Director Sainik Welfare Punjab Brig Satinder Singh (retd) said, “We postponed the programmes today as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wanted the ceremonies to be held for a week. So we are celebrating the day on December 10. The reason is that the Governor will be in Chandigarh.”