Karachi: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has criticised the role of mushrooming madrasas, which mostly taught only Islamic theology, underlining the need to revisit the religious schools concept in the Muslim majority country. “I am not against madrasas, but we have lost the essence of madrasas,” a news report quoting the army chief said. PTI

(Left) Lt Gen Mahinder Puri (retd) and Air Marshal Vinod Patney (retd) at the Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh on Friday. RAVI KUMAR

In militancy and counter-insurgency, there are no victors and losers. For a successful insurgency like that led by Mao Zedong (Chinese Marxist theorist), you need sanctuary. In Kashmir’s insurgency, sanctuary was in Pakistan and reasons were economic.” Lt Gen TS Shergill (retd)

When someone asked Winston Churchill how history would judge you, he replied I will write history. He wrote six volumes on World War-II. His contemporaries did not survive to tell their story. Benito Mussolini was executed in 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in 1945,  Joseph Stalin died in 1953 and Franklin D Roosevelt died in 1945.” Thomas Fraser, Military Historian

Churchill had hardly devoted any page to Indian Army. Battles of Kohima and Imphal were ignored.”  Alan Jefferys, Historian

“History is written by winners, so it is difficult to get more than one perspective. Had Stalin written down his thoughts, the outcome would have been different.” Ed Haynes, Historian

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 7

More than 18 years after India and Pakistan fought a war on the icy heights of Kargil, two officers of the Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) who led the respective operations shared a stage at the Military Literature Festival here today recollecting their first-hand experiences.Speaking about the war in 1999, Lt Gen Mahinder Puri (retd), who was then a Maj General commanding the 8 Mountain Division tasked with securing Kargil, recollected: “I told General Malik (VP Malik, then Army Chief) ‘don’t set a timeline to evict the intrusions and be ready for casualties’.”“The country and military were taken by surprise at the intrusion in Kargil,” he asserted while talking about the war fought along the 168-km Himalayan ridgeline that forms the Mushkoh-Drass-Kargil-Batalik-Turtuk axis along the LoC.Air Marshal Vinod Patney (retd), who was then the chief of the IAF’s Western Air Command (Kargil is its part), recollected how fighter jets were not designed to launch an attack at those heights (17,000-18,000 feet). “It was the afternoon of May 26 that the Chief (AY Tipnis) called up and said be ready. But then, he said, don’t cross the LoC,” recollected Air Marshal Patney.“A small error could mean the bomb would fall on the other side of the ridgeline that would be miles away. It was the time that laser-guided bombs were used.Lt Gen Puri said the plan by (General Parvez) Musharraf, the then Pak army chief, was to alter the Line of Control (LoC). “He had a brilliant plan but could not visualise its end.” General Musharraf in his book ‘In the Line of Fire’ writes how “800 sq km of area was captured… and it created strategic effects”.Lt Gen SH Kulkarni (retd) said: “We still need answers. Why did Kargil war come on us? Have we acted on Kargil Review Committee? or Was not allowing forces across the LoC a right idea?” This is a very little historical analysis of the war, he said.

“In militancy and counter-insurgency, there are no victors and losers. For a successful insurgency like that led by Mao Zedong (Chinese Marxist theorist), you need sanctuary. In Kashmir’s insurgency, sanctuary was in Pakistan and reasons were economic.” — Lt Gen TS Shergill (retd)“When someone asked Winston Churchill how history would judge you, he replied I will write history. He wrote six volumes on World War-II. His contemporaries did not survive to tell their story. Benito Mussolini was executed in 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in 1945, Joseph Stalin died in 1953 and Franklin D Roosevelt died in 1945.”  — Thomas Fraser, military historian“Churchill had hardly devoted any page to Indian Army. Battles of Kohima and Imphal were ignored.” — Alan Jefferys, historian“History is written by winners, so it is difficult to get more than one perspective. Had Stalin written down his thoughts, the outcome would have been different.”  — Ed Haynes, historian

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat during the presentation of the President’s Standard to 87 Armoured Regiment, 41 Armoured Regiment and 10 Armoured Regiment at Suratgarh military station. PTI

Jaipur/Abohar, December 5

Operations against militants in Kashmir will continue, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat asserted today, adding that while it was up to the “neighbouring country” as to how it treats terrorist organisations but India will continue to raise the issue.“Operations in Kashmir are going on continuously and we see an improvement in the situation in the Valley. Such operations will go on,” Rawat told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony at Suratgarh military station in Sriganganagar district. The security forces in J&K have eliminated over 200 militants this year, the highest number since 2010.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Rawat said how the “neighbouring country” deals with terrorist organisation is their matter “but we will keep raising this”. We do not want that such organisations are promoted, he said.Rawat was at the Suratgarh military station to present the President’s Standard to three regiments — 87 Armoured Regiment, 41 Armoured Regiment and 10 Armoured Regiment — after a mounted parade which was attended by Lt Gen Cherish Mathson, GoC-in-Chief Sapta Shakti Command, Lt Gen PC Thimmaya, GoC Chetak Corps, and a number of other senior military officers and civilian dignitaries. General Rawat also released first day cover to mark the grand event. The ceremony was hosted by Colonels of the Armoured Regiments — Major General Vinod Sharma, Major General SS Mahal and Major General Kulpreet Singh, respectively. A formation of roaring T-72 main battle tanks, the mainstay of Indian Armoured Corps, displaying might of the Army, was commanded by Brigadier Praveen Chhabra, Commander of the Sand Viper Brigade with Regiment Contingent commanded by the respecting commanding officers. — TNS & Agencies

Abhinav Vashisht

KULLU, NOVEMBER 26

The residents Lahaul and Spiti district will be allowed to cross the 8.8-km-long Rohtang tunnel in case of medical exigencies. Though the boring work of the tunnel has been completed, construction work is still under way.Lahaul valley remains cut off during winters due to heavy accumulation of snow on the 13,050-foot Rohtang Pass, gateway to the Lahaul valley on the Manali-Leh National Highway. The only way in and out of the valley during winters is through helicopter services provided by the state government, which again depends upon weather conditions.Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Deva Singh Negi said that Director General, Border Roads (DGBR) Lt Gen Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastava had instructed the Rohtang tunnel authorities to provide passage to medical emergencies through the tunnel after the Rohtang Pass is closed for over five months during winters.Recently, Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma had met Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to request her to give direction to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) authorities to allow traffic via Rohtang tunnel in emergency cases for the convenience of the people living in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti. The Deputy Commissioner said that students appearing in various competitive exams would also be allowed to cross through the tunnel after the Rohtang Pass is completely closed. However, there were limitations as the tunnel construction work was still under progress and the North Portal of the tunnel towards Lahaul was prone to avalanches. He said that passage through the tunnel would be allowed after analyzing various factors.Many vehicles were stuck for over six days on the Lahaul side of Rohtang Pass at Koksar due to the recent snowfall. The BRO cleared the snow and evacuated the stranded vehicles and passengers.The Deputy Commissioner said that medical board would be formed to provide certificate to medical emergencies to cross the tunnel. The students would be provided permit to cross the tunnel upon producing the required documents. He said that proper care would be taken that the work of BRO is not hampered and safety of the commuters is not compromised.Generally, the Rohtang Pass is officially closed for traffic after November 15 but vehicles sometimes continue to ply till there is no accumulation of snow and the road is cleared by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). However, the movement of traffic is regulated in view of public safety because due to its high altitude the Pass is prone to sudden heavy snowfall and icing of road, which could pose a serious threat to the lives of commuters.The Deputy Commissioner said that commuters would be allowed to cross the Rohtang Pass on foot depending upon the weather conditions. Rescue posts had been set up at Marhi on the Manali side and at Koksar on the Lahaul side to assist the commuters to cross the Pass. He said that the DG had also instructed the BRO to maintain road connectivity between Keylong-Darcha, Keylong-Udaipur and Keylong-Sissu stretches.

Relief for students as well

• Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Deva Singh Negi said a medical board would be formed to provide certificates in case of medical emergencies to cross the tunnel.
• Students would be provided a permit to cross the tunnel on producing the required documents.
• He said steps would be taken to ensure that theBRO’s work is not hampered and safety of commutersis not compromised.

Vehicles cross the Rohtang Pass on Thursday. Photo by writer

MC Thakur

MANALI, NOVEMBER 23

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the snow-bound Lahaul valley in over 100 vehicles today after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) cleared snow from the Manali-Rohtang-Keylong highway yesterday.As many as 112 vehicles crossed the rescue post at Koksar village in the Lahaul valley till 1 pm.As the road is covered with a thick layer of snow due to extreme cold conditions, many vehicles got stuck mid-way and had to be pulled out by the BRO’s vehicles.Border Roads Task Force Commander Colonel AK Awasthi said 112 vehicles had gone to Manali from Lahaul. “The road surface is slippery and risky for vehicles. To ensure the smooth movement of vehicles, we are allowing one-way traffic. Vehicles from Lahaul were allowed to cross Rohtang and vehicles from Manali will cross Rohtang on Friday,” he said.The Commander said it was not an easy task to clear the road within a record time as severe cold and blizzards were the main challenge. “Even machines do not work in such weather. At some stretch, we had to clear up to 4-ft snow. We had engaged snow cutters, four dozers and three JCB machines from Koksar and Marhi sides,” he added.Awasthi further added that the highway had been officially closed on November 15 but the BRO had cleared snow only to facilitate residents of the Lahaul valley.The residents travel between Lahaul and Kullu to stock essentials before heavy snowfall cuts off the valley from Kullu.He also said BRO officials would conduct a joint recce of Rohtang with Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti administration to see the conditions and decide if road should be closed to traffic. He said they would not clear snow from Rohtang if another spell of snow blocked it as it was not safe.Vehicles from Manali move today

• As many as 112 vehicles crossed the rescue post at Koksar village in the Lahaul valley till 1 pm today
• As the road is covered with thick layer of snow, many vehicles got stuck in the mid-way which were pulled out by the BRO’s vehicles
• Vehicles from Manali will cross Rohtang to Lahaul on Friday
• BRO officials will conduct a  joint recce of Rohtang with Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti administration to decide if road should be closed to traffic

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

The Army Headquarters’ move to source fabric for its combat uniforms from the private sector, ostensibly due to the huge price differential between the uniforms procured from the state-run Ordnance Factory and those available locally, has Ordnance Factory employees up in arms.The employees are claiming that samples of cloth available with private vendors have failed the requisite quality tests.The Master General of Ordnance (MGO) at the Army Headquarters had written to the Additional Director General, Ordnance Factories Board, earlier this month that the Army would not like to procure combat uniforms from the Ordnance Factory. It instead wants that a no-objection certificate be issued for procuring uniforms from private vendors.“A set of combat jacket and trousers provisioned through the Ordnance Factory costs Rs 4,150 where as a combat uniform of the same material stitched locally costs Rs 1,800-1,900, including GST.“If procured in the same volume as is being done from Ordnance Factory, it is likely to cost Rs 1,200-1,300 per set,” the MGO’s letter states.The Army had switched to a new combat uniform over a decade ago to standardise the camouflage pattern and check misuse and open sale of such cloth in the market.The four-colour disruptive pattern of the cloth, called Army Logo Cloth, is inter spread with the Army’s crossed swords and Ashoka Lion logo.The camouflage design and fabric specifications were developed by the Ordnance Factory. Some private mills have been contracted to produce Army Logo Cloth for the Ordnance Factory, which supplies stitched uniform to the Army. Though the sale of this pattern by mills to private vendors is restricted, it is available in the market. Once the cloth is received from the mills, it undergoes 36 tests to ensure quality standards.In a letter written to Chief of the Army Staff this week, the All-India Defence Employees Federation has said that if the Army starts purchasing cloth directly from private vendors, there is no guarantee that these standards would be met.The letter states that Ordnance Factory employees purchased several samples of Army Logo Cloth from different shops in Delhi Cantonment and all samples failed chemical as well as physical tests.The letter adds the Ministry of Defence has assured Ordnance Factory employees that combat uniform would not be declared a “non-core” item and there was no justification for the MGO seeking a no-objection certificate.

Seeks NOC from Ordnance Factories Board

• A set of combat jacket and trousers provisioned through the Ordnance Factory costs Rs 4,150 where as a combat uniform of the same material stitched locally costs Rs 1,800-1,900, including GST
• If procured in the same volume as is being done fromOrdnance Factory, it is likely to cost Rs 1,200-1,300 per set

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 15

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today said the stupendous victory in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha byelection “is a precursor of the revival of the Congress at the national level”.Comparing the poll results to the Chikmagalur victory of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which marked the revival of the Congress in the late 1970s, Amarinder said the results underlined the downfall of the BJP that had been fuelled by the adverse impact of the GST and demonetisation.“The results will strengthen the party’s upward trend which began with the win in various university student union elections, Maharashtra civic polls and Kerala bypoll,” said Amarinder.Crediting Sunil Jakhar and party MLAs and workers for the victory, the CM said it reaffirmed anti-Akali sentiments, especially in Gurdaspur, where victory margin was much higher.In the Assembly constituencies falling in Pathankot district, he attributed the Rajput factor for comparatively lesser margins for the Congress. The only exception was the BJP bastion, Sujanpur, where senior Congress leader Brahm Mohindra was camping. Aiming at AAP, the CM said the vote share of the party had come down to 2 per cent. He pointed out that AAP’s Sucha Singh Chhotepur polled 1,73,376 votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the same party could manage 23,579 votes, with its candidate even losing his security deposit.

Rewarding MLAs?

On Cabinet expansion after the Gurdaspur bypoll as was announced by him, the CM said he would discuss the matter with AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi. A senior leader, however, said the expansion would take place only after Rahul’s elevation as the party president. On Cabinet berth to Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa from whose segment the party got the highest margin, Amarinder said: “I had promised him dinner on getting highest margin. Now, I will invite him to dinner.”

No vendetta, CM reiterates

Amarinder said he would prefer the anti-drug STF to investigate and take suitable action against all guilty once the probe was completed, indicating that he would now tow the line of acting against Akalis in the drugs case. MLAs from Gurdaspur, led by Randhawa, had been seeking action against Akalis whose names had cropped up in the drugs case. Similarly for the sacrilege incident, Justice Ranjit Singh Commission was doing its job, the CM said.

What they said…

The victory has reaffirmed people’s faith in Capt Amarinder and his policies. I promise to raise in Parliament issues such as the GST, unemployment and incentives to industry on par with hill states. Skill development will be taken up on a priority to tackle unemployment. — Sunil Jakhar, PPCC president People have not voted for the Congress, but for Jakhar and his clean image… Moreover, the ruling party usually wins the bypoll. The Congress has come to power in the state just seven months ago and it should not take the win as a certificate of its performance. Shahnawaz Hussain, BJP spokespersonWe are not surprised by the victory of Congress candidate, keeping in view the blatant misuse of government machinery. A mere 56 per cent polling proves that the government had already ensured the victory of its candidate.— Prem Singh Chandumajra, SAD spokesman and MPWe accept that it is the failure of the AAP state unit. It is time for introspection and to stop indulging in blame game. — Baljinder Kaur, AAP legislator