The Kharar SDM interacts with students at Chandigarh University in Gharuan on Monday. tribune photo
Our Correspondent
Kharar, August 5
Keeping in view recent developments in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) a team of local officials from the administration visited Chandigarh University, Gharuan, and Rayat and Bahra University, Sahoran, and interacted with students belonging to the Valley, who are studying in these institutions.
The Kharar SDM, Vinod Kumar Bansal, and DSP Deep Kamal visited Chandigarh University and spoke to Kashmiri students studying in the institution. They assured students that they were safe here and there was no need to panic. “You don’t need not to go back to your homes in J&K,” they said.
“The government and the administration are with you. You are completely safe here,” SDM told students. The Vice-Chancellor of the university also assured full security to students from the Valley.
The Kharar tehsildar, Gurminder Singh, visited Rayat and Bahra University, Sahoran, and interacted with students from J&K. He assured them full security.
Notably, there are around 1,600 Kashmiri students, who are studying in Chandigarh University. Out of them 800 students, including 250 girls, live in hostels of the university. The remaining 800 students are staying out of the university campus.
TROOPS’ MOVEMENT, YATRA CANCELLATION: HOW THE TENSIONS UNFOLDED
The Centre’s move to send 100 companies of securitymen set off wild speculations in the Valley. The cancellation of Amarnath yatra in view of terror threats added fuel to the fire. Here’s how events unfolded in Kashmir over the past few days.
July 27, Saturday:
News came in that an additional 100 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces will be deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-insurgency operations and to maintain law and order. The Union home ministry wrote to the state chief secretary, home secretary and the director general of police to this effect late on Thursday. Of the 100 companies, 50 will be from the CRPF, 10 from the BSF, 30 from the Sashastra Seema
Bal (SSB) and 10 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), according to the letter.
July 28, Sunday:
The government move set off speculation in the Kashmir Valley. In a charged political atmosphere, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti warned the Centre that any attempt to tinker with the special status of the state would blow up in its face. The state is currently under President’s Rule. Over the past few days, every government order is being seen as a precursor to revoking Article 35A of the Constitution that gives special privileges to the state’s domiciled residents. The revocation of Article 35A and Article 370 (the latter gives autonomous status to Jammu & Kashmir) is one of the promises listed in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the April-May parliamentary elections.
July 29, Monday:
An order by the J&K Police seeking details on mosques and their management committees that went viral on social media gave an impetus to the buzz about the possibility of the Centre moving to revoke Article 35A. The order was issued on July 28 by SSP, Srinagar, Haseeb Mughal, who described it as “routine police activity.”
July 30, Tuesday:
J&K governor Satya Pal Malik asked people not to pay heed to rumours of an impending decision on the special status of the state. Malik did not mention a Railway Police Officer’s order on stockpiling rations but presumably referred to it when he said such orders were invalid. For their part, separatists in the Valley accused the Centre of deliberately vitiating the situation by issuing “daily orders”.
July 31, Wednesday:
Former CM Mehbooba Mufti launched an awareness campaign regarding the Constitution’s Article 35A. Mufti travelled to three districts of south Kashmir — Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama — and held meetings with PDP activists to promote awareness about Article 35A. For his part, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav blamed mainstream political parties for spreading fear in the Valley. Addressing a conference in Srinagar, Ram Madhav said the BJP will take a decision which will be in the interest of the people. “The movement of personnel in Kashmir is a routine affair,” he said.
August 1, Thursday:
A National Conference (NC) delegation led by party president Farooq Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and apprised him of the current situation in J&K. The NC chief reportedly told PM Modi that any move to revoke Article 35A could worsen the situation in the state. Separately, there were speculations that over 280 companies of security forces were in the process of being deployed in the Kashmir valley. The Union home ministry later denied the reports.
August 2, Friday:
The Amarnath yatra ended 14 days ahead of its scheduled close on August 15 and the counter-insurgency grid in J&K was strengthened following the recovery of a large cache of ammunition along the route of the yatra. Intelligence reports highlighted the possibility of suicide bombing attacks in the Valley. The cutting short of the yatra and an alert issued to pilgrims and tourists to return home, resulted in panic and a scramble for air tickets.
August 3, Saturday:
The army said it repelled an attempt by a mixed group of Pakistani soldiers and terrorists to attack an army post along the LoC, inflicting heavy casualties. Critically, the army said that “in the last 36 hours Pakistan has desperately tried to revive terrorism and push terrorists” into Kashmir. NC leader Omar Abdullah met governor Malik on Saturday and urged the central government to clear the air about what was going on in the Valley even as thousands of tourists and Amarnath worshippers left Kashmir. Around 1,400 non-local students from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, left the
Valley in special buses arranged by the administration, after a notice came up on Friday evening saying that classes were being suspended till further orders.
August 4, Sunday:
Union home minister Amit Shah met senior officials in New Delhi as the security infrastructure informed the government that at least one attempt by terrorists to breach LoC was successful. Those who attended the meeting included the national security advisor Ajit Doval and Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba, among others. In Kashmir, an all-party meeting was held at the residence of Farooq Abdullah.
The Maharashtra Government sought the help of the Army, Navy and the Air Force to rescue people marooned in various parts of the state following heavy rains.
An Mi-17 helicopter was deployed to rescue 35 persons stranded at the Ju-Nandkhuri village at Khadavli in Thane district neighbouring Mumbai. State police control room said with water levels rising in the village, the people had to be airlifted this morning. All of them were brought to the Juhu air field at Mumbai from where the chopper had taken off earlier in the day.
Officials said all major rivers in and around Mumbai and coastal Konkan were in spate and water was being released from overflowing dams.
In Mumbai, personnel from the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed inflatable boats to rescue people from low-lying areas. “We have rescued people from Bandra and Kurla in Mumbai as the Mithi River has breached its banks,” an official from the city police control room said. In all some 400 people had to be moved to safety by boats, according to the officials.
With the levels of the Ulhas River rising, residents of Thane, Kalyan and Badlapur have been moved to higher areas, according to the officials. Several parts of Pune were flooded after water from the overflowing Kadakvasla dam was released this morning. In Nashik, the authorities began evacuating people as the Godavari River showed signs of breaching its banks.
Train services on the Central Railways were hit for the second day today as the railway tracks were flooded. However, being Sunday the impact was little. In Mumbai’s suburb of Kandivli residents made rafts of plywood to transport essential items like bottled water and biscuits to people stranded in their flooded homes.
According to the weather department, heavy rains were reported in Mumbai,Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Ratnagiri since Friday with large areas in these places being severely flooded. Flights operating out of Mumbai airport were delayed by a few minutes, according to the officials.
District officials have declared a holiday on Monday in many places as the weather department warned of continued heavy rains. Schools have been ordered closed in Pune, Palghar and Thane districts, the officials said.
Wreaking havoc
Inflatable boats being used to rescue people from low-lying areas
Central Railways hit for the second day as the railway tracks were flooded
District officials have declared a holiday on Monday amid warnings of continued heavy rains
NEW DELHI : Responding to news reports on the deployment of additional security forces in J&K, the Union home ministry issued a statement saying “deployment of paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir was based on the security situation there and requirement of rotation, and such things are not discussed in the public domain.”
North Block was responding to speculation and rumors, especially in Kashmir, that the special status of residents of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) may be up for a change. The change in the special status (enshrined in Article 35A of the constitution) is also a poll promise of the BJP-led NDA government.
An official in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) who did not want to be named said: “100 companies (10,000 personnel) were ordered for deployment a week ago.” The movement of troops led to “speculation of induction of additional forces” the official said and added that “based on the assessment of the internal security situation, training requirements, the need for paramilitary troops to be rotated for rest and recuperation, induction and de-induction of central forces is a continuous and dynamic process.”
The official also underlined that “it has never been the practice to discuss in the public domain the details of deployment and movement of paramilitary forces deployed in a particular theatre, they said induction of central forces is a continuous and dynamic process.”
Interestingly, while MHA official said they were responding to speculation and rumors, the ministry did not categorically deny movement of troops beyond the 100 companies that was ordered last week.
The home ministry’s response came after reports on Thursday suggested that 28,000 additional troops are in the process of being deployed in the state, which is currently under President’s Rule.
Political parties such as the National Conference and the PDP, have, however, said it will resist any move to alter the special status to the state. On Thursday, a delegation comprising National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and a party MP met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him not to take any step which may lead to deterioration in the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir. They also urged Modi to facilitate holding of assembly elections in the state before the end of the year.
Ajay Banerjee & Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 2
The Centre’s decision of sending in additional troops of the Central armed forces to Kashmir is an outcome of several factors, including military activity in Pakistan, a renewed proactive push to hit at terrorists and intelligence inputs that the Amarnath yatra could be the target of militants.
The Army will be overstretched in case of an exigency and the Central forces will be needed for outer-cordoning during anti-terrorist operations in the hinterland.
Apart from this, the political grapevine is of some ‘development’ on the long-pending Kashmir issues. This includes the Centre’s plan to do away with Article 35A of the Constitution, which gives exclusive rights to the state’s residents in government jobs and land. The speculations have dominated the discourse in Kashmir over the past few days.
Militarily, indications were visible on the night of July 31 when the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), sensing some ‘movement’ on the Indian side, flew combat air patrols — the first in the past two months. The Indian Air Force responded and did its ‘night patrolling’ in the air which officials here termed as ‘routine flying’. Three air fields in north India do this ‘routine patrolling’ or night flying. Surveillance planes of both sides have been flying.
Between July 29 and August 1, the Army, answering Pakistan’s cross-LoC firing, opened its artillery in the Uri sector. The artillery firing was after a lull of several months. Sources in the Army say firing by Pakistan in areas north of Pir Panjal was ‘unusual’ for this time of the year as firing is done to facilitate infiltration of terrorists. Around this time of the year, the Jhelum and its tributaries carry huge amounts of water and crossing these rivers would be impossible by militants.
Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clarified and reiterated that 100 companies (10,000 troops) had been ordered for deployment in J&K about a week ago, which are in the process of reaching their destinations. “This has apparently led to speculations of induction of additional forces,” a senior official said.
The sources said based on assessment of the internal security situation and training requirements and also the need for paramilitary troops to be rotated for rest and recuperation, “induction and de-induction of Central forces is a continuous and dynamic process”.
They also insisted that it has never been the practice to discuss in public domain the details of deployment and movement of paramilitary forces deployed in a particular theatre.
The Grapevine
The political grapevine is of some ‘development’ on the long-pending Kashmir issues. This includes the Centre’s plan to do away with Article 35A of the Constitution, which gives exclusive rights to the state’s residents in government jobs and land. The speculations have dominated the discourse in Kashmir over the past few days.
Views from valley
The responsibility of protecting Article 35A and Article 370 is on the mainstream political parties. — Mehbooba Mufti, former CM
The unprecedented order will do nothing to dampen the sense of fear and foreboding that prevails in the Kashmir valley at the moment. — Omar Abdullah, NC Vice-President
The provision was negotiated by the regional parties and is an Article of faith, which should not be breached. — Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Separatist leader
US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster. — File photo
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 1
The Ministry of External Affairs had called the US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster to lodge its “grave concern” over US military assistance to Pakistan. India had also lodged its misgivings about resumption of US military aid to Pakistan in Washington as well.
“We have taken up the matter with the US Ambassador in Delhi, as well as with the US Government in Washington through our Ambassador. We have expressed grave concern over US military assistance to Pakistan. The US side has told us that the proposed sale does not indicate any change in the US policy of maintaining a freeze in military assistance to Pakistan,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Ravish Kumar told newspersons here today.
The Pentagon had said last month that the State Department had approved a $125 million deal for “24/7 end-use monitoring” of F-16 fighter jets it had earlier supplied to Pakistan. The US had reasoned that its military aid, a nominal amount in military transactions which run into billions of dollars, is meant to continue technical and logistics support services for monitoring Pakistan’s operations of F-16 aircraft.
The announcement came after a meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump but India feels this should not be the thin edge of the wedge before America begins full-fledged military aid in order to coax Islamabad into fully backing its plans for a wind-down in Afghanistan.
Punjab mulls policy of promoting gallantry awardees joining police
http://Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday said his government is making a policy to award a one-rank promotion to anyone who has won a gallantry award and is joining the state police. If any such officers/personnel wished to join Punjab Police, their service and bravery would be given due recognition, said the Chief Minister, while pipping the stars of ASI on the uniform of Kargil war hero Satpal Singh.
Satpal finds mention in Amarinder’s book ‘A Ridge Too Far–War in the Kargil Heights’.
Amarinder had promoted the Vir Chakdra awardee on Friday, from senior constable, in which capacity he was managing traffic in Sangrur district till July 26. DGP Dinkar Gupta was also present at the pipping ceremony.
Amarinder said he had merely set right the wrong done to Satpal by the previous SAD-BJP government, which had ignored the valour of the soldier, and failed to give him the recognition he deserved.
The Chief Minister said he was not aware of the situation and what he had done now was merely a case of “too little too late” for the brave soldier. This should have been done at the time of Satpal’s recruitment in 2010, he added.
The policy to be drafted by his government would leave no scope for such injustice, Amarinder said, making it clear that the policy would cover police gallantry award winners, including JCOs and NCOs, in addition to the jawans of the defence forces.
The Chief Minister said his government is committed to the welfare of soldiers/ex-soldiers whose sacrifices to the nation and its people could not be allowed to go unrecognised.
To streamline the functioning of the beleaguered Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and expedite payments, the financial powers of officers at various levels have been enhanced.
From July onwards, the powers of the ECHS Managing Director to reimburse medical bills have been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. The powers of the Deputy Managing Director and Regional Director have been hiked to Rs 8 lakh and Rs 4 lakh from Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, respectively.
Set up in 2003, the ECHS provides free medicare to over 50 lakh ex-servicemen and their entitled dependants through a network of polyclinics as well as empanelled private hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country. The empanelled hospitals, after providing cashless treatment to ECHS beneficiaries, get reimbursement from the ECHS.
Over the years, the scheme has been facing some problems such as budgetary constraints, non-availability of certain medicines and inflated billing by some private medical centres. In 2017-18, ECHS spent Rs 2824.99 crore on reimbursements, which came down to Rs 2142.49 crore in 2018-19 .
Apart from misappropriations in hospital billing, for which certain check procedures like third-party scrutiny and vetting were put in place, a major concern for the beneficiaries was shortage of medicines at polyclinics. At times, medicines could not be purchased because of budget.
The change
The power of the ECHS Managing Director to reimburse medical bills has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh
In case of the Deputy Managing Director, it will go up to Rs 8 lakh from Rs 5 lakh
Regional Director will be able to sanction reimbursement of up to Rs 4 lakh as against old limit of Rs 3 lakh
HANDIGARH : On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Punjab governor-cum-UT administrator VP Singh Badnore Friday paid homage to the Indian Armed Forces personnel who sacrificed their lives in the Kargil War. While placing a wreath at the war memorial of Bougainvillea Garden, Chandigarh, Badnore said, “This day reminds us of India’s military prowess and the great sacrifices of armed forces, while steadfastly keeping the country safe.” A two-minute silence was also observed in memory of the deceased personnel.
■ Punjab governor-cum-UT administrator VP Singh Badnore laying a wreath during an event to commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas at the war memorial in Bougainvillea Garden, Sector 3, Chandigarh on Friday.
Punjab chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh also paid floral tributes to the martyrs and exhorted the youths to follow their ideals in upholding the country’s sovereignty and integration. Director defence services, Brigadier Satinder Singh, informed the CM that similar commemorative programmes were simultaneously held in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Sangrur. The CM also interacted with the young cadets of Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, Mohali.
KHATTAR LAYS WREATH In a bid to mark the 81st Foundation Day of the CRPF, Shivanand Choubey Memorial Charitable Trust and Environment Saving Society, Chandigarh, took ahead the environmental fortnight campaign. CRPF’s 13th Battalion also supported the campaign and planted 50 saplings.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police’s (ITBP’s) basic training centre, Bhanu, organised a five-kilometre run to commemorate the occasion. Under similar initiatives, members of BJP Yuva Morcha’s Chandigarh chapter also visited the war memorial at Sector 3, Chandigarh. UT BJP president Sanjay Tandon was also present on the occasion.
Joining the list of politicians who hailed the sacrifices of Indian soldiers, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar laid a wreath on the war memorial in Panchkula.
Tiger Hill Vir Chakra now directs traffic in a small Punjab town
Kargil Vijay Diwas: “May be I made a wrong decision. I did not get any weightage for my Vir Chakra. Sports persons winning medals are also given higher ranks… I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive,” Satpal Singh said.
At a road intersection in Bhawanigarh, a small town in Sangrur district of Punjab, Head Constable Satpal Singh is busy directing traffic. But a close look at his uniform tells you he is no ordinary traffic policeman. On his shirt, he wears four rows of medal ribands, including one that’s half blue-half orange. The Vir Chakra.
Twenty years ago, Satpal Singh was a Sepoy, battling Pakistan Army’s counter-attacks on Tiger Hill in which he killed Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the Northern Light Infantry and three others — Sher Khan was later conferred the Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan’s highest gallantry award, on the recommendation of the Indian brigade commander who vouched for his bravery on the icy heights.
He was part of the 8 Sikh team of two officers, four JCOs and 46 ORs (other ranks), tasked to help the 19 Grenadiers capture Tiger Hill.
Eighteen personnel, including three JCOs, died while beating back Pakistani attacks on Helmet and India Gate positions on Tiger Hill. Most who survived the battle were wounded, including the two officers Major Ravindra Parmar and Lt R K Sehrawat.
Twenty years ago, Satpal Singh was a Sepoy, battling Pakistan Army’s counter-attacks on Tiger Hill. (Express photo)
“We had reached out position by the evening of July 5, 1999. It was bitterly cold and all we had with us were the clothes we were wearing. Either we could carry extra woollens or extra arms and ammunition. The choice was obvious,” recalls Satpal, now 46.
The first Pakistani counter attack came early July 7, pushing back Indian troops. “The attacks came one after another. We would beat one and then there would be another. The Pakistanis had a good officer leading them.” With the officers and JCOs wounded, Subedar Nirmal Singh, among the injured, retained command and remained in touch with the brigade commander, Brig M P S Bajwa, on the wireless.
Satpal Singh. (Express Photo)
“Before he was killed with a direct hit to the head, Subedar saab told us to shout our jaikara ‘Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal’, rush the enemy and the officer leading them. I took four bullets as I fired my LMG (light machine gun). There was hand-to-hand combat. I pounced on this tall, well-built man dressed in a tracksuit. He was leading the Pakistani troops. There was chaos all around, both sides hurling abuses at each other as they fought. I managed to kill him,” he said.
He did not know then that the man he had killed was Capt Karnal Sher Khan. “I killed four of them — the officer, his radio operator and two jawans providing him close cover.” The death of the officer left the Pakistanis in disarray. “We could see him (Sher Khan) leading his troops, using the fire-and-cover method to attack us again and again. He fought well,” he said.
Brigadier Bajwa, Satpal’s former brigade commander, said: “I recommended Satpal’s name for Param Vir Chakra given his exceptional bravery on Tiger Hill. He was awarded Vir Chakra.”
After completing his service in the Army, Satpal was discharged in 2009. He joined Punjab Police the following year. “May be I made a wrong decision. I did not get any weightage for my Vir Chakra. I joined under the ex-servicemen quota. I am a Head Constable now.”
“Sportspersons winning medals are also given higher ranks… I killed a man who was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award. Anyway, God is kind. He kept me alive. I just feel bad for my unemployed post-graduate son,” he said.
ARCHIVES: 20 years ago, here is how India came together to support its Kargil heroes
State Stalwarts
DEFENCES FORCES RANKS
ARMY, NAVY, AIRFORCE RANKS
FORMATION SIGNS
FORMATION SIGNS
ALL HUMANS ARE ONE CREATED BY GOD
HINDUS,MUSLIMS,SIKHS.ISAI SAB HAI BHAI BHAI
CHIEF PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
LT GEN JASBIR SINGH DHALIWAL, DOGRA
SENIOR PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
MAJOR GEN HARVIJAY SINGH, SENA MEDAL ,corps of signals
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PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
MAJ GEN RAMINDER GORAYA , CORPS OF
sanjhamorcha303@gmail.com
PRESIDENT HARAYANA STATE CUM COORDINATOR ESM
BRIG DALJIT THUKRAL ,BENGAL SAPPERS
PRESIDENT TRICITY
COL B S BRAR (BHUPI BRAR)
PRESIDENT CHANDIGARH ZONE
COL SHANJIT SINGH BHULLAR
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PRESIDENT PANCHKULA ZONE AND ZIRAKPUR
COL SWARAN SINGH
PRESIDENT SAS NAGAR (MOHALI)
COL BALBIR SINGH , ARTY
INDIAN DEFENCE FORCES
DEFENCE FORCES INTEGRATED LOGO
FORCES FLAGS
15 Th PRESIDENT OF INDIA SUPREME COMMANDER ARMED FORCES
Droupadi Murmu
DEFENCE MINISTER
Minister Rajnath Singh
CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF (2nd)
General Anil Chauhan PVSM UYSM AVSM SM VSM
INDIAN FORCES CHIEFS
CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF(29th)
General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM (30 Jun 2024 to Till Date)
