General VK Singh (retd) has expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the Valley post the gunning down of Burhan Wani. The Minister of State for External Affairs urged people to cooperate with the government in this hour of crisis while stating that some unwanted elements had been misguiding the Kashmiris.“Kashmir will always remain ours and there has been no change in thoughts since 1947 and neither will it ever come. In 2004, our Prime Minister said the boundaries of India won’t be altered anyhow, but the facility for inter-country transportation will be sanctioned. The early you accept the fact, the better the conditions will turn out to be,” he said.“Cooperate with us so that we can help you. Whole world knows the power of India and knows that India has a very special recognition in future also. Do you want to be a part of this epic-story of India? It’s my request, step out of the crowd and direct your future,” he added.Singh expressed his dismay over some people calling Wani a martyr and mourning his death.– ANI

Paramiltary personnel patrol a street during curfew in downtown Srinagar on Wednesday. afp

Majid Jahangir & Suhail A Shah

Tribune News Service

Srinagar/Anantnag, July 13

One youth was killed in fresh firing while another succumbed to his bullet injuries at a hospital today, taking the toll in the Kashmir unrest to 34.The killing took place in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district despite a fall in the level of protests and clashes across Kashmir.It took place a day after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tried to reach out to the Valley and made a televised appeal for peace and calm.Hilah Ahmed Dar (22) was shot dead by forces at Hernag in Anantnag during clashes in the town, eyewitnesses said. The killing sparked fresh protests and clashes in the area.Earlier the day, Javid Ahmad (23) of Qaimoh in Kulgam district of south Kashmir succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS in Srinagar. He had received bullet injuries two days ago.The body of another youth, Zahoor Ahmed of Kakpora in Pulwama, who drowned on Saturday while he was allegedly being chased by security forces, was fished out at Awantipora in south Kashmir today.There were reports of clashes between security forces and protesters at over a dozen places today. A police spokesman said the situation in the Valley remained under control though some incidents of stone-throwing were reported.The spokesman said militants fired at a police officer when he was on way to duty in south Kashmir. “Early today, militants fired upon the vehicle of an SDPO at Zainapora in Shopian. There was no loss of life or injury in the incident,” he said.At least 1,500 persons, mostly youths, had been injured in clashes in the Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last week.A majority of the injured had been hit by bullets and pellets above the abdomen, causing grievous injuries and probably lifelong disability.At least 340 injured civilians, most of them wounded by bullets and pellets, had been admitted to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital here.There was a lull in clashes today, but several areas, including volatile parts of south Kashmir, old Srinagar and some towns in north Kashmir, remained under strict curfew for the fifth consecutive day.The Srinagar-Anantnag highway remained closed and there was no vehicular movement due to clashes at various places. Vehicles could move during night.Mobile internet services and train services in Kashmir remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day.Roads and Buildings Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, camping in Anantnag, said the situation was improving.While life continued to remain adversely affected for the fifth consecutive day, separatists extended the shutdown call by two days up to Friday.

Kashmir simmers

• At least 1,500 persons, mostly youths, have been injured in clashes in the Valley since the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani last week.
• At least 340 injured civilians, most of them wounded by bullets and pellets, have been admitted to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar
• The Srinagar-Anantnag highway remains closed. Internet services and trains in Kashmir remain suspended for the fifth consecutive day.

Beijing, July 4

Criticising the strong reactions from India over China blocking its bid to enter the NSG, a state-run daily today said India is “still stuck” in the 1962 war mindset as it called for a more objective evaluation of Beijing’s stand.“The Indian public seems to be having a hard time accepting the outcome of the Seoul plenary meeting of Nuclear Suppliers Group late last month after India failed to gain entry into NSG,” an oped-page article in Global Times said.The country seems to be “still stuck” in the shadow of the war with China in the 1960s and many still hold on to the “obsolete geopolitical view” that China does not want to see India’s rise, it said. “New Delhi may have misunderstood Beijing, which can make a big difference in its strategic decisions.,” the article said.— PTI

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 3

As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) assume increasing significance for both combat as well as surveillance roles, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has initiated the process of procuring such systems from indigenous sources.The MoD wants a common medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) platform that can be used by all three services, though some features could be adapted or modified to meet the specific operational requirements of the Army, Navy or Air Force. A request for information issued by the MoD indicates that the services need 150 new MALE UAVs. These are proposed to be developed and manufactured by the Indian industry based on proven technologies where fundamental research is not required.Low radar, thermal and acoustics signature, capability to operate between minus 40 to 55 degrees Celsius, altitude ceiling above 30,000 feet with more than 25 hours of endurance, a satellite-based navigational system, automatic take off and landing capability and an automatic identification system to identify merchant ships along with its cargo are key features required for the proposed UAVs.The Indian Armed Forces began inducting UAVs in 2000 and at present, more than 200 such systems are in service. These are primarily Israeli-made Heron and Searcher UAVs along with a handful of DRDO-made Nishant UAVs. An upgraded version of Nishant, called Panchi, and an armed drone, Rustom, are being test evaluated by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). There were also some reports of India procuring the armed version of Heron from Israel.

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 29

Lieutenant General DR Soni today relinquished the command of the prestigious Chetak Corps after a successful tenure of more than a year.During his farewell address on the eve of handing over the command, DR Soni complimented all ranks of the Chetak Corps for their commitment, zeal and loyalty to the organisation and patriotism.He urged them to strive for professional excellence and hone soldierly skills aligning with requirements of future to integrate technology and adapt to the challenges of a complex future battlefield milieu and social environment.Empathy and kindness, coupled with a firm resolve and desire to deliver, he felt, were the basic tenets of leadership, and each soldier must ensure a commitment to the service, without desire for individual furtherance.During his tenure, the General Officer emphasised on maintaining a high threshold of operational readiness to enable fulfilment of any challenge that may present itself in the future. He has constantly maintained that the success in operations will depend on a positive and offensive attitude, continued force modernisation, excellence in training, security consciousness, earnest work culture and focused human resource management. Infusion of technology, operation-oriented training and development of modern infrastructure were his key result areas to make Chetak Corps a cutting edge of the Indian Army.

WESTERN COMMAND CHIEF OF STAFF RETIRES

CHANDIGARH: Lt Gen Gurdeep Singh retired as the Chief of Staff, Western Command, on Thursday.

He served in the army for 39 years. At the Western Command, Lt Gen Singh improved the ecological layout of the station, and streamlined the allotment of accommodation through better procedure.

He was commissioned into the Kumaon Regiment in June 1977. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Lt Gen Singh tenanted various command, staff, and instructional appointments.

तुलनाएं बेहद अवांछित होती है, नागवार गुज़रती हैं, लेकिन हमारे संदर्भ में सरकारी अधिकारियों के साथ तुलना किया जाना तो जैसे हमेशा लागू होने वाला नियम बना दिया गया है, जो ‘लाल बत्ती कल्चर’ का ही एक और उदाहरण है, लेकिन इस बार सातवें वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों में तो सारी हदें पार कर दी गई हैं, जब ओआरओपी जैसे जटिल विषय को भी सभी सरकारी कर्मचारियों तक पहुंचा दिया है, और इस बात को समझने की कोशिश तक नहीं की गई कि सेना ने ओआरओपी की मांग की क्यों थी…

शुरू करते हैं 1947 से, जब भारत को आज़ाद होने के साथ ही अंग्रेज़ों से थलसेना, नौसेना और वायुसेना भी मिली… अंग्रेज़ों के चले जाने के बाद जब भारत की साम्राज्य बढ़ाने की कोई योजना ही नहीं थी, तो महसूस किया गया कि जो हमारे पास है, वह पर्याप्त है, क्योंकि हमें ज़्यादा से ज़्यादा देश के भीतर ही कुछ तनावपूर्ण स्थितियों से जूझना होगा, या प्राकृतिक आपदा की स्थिति में मदद पहुंचानी होगी… लेकिन आज़ादी के तीन ही महीने बाद आंखें खोल देने वाला वाकया हुआ, जब जम्मू एवं कश्मीर में युद्ध शुरू हो गया… दो साल तक जारी रही उस लड़ाई से कुछ कड़वे सबक भी सीखने को मिले, और उसके बाद दूसरा झटका लगा 1962 में, जिसने संगठन को तोड़कर रख दिया…

इन सालों में इन झटकों के बाद ब्रिटिश काल में बनी रही सेना की अहमियत कम होती चली गई, और वह नागरिक सरकार के नियंत्रण में आती चली गई, जिसका अर्थ राजनैतिक नियंत्रण था, और फिर एक ओर रणनीतिक विचार-विमर्श व नीति और दूसरी तरफ ज़रूरी मदद पहुंचाने तक सीमित होकर रह गई… पहले रणनीतिक रखरखाव और तय किए गए नियमों के मुताबिक रोज़मर्रा के कामकाज को सेना को खुद ही संभालना था, लेकिन समय के साथ-साथ यह समीकरण पलटते चले गए और धीरे-धीरे सेना द्वारा किया जाने वाला हर काम ‘नौकरशाही के नियंत्रण’ में पहुंच गया… यह बदलाव इतना संपूर्ण था कि हाल ही में एक अग्रणी समाचारपत्र की हेडलाइन थी, ‘बाबुओं को मिलेगा तोहफा’, और इस हेडलाइन में देश की सेनाओं को भी उन लाखों-करोड़ों लोगों के साथ जोड़ दिया गया, जो पूरे हफ्ते में पांच दिन नौ से पांच बजे तक फाइल सरकाने का काम किया करते हैं… 1965 का भारत-पाक युद्ध, 1971 की शानदार जीत, नागरिक प्रशासन की सहायता के लिए देशी-विदेशी धरती पर सफलतापूर्वक किए गए बीसियों काम, और इसके अलावा संयुक्त राष्ट्र के झंडे तले दुनियाभर में हमारी सेना के शानदार प्रदर्शन से साबित होता है कि हम बाबुओं से कितने अलग हैं…

चिंता की दूसरी बड़ी वजह है सैन्यबल अधिकारियों की सेवानिवृत्ति की आयु… किसी भी अन्य सरकारी नौकरी, जहां सभी स्तरों के कर्मचारियों-अधिकारियों के लिए सेवानिवृत्ति की आयु 60 वर्ष है, से इतर सैन्य अधिकारी 37 साल की आयु से सेवानिवृत्त होने लगते हैं, और 13 लाख फौजियों में से कुल एक फीसदी ही 60 की आयु तक सेना में रह पाते हैं… यहां कोई भी जागरूक पाठक ध्यान दे सकता है कि तुलना नहीं हो सकती… सो, इन हालात में जब आप सभी के लिए वेतनमान और भत्ते एक समान कर देंगे, तो गुस्सा तो आएगा…

इस गुस्से को बढ़ाने वाला तीसरा और सबसे अहम पहलू है हमारा खुद का, परिवार का, बच्चों का तथा निर्भर माता-पिता और भाई-बहनों का अस्थिर और बार-बार शहर बदलता रहन-सहन, और लंबे-लंबे समय तक उनसे दूरियां, जिन्हें व्यापक रूप से “सेवा की अनिवार्यता” कहा जाता है…

दुनिया के अधिकतर देशों में नागरिक अधिकारियों की तुलना में 15 से 20 फीसदी बढ़ोतरी सेनाधिकारियों को दी ही जाती है… लेकिन हमारे देश में 7वें वेतन आयोग ने ठीक इसका उलट किया है… हालांकि अध्यक्ष जस्टिस एके माथुर ने जुबानी तौर पर सैन्य वेतन में 30 फीसदी की सिफारिश की है, लेकिन वेतन आयोग, और अब सरकार द्वारा भी पेश किए गए आंकड़े कुछ और ही कहानी बयान कर रहे हैं… एक बार फिर लगने लगा है कि मकसद सेना के स्तर को घटाकर अन्य सरकारी कर्मचारियों की तुलना में नीचे ले आना है…

इस देश और यहां सत्ता में 70 साल से बैठी ताकतों ने कभी किसी भी वेतन आयोग में सेना के किसी प्रतिनिधि को जगह नहीं दी, और यह भी एक वजह थी कि छठे वेतन आयोग में सेना से जुड़ी विसंगतियां 10 साल बीतने पर भी ठीक नहीं हो पाई हैं… गुस्से की एक और वजह…

मैं इस मुद्दे पर लगातार लिखता रह सकता हूं, क्योंकि जिन सभी विषयों को सेना द्वारा सीधे देखे जाने की ज़रूरत है, उनकी लिस्ट बहुत लंबी है… जैसे – शॉर्ट सर्विस के हालात, सीमित तरक्कियां, विकलांगता, और भी बहुत कुछ… फिलहाल इतना ही कहना पर्याप्त होगा कि मौजूदा हालात में बाबुओं को लेकर जो मुद्दे सेना के रोंगटे खड़े कर देते हैं, उनका ज़िक्र नीचे की टेबल में किया गया है…

सेना ने अपनी निराशा को बिल्कुल साफ-साफ शब्दों में बता दिया है, जब तीनों सेना प्रमुखों ने सरकार के प्रतिनिधियों से मुलाकात की… अंतिम मंजूरी को लेकर रक्षा मंत्रालय भी निराशा व्यक्त कर चुका है… उम्मीद है कि बातचीत की जाएगी, मुद्दों का समाधान ढूंढा जाएगा, और सरकारी आदेश जारी किया जाएगा, ताकि सभी को संतुष्टि मिल सके… अंत में, सिर्फ इतना ही कहना चाहूंगा कि सुरक्षा तथा देश की रक्षा पर किए जाने वाले खर्च को कम महत्व देना संभव नहीं…

अगर यह खर्च निरर्थक भी लगता है, तो होने दो, क्योंकि देश की प्रभुसत्ता के साथ कोई समझौता नहीं किया जा सकता…
 

कर्नल अनिल कौल (VrC) एनडीए, आईएमए डीएसएससी तथा एडब्ल्यूसी में प्रशिक्षित हैं… उन्होंने आर्मर्ड कॉर्प्स में 32 साल सेवाएं दीं… युद्ध में वीरता के वीर चक्र से सम्मानित हैं… युद्ध में लगी चोटों के कारण 80 प्रतिशत दिव्यांग हैं…

डिस्क्लेमर (अस्वीकरण) : इस आलेख में व्यक्त किए गए विचार लेखक के निजी विचार हैं। इस आलेख में दी गई किसी भी सूचना की सटीकता, संपूर्णता, व्यावहारिकता अथवा सच्चाई के प्रति NDTV उत्तरदायी नहीं है। इस आलेख में सभी सूचनाएं ज्यों की त्यों प्रस्तुत की गई हैं। इस आलेख में दी गई कोई भी सूचना अथवा तथ्य अथवा व्यक्त किए गए विचार NDTV के नहीं हैं, तथा NDTV उनके लिए किसी भी प्रकार से उत्तरदायी नहीं है।

The allegations are not new. File photo

Washington, June 25

Attacking his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton over donations to her family foundation, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has alleged that she received funds from Indian political leaders and institutions to vote for the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.Released by the Trump campaign in the form of a 35-page booklet, none of these allegations are new and have been known in the public domain for past several years.Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, had refuted these allegations several times in the past.In a statement, the Trump campaign said the information provided in the booklet is in-depth summary of the top 50 facts about Clinton’s record that were detailed by Trump in a major speech early this week in New York.Citing a New York Times report, the Trump campaign alleged that as early as 2008, Indian politician Amar Singh had donated between USD 1,000,001 and USD 5,000,000 to the Clinton Foundation.“Singh visited the US in September 2008 to lobby for a deal allowing India to obtain civilian nuclear technology; then-Senator Clinton assured him Democrats would not block the deal,” the Trump campaign alleged.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook and Twitter @thetribunechd)It said that in 2008 the Confederation of Indian Industry gave USD 500,000 to USD 1 million to the Clinton Foundation.It also alleged that Indian-American Raj Fernando was appointed to the State Department’s International Security Advisory Board by Clinton’s chief of staff Cheryl Mills at her “insistence”.Fernando, he alleged, has donated between USD 1 million and USD 5 million to the Clinton Foundation.Trump alleged that Clinton’s foreign policy has cost America thousands of lives and trillions of dollars–and unleashed ISIS across the world. PTI

Fire and Fury Corps personnel perform yoga at a forward location on Tuesday. A Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 21

International Yoga Day was celebrated by the Army’s Fire and Fury Corps today at Siachen Glacier, Leh, Kargil and other forward locations along the border.Apart from giving an impetus to physical fitness, the event aimed to popularise yoga and spread awareness on its benefits among the soldiers.Giving details, defence spokesperson SD Goswami said that the Army had incorporated yoga ‘asanas’ into the daily routine of the soldier in high altitude areas deployed in harsh climatic conditions. “Practice of yoga by soldiers in such environment helps them to combat various diseases such as high altitude sickness, hypoxia, pulmonary odema and psychological stress of isolation and fatigue. The respiratory adaptations of ‘pranayama’ help the soldiers to better adapt to the low oxygen environment in high altitude areas,” he said.Goswami added, “A positive, well-relaxed and de-stressed body and mind is the most significant benefit of yoga which in turn assists the soldiers to operate successfully, in such a challenging environment. The yoga sessions at all locations were organised by trained instructors who explained and demonstrated the correct postures for various ‘asanas’ while explaining their benefits.

Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar sits inside the cockpit during the inaugural flight of India”s indigenous basic training aircraft at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airport in Bengaluru on Friday. PTI

Bengaluru, June 17

Public sector aerospace and defence major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Friday inaugurated indigenous Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) HTT-40 here in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

“The indigenous content on HTT-40 is close to 80 per cent. Almost 50 per cent of the components on HTT-40 are manufactured by private players of the Indian aerospace ecosystem,” said Parrikar, congratulating HAL on the achievement.

He highlighted that the role of private players and nedium and small enterprises (MSMEs) has been significant in producing the parts for HTT-40 and said the Indian Air Force (IAF) is feeling positive with all these developments.

Parrikar said commercial production of the trainer aircraft can generate nearly Rs 3,000-4,000 crore. While the IAF will procure 70 HTT-40, it may also go up to 200, based on demand.

Talking about the inaugural flight demonstrated by Group Vaptains C. Subramaniam and Venugopal, HAL CMD T. Suvarna Raju described it as flawless.

“It is remarkable feat that the aircraft in its inaugural flight carried out low speed pass, a series of turns, high speed pass and short-landing using reverse thrust which is a unique feature available on this engine-propeller combination,” said Raju.

He added that the project will go full throttle to get the BTA certified in 2018, to be achieved by the manufacture of three prototypes and two static test specimens.

It only took one year for the company to fly the first prototype after launching the detailed design of the aircraft by earmarking internal resources only in August 2013 and completing the detailed design phase by May 2015.

Digital Mock Up (DMU), real time systems clash analysis, laser tracking of assembly jigs, six degree of freedom, mathematical model and complete glass cockpit are among the many first initiatives of the project.

According to HAL, HTT-40 has been designed to meet the current requirement of the IAF with the provision for role expansion to attach weapons to the trainer aircraft. — IANS

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. File photo

Hyderabad, June 10

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will attend the commissioning ceremony of three women officers as fighter pilots for the first time in the IAF history on June 18 at Air Force Academy in Dundigal near here.On the occasion, Parrikar will review the Passing out Parade and confer the “President’s Commission” to 129 graduating trainees of various branches including 22 women trainees.The graduation parade, which will be held as part of successful completion of the pre-commissioning training by the flight cadets of various branches of Indian Air Force will be a landmark event in the history of IAF, as the first three women pilots will be commissioned in the fighter stream of the flying branch, a defence release stated.The women to be inducted as fighter pilots are Bhavana Kant, Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi.They will go to Bidar in Karnataka for their stage-III training for a year on Hawk advanced jet trainers, before they get to fly supersonic warplanes.Six female cadets were competing to become fighter pilots after the government, in a landmark move, approved an IAF plan in October to induct them as fighter pilots.However, only three female trainees were selected for the fighter stream.Parrikar will also present the “wings and brevets” to the newly-commissioned officers of the flying branch and to the officers from sister services i.e. Navy and Coast Guard who have successfully undergone the flying training.The reviewing officer will present the President’s Plaque and the Sword of Honour to the flight cadet standing first in the order of merit in ‘flying branch’ who will have the privilege of commanding the parade, stated the release.The reviewing officer will also award the President’s Plaque to the toppers (first in overall merit) in the navigation and ground duty branches of the graduating course. — PT