Monthly Archives: August 2018

For representation only. The skull of Havildar Alum Bheg had been brought to England by Captain A R Costello, who was on duty when he was executed after the revolt. File photo

London, April 15

A British historian wants the skull of an Indian soldier who was among those executed after the revolt of 1857 against the East India Company to be repatriated to India and buried where he participated in his last battle.

Dr Kim Wagner, Senior Lecturer in British Imperial History at Queen Mary College in London, believes the time is right for Havildar Alum Bheg—a principal leader of the revolt, which the British characterise as a sepoy mutiny—to be buried in his country of birth.

His skull had been brought to England by Captain A R Costello, who was on duty when Alum Bheg was executed after the revolt in India. It was discovered years later in a pub in the eastern English coastal town of Walmer in Kent.

“His regiment was originally raised at Kanpur, but my suggestion would be for his skull to be buried near the Ravi River, at the border between India and Pakistan, where we know Alum Bheg participated in the Battle of Trimmu Ghat,” said Wagner, the author of ‘The Skull of Alum Bheg: The Life and Death of a Rebel of 1857’, which was released recently.

“I don’t perceive of the repatriation of Alum Bheg’s skull as a political PR exercise. My focus is simply on returning the remains of Alum Bheg to what was once his homeland so that he can be put to rest—160 years after he died,” he adds.

The historian has triggered “tentative discussions” on the issue with diplomats in India and the UK, but acknowledges that these things take time and does not expect a resolution in the immediate future.

His journey to researching and writing the book on the 1857 revolt around the story of Bheg’s tragic killing began in 2014 when he was contacted by the family who had come into possession of the skull.

In 1963, the new owner of The Lord Clyde pub discovered the skull stowed away in a small storeroom. Inserted in the eye-socket was a handwritten note that briefly outlined the skull’s history. The note revealed that the skull belonged to an Indian soldier in the service of the East India Company named Alum Bheg, who was accused of murdering an entire family of Scottish missionaries.

He was captured and executed by being blown from a cannon. Capt. Costello, an Irish officer serving with the East India Company, brought it back to England as a kind of war trophy but how it eventually ended up in the pub in the coastal town of Deal remains unknown.

“My research revealed several surprising discoveries, not least of which was that Alum Bheg was most likely innocent of the crimes for which he was executed,” said Wagner.

“What happened to the skull of one sepoy offers a disturbing narrative of life and death in British India that speaks directly to contemporary debates about the legacies of the Empire as well as the darker side of conflict, past and present,” he said.

In a post-Brexit era of “swelling imperial nostalgia and revisionism”, the academic feels that given Bheg’s innocence, his remains deserve a final resting place in his homeland.

According to the note found inside his skull, Bheg was about 32 years of age, 5 feet 7-and- a-half inches high, belonged to the 46th Bengal Infantry Regiment and was “by no means an ill-looking native”.

The British High Commission in New Delhi, the Royal Asiatic Society and some non-governmental organisations in India are now reportedly in talks to find a way of returning the “native” to his homeland. PTI

Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh), April 8 Indicating fresh friction, the Chinese military strongly protested against the Indian Army’s “transgression” into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly rejected the complaint.Official sources said the Chinese side raised the issue at a ‘Border Personnel Meeting’ (BPM) here on March 15 but the Indian Army dismissed it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal belonged to India and it had regularly been carrying out patrols.Sources said the Chinese side called India’s patrolling in the area a “transgression” and the Indian Army objected to the terminology. “China’s protest is surprising,” said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions in the area, which had been taken up seriously in the past.Under the BPM mechanism, the two sides can register their protest over any incident of transgression as there are varying perceptions about the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The delegation of China’s People’s Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such “violations” may escalate tensions.Rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the LAC and that the Army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC. The Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on December 21, 22 and 23 last.The Indian Army has reportedly increased war-fighting drills following the Doklam standoff.  — PTI

Jammu, April 8

Security forces on Sunday busted a terrorist hideout in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir and recovered two AK assault rifles along with some ammunition, a senior police officer said.

The hideout was unearthed during an ongoing search operation in some villages, including Gadyog, in Budhal area, Senior Superintendent of Police (Rajouri), Yougal Manhas, said.

Besides the two AK rifles, two magazines and 60 rounds of ammunition were also recovered from the hideout which was believed to be set up by terrorists when they were active in the area over a decade back, he said.

Manhas said no one was arrested in connection with the recovery during the operation which was still continuing. PTI

Some private schools even dishonoured Malala’s short trip by declaring Friday as “I am not Malala Day”, reflecting her polarising reality.

 Malala Yousafzai (Photo: AP)

Dehradun, April 1

Haridwar MP and former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank’s daughter Capt Dr Shreyashi Nishank has joined the Army Medical Corps. She will be posted at Military Hospital at Roorkie in Haridwar district.   Sharing his feelings on Facebook and Twitter, Pokhriyal Nishank said he felt greatly honoured that his daughter had joined the Army Medical Corps as an officer. He also stated that daughters were no less than sons and said it was a prime responsibility to provide them best education. The former CM urged his daughter to join the Army during a trek to Kedarnath. Union MoS for Foreign Affairs and former Army chief Gen VK Singh has greeted Pokhriyal on the success of his daughter. — T

New Delhi, April 1

Faced with questions over the quality of food, the BSF has commissioned an assessment by the DRDO to analyse the quality and quantity of meals being served to jawans and officers of the paramilitary force and also suggest measures to improve possible shortcomings.The move comes over a year after a BSF jawan had posted a video on a social media site claiming watery soup-like dal and burnt chappatis were being served to personnel.BSF Director General (DG) K K Sharma told PTI in an interview that the first-of-its-kind step was taken on the recommendation of a parliamentary panel that took up the issue recently.“We are getting a study done from a DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) laboratory to analyse the quality of the food being served in BSF messes. These experts are also talking to the personnel who prepare the food, run the unit mess and also those who consume it.“While a final report is awaited, what we have been made to understand is that both the quality and quantity of our food for jawans and officers has been found to be more than satisfactory as part of the study,” the paramilitary chief said.The DRDO’s Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) based in Mysore in Karnataka is conducting the assessment.The DFRL is a special laboratory to conduct research and development related to dietary and nutritional requirements of security personnel.A parliamentary panel, in its report, had noted that there was an “adverse report on social media” about the quality of food being served to BSF personnel.“The committee (members) are of the view that providing good quality food to CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) personnel is not only necessary to keep them healthy and fit but also for boosting their morale.“The committee, therefore, recommended that a mechanism be put in place for testing food items being supplied to CAPFs at the source of supply itself, whereby it is tested and certified in respect of nutritional values, hygiene and labelled as fit for consumption,” the report had stated.Sharma said an internal inquiry conducted by the BSF after its jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav posted a video on social media claiming bad food was being served, had found that the quality and quantity of food being served was never an issue among the forces’ personnel.Yadav had in January last year posted a video on Facebook that showed a meal box comprising a watery soup-like dal, which he claimed had only turmeric and salt, and a burnt chapatti.The DG said three immediate supervisory officers of Yadav’s unit — a Deputy Inspector General (DIG), a Commandant and a Company Commander (Assistant Commandant) — were shifted after the incident as punishment and on grounds of “failure of command.”The officers did not know that a constable is facing problems and complaining about something, which may or may not be wrong, he said.“They got to know when the jawan uploaded something (on social media). So, it is the failure of the supervisory officers in having a proper connect with the subordinates. One must know what is happening. “This was identified as a weakness of the officers and failure of command and they were shifted. This action was not undertaken because the food was bad,” Sharma said.He said the area along the Line of Control where Yadav was posted is under the operational command of the Army and the food is supplied by them at these locations.“It is largely tinned food at these high-altitude and difficult locations. The entire ration process has been decentralised by us at the International Border (IB) where we have our independent command,” he said.The DG added that Yadav, last year in April, was sacked and charge sheeted for indiscipline and uploading a video in violation of rules.Such conduct “cannot be tolerated” in a security force and this action was not taken against him for complaining about the quality of food, he said.Sharma reiterated that the BSF, as an organisation, has taken a policy decision that the use of smart phones and social media will not be disallowed despite this incident.“I feel why should I punish 2.5 lakh people just because the mistake of one man. If they want to enhance their knowledge and keep in touch with their family by using the Internet, then why should I stop them?” the DG said. “We have just told our personnel that social media and Internet has to be used sensibly and anything that they receive on social media should not be believed without verifying its authenticity,” Sharma said. The BSF is tasked to guard the two important and sensitive Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh and it also renders a variety of internal security duties across the country, including undertaking anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh and Odisha. — PTI

File photo of Pakistan”s former envoy to the US, Husain Haqqani.

New Delhi, April 15

Pakistan should become a “trading nation” rather than a “warrior nation” while ensuring it does not turn into China’s pawn, Islamabad’s former envoy to the US, Husain Haqqani, has said.

In an interview to PTI, Haqqani said Pakistan also needs to take a call on what is more important – supporting terror suspect Hafiz Saeed or gaining international credibility and respect.

Amid the consolidation of the already-robust Sino-Pak ties, Haqqani, who served as ambassador to the US from 2008 to 2011, stressed Pakistan should not go from being dependent on the US to relying on China and must refrain from becoming a “Chinese pawn”.

“Pakistan needs to build a self-sustaining economy,” he said, warning Islamabad of the pitfalls of aligning with a major power.

Haqqani, who was in India last week for the launch of his new book ‘Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming a Dysfunctional Nuclear State’, said the country needs to “re-think its overall direction”, including in the economic sector.

Pakistan should become a “trading nation rather than a warrior nation” and start thinking about geo-economics rather than geo strategy, said the 61-year-old former diplomat and author of ‘Pakistan Between Mosque and Military’ and ‘India v Pakistan: Why Can’t We Just Be Friends?’, among other books.

“Trying to take advantage of its strategic location by allowing itself to be used by one major power or another has brought Pakistan to the present situation and if we continue to play the same game, the result is not going to be very different in the future,” he said.

While Islamabad should seek good relations with Beijing, “there is no reason why Pakistan should become a Chinese pawn in the mistaken belief” that this would somehow make it a power in its own right, he said when asked if Pakistan’s dependence on China could prove counterproductive.

His remarks assume significance as in January, the US had suspended more than USD 1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing it of harbouring terror groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Afghan guerrilla group Haqqani Network.

After US President Donald Trump had lashed out at Pakistan earlier this year for providing “safe havens” to terrorists, China had defended Islamabad, saying the world community should acknowledge its all-weather ally’s “outstanding contribution” to counter terrorism.

Asked if America’s tougher stance against terror would push Islamabad into a robust military alliance with Beijing, Haqqani said the more America and India came close, the more Pakistan would try to strengthen its ties with China.

“But, for Pakistan’s own sake, it would be useful to have relationships with multiple partners. Dependence on the US did not prove useful for Pakistan in the 50s and 60s; dependence on China will not necessarily be the key to Pakistan’s progress in the 21^st century,” said Haqqani, who lives in the US, where he is Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia at the Washington-based Hudson Institute.

Haqqani was removed as Pakistan’s envoy to the US for his alleged role in what is known as the ‘Memogate’ controversy, which revolved around a memorandum seeking help from the Obama administration after the killing of Osama bin Laden to avert a military takeover of the civilian government in his country.

Asked if the suspension of American aid had brought about a change in Pakistan’s attitude, Haqqani said the establishment had not changed its world view and was still hoping that logistical and other considerations would make the Trump administration soften its stance.

On the possibility of power blocs being formed in the region, he said a “new Cold War” in which Pakistan aligns with China and India with the United States was not going to be positive for South Asia.

“I think that aligning with one major power against another is not the recipe for economic growth and success for a country like Pakistan,” said Haqqani, who also served as the Pakistani envoy to Sri Lanka from 1992 to 1993.

The former diplomat, who is often critical of the Pakistani military, rued that the power structure in the country had not changed fundamentally and national security and foreign policy remained in the hands of the Army.

Pakistan has made distinctions between terror groups that have acted against it and those that have acted outside the country, and that distinction had not worked to its advantage, he said.

Islamabad’s insistence on “mainstreaming terrorists” rather than marginalising them was going to be counter-productive for the country, he held.

Haqqani also said the Kashmir issue could be put on the back burner to build normal Indo-Pak relations.

“It is also a reality that the problem of Kashmir has not been solved in 70 years. And if Pakistan insists on solving the Kashmir problem before moving forward on normal relations with India, then it may have to wait for another 70 years,” he said. PTI

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

Chennai, April 12

Within a week of the new tender from India to get 110 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured foreign companies that they would “not spend a decade on it”.The obvious reference has come as the foreign industry is skeptical that the tender is a re-run of the scrapped tender to buy 126 fighter jets. It was started in 2004 and scrapped in 2015 after years of trials, discussions and cost negotiations.Speaking at the ‘def-expo-2018’, the Prime Minister mentioned the long-drawn process of fighter jets and took a dig at the previous UPA government saying “issues which should have been long addressed are being resolved now”.“We have not only taken bold action to meet immediate requirement (purchased 36 Rafale jets) we have started a new process for 110 jets, he said, adding, “We will not spend 10 years without any tangible outcome.”Taking another dig at the UPA, he said the ‘policy paralysis’ that had set in the defence sector is a thing of the past. “It shall not happen again.” He cited how the issue of bulletproof jackets to soldiers was kept hanging for years.Addressing concerns of the industry, he said, “Our goal is not merely to tinker but to transform. We want to move fast, but with no shortcuts. I am aware we need to do a lot more; we are committed to doing so. Our dream is to develop an eco system.”The PM said the government would undertake extensive consultation with all stakeholders with Indian and foreign companies for the defence production policy (a draft has been released and 100 suggestions have come) and also the defence procurement policy. “Our aim is not just to discuss but to draw right lessons. Our intention is to listen and not merely lecture,” Modi added.It is strategically imperative “to make in India, Make for India and supply from India”.He suggested the setting up of a defence industrial complex which would have room for public sector undertakings, Indian and foreign firms. “I understand it’s not that simple. Many pieces of this puzzle need to fit together”.Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the ‘def-expo’ showcased the best of equipment and military ammunition by leading producers.She said, “Not only are we going to buy from various manufacturers. Fifty per cent of this expo today has Indian manufacturers.” On the defence production corridor, Sitharaman said, “We hope to go with great speed to have these activated and performing so that India realised the dream of being a manufacturing hub.”“We have allowed great flexibility for foreign companies and more policies are being relaxed,” she said.The programme was telecast live to 35 Indian embassies in Nepal, Bhutan, Nigeria and Afghanistan, among others.Modi launched the innovation of defence excellence (IDEX), a new scheme that looks to work with start-ups doing technology.