Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been “very nasty” and the Chinese are “going at it” much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help.
“While we’re at it, we’re talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It’s been very nasty,” Trump told reporters on Friday evening at a White House news conference.
Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation.
“And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that,” he said.
When asked if China is bullying India, he said that he hoped it is not the case but noted that China is “certainly going at it”.
“I hope not… But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand,” Trump said in response to a question. PTI
Hindi, Dogri among 5 official languages in J&K but Punjabi Excluded
In a major move after the Centre’s decision to do away with special provisions under Article 370 of the Constitution and reorganising the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir into two UTs, the government today approved a draft legislation to make Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi and English official languages of J&K.
The decision, once passed by Parliament and got Presidential assent, will change the recognition of Urdu as the sole official language of the erstwhile state. As of now, the official language of J&K is Urdu and Kashmiri is recognised as a regional language.
Briefing the media after a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “The government has approved the introduction in Parliament the Jammu & Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, in which five languages — Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi and English — will be its official languages.”
Noting that the decision has been taken on public demand, Javadekar said the Bill was expected to be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session, which is slated to begin from September 14.
The erstwhile state of J&K, comprising the Ladakh region, was stripped of its statehood and reorganised into two Union Territories in August 2019.
Cabinet okays draft bill; Over to Parliament
The draft Bill proposes to include Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri, Hindi and English as official languages of J&K
It is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session slated to begin from September 14
Why not Punjabi, it’s anti-minority: APSCC
Srinagar: The All-Party Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) on Wednesday flayed the Centre over the exclusion of Punjabi from the J&K Official Languages Bill, describing the move as “anti-minority”. Its president Jagmohan Singh Raina said before the abrogation of Article 370, “Punjabi was a recognised language duly certified by the Constitution of J&K.” PTI
The Sikh shrine in Garhwal Himalayas will open for devotees on Friday. File photo
Gopeshwar, September 3
The yatra to the Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand began on Thursday and the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off at Govindghat.
The Sikh shrine in Garhwal Himalayas will open for devotees on Friday.
Only a limited number of devotees led by ‘Panj Pyaras’ were allowed to proceed for the high altitude shrine amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gurdwara Prabandhan Samiti officials said.
The pilgrims were gifted ‘saropas’ as per the custom, they said, adding that they will stop for the night at Ghanghariya.
The yatra is beginning late by three months this year due to the pandemic. PTI
With all existing peace agreements on managing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China having been breached, whatever little sanctity attached to the un-demarcated boundary is under serious threat.
Breach of agreements
Don’t confront patrols in disputed areas, show a banner and retreat
Reality: Troops of both sides are now within rifle-shot range of each other
Don’t tail patrols
Reality: Both sides have had casualties in clashes
Control over aircraft flying
Reality: LAC seeing unprecedented activity by copters, fighter jets
Resolve local issues at border meeting points
Reality: Till now, no impact of border meetings
Since 1993, there have been a series of peace agreements which maintained the LAC sanctity, but all of them have been violated by China over the past four months.
Military-level talks have so far ended in deadlock and armies of both nuclear-armed countries are making pre-emptive moves across the 826-km frontier in Ladakh. The Indian assessment is clear — the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China is
trying to alter the status of the LAC and is not open to reasoning. India’s plan for the short term is restoration of the April status quo ante while its long-term strategy demands demarcating the LAC on ground.
Since May this year, the PLA has been making a westward push to capture more territory. The PLA first prevented Indian patrols in ‘grey areas’ – the points where the perception of the LAC varies and both have been making claims and counter-claims.
“The situation is by far more serious than that in 1962,” said a functionary referring to the India-China war that year. This time, forces on either side are backed by latest technology such as satellite imagery, UAVs, long-range guns, missile launchers, fighter jets and radars.
After months of negotiations having yielded nothing, the PLA made another westward movement on August 29-30 night. The Indian Army quickly rushed to occupy mountain tops along a 70-km stretch on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, a 135-km glacial lake. The PLA had done the same on the northern bank of the lake when it prevented Indian movement east of Finger-4, a mountain ridge.
The LAC is at present not demarcated, but is assessed by the area under the control of troops of each country.
China has been rejecting every proposal to define the boundary in the last 174 years, or since 1846.
The British made five different proposals to define the boundary in 1846-47, 1865, 1873, 1899 and 1914, but China rejected all of them.
In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested demarcation of the LAC. China wanted special representatives (National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi) to resolve the issue. The talks are going on.
The latest data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed that 104 personnel of the paramilitary forces lost their lives in 2019 due to accidents, as the figures stand at 2,006 in the past six years.
A break-up of the data for 2019 indicates that at least two personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), which work under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), died in accidents every week.
Of the total 2,006 such fatalities in the past six years, the maximum of 1,232 died in 2014 and the minimum of 104 each in 2018 and 2019.
Fourteen personnel were killed in action in 2019. As on January 1, 2019, the CAPF had an actual strength of 9,23,800 personnel.
Won’t supply arms to Pakistan: Russia In Moscow, Rajnath Singh and his counterpart discuss the making of AK203 rifle
Russia has assured India that it will not supply arms to Pakistan during an India-Russia meeting in Moscow on Thursday evening.
In the past, Russia supplied half a dozen helicopters to Pakistan that was objected by India and the supplies were suspended. Russia is the largest supplier of weapons and equipment to India, including the lease of a classified nuclear submarine.
Moscow also assured that it stands by New Delhi’s security interests at a wider level.
The discussions were part of an hour-long meeting the Indian delegation led by Rajnath Singh had with the Russian delegation led by Defence Minister Gen Sergey Shoigu.
The two sides also discussed the making of a new type of rifle, the AK203, in India. Both sides said the discussions were at an advanced stage for the establishment of an India-Russian joint venture for the production of the rifle, which is considered one of the most modern weapons available for infantry forces.
Besides, the two countries started a vital two-day “Indra” naval exercise to be conducted off the Straits of Malacca on September 4 and 5. At the meeting, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh noted “these exercises demonstrated the common interests of both countries in maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region”.
The Indian delegation comprised Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and other senior officials. Singh will also attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation here on Friday.
Corps of Army Air Defence raising day to change to 15 September to recognise WW-II origin
Corps of Army Air Defence. | Photo: Twitter/@adgpi
New Delhi: Beginning this year, the Corps of Army Air Defence (AAD), an aerial combat support arm of the Army, will celebrate its raising day on 15 September instead of 10 January, in recognition of its role in World War II, ThePrint has learnt.
Senior Army officers privy to the matter said there was a growing demand within serving officers and veterans in the Army to change the raising day of the corps given the role it played in World War II.
The Army’s first air defence battery was raised in Mumbai on 15 September 1940, according to official records.
“For many soldiers, it was an emotional issue. The deliberations on this began two years ago. The final approval, however, came through this year,” a senior Army officer told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
Incidentally, the Corps of AAD did not celebrate the raising day on 10 January this year.
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The day had been celebrated on 10 January since 1994 to mark the corps’ bifurcation from the Regiment of Artillery as an independent corps. It was earlier known as the Corps of Air Defence (AD) Artillery.
The officer quoted above added that many of those who served in the AAD, including the ones before 1994, felt that the raising day should be marked to honour its true valour embedded in history.
“It was decided that instead of celebrating bifurcation from an existing arm, it was more prudent to celebrate this date, as anti-aircraft batteries existed during World War II,” said a second Army officer, who too did not wish to be named.
The raising day of a unit holds significance to military personnel as it marks the unit’s operationalisation by integrating troops from all across.
This year, 15 September will mark the 81st raising day of the Corps of AAD.
This corps is tasked with defending India’s air space from low flying aerial strikes or attacks by enemy aircrafts and missiles, especially those below 5,000 feet, and protecting strategically located military installations like airfields, dams and ammunition depots.
Lt. Gen. Ram Pratap (Retd.), former director general of the Corps of AAD, said the move will be of huge significance to the Army, especially soldiers of the unit, as it would correct the impression of the unit’s age.
“It was increasingly felt that celebrating 10 January as the raising day of the corps was like truncating the illustrious history of AAD, since the first Air Defence battery was raised on 15 September 1940 and in October next year, the 26 Air Defence regiment (the oldest) was raised,” the Army veteran said.
While the Army website says the unit was raised on 14 September, Army officers maintained the correct date is 15 September.
Pratap said even when the AAD was bifurcated from the Regiment of Artillery in 1994, it was felt that a wrong message was going to the masses about the raising year and a correction was pertinent. He was commanding an AD unit at that time.
Maj. Gen. P.K. Saighal, who retired as the commandant of the Army Air Defence College, said another reason in consideration to make the change was the practical difficulties officers and veterans incurred due to its proximity to the Army Day celebrations on 15 January.
According to the corps’ official records, the history of air defence artillery in India began in 1939, when the British Indian government felt the need to have an anti-aircraft defence in India.
In July 1940, at the behest of Sir Claude Auchinleck, the commander-in-chief of British Indian Armed Forces, the Anti Aircraft and Coastal Defence Wing was set up at Karachi for training of officers in anti-aircraft techniques.
In August 1940, the British War Office decided to create an anti-aircraft branch of Indian Artillery. The anti-aircraft units and training establishments began to be raised. Indian soldiers were posted to these establishments from the Regiment of Artillery and Infantry Units and later through fresh commission and enrollment.
On 15 September 1940, 1 Indian Anti Aircraft Technical Training Battery was raised at Colaba in Bombay (now Mumbai). It also included the nucleus of the first anti-aircraft unit of Indian Artillery – the ‘R’ (Royal) Heavy Anti Aircraft (HAA) Regiment.
With this nucleus, the ‘R’ HAA Regiment commenced its raising on 1 October 1940 at Colaba. The 1 Technical Training Battery moved from Colaba to Drigh Road, Karachi in December 1940, which was later expanded and renamed as Anti Aircraft Training Centre (AATC).
After the establishment of AATC and raising of the HAA Regiment, the 1st & 2nd Light Anti Aircraft (LAA) Regiments were raised and named ‘U’ Light Anti Aircraft Regiment and ‘S’ Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment.
The ‘R’ HAA Regiment later came to be known as 1 Indian Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, ‘U’ Light Anti Aircraft Regiment became the 1 Indian Light Anti Aircraft Regiment and ‘S’ Light Anti Aircraft Regiment was renamed as 2 Indian Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment.
By 1943, there were a total of 33 anti-aircraft regiments, seven anti-aircraft brigade headquarters and three AATCs.
World War II role
The Indian anti-aircraft regiments served in various theatres during World War II, from Singapore in the Far East to Iraq in the Middle East. They played a crucial role in Hong Kong, Singapore-Malaya, Burma and in the Indian subcontinent during WW-II, the records show.
On 7 December 1941, when the Japanese landed its troops in Singapore, supported by air and naval power, the 1 Indian HAA Regiment that was deployed there was overwhelmed. It suffered heavy casualties but after downing several Japanese aircraft.
A total of 320 personnel of the regiment lost their lives in defending Malaya-Singapore. They were honoured with a memorial in Singapore, which stands as a testimony to the sacrifice of India’s first anti-aircraft unit.
“These names are all that remain of the Regiment as the 1st Indian Heavy Anti-Aircraft regiment was never raised again; dying as it were with the surrender on 15 February 1942; never to be resurrected,” Col. Mandeep Singh (Retd) wrote in Force magazine.
While 1 Indian HAA Regiment and 1 and 5 Light Anti Aircraft Batteries were defending the skies in Singapore-Malaya, the balance of Indian anti-aircraft regiments was employed in India and Burma against the Japanese onslaught.
These regiments defended allied forces in India and Burma from 1942 to 1945, and contributed immensely in the victory of allied forces in Burma while defending the subcontinent.
However, immediately after World War II ended, a large number of these units were disbanded. At the time of Partition, only two air defence artillery units — 2 LAA (Now 26 Air Defence Regiment) and 3 LAA (Now 27 Air Defence Missile Regiment) — were left with India, along with the Anti Aircraft Training School, show records.
After 1971, the erstwhile AD Artillery saw rapid modernisation with the induction of several latest weapon systems. It later participated in numerous operations in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, among others.
Representational image taken from the southern bank of Pangong Tso, looking across to the ‘fingers’ on the northern bank | Photo: Visharad Saxena | By special arrangement
New Delhi: Specialised units of the Indian Army have climbed up the heights, within Indian dominated territory facing the ridgelines of Finger 4 in the Northern Banks of Pangong Tso in Ladakh where the Chinese had built posts following their intrusion in April, ThePrint has learnt.
The development comes at a time when another set of specialised units of the Army has captured strategic heights in the Southern Bank as part of precautionary deployment on its own side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), taking the Chinese by surprise.
Sources in the defence and security establishment told ThePrint that it was in this week that a “readjustment of deployment” was carried out and soldiers reached “heights” and established posts.
“These are precautionary deployments well within the Indian side of the LAC,” the source said.
“There is no point in sitting on the ground when the enemy is at the heights. It is readjustment of troop deployment,” the source added.
“Reports of Indian troops occupying heights at Finger 4 are not correct. As part of the precautionary deployment carried out on 30 August, some readjustments of our positions on the Northern Bank of Pangong Tso on our side of the LAC had also been carried out,” an Army source said.
As reported by ThePrint earlier on multiple occasions, Chinese had intruded into the Indian side of the LAC in the Northern Banks of the lake.China currently dominates areas between Finger 4 and Finger 8, a distance of about 8 km, which comes within the Indian side of the LAC.
Focus still on talks but India has ‘better bargaining power’
India had moved the specialised units to the Pangong Lake way back in late April and multiple plans were made. However, the focus remained on talks, which have not made progress since July as the Chinese refused to budge from their positions.
With talks not making any progress and China’s bid to capture more territory over the weekend in Southern Banks, the Army moved in and dominated heights within the Indian side of the LAC.
The soldiers were also working on reaching heights near the ridgelines of Finger 4 where the Chinese have camped even though they had pulled back some troops from the ground level to Finger 5.
Sources said that India has not been on the offensive, but is actually defending its interest in its own territory.
Sources indicated that the fresh developments in the Southern Bank give greater impetus for talks and resolving the issue by the Chinese, and that India now has “better bargaining power”.
This report has been updated to reflect the correct position of the Indian Army in the Northern Banks of Pangong Tso.
A Google Earth image showing the elevation on the southern bank of Pangong Tso
New Delhi: The Indian Army is holding around 30 dominating heights and other such terrain on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso, all of which were earlier unoccupied or partly held, ThePrint has learnt.
The move comes in the wake of the recent posturing by the Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
According to government sources, the heights include the Rezang La and Reqin La, both dominating the Spanggur Gap and covering Patrol Points 27 to 31. They also include the dominating heights of Black Top, Hanan, Helmet, Gurung Hill, Gorkha Hill and Magar Hill among others.
Most of these heights and dominating terrain features were unoccupied or lightly held by Indian Army troops before the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh began in early May this year, the sources said.
Since then, some of these areas have been gradually reinforced, while others have been occupied in the last few days as Indian forces pre-empted PLA activity on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso to “thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground”.
The move, the sources said, will work in favour of India in case of a trade-off of territory or while sitting across the table.
Eastern Ladakh has approximately 1,600 sq km of disputed area, of which around 350 sq km is in the south of Pangong Tso. Another 1,250 sq km is disputed in the areas north of the lake, including around 1,000 sq km in the Depsang plains.
Former 14 Corps commander Lt. Gen. P.J.S. Pannu (retd) earlier told ThePrint the southern bank gives the Indian troops an advantage in terms of monitoring the activities in the northern bank. “There has been a hardening of military posturing in the southern bank, too, by the Chinese, given that Indian troops hold certain significant heights in the region.”
The situation along the LAC continues to remain tense with the Indian and Chinese troops facing each other well within small arms firing range.
Army Chief Gen M.M. Naravane left for a two-day visit to Leh Thursday to review the security situation and operational preparedness in Ladakh region.
As reported by ThePrint earlier, specialised units of the Indian Army have climbed up the heights, facing the ridgelines of Finger 4 in the northern banks of Pangong Tso where the Chinese had built posts in April.
China currently dominates areas between Finger 4 and Finger 8, a distance of about 8 km, which comes within the Indian side of the LAC.
Defence sources said close to three brigades of troops have been deployed in the south of Pangong Tso and additional acclimatised troops are available across eastern Ladakh for any subsequent challenges.
The sources told ThePrint that all troops are fully armed, with rocket launchers and mortars, other than tanks and artillery guns and surveillance equipment, deployed in their support.
Meanwhile, brigadier-level talks have been taking place between the two sides every day since Monday, but have remained inconclusive so far.
The meetings have hinged on the tactical aspects and rules of engagement of troops at the ground level, again to avoid face-offs or escalations.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at a meeting with CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat, the three service chiefs and other officials (for representation) | Photo: ANI
New Delhi: The Government of India Tuesday took a comprehensive security review of the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), especially the developments in eastern Ladakh, where its troops outflanked the Chinese a few days ago and now dominate the entire southern bank of Pangong Tso.
The review meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, the three service chiefs and the Director General of Military Operations.
The meeting was held ahead of Rajnath Singh’s visit to Russia Wednesday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meet on 3 September. Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe will also take part in the SCO meet, but government sources said no bilateral meeting is scheduled.
The security review meeting was important since Rajnath Singh will only be back in the country on 5 September.
Sources said the DGMO gave a detailed briefing on the situation in Ladakh, and possible scenarios were also discussed at the meeting.
“Necessary directions have been given to the armed forces. Indian forces have maintained a high operational alert and all necessary steps have been taken,” a source said, refusing to elaborate further on what transpired at the critical meet.
As reported by ThePrint, the situation in eastern Ladakh remains “sensitive”, with both China and India deploying tanks and additional troops as the Indian Army now dominates the entire southern bank of the Pangong Tso, just as the Chinese troops have done on the northern bank.
Planned meet with Russia
Sources also said that on his visit to Russia, Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu.
Singh will also review the ongoing military projects with Russia, especially the emergency procurement of certain types of missiles and equipment.
As reported by ThePrint, India and Russia are also close to signing a deal for over 6 lakh AK-203 rifles, with the per-rifle price having finally been fixed.
