Monthly Archives: August 2018

A native of Bathinda, Shubhkaran was killed in the clashes at Khanauri point on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21 during farmers’ protest

PTI

Chandigarh, July 9

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday handed over a cheque for Rs 1 crore as financial assistance to the family of farmer Shubhkaran Singh who died during clashes between farmers and security personnel in February.

Mann also gave an appointment letter for a government job to Shubhkaran’s sister.

A native of Bathinda, Shubhkaran was killed in the clashes at Khanauri point on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21 during farmers’ protest. Twelve police personnel were also injured in the incident.

The clashes erupted when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards the barricades and were stopped by security personnel from crossing the state border and marching to Delhi.

Interacting with the bereaved family after handing over the cheque and appointment letter, Mann said the Punjab government is committed to the well-being of the state’s food growers, according to an official release.

The young farmer, Shubhkaran Singh, had attained martyrdom, Mann mentioned, adding that the “tragic incident had bruised the psyche of every Punjabi”.

“The martyrdom of a farmer is an irreparable loss for the family which cannot be compensated by any means,” he said.

However, he said Rs 1 crore financial assistance and a government job to the family is a humble initiative of the state government to bail out the family in crisis.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and other farmer leaders were also present on the occasion. 

The Bench is of the view that it is causing inconvenience to the public

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, July 10

More than five months after the “unlawful sealing of the border between Haryana and Punjab” to prevent farmers from “protesting peacefully” came under the judicial scanner, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday ordered the removal of barricades at the Shambhu border.

Taking up a bunch of petitions, a division bench of the high court asked the states of Punjab and Haryana to coordinate with each other to remove the barricades.

A detailed order is awaited.

The direction comes amid increasing concerns about the disruption of traffic and the subsequent impact on daily commuters and transportation.

The Bench on the previous date of hearing had directed both the states to submit detailed affidavits on the ongoing blockade of the highways at the Shambhu border. Among other things, the states were asked to specify how long the position would continue. The Bench had made it clear that the affidavits must provide comprehensive details on the timeline of the highway closures, specifying when the blockades began and how long they were expected to continue.

The Bench had observed: “It is pointed out that the highways/national highways at the Shambhu border continue to be blocked, which is causing inconvenience to the commuters. Accordingly, both the states of Punjab and Haryana shall submit their affidavits regarding this aspect, by the next date of hearing, giving the details as to when it was closed and for how long the said position would continue.”

One of the petitions was filed by city-based advocate Uday Pratap Singh for the issuance of urgent interim order to stay all “obstructive actions” of the governments of Punjab, Haryana and the Union of India, against the farmers’ “peaceful” protests.

He said the road blockade not only caused inconvenience to the locals, but also hampered the movement of pedestrians, ambulances, school buses, and other vehicles.

Modi will co-chair 22nd India-Russia annual summit with President Putin on Tuesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival at the airport, in Moscow, Russia, on Monday. Photo: X/@narendramodi

n his first trip since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday travelled to Russia to hold summit talks with President Vladimir Putin—a visit that is being seen as having a wider geopolitical context and signalling.

Shortly after landing in Moscow, Modi said he is looking forward to deepening bilateral partnership in futuristic areas and that stronger ties between India and Russia will “greatly benefit our people”.

India seeks to play a “supportive role” for a peaceful and stable region, the Prime Minister said in his departure statement.

Modi was received at the Vnukovo-II airport by Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. The Russian First Deputy Minister also accompanied the Indian Prime Minister to his hotel from the airport, officials said.

Manturov had received Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Russia as well.

On Tuesday, Modi will co-chair the 22nd India-Russia annual summit with President Putin, interact with the members of the Indian community and visit the Rosatom pavilion at an exhibition.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to lay a wreath at the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’.

The focus of the 22nd India-Russia annual summit is likely to be boosting bilateral cooperation in the areas of energy, security, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges. The Ukraine conflict is set to figure in the discussions.

In the talks, Modi is expected to urge the Russian side to end recruitment of Indians as support staff to the Russian military and ensure the return of those still operating in the force.

“Landed in Moscow. Looking forward to further deepening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between our nations, especially in futuristic areas of cooperation,” Modi said on ‘X’.

“Stronger ties between our nations will greatly benefit our people,” he said.

Reinforcements rushed to remote Machedi area of Kathua district to neutralise the terrorists

Kathua/Jammu, July 8

Four Army personnel were killed and six injured on Monday when terrorists ambushed their vehicle in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials said.

The terrorists hurled a grenade and opened fire targeting Army vehicles which were on a routine patrol on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road at around 3.30 pm near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, 150 km from Kathua town.

Security forces retaliated but the terrorists fled into the nearby forest, the officials said, adding an intermittent exchange of firing was going on between the terrorists and security forces when the last reports were received.

They said reinforcements have been rushed to the area to neutralise the terrorists, who are believed to have recently infiltrated from across the border and were moving to the higher reaches.

“A total of 10 troopers were injured and four of them later succumbed to their injuries,” an official said.

This was the second major incident in Kathua district in the past four weeks.

On June 12 and 13, two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed in a fierce gunfight during a search and cordon operation.

The terror attack comes within a fortnight of a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in the Gandoh area of Doda district that left three foreign terrorists dead on June 26.

Jammu has witnessed a spurt in terror activities, attributed by authorities to an attempt by Pakistani handlers to revive terrorism in the region and disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

On June 9, terrorists struck a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, killing nine people, including the driver and the conductor of the vehicle, and injuring 41.

Martyr’s family lives in village near Ludhiana

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 7

Family of deceased Indian Army ‘Agniveer’ Ajay Kumar Singh is now a step closer to getting the pending compensation. A ‘verification’ that was required to be done by the Jammu and Kashmir Police has been completed. The Indian Army has been ianformed through official channels.

Died in line of duty

The pending dues for the family of the deceased soldier is about Rs 67 lakh that includes Rs 44 lakh ex gratia in case of death, Rs 13 lakh balance of payment of his salary for four years tenure as an Agniveer, Rs 2.30 lakh Seva Nidhi package with government contribution and Rs 8 lakh from the Army Welfare Fund. The Army Court of Inquiry has already established the cause of death and attributed it to ‘dying in line of duty’.

The ‘verification’ included the police establishing cause of death of the deceased. The pending ‘verification’ by the J&K was one of the obstacles in paying out the pending Rs 67.30 lakh to the family that lives in a village near Ludhiana.

Agniveer Ajay Kumar Singh had died on January 18 in a mine blast at Rajouri. A payment of Rs 50 lakh was made to the family on February 13. This was the insurance money paid by the bank where the dead soldier had a ‘salary account’. Another sum of Rs 48 lakh paid on June 10 is the insurance payout of a policy paid by the government.

The pending dues for the family of the deceased soldier is about Rs 67 lakh that includes Rs 44 lakh ex gratia in case of death, Rs 13 lakh balance of payment of his salary for four years tenure as an Agniveer, Rs 2.30 lakh Seva Nidhi package with government contribution and Rs 8 lakh from the Army Welfare Fund. The Army Court of Inquiry has already established the cause of death and ‘attributed it to dying in line of duty’.

Payout of compensation had created a political storm last week. Charanjit Singh, father of the deceased made a video comment, on July 3, claiming that the family had not received any compensation. A day later, he did a ‘course correction’ and admitted to have received insurance money.

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had, used a video of Charanjit Singh to say “no compensation was paid to the soldier”.

After Gandhi’s statement, the Indian Army on Wednesday posted on social media and rejected the claims that compensation hasn’t been paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar saying a sum of Rs 98.39 lakh had been paid. The total amount would be Rs 1.65 crore approximately, it said in the “clarification”.

It is a common saying within military circles that the Indian Army, the world’s second-largest force, has been fighting four enemies—two outside, China and Pakistan; and two within, an ageing soldiery and rising pay and pension bill.

While the Pakistan and China fronts have existed for decades, ageing soldiering began mounting pressure in the 1970s when the government extended the colour service for soldiers from seven to 17 years. It means a 20-year-old recruit could manage to serve the nation till the age of 37 years, with pension till death. Even after death, the soldier’s wife would be entitled to family pension, free healthcare, quota for children in higher education, travel discount and a monthly quota of liquor at tax-free rates.

The army’s pension bill skyrocketed when in 2015, the government decided to implement the one-rank-one pension (OROP) scheme, which successive dispensations in the past had resisted. OROP ensures that military personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service receive the same pension, regardless of their retirement date. This has led to a substantial rise in the outlay for salaries and pensions in the defence budget, limiting funds for modernisation and procurement of weapons.

In June 2022, to tackle the challenges of ageing soldiery and rising pension bill, the government brought in the Agnipath scheme, by which youth would be recruited at the age of 17-and-a-half years to 21 years, trained for six months, and allowed to serve on any front—from the Siachen heights in the Himalayas to the deserts of Rajasthan.

However, the Agnipath recruitment scheme has invited flak from political and other quarters. Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, have launched a combative attack on the government, accusing it of playing with the lives of the Agniveers (recruited youth). Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is leader of the Opposition in the new Lok Sabha, has gone to the extent of saying: “Agniveer is use-and-throw labour. One jawan is getting a pension, while another is not. You are creating a divide between jawans.”

Rahul even claimed that compensation for the family of 23-year-old Agniveer Ajay Singh, who died in a landmine blast near the Line of Control in Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir in January, had not been paid in full. The defence ministry promptly refuted the allegation and said Ajay Singh’s family had received over ₹98 lakh as compensation so far and, after completion of necessary internal procedures, would get an additional ₹67 lakh.

But a section of military veterans have different worries. Former Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash, posted on his X microblogging handle: “A lot of attention is (rightly) being focused on in-service disparities & poor post-demob prospects of young Agniveers. But is anyone worried about the huge operational handicap imposed on combat units, forced to accept barely trained recruits, fit only for sentry duties??”

Echoing Admiral Prakash’s opinion, another former navy chief, Admiral Karambir Singh, wrote on X on July 4: “The only motivation driving Agnipath is reducing the pension bill. The fact that this scheme will degrade combat effectiveness is known to all who understand national security.”

The short tenure of training of an Agniveer has always been debated in the military, because a regular trooper is trained in basics like weapon handling and fieldcraft for 44 weeks while Agniveers receive only 26 weeks of training. Some military officials feel tasks like repairing of aircraft, ships or radars, sonars, communication equipment, etc. given to soldiers, sailors or airmen on the job often take years to learn.

Major General Yash Mor (Retd), an army veteran, claims it takes over seven years to train a soldier to be capable of handling a tank, BMP (infantry combat vehicle) or air defence and artillery weapon systems. “Technical training is so crucial for handling cutting-edge weaponry. Due to the shorter training period [of Agniveers], this has been ignored, which means we are sending half-trained soldiers to the unit,” he said.

Some in the military counter-argue that in most armies worldwide, soldiers serve for two to three years, and in today’s times, with one week of training, a person can handle drones. Citing the Russia-Ukraine war, an officer noted that Ukrainian soldiers with less than a year of experience are firing missiles at Russian aircraft and tanks.

Critics of Agnipath believe the government is being penny wise and pound foolish. The training costs are indeed significant: the army spends about ₹16 lakh per soldier, the navy ₹27 lakh per sailor, and the air force ₹39 lakh per airman. While looking to cut pension bills through Agnipath, the government will end up spending a considerable amount on training of soldiers, sailors and airmen for only four years of service, with only 25 per cent of the Agniveers transitioning into regular service and the rest exiting after four years.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

The govt has fielded a former IAF Chief to support the Agnipath scheme. A sensitive national security issue is becoming a polarised political blame game.

C Uday Bhaskar

Director, Society for Policy Studies

JULY 4 is a significant date in the 1999 Kargil War, marked by major operational and political events. It offers important cues for the Indian higher defence management edifice amid the current challenges — the Agnipath scheme being the most visible.

Operationally, the capture of Tiger Hill (16,608 ft) by the Ghatak platoon of the 18 Grenadiers battalion was a turning point for India; the Pakistani military led by Gen Pervez Musharraf knew that this was the beginning of the end of a feckless misadventure.

At the political level, then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif sought an unscheduled urgent summit meeting with US President Bill Clinton in Washington DC; the outcome was clear. While Sharif sought US intervention to restrain India, Clinton’s message was firm: Pakistani troops had to withdraw to their old positions behind the Line of Control. The beleaguered Pakistan PM had no choice but to accept this ‘advice’; thus, the war came to an inglorious end for Rawalpindi, the General Headquarters of the Pakistan army.

While the war ended officially on July 26, a day celebrated as Vijay Diwas by India, and which will in all probability be packaged as a mega 25th anniversary event this year by the BJP-led NDA government, the deeper import of the outcome of the war and its contemporary relevance merit recall and rumination to contextualise India’s current national security challenges.

The 1999 war can be triangulated in different ways — for instance, the nuclear shadow (both India and Pakistan had demonstrated their nuclear weapon capability in May 1998); or being the first major conflict in the sub-continent after the end of the Cold War in December 1991; or the fact that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a caretaker Prime Minister. But the most significant outcome of the war, in my view, was the manner in which the BJP-led NDA government encouraged an objective external review of the fiasco by a group of eminent experts.

The Kargil War was a triumph of the indomitable fighting spirit and valour of the Indian soldier, and the capture of Tiger Hill and Tololing are illustrative. This gallantry is to be recalled and cherished, but the sacrifice of precious lives has to be framed against the larger failure of the higher defence leadership of the country.

To his credit, then PM Vajpayee set up a committee on July 29, 1999, headed by defence studies expert K Subrahmanyam, to review the “events leading up to the Pakistani aggression in Kargil district of Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir; and to recommend such measures as are considered necessary to safeguard national security against such armed intrusions.”

In a rare and commendable manner, the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) completed its task in mid-December 1999 — a month ahead of schedule — and the Kargil report was tabled in Parliament on February 23, 2000. Soon after, the report was published as a book and released in the public domain with some parts redacted. Kargil-1999 exuded a degree of transparency and introspection that still eludes the ill-fated October 1962 debacle at the hands of China. Successive Prime Ministers, from Nehru to Modi, have not mustered the resolve to place the Henderson-Brooks report in the public domain, though pirated versions abound in cyberspace.

Today, 25 years later, it is a matter of shame that many of the major recommendations made by the KRC have neither been deliberated upon in Parliament nor in select committees in an informed and constructive manner. Rather than transparency, it is tenacious opacity and embroidered obfuscation that envelop major national security policy decisions.

The Agnipath scheme to induct young soldiers for a limited four-year period, unveiled in June 2022, is illustrative of this trend. The scheme acquired a high degree of relevance in the 2024 General Election and has come into unsavoury political focus. Much to the discomfiture of the Modi government, a major ally — the JD(U) — was the first to voice its reservations about the scheme. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has accused the Defence Minister of misleading Parliament on the matter.

A corrosive political slugfest is gathering momentum, and former Service Chiefs have been brought into the social media kerfuffle. A former Army Chief, Gen Manoj Naravane, in his yet-to-be-published book, referred to a modest pilot scheme proposal mooted by the Army being transformed by the PMO into a radical mega recruitment template to trim the pension bill. Two former naval chiefs (Admirals Arun Prakash and KB Singh) have made public their observations about the inadequacies of the scheme and what they perceived as fiscal compulsions for the hastily launched programme.

Predictably, the Modi government has fielded a former IAF Chief — Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (who has joined the BJP) — to support Agnipath. A sensitive national security issue is becoming a bitterly polarised political blame game. This is dangerous and avoidable.

The Kargil lessons that may be applied in the current ferment would be for the government to lower the temperatures in Parliament and end the diatribe in the media, while assuring both the Opposition and the aggrieved citizenry that a de novo review of the scheme by a team of eminent apolitical experts would be undertaken in a speedy manner.

This is not the first time that the government of the day has sought to review recruitment policies. Previous reports prepared by Lt Generals K Balaram and Harwant Singh can be re-examined.

In its epilogue, the KRC noted that “the Committee has after very wide interaction sign-posted directions along the path to peace, ensuring progress, development and stability of the nation. How exactly the country should proceed to refashion its Security-Intelligence-Development shield to meet the challenge of the 21st century is for the Government, Parliament and public opinion to determine. There is no turning away from that responsibility.”

The government must rise to this challenge in an empathetic and purposeful manner.

Toll climbs to 8 | Officials from Army, J&K admn pay tributes to soldiers martyred in line of duty

Adil Akhzer

Srinagar, July 7

The death toll in the twin encounters in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir climbed to eight on Sunday as security forces recovered bodies of two more terrorists, officials said.

Six terrorists were killed and two soldiers laid down their lives in the twin encounters. One of the slain soldiers was an elite para commando, officials said on Saturday.

Director General of Police RR Swain said: “A total of six terrorists have been neutralised. It is a big milestone in the efforts towards strengthening the security environment. This is a big progress.”

Soldier injured as terrorists open fire on Army camp in Rajouri

• An Army personnel was injured when terrorists opened fire on a security post in a village in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir early Sunday, officials said
• The terrorists fired on a sentry post of Territorial Army at village Galuthi in Manjakote area around 4 am, prompting retaliation by troops, they said
• A massive search operation was launched to track down the terrorists

“This is an indication that the security architecture and involvement of people is leading to the flow of human intelligence and this fight (against terror) will be taken to its logical conclusion,” he added.

Swain added that since the operation is on, it is not clear to which outfit the slain terrorists belonged to. There is a possibility of local terrorists. Once the operation will be over, we can confirm if they belonged to one outfit or more, he said.

The police had not disclosed the affiliation and identification of the slain militants. Sources, however said, the slain militants in the two operations were residents of South Kashmir.

“Chinar Warriors salute the valour and sacrifice of both brave hearts. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families & are committed to their well-being,” Indian Army’s Chinar Corps wrote on X.

“Lance Naik Pardeep Kumar and Sepoy Pravin Janjal Prabhakar made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in Kulgam,” the post read. On Sunday, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, UT Chief Secretary and other senior officials paid homage to the slain soldiers.

As per sources, operations at two places have “almost concluded.”

On Saturday, officials had said the first gunfight broke out at Modergam village after security forces received an input about the presence of militants in the village. After a few hours later, another gunfight broke out in the Frisal Chinnigam area in same Kulgam district.

While four militants died in the Frisal encounter, two bodies were recovered from the Modergam village.