A soldier was killed as the Army thwarted an infiltration bid by terrorists along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district early on Tuesday, officials said.
“Alert troops foiled an infiltration bid by effectively engaging infiltrating terrorists…in the Battal sector at 0300 hours,” White Knight Corps said on X.
“During the exchange of heavy fire, one braveheart has been injured. Operations are continuing,” the Corps said.
According to sources, troops picked up the movement of the group of terrorists in the Battal forward area of the Krishnaghati belt and forced the terrorists to retreat.
Lance Naik Subash Kumar was injured in the intense gunfight and later succumbed to his injuries, they said, adding terrorists, too, suffered “loss”.
The post-mortem has been conducted and the soldier’s body handed over to the Army, a police officer said.
A search operation has been launched in the area, the officials said.
There has been a spurt in terror activities in the Jammu in recent months, raising fears about the revival of militancy in the region.
THERE hasn’t been a more tearful goodbye than the one I received as a newlywed that morning from my wife, who was unaware of the perils of soldiering. Our flight had been mobilised to provide aviation support to our troops fighting in Ladakh. Kargil, a little-known town till then, had suddenly emerged on the world map.
With just a year of flying experience and no hill flying background, I underwent on-the-job training. Operating at those unforgiving altitudes with reduced oxygen levels tested both human and machine endurance. The helipads were barely wide enough to land, leaving no room for error. Flying in pairs offered some solace; at least our location would be known in an emergency. Each sortie was a new experience and every landing back at base felt like a homecoming.
With the Line of Control losing its relevance, we had to determine whether landing sites were in friendly or hostile territory. Those who returned with splinter marks on their helicopters deserved their gallantry awards. For the wounded, we were ‘angels of mercy’. Sadly, some would not survive or be maimed for life, raising questions about the worth of living in a vegetative state. The smell of death was nauseating.
Stress and anxiety were writ large on the faces of flying commanders on reconnaissance missions. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown and many lives depended on their decisions. We also flew journalists who covered the war, including Vishnu Som and Barkha Dutt. Bollywood stars Vinod Khanna, Nana Patekar and Salman Khan visited us, providing a colourful interlude to the otherwise grey battle zone. For a change, these celebrities asked for photos with us.
Each day was an emotional seesaw. When one of our helicopters crashed, there was a stunning silence in the crew room. Hearing about the wellbeing of pilots was a cause for celebration. Capt Vikram Batra’s legendary words on TV, ‘Yeh dil maange more’, cheered us up; his death just days later was a rude shock. There was joy when we won back Tololing Ridge and Tiger Hill, but it was dampened by the task of carrying the mortal remains of those who achieved this victory.
For my parents, it was a harrowing time, with both their sons in the war zone. We returned to Jalandhar with mixed emotions after the guns fell silent. We had won the war, but one of us had not made it back, falling prey to the fickleness of fortune.
Otto von Bismarck said: ‘Anyone who has looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a war.’ Thankfully, there hasn’t been a war since then. But who can predict a soldier’s fate or the enemy’s mind?
Budget 2024: Tax relief for middle class, focus on employment through skilling, mobiles, gold and silver to get cheaper
New Income Tax Scheme relaxations in standard deduction, slabs reduction and family pension deduction relaxation may help in savings of around Rs 35,000 per taxpayer
Providing relief to the middle class by reducing tax burden in selected categories and boosting employment through skilling, incentivising employers, especially MSMEs and enhancing allocation for housing, agriculture and rural roads, are some of the major announcements that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made while presenting her seventh consecutive budget.
The Finance Minister began her Union Budget speech by singing an erudite pean to India’s economic development over the last decade under the Narendra Modi government and said the current budget particularly focus on employment, skilling, MSMEs, and the middle class.
Propelled by a robust tax revenue buoyancy during FY 23-24, she announced that the focus now is on job creation through GDP growth by putting in more disposable income in the hands of the common man. New Income Tax Scheme relaxations in standard deduction, slabs reduction and family pension deduction relaxation may help in savings of around Rs 35,000 per taxpayer, she added.
For job creation, she announced, five schemes to focus on 4.1 crore youth over five years with a central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore, which includes one month wage to new entrants in all formal sectors for the first timers.
It also includes incentive to employees and employers for job creation in manufacturing.
Finance Minister Sitharaman lists out roadmap to pursue nine priorities for India’s growth, including productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment opportunities, inclusive growth, urban development, energy and security, innovation, and next generation reforms, among others.
Agriculture
New 109 high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties of 32 field and horticulture crops will be released for cultivation by farmers. In the next two years, 1 crore farmers across the country will be initiated into natural farming supported by certification and branding. Also, 10,000 need-based bio-input resource centres will be established. For achieving self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds, the FM says will strengthen their production, storage and marketing. Also, financial support for setting up a network of Nucleus Breeding Centres for Shrimp Broodstocks will be provided.
Employment & Skilling
The government will implement following three schemes for ‘Employment Linked Incentive’, as part of the Prime Minister’s package. This scheme will provide one-month wage to all persons newly entering the workforce in all formal sectors. The direct benefit transfer of one-month salary in 3 installments to first-time employees, as registered in the EPFO, will be up to Rs 15,000. The eligibility limit will be a salary of Rs 1 lakh per month. The scheme is expected to benefit 210 lakh youth. Also, for job creation in manufacturing, a scheme will incentivise additional employment in the manufacturing sector, linked to the employment of first-time employees. An incentive will be provided at specified scale directly both to the employee and the employer with respect to their EPFO contribution in the first four years of employment. The scheme is expected to benefit 30 lakh youth entering employment, and their employers. The government will also ensure higher participation of women in the workforce through setting up of working women hostels in collaboration with industry, and establishing crèches. A new centrally sponsored scheme, for skilling in collaboration with state governments and Industry.
Inclusive Human Resource Development and Social Justice
The government will formulate a plan, Purvodaya, for the all-round development of the eastern region of the country covering Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. This will cover human resource development, infrastructure, and generation of economic opportunities to make the region an engine to attain Viksit Bharat. Also, more than 100 branches of India Post Payment Bank will be set up in the North East region to expand the banking services.
On the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor, the FM says, we will support development of an industrial node at Gaya. This corridor will catalyse industrial development of the eastern region. The centre will also support development of road connectivity projects, namely (1) Patna-Purnea Expressway, (2) Buxar-Bhagalpur Expressway, (3) Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Darbhanga spurs, and (4) additional two-lane bridge over river Ganga at Buxar at a total cost of Rs 26,000 crore. The requests of Bihar government for external assistance from multilateral development banks will be expedited. Recognising the Andhra’s need for a capital, the centre will facilitate special financial support through multilateral development agencies. In the current financial year Rs 15,000 crore will be arranged, with additional amounts in future years.
Manufacturing & Services
For facilitating term loans to MSMEs for purchase of machinery and equipment without collateral or third-party guarantee, a credit guarantee scheme will be introduced. Public sector banks will build their in-house capability to assess MSMEs for credit, instead of relying on external assessment. a new mechanism for facilitating continuation of bank credit to MSMEs during their stress period. While being in the ‘special mention account’ (SMA) stage for reasons beyond their control, MSMEs need credit to continue their business and to avoid getting into the NPA stage. The limit of Mudra loans will be enhanced to Rs 20 lakh from the current Rs 10 lakh for those entrepreneurs who have availed and successfully repaid previous loans under the ‘Tarun’ category. To enable MSMEs and traditional artisans to sell their products in international markets, E-Commerce Export Hubs will be set up in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. The government will facilitate development of investment-ready “plug and play” industrial parks with complete infrastructure in or near 100 cities, in partnership with the states and private sector, by better using town planning schemes. Twelve industrial parks under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme also will be sanctioned.
Urban Development
Transit Oriented Development plans for 14 large cities with a population above 30 lakh will be formulated, along with an implementation and financing strategy. Under the PM Awas Yojana Urban 2.0, housing needs of 1 crore urban poor and middle-class families will be addressed with an investment of Rs 10 lakh crore. This will include the central assistance of Rs 2.2 lakh crore in the next five years. A provision of interest subsidy to facilitate loans at affordable rates is also envisaged. The FM says that the centre will encourage states, which continue to charge high stamp duty to moderate the rates for all, and also consider further lowering duties for properties purchased by women. This reform will be made an essential component of urban development schemes.
Energy Security
The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana scheme has generated remarkable response with more than 1.28 crore registrations and 14 lakh applications, and the centre will further encourage it. A policy for promoting pumped storage projects will be brought out for electricity storage. To promote Nuclear energy, the government will partner with the private sector for (1) setting up Bharat Small Reactors, (2) research & development of Bharat Small Modular Reactor, and (3) research & development of newer technologies for nuclear energy. The R&D funding announced in the interim budget will be made available for this sector. A joint venture between NTPC and BHEL will set up a full scale 800 MW commercial plant using AUSC technology.
Infrastructure
This year, the government have provided Rs 11,11,111 crore for capital expenditure. This would be 3.4 per cent of our GDP. The centre will encourage states to provide support of similar scale for infrastructure, subject to their development priorities. A provision of Rs 1.5 lakh crore for long-term interest free loans has been made this year also to support the states in their resource allocation. Investment in infrastructure by private sector will be promoted through viability gap funding and enabling policies and regulations.
Innovation, Research & Development
The FM said, “We will start the Anusandhan National Research Fund for basic research and prototype development. Further, we will set up a mechanism for spurring private sector-driven research and innovation at commercial scale with a financing pool of Rs 1 lakh crore in line with the announcement in the interim budget. For expanding space economy by 5 times in the next 10 years, a venture capital fund of Rs 1,000 crore will be set up.”
Next Generation Reforms
The Centre will initiate and incentivise reforms for improving productivity of factors of production, and facilitating markets and sectors to become more efficient. These reforms will cover all factors of production, namely land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship, and technology as an enabler of improving total factor productivity and bridging inequality. Also, for promoting competitive federalism and incentivising states for faster implementation of reforms, the FM proposed to earmark a significant part of the 50-year interest-free loan.
*Whats the establishment scared of two former Army Chief’s Books.*
Whatever we simulated and tested over so many years, has proven itself. Moshe Patel, Director of Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO). Moshe Patel was commenting on Israel and its allies thwarting the most significant test of Israeli systems on 13 April, when Iran fired an unprecedented 300 missiles and drones at Israel. Israel did well to intercept almost all the projectiles. There was relatively little damage, no lives were lost. Notable Israel and its allies had been pre warned by Iran which worked well for them. Three months later on 19 July, a slow flying drone broke through Israel’s impregnable Air Defence and crashed into buildings in central Tel Aviv. This time there were casualties, one dead and ten injured. Seemingly, the Drone is an Iranian manufactured Samad-3, launched by the Houthis of Yemen. Yemen………. ranked highest on the Fragile States Index, second-worst on the Global Hunger Index, the least developed countries in the world. Houthis (allegedly an Iranian Proxy) are just around 15% of Yemen’s total population of 34.4 million. Houthis are Zaidi Shias, in Sunni majority Yemen. According to estimates, they perhaps have 100 thousand fighters. A Saudi Arabian led intervention in Yemen has been fighting the Houthis since 2015 supported by USA, UK, Southern Yemenis and North African Sunni Arab States. Yemen was never always so bad. Historically, the Romans called this area “Arabia Felix”: flourishing (or happy) Arabia. The country was home to Queen of Sheba. Coffee was commercially first cultivated in the world in Yemen. Yemen coffee is unique and flavourful, it gave the world the taste of Mocha, the name derived from the city of Mocha, a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. As of now, USA, leads a 10-country coalition force called Op Prosperity Guardian to patrol the Red Sea and prevent cargo ships from being attacked by the Houthis. The coalition includes Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Seychelles, and United Kingdom. The Houthis have meanwhile sunk at least three cargo ships since November 2023. Add to this the expenditure on ships forced to take the circuitous route around Africa out of fear. Distance from Yemen to Israel is about 2000 Kms. The Houthi fired Drone would have travelled across the Red Sea where American Navy and its coalition is in good strength. Or, the entire territorial length of its ally Saudi Arabia. Crossed into Israel and reached its target Tel Aviv. According to an Israeli Spokesman – “a very big drone that can travel long distances crashed into an apartment building at 03.12 AM local time”. He candidly added that: “the drone had shockingly been detected by the military while airborne but the alarm was not immediately raised due to ‘human error”………. human error!!!!!! With the modern technology at their command, this attack like 7 Oct should never have happened………that is what they like the world to believe. Israel’s boastful claims of superior technology can only be accepted if it is right 100 percent of the time. The Houthis have to be right only once, and as of now they seem to be right on top. Our ships took no hits, and that’s attributable not just to weapons and sensors but to the skill and elan of the crews using them. James Holmes, chair of the maritime strategy program at the Naval War College on USS Eisenhower’s combat deployment in the Red Sea. No matter what, the man/woman behind the weapon still matters
Watch “SPOTLIGHT: “Failure of Generals in Kargil led to soldiers being used as cannon fodder,” ex-Major” on YouTube
A lot has changed since 1999. Lessons have been learnt, counter-measures initiated, infrastructure upgraded, but China’s transgression along the LAC adds a new dimension
Vijay Mohan
On April 7, 1999, just a month before the Pakistani intrusions in the Kargil sector were officially acknowledged, a wargame was held by 15 Corps of the Indian Army. A Brigade Commander, playing the role of Force Commander Northern Area (FCNA) — the enemy formation opposite the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) — presented a war-like scenario that was uncannily similar to the situation that unfolded in the coming days.
Among those present at the wargame were Lt Gen SK Khanna, the then GOC-in-C, Northern Command; Lt Gen Krishan Pal, the then GOC of 15 Corps, and Maj Gen VS Budhwar, the then GOC, 3 Infantry Division. Maj Gen (later Lt Gen) Mohinder Puri, then GOC, 8 Mountain Division, was the ‘enemy commander’.
Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every July 26 to observe the victory over Pakistan and to pay homage to the martyrs. Photo by the writer
Those familiar with the wargame say the prevailing mindset of the military top brass at the time was focused on counter-insurgency, which prevented a holistic review of the situation and led to incorrect assessments. The Corps Commander himself, at the beginning of the Kargil conflict, was of the opinion that there were just 35-40 terrorists, who would likely infiltrate further down into the Valley.
Similar wargames had been held at various levels for years where the probability of intrusions by Pakistan across the LoC was discussed. Yet, Pakistan managed to surreptitiously occupy heights dominating the Srinagar-Leh National Highway in what was termed an intelligence failure, or by some as a failure to interpret the available information or act appropriately on the inputs that had filtered in.
This led to a three-month-long tedious and costly conflict on the remote and icy heights along a 170-km stretch of the LoC in the sector, which is now overshadowed by the growing Chinese belligerence on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
The Kargil sector, lying east of the Zoji La and comprising Mushkoh, Drass, Batalik and Turtuk sub-sectors, was not new to conflict, having witnessed battles since 1948, when some areas were captured by Indian troops.
When India occupied the Siachen Glacier in 1984, the Army had raised 28 Infantry Division to be deployed in the Kargil sector, along with the existing 3 Infantry Division on the eastern flank. However, with terrorism erupting in the Kashmir valley, 28 Division was moved to the west of Zoji La on counter-insurgency deployment.
The stretch that was guarded by an entire division, consisting of three brigades, was left to a single brigade — the 121 (Independent) — at Kargil, leaving huge gaps. These gaps were exploited by the then Pakistan army chief, Pervez Musharraf, who had kept the flow of information about his operations extremely limited within his force. Since there were no indications of any impending military operation from the Pakistani establishment at large, this was also at odds with reports of intrusion filtering in from the northern sector.
When the conflict started, there were operational setbacks, with inadequate intelligence and equipment. Some field commanders complained of piecemeal availability of troops and a heterogeneous mix of frontline units, dependence on man packs and mule loads for supplies, restricted deployment of artillery guns in some areas due to terrain limitations, disconnected sub-sectors and inadequate radio communications.
“We were moved up from the Valley and pushed into operations,” Brig Khushal Thakur (retd), who as a Colonel commanded 18 Grenadiers during the conflict, said. “We were initially told there were just a few militants on the hilltops and in the initial phases, there was no information or intelligence, no recce had been done, whereas the enemy was at a height and had the advantage. The troops were not acclimatised, proper clothing was not available and casualty evacuation was a problem,” he added.
The then Chief of Army Staff, Gen VP Malik, is on record saying that the Kargil conflict was fought in the face of great challenges, with serious shortages of ammunition and equipment.
A four-member high-powered committee headed by strategic analyst K Subrahmanyam (the father of Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar), that was set up to review the conflict, observed that Pakistan’s aggression came as a total surprise. Infiltration by armed irregulars was considered to be feasible in the area, but not an intrusion and occupation of territory by Pakistani troops.
The committee pinpointed several inadequacies in the Indian intelligence setup and recommended significant structural changes in the security establishment. It said that though there were no specific indicators of a likely major attack in the Kargil sector — such as significant improvements in logistics and communications or substantial force build-up or forward deployment of forces — there were many bits and pieces of information about activities within the FCNA region. Most of these tended to indicate that Kargil was becoming a growing focus of Pakistani attention, which had been clearly demonstrated by the marked increase in cross-LoC shelling in 1998.
Twenty-five years later, there is not only a sea change in the strategic environment and threat perception in the northern sector, but also important developments within the armed forces that have resulted in structural reorganisation at the highest level, capability build-up and force redeployments.
As in all wars and operations, a plethora of lessons were thrown up, some of which have been implemented and some are still embroiled in bureaucratic tussles and lip service. It was as a fallout of the conflict that the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters was set up to deal with inter-services matters and the long-pending appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff finally came through in January 2020. Intelligence collection was ramped up with the creation of organisations like the Defence Intelligence Agency and the National Technical Research Organisation, and formations like the Strategic Forces Command and Andaman and Nicobar Command, both having elements from all three Services, were set up.
“A lot has happened in the past two decades. The 170-km stretch that was then held by just a brigade and had wide gaps is now guarded by a division, with 8 Mountain Division that was moved to Kargil during the conflict being permanently deployed there,” says Lt Gen YK Joshi (retd), who commanded a battalion during the conflict and then served as the GOC-in-C, Northern Command.
“The area is now strongly held and I do not visualise another Kargil-type incident happening. Moreover, with its internal situation and a floundering economy, Pakistan is not in a position to carry out such activity,” he adds, while pointing out that new technology and force multipliers like drones, UAV optical devices and surveillance equipment that provides a constant flow of information have since been inducted. Infrastructure has also been developed and all forward posts are now connected by tracks, with a strong logistics network.
As the nation commemorates the conflict’s ‘Rajat Jayanti’, several issues linger on. Among them is whether the war could have been fought differently, with the same results being achieved with lesser casualties, declassifying documents for greater transparency and an incisive analysis and debate on the role of senior commanders.
Wars are fought at three levels — tactical, involving sub-units and battalions; operational, at the level of brigades, division and corps; and at the strategic level that encompasses the political leadership and other government establishments. “During Kargil, the young officers and soldiers delivered and their achievements and sacrifices have been celebrated, but little has been said on the role of the Generals and the higher defence management,” says a senior serving officer.
While agreeing that intrusions at the level that took place in 1999 may not happen now, Lt Gen DS Hooda (retd), former GOC-in-C, Northern Command, says that among the recommendations put forth after the conflict was the publication of a national security doctrine, which is still not in place.
“The much-needed integration or jointness amongst the Services and the Ministry of Defence is still unsettled. The level of integration required between the ministry and Service headquarters, of ministry officials and military officers functioning together, is not there. The tri-service theatre commands are still in the process of being set up,” he says. “Even the recommendation of ‘one border, one force’ has not been fully implemented. We have the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police deployed operationally on the Line of Actual Control, but both report to different ministries,” he adds. This is unlike the LoC, where the Border Security Force is co-deployed, but comes under the operational command of the Army.
Kargil, the experts look back, was Pakistan’s attempt to even out the loss it suffered in Siachen, as also a part of its larger game-plan in Kashmir. An active LAC post the 2020 standoff with China, along with Siachen, is now a worry for India. Immediately north of Siachen lies Shaksgam valley, ceded to China by Pakistan, where heavy infrastructure development has been reported, and to its east is Depsang Plains — a hot area.
The reported presence of Chinese troops in PoK is another worry. Any China-Pakistan collusion on the northern borders would have serious implications. As Lt Gen Hooda puts it, “We have to be careful of that challenge.”
In 2020, troops deployed in the counter-insurgency grid in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere were pulled out and deployed on the LAC, with the post-Kargil enhanced posture on the LoC remaining as it was. The emphasis of the Northern Command is now on the LAC.
During the Kargil conflict, China had remained silent as it lacked infrastructure on its side along the LAC, which has since seen exponential development. Earlier, the premise was that if there is a war with China, Pakistan will help it, while if there is a war with Pakistan, China may not step in. Now, a question mark lurks over the possibility of China stepping in.
Kargil Vijay Diwas Rajat Jayanti: IAF holds aerial display at Bhisiana
To commemorate 25 years of Kargil victory, the Indian Air Force celebrated ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas Rajat Jayanti’ at Air Force Station Bhisiana today.
The occasion was marked by a wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial by Air Marshal PK Vohra, Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command. Former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (retd), Alka Ahuja, spouse of late Sqn Ldr Ajay Ahuja and Operation Safed Sagar awardees were also present.
This significant event marks the 25th anniversary of India’s victory in the Kargil conflict in 1999 following the culmination of Operation Safed Sagar of the Indian Air Force and Operation Vijay of the Indian Army.
The No. 17 Squadron of the IAF, operating MiG 21 Type 96 aircraft, based at Air Force Station Bhisiana had undertaken several strike missions to flush out the enemy. An aerial display was conducted by the Akash Ganga skydiving team, flypast in “Vic” formation by three Rafale and three Jaguar fighters, Slithering and Small Team Insertion and Extraction (STIE) operations by the Mi-17 1V helicopter and low-level aerobatics by Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
State Stalwarts
CHIEF PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
LT GEN JASBIR SINGH DHALIWAL, DOGRA
PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
MAJOR GEN HARVIJAY SINGH, SENA MEDAL ,corps of signals
+919589143386
sanjhamorcha303@gmail.com
PRESIDENT HARYANA STATE UNIT SANJHA MORCHA
BRIG HPS BEDI , VSM ,JAK Rif
PRESIDENT PANCHKULA HARYANA UNIT SANJHA MORCHA
BRIG DALJIT THUKRAL (Retd) BENGAL SAPPERS
SECY (HONY) NRI’s ESMs , ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
SUB AVTAR SINGH
+1(647)501-8112
AFFILIATED TO SANJHA MORCHA
INDO-CANADIAN VETERANS GROUP
FOUNDER CHAIRMAN SANJHA MORCHA
MAJOR SANTOKH SINGH DHILLON,SIGNALS
FOUNDER PRESIDENT SANJHA MORCHA
COL RANJIT SINGH BOPARAI ,ASC
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)
