Monthly Archives: August 2018

Dear Honourable Prime Minister,

With great pain, I want to bring to your notice the assaults that are continuously being inflicted on Army Personnel by the Police in our country even when you are our Prime Minister. Please note all such atrocities are being committed in the states ruled by the BJP.

Retired Brigadier Jailed in Pune Rural

A retired Brigadier who had gone to save the workers and MSEB contractors from the stone pelting by gangsters had to fire in the air to deter them. The Pune Rural police arrested him on the night of 15 May 2024 and his act of self-defence was manipulated to ‘Attempt to Murder’. As he had fired in the air there were no injuries to anyone. He was in jail for nearly two months and was let off only after he obtained bail from the Bombay High Court. The remark of the HC while granting him bail was: “The act was in self-defense and the video recording does not support the case of Prosecution.” Bail Granted. Criminal Bail Application No. 2272 of 2024. Details as attached.

Jaipur Atrocity

A serving Army soldier serving in J&K while on leave in Jaipur was arrested, stripped, beaten, and abused by the Police at Shipra Path Police station in Jaipur on 13 Aug 2024. Very minor actions have been taken against the errant policemen. Details are in the YouTube link.

Gwalior: Army Officer Beaten by the Police.

A serving Major of the Indian Army was beaten up by police on 23 Aug 2024.

Brutality at Bharatpur Police Station in Orissa

A serving Army Officer who had gone to Bharatpur Police station to lodge a report on road rage on 15 Sep 2024. He was tortured, and put under lockup without a chargesheet. The rule is that a serving Army Personnel if detained by the civil police must immediately inform the nearest Army unit. His fiancée (daughter of a Brigadier) who was also with him to complain about the road rage was taken aside after the officer was put in the lock-up and beaten, with hands and legs tied, and sexually assaulted.

The above incidents have shaken the confidence of serving army personnel and veterans of the Armed Forces in the police force. It has broken the morale of the Armed Forces. In the past, the Armed Forces had taken the law into their own hands and dealt with erring police personnel and the concerned police stations. However, with great restraint and effective command and control of the Army’s senior officers, such outright actions have been prevented.

Dear Prime Minister, you very well know, leaving aside a few islands of excellence the police force is a cesspool of corruption and incompetency. Filing false charges, manipulating witnesses, inflicting torture on witnesses to extort confessions, generating false witnesses, slapping grave charges, and then seeking bribes to dilute the charges are common shenanigans of the corrupt police force. The Bharatpur Police Station in Orissa did not even have a CCTV which is mandatory for all the police stations as per the SC Ruling. It means that not a single police senior officer has ever visited the police station to check whether they are equipped as per the SC ruling.

Dear Prime Minister, anger and chagrin prevails in the Armed Forces and the Veteran community on the above incidents. Senior police officers cannot get away with such brutality within their jurisdictions. Are they not responsible for such lapses and are they not held accountable? Ultimately, knowing the system, nothing will happen to any of these errant policemen boosting their confidence to repeat such abuses. Let the law of the land prevail. The moment the Army loses faith and confidence in the Government it will be a sad day for our nation.

Profound regards
Lt Gen PG Kamath Veteran

How can you touch an Army officer, assault his fiance? Asks Maj. Gen Bishamber Dayal | The Debate

LIVE: Congress PC on Army officer’s fiancee allege harassment at police station in Odisha | PM Modi

Odisha में पुलिस ने आर्मी अफसर और मंगेतर को थाने में पीटा? धरने पर आए पूर्व सैनिक

Odisha Case: Rahul Gandhi और Priyanka Gandhi का Army की मंगेतर से थाने मे बर्बरता पर तंज | Congress

AAJTAK 2 | ODISHA में पुलिसवाले बनें हैवान, ARMY OFFICER की मंगेतर के साथ की छेड़छाड़ ! | AT2

How did World War I begin? Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Sophie, by a Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on 28 June 1914 set off a chain reaction ….. Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia, which impossible to accept. ….. Serbia sought support from Russia, in alliance with Serbia. …… Austria Hungary backed by Germany …… Russia mobilized its forces, Germany declared war on Russia and then on France – Russia’s ally …… and had to invade Belgium to reach France .…. Great Britain jumped into the fray – they had a treaty with Belgium. Forces of the nations moved under their own flags, fought, and the war continued till 1918. World War II began on 1 Sep 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany on 3 Sep 1939. Hitler’s ambitions for territorial expansion and the failure of diplomatic efforts to contain his aggression, set the stage for a global conflict, Italy and Japan formed an axis with Germany. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941, USA joined the war. Forces moved under their own flags and fought. The war ended on 8 May 1945 in Europe with surrender of Germany and 2 Sep 1945 in the Pacific with surrender of Japan. The only real war in the conventional sense today is the Russia-Ukraine War … opponents are fighting under their own flags, attacking across borders and territories being lost and won ………. why then this talk of World War III? Some Other Major Regions in Conflict: Syrian Civil War, Yemen Civil War, Ethiopian Civil War, Myanmar Civil Conflict, Sudan Conflict, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Tensions in the Sahel Region, Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, Haiti Political Crisis …….. and other smaller conflicts. When I searched WWW if World War III was on? The standard reply was: while there are numerous conflicts and geopolitical tensions around the world, none have escalated to the level of a global war involving multiple major powers. I have scored out the last bit because this statement is absolutely wrong. Today, the major powers fight their wars from the safe havens through their Proxies, and, they all are involved in all the above listed conflicts e.g: Syrian Civil War: began as civilian protests amid the Arab spring uprisings of 2011. • Russia and Iran support the Assad regime. Russia – airstrikes and advisors, Russia fights to keep it regional hegemony. Iran – ground forces and militias, incl Hezbollah. Iran supports because Assad’s regime is predominantly Alawite, a sect of Shia Islam, which aligns with Iran’s Shia-majority. • The US (assisted by UK and France) support Kurdish forces to combat ISIS. • Israel conducts missile strikes targeting Iran and Hezbollah to keep them away from their borders. • Turkey fights Kurdish groups in Syria to prevent Turkish Kurds from indulging in separatist activities. Yemen Civil War: Since 26 Mar 2015. • Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of nine countries from West Asia and North Africa (mostly Sunni Arab states) against Houthis (Zaydī Muslims, who belong to a small sect of Shiʿi Islam). • Fighter Jets and Ground Force – Egypt, Morrocco, Jordan, Sudan and UAE. USA, UK and Israel have joined the Aerial Bombing operations. • Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Djibouti, Eretria, Somalia provide airspace, territorial waters and logistics support. • Houthis are supported by Iran. Aggressive belligerents who now even hold the world to ransom with some exceptional strikes Drone, Missile and Remote-Controlled Ammunition loaded boats against merchant shipping in the Red Sea, while many world Navies deployed in the Red sea watch the spectacles helplessly. • The US has recently increased its military presence in the Red Sea. USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, with over 6,500 sailors, has been deployed to the region; largest overseas deployment of the US Navy since World War II. I searched for many definitions of the ‘Proxy War’, and found this one to be very frank, honest and candid – a war instigated by a major power which does not itself become involved…………..Therefore, While the whole world powers are at war, their forces are not carrying their flag, they are simply propping up their proxies to fight and die while they stir the pans and make profits first with weapons and then with reconstruction. Getting back to the question – Is World War III ON? ……………….. Yes it is ………… by Proxy.

As many as 604 women constables of the 489th General Duty Batch were inducted into the ranks of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at the Basic Training Centre in Bhanu near Chandigarh on Saturday. The passing out parade was reviewed…

As many as 604 women constables of the 489th General Duty Batch were inducted into the ranks of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at the Basic Training Centre in Bhanu near Chandigarh on Saturday.

The passing out parade was reviewed by Sanjeev Raina, Additional Director General, Western Command. Addressing the gathering, he exhorted the personnel to strive for excellence in all fields and uphold the traditions of the force.

During their 44-week-long training, they were taught drill, weapon handling, map reading, field craft, self-defence, firing and anti-terrorist operations, along with other service-related topics.

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The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive committee on Saturday expressed annoyance at the Meghalaya Government’s proposed move to demolish Shillong’s 200-year-old gurdwara. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the executive took strict notice of the Meghalaya Government’s plan to…

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive committee on Saturday expressed annoyance at the Meghalaya Government’s proposed move to demolish Shillong’s 200-year-old gurdwara.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the executive took strict notice of the Meghalaya Government’s plan to demolish the Guru Nanak Darbar gurdwara located in Punjabi Colony at Shillong.

He said the government should stop this move and safeguard the rights of Sikh families living there. He appealed to the PM to intervene in the matter.

Several other panthic matters were also taken up during the meeting.

Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh is the pride of not only India, but the entire world and the Punjab Government is committed to creating the country of his dreams by guarding his thoughts. This was stated by Cabinet Minister for Tourism..

Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh is the pride of not only India, but the entire world and the Punjab Government is committed to creating the country of his dreams by guarding his thoughts. This was stated by Cabinet Minister for Tourism and Culture Affairs Tarunpreet Singh Sond here today.

He was speaking after kick-starting the two-day Inquilabi Mela to mark the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh at Khatkar Kalan. Sond said the martyr was being honoured and remembered by the entire Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan on the martyr’s 117th birth anniversary.

Under a special initiative, the state government had started organising fairs again in the state and accordingly the two-day “Inquilabi Mela” had also begun, he added.

He said the festival was aimed at ensuring that the young generation of Punjab was aware of the ideology of their revolutionary heroes.

PM Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The PM said, “Salutations to the immortal martyr Bhagat Singh, who sacrificed his life to protect the honour of the motherland, on his birth anniversary.”

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will replace the police forces of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh at various Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects following a review of threat perception and security protocols. “From October 1, the security of the…

he Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will replace the police forces of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh at various Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects following a review of threat perception and security protocols.

“From October 1, the security of the Beas-Sutlej Link will be taken over by the CISF from the Himachal Pradesh Police,” a senior BBMB official said. “The switchover is being done in phases. Next in the line is the Bhakra Dam, followed by the Pong Dam,” he added.

Sources said the move to replace the state police was undertaken after talks with central agencies, where it was felt that a single specialised agency would be better to guard these vital installations.

The BBMB projects are located in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and these are guarded by the respective police from these states depending on the location. The combined installed capacity of its power houses at Bhakra, Pong, Kol, Dehar, Kotla and Ganguwal is over 4,000 megawatts (MW). In addition, it has a transmission network of 3,753 circuit km and 24 sub-stations.

The sources said 235 CISF personnel would be deployed at the BSL, a 38-km stretch comprising two tunnels and an open channel to connect the Beas with the Sutlej from the Pandoh Dam to Slapper in Himachal Pradesh. With an output of 990 MW, the Dehar power house on the Sutlej near Slapper has the second highest capacity amongst all BBMB projects.

Located in Punjab, Himachal

The BBMB projects are located in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and these are guarded by the respective police from these states depending on the location. The combined installed capacity of its power houses at Bhakra, Pong, Kol, Dehar, Kotla and Ganguwal is over 4,000 MW

The hard power capability of the IAF should not be adversely affected by the clamour to stick to aatmanirbharta.

Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur retd

The world has seen the robust Indian Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) capability in the past two decades through the tireless flying done by the IAF’s (Indian Air Force) transport aircraft fleet flying great distances in the neighbourhood — and many times to distant lands too. The IL-76 was the workhorse of this effort in the past but now it is the C-17 and C-130 that hog the limelight. Planned for acquisition in the beginning of this century, when one political party was in power in Delhi, the project, however, fructified when another party had taken over the reins of running the government.

Similarly, the Sukhoi 30, inducted in 1997 by the Deve Gowda government on plans made earlier by the PV Narasimha Rao administration, would be the backbone of our nation’s deterrence posture for many more decades. The induction schedule of the Rafale fighter jets has followed a comparable timeline. Likewise, the present government would also plan many projects that would strengthen India’s hard power in the coming years.

There is, thus, a continuity that gets mandated in defence procurements, and since deterrence and war-fighting capability accretion takes decades to build, there must be a continuum too in policy making. As India builds up its hard power through the aatmanirbharta campaign to face its challenging security environment, a recent statement of the Vice Chief of the Air Staff (now the Air Chief designate) made at an air-power seminar gains salience; the Vice Chief had remarked that, “aatmanirbharta is what we are riding on, but this self-reliance cannot be at the cost of the nation’s defence.” Wise words they are in the current stridency of misplaced nationalism vis-à-vis the self-sufficiency campaign; they need an analysis, lest their import is lost in the cacophony of our robust political atmosphere.

The aatmanirbharta campaign is indeed noteworthy in India’s desire to attain self-sufficiency in arms to prevent being at the mercy of supplier nations who have a history of arm-twisting to meet their geopolitical plans. Thus, the negative lists of imports and positive lists of items to be bought only from indigenous sources are indeed welcome, but with a rider; these directions cannot be at the cost of hollowing up of the fighting potential of the three services. The media has highlighted innumerable examples of projects slipping up on timelines and costs that reveal the continuing trend by R&D (research and development) and production agencies of promising more than their capability and expertise to bag armament contracts. The Vice Chief’s statement is a public acceptance of the prevalence of this malaise. And, if another example is needed, then the present delay in the supply of Tejas Mk1A fighters to a squadron-deficient IAF should drive home the point.

The delay in Tejas Mk1A deliveries has been attributed to the delay in supply of the F-404 engines by the US manufacturer, General Electric (GE). The supply of Apache helicopters to the Army, too, has been delayed by a year. One hopes that this has nothing to do with India’s assertion of its relations with Russia in the Ukraine-Russia imbroglio, despite US opposition. The problem is that the follow-on Tejas Mk2 (a conventional design) is also being planned around a higher power F-414 engine from GE who, incidentally, is also setting up a plant with supposedly 80 per cent transfer of technology to make the engine.

Next in line for the IAF is the futuristic Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) whose Mk1 version would have the same 98 kN thrust F-414, followed by a Mk2 version with an indigenous engine producing a higher 110 kN of thrust to give true fifth-generation capability to the AMCA. The AMCA prototype is expected in 2028 — pushed from earlier pronouncements of 2024 and then 2026. Logically, and hopefully, the Tejas Mk2 prototype would come before this new AMCA target date.

This, then, is the reality of a situation where the IAF has placed all its eggs — for the next 40 years at least — in the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited /Defence Research and Development Organisation basket while juggling with its depleting squadron strength. The statement of IAF’s Vice Chief about aatmanirbharta versus national defence, thus, merits serious consideration. If one pays attention to his full speech made at the air-power seminar, one would notice that it actually highlights the IAF’s thrust to whole-heartedly support indigenous products.

Design and development work is moving but to catch up with the rest of the world would require policy changes to ensure assured funding and for hiring the best Indian brains, presently working for foreign aeronautical companies. Salary should not be a roadblock if this ghar wapasi attempt is to bear fruit. Incidentally, one reason for the Chinese advancements in technology has been their successful luring back of their bright students from American and Western universities and technology firms.

Our much-lauded private sector, too, needs to risk its own money in R&D and not wait for government funding only. And, the government must make processes less cumbersome, else it would be status quo as hitherto.

And an offbeat suggestion, please take the Opposition along in this endeavour, as it has an equal stake in the defence of the nation. And, it could well be holding the proverbial can in the future, if inductions do not happen in time.

It is good to see the IAF increasingly participating in exercises abroad and hosting multi-national ones at home. What should not be lost sight of, however, is that the hard power capability of the IAF that would carry India’s fight deep into enemy territory, is not adversely affected by the clamour to stick to aatmanirbharta even with projects getting delayed. The last thing one wants is a capability asymmetry trap, as wars are fought with weapons in hand and not with good intentions and misplaced nationalism.