Our Correspondent

Anantnag, July 21

Militants on Saturday carried out attacks on security forces in Anantnag and Kulgam districts of the state, the police said.In the first incident, security forces were targeted in the Mattan area of Anantnag district along the Khannabal-Pahalgam road. The road is heavily guarded these days in view of the ongoing Amarnath yatra. There was, however, no pilgrim movement along the road when the attack took place, sources said. No loss of life or injuries was reported.Altaf Khan, SSP, said the attack took place around 1 pm. “They fired at a joint party of the police and the CRPF. The fire was retaliated. No one was injured. A hunt to nab the militants is on,” said Khan.In the second incident, militants opened fire at an Army patrol in Havoora village of Kulgam around 3:30 pm.“No one was hurt in the firing,” a senior police officer said, adding that a hunt had been launched to nab the militants.Gunfight along LoC in TangdharA brief gunfight broke out near the LoC in the Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district on Saturday when a group of infiltrating militants fired at an Army patrol in the Balthedyan area. “The Army has launched a massive combing operation in the sector,” sources said. Meanwhile, two overground workers of the Lashkar-e-Toiba were arrested in Sopore on Saturday, the police said. TNS/PTI

Uttarakashi, July 21: A body of one of the victims of 1968 Indian Air Force plane crash was found along with some parts of the aircraft at the Dhaka glacier base camp. The plane’s wreckage was found during a cleanliness drive organized by Indian Mountaineering Foundation at the Dhaka glacier base camp on July 1.

On 7 February 1968, an Antonov An-12 twin engine turboprop transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force disappeared while flying to Leh Airport from Chandigarh International Airport. While on approach to Leh the pilot decided to turn back due to inclement weather, the aircraft then went missing with the last radio contact over the Rohtang pass. It was declared missing after the failure to find the wreck. Previous recovery: In 2003 members of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute who were trekking on the South Dakka Glacier came across the remains of a human body. The body was identified as Sepoy Beli Ram, a soldier of the Indian Army who was on the flight. On 9 August 2007 an Indian Army expedition code named Operation Punaruthan-III, recovered three more bodies. From 2003 till 2009 three search expeditions have been carried out with the recovery of four bodies. The crash location lies at a height of about 18,000 ft 0 in (5,486.40 m), at a gradient of 80 degrees. On 21 July 2018 the Times of India reported that a mountaineering team at the Chandrabhaga-13 peak had found a body at the Dhaka glacier base camp.The team has found wreckage of the plane along with the remains of a soldier.

Read more at: https://www.oneindia.com/india/body-of-soldier-killed-in-1968-iaf-plane-crash-recovered-2739470.html

Officer cadre restructuring: Army mulls doing away with Brigadier rank 

Indian Navy regularly sends adventure expeditions to the Meghalaya caves, but diving in submerged caves is yet to be attempted.

It was the most daring operation in recorded history to rescue 12 boys and their coach stranded in Thailand’s flooded Tham Luang cave complex after 17 days of being underground. It will now become a case study in 21st century globalisation, leadership, crisis management, utilisation of technological resources and human skills coupled with efficient international coordination. It will also serve as a great precedent in the world of rescue operations in caves, mines and other underwater subterranean spaces. This will be something that future divers will study and be sure to learn from.

In India, most caving exercises are centered in Meghalaya. There are more than 1,200 caves and only about 400 of them have been explored. Indian Navy regularly sends adventure expeditions over there, but diving in submerged caves is yet to be attempted. The Marine Commandos and divers of the Indian Navy are qualified to undertake this kind of operation. In the past, the Navy has undertaken diving operations in the flooded Kolkata metro tunnel in 1991, and also some coal mines. However, the capability of cave diving per se does not exist.

The Tham Luang operation can be divided into three phases: search, rescue, and revival.

Search

The search phase lasted from 24 June to 2 July when the young ‘Wild Boars’ soccer team was located four km inside the caves, 800-1,000 meters below the surface of the Doi Nang Non mountains of Chian Rai province in northern Thailand. To facilitate quick search and rescue in the location and with the prevalent monsoon conditions, it was essential that the rising water levels in the caves be controlled, which posed the main threat to the safety of the trapped group.

The advanced technological capability of submersible pumps to de-water the caves came to the rescue and neutralised the threat of even more flooding. Round the clock pumping out of the water led to most of the cave length being walkable or at least ensured that the total dive time was reduced drastically. It was reported that nearly 120 million litres of water were pumped out over 75 hours, reducing the water levels by around 40 per cent. The submersible pumps installed deep inside the caves removed an estimated 16,00,000 litres of water per hour.

The Czech Republic and India had offered four of these pumps each, showing how camaraderie comes into play between nations in times of humanitarian crisis. Additionally, drones with powerful zoom cameras and thermal imaging were used to create a 3D image replica of the mountain to ascertain the water flow and divert it away from the caves and the location of the group specifically. The reduced level of water now facilitated the establishment of a support base 1.5 km inside the caves where hundreds of air cylinders and other necessary equipment were transported with the help of wire-pulley systems. Waterproof electric cables and lights were installed for better visibility and power requirements. This support base proved crucial for the search divers and extended their reach inside the caves along with prolonging their dive time and providing the trapped group various essentials and sustenance.

Rescue

The rescue phase lasted for eight days commencing on 3 July. This posed its own challenges primarily because the oxygen level down in the caves were reduced to 15 per cent as opposed to the normal 20-21 per cent in our atmosphere. The group was weak due to the lack of adequate food, water, and fresh air. To prevent hypoxia setting in, an air supply line was rigged into the chamber by 6 July. In addition to this, the group was supplied with high protein foods, vitalising liquids, necessary painkillers and antibiotics. A medic along with three divers were positioned with the group to boost their morale and teach them basic swimming and diving skills.

Fiber optic cables were laid up till the group so that they could communicate with the outside world, which would ensure that the spirits of the boys and their families outside along with the rest of the world stayed up. Apart from rescue by diving, the options of drilling an escape shaft and also waiting for the rains to subside were kept open and mulled over.

The Thai authorities had the benefit of advice and help from around a hundred diving experts and thousands of support professionals from across the world. Elon Musk of Tesla and Space X fame even left behind a mini-submarine if required. Israeli company Meshtec provided 17 hi-tech walkie-talkies to enable communication between the rescue teams deep within the cave. These sets could relay and broadcast data and video beyond the line of sight. It proved to be very useful and was responsible for the whole world remaining updated about what was happening in the caves.

In keeping with the adage ‘old is gold’, low-frequency radio sets developed 20 years ago in Britain, which could penetrate through hundreds of meters of solid rock were also provided. To overcome the problem of muddy waters and poor visibility, the divers rigged eight mm guidelines and divers were equipped with long endurance underwater flashlights. Navigation of narrow/tiny crevices and passages was made possible by the use of smaller, lightweight carbon fiber air cylinders which could be pressurised beyond 3,000 psi for longer endurance and dive times. The improved full face masks with positive pressure inside ensured easy breathing and zero leakage. This technology coupled with the latest diving suits and flexible stretchers proved useful in sedating the group and avoiding the risk of making them dive and swim. The method of rescue by sedation and carrying of the rescued persons’ air cylinders by the lead diver proved to be the most efficient.

Revival

After the rescue, the boys were quarantined in the city hospital to check their vitals and for their recovery to good health. It may still take a week or two before they are fully recuperated.

The Thai cave rescue was a combination of advances in technology, human selfless endeavour, the organising capability of the Thai authorities, and ready support of the locals and the world that won the day against all odds.

The author is the Founding Director of the recently established Kahnoji Angre Maritime Research Institute, Nashik. He was commissioned in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy in July 1982,and later joined the Marine Commando cadre of the Navy. He was the Principal Director of Diving and Special Ops Dpt at NHQ Delhi.

There is another round of anguish in army circles. After the army chief General Bipin Rawat banned golf in Srinagar last week because it seemed inappropriate in a conflict zone for officers to be playing golf, there is a sense of dismay. It is believed the chief was on a visit to the area when he spotted officers on the course even as the bodies of slain military personnel were being brought to Srinagar. Unseemly? Of course, it is. So an incensed General ostensibly said, enough of this nonsense. Ban the bloody game.

It is also just the kind of story to sell to civilians. And the public. No one in uniform will ever accept that officers would continue playing golf if it was a time to salute the fallen. It just does not happen. The military mindset and the espirit de corps would not allow any officer to be so crass. If at all anything like this incident this occurred it was inadvertent, in no way deliberate.

But that said, stopping golf in an area where the military is operationally active makes sense from the point of view of security and just the fact that it doesn’t look right. The reason why the army officers are livid is because they see it as the next ugly milestone on the dissolution of the armed forces’ identity. First, the cantonments were open to all. For no good reason, seeing as how keeping the armed forces in barracks so to speak is acceptable in all armies of the world. Military areas are restricted zones.

Then the link to this ‘improper conduct’ makes the Srinagar decision even more suspect because that grandstanding wasn’t necessary. Why not just pass the order banning golf without the indictment?

It gives the impression of callous, uncaring, thoughtless officers messing about with woods and putters while their men are dying. Come on, that is a load of nonsense. But a peg was needed to justify the move and this was easy to market peg.

And the message that these officers are sharing has sinister connotations. It says: ‘The Army, as per a report published in The Indian Express in 2015, operates around 100 luxury golf courses and sports clubs on approximately 8,000 acres of the government property. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament had in 2011 said that golf could not be taken into consideration as a ‘military activity.’

No one asked why not?

Just the links in the US Club Mumbai would be worth Bill Gates’ fortune in real estate terms. There are nearly a hundred others all over the country.

The BBC ran a story in 2011 where it said: The report by the Comptroller and Auditor General described the army’s management of its huge land holdings as dismal. It found that at least 32 sq km (12 square miles) of rent-free land had been handed to a privately-run company, Army Zone Golf, which operates 97 luxury golf courses.

By the same token, as civvy street suddenly realises how much prime real estate and property lies in the control of the armed forces, it is like the authorities have found Alibaba’s cave and a mountain of treasure. When Service chiefs begin to view things from the point of view of the civilians it does get a little murky. By this measure, tennis, squash, bridge and rummy should also be stopped in Srinagar because soldiers do not play them. All the polo fields should be turned into farmland.

Uhhmm., what about rifle ranges, miles of open land just to fire bullets and shells at paper targets. Maybe they can fire practice on cyber targets and playstations? Where does it end?

The next step in this poorly disguised land grab exercise are the clubs in the cantonments where service officers are members. That and the regimental and battalion messes are active in some of the most expensive central urban enclaves. The clubs where officers only meet in the evenings and Sundays, usually with families to play Bingo, and ease up would be worth their weight in gold if reworked into guest houses for politicians and bureaucrats.

The latest message while genially insulting the General does make one valid point: General, there are a million other more productive/innovative ways of showing solidarity.

For a start, get them better equipment, get them better rations, build more accommodation for the jawans…the list is endless.

This fear of dismantling the military apparatus is now very real, and the sore point is that if four-star officers in the lead begin to accept this diktat and support it, that is pretty much letting the side down. Surely, there are larger problems in the nation than going after the uniform.

Srinagar, July 11

Northern Army chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, while concluding his tour to Kashmir, visited the forward areas of the Valley to review the prevailing security situation and strategy for counter-infiltration and counter-terrorist operations.Accompanied by Chinar Corps chief Lt Gen AK Bhatt, the Army chief visited forward posts in the frontier district of Kupwara where he was briefed on the counter-infiltration grid and operational preparedness of the formations. The Army chief was appreciative of the measures and the standard operating procedures instituted by the units and formations to meet the challenges posed by the inimical elements.During his interaction with the soldiers on ground, he lauded them for their high level of morale and round-the-clock vigil which they maintain to thwart infiltration bids by the terrorists. The Army chief exhorted them to continue to work with same zeal and dedication to defeat the enemy’s hostile designs. — TNS

Brig Gurinder Singh (Retd)

In the Army, it is not unusual to find real brothers or cousins serving together in the same unit, especially in caste and region-based regiments as parental and sibling claim is given due consideration while assigning battalions. Not only multiple pairs of brothers, but also father and son serve in the same company and battalion. As a young officer, I saw a Havildar who chose to be the Guard Commander at the Quarter Guard on the last day of his service with his son (who had joined the battalion a week earlier) as a sentry.Subedar Prem Singh was one such proud father whose son Subhash joined our paltan while he was still in service. While Subedar Prem, stout and handsome, had been a wrestler of repute in his youth, Subhash was thinly built and barely met the basic Army physical standards. He managed to pass the mandatory physical tests with some push from his colleagues, a bit leniency of the officers and abusive threats from his father.Subhash had an uncanny knack of misinterpreting a simple order and executing it in exactly the opposite manner and justify it too. He surprised everyone with his misadventures where ever he was assigned any duty. But his father continued to harbour high hopes for him. In 1985 when our battalion was in Dagshai (HP), Subedar Prem’s request for the family quarter was accepted. He arranged Subhash to proceed on leave with the instruction ‘Maa ko le aana’. The ever obedient son left for his home in Ghaziabad. Meanwhile, Subedar saheb took charge of his new quarter, arranged furniture and prepared himself to live with the family for some time before retiring a year later. He was determined to spend some quality time after years of separation. He also made plans to take the family to Shimla and Kasauli.On the day of Subhash’s return, Subedar saheb dyed his greying moustache and whatever hair on his mostly bald head. He double-checked every detail at the newly allotted quarter and reached the Dharampur Railway Station well ahead of the scheduled arrival of the narrow gauge train from Kalka. He also arranged some chai-pakora to welcome memsaheb at the platform.Finally the train arrived and Subhash alighted from the train with a couple of suitcases and then extended his hand to help Maa get down. An 80- year-old lady emerged and slowly walked towards the reception party. Furious, Prem Singh dragged Subhash to the side and shouted, ‘Arre, maine teri Maa ko lane ke liye kaha tha meri nahi, nalayak!’ (I asked you to bring your mother not mine). Unapologetic, Subhash retorted, ‘Apne bola tha maa ko lana, meri ya teri ka nahi kaha tha’ (you asked me to bring mother, but didn’t specify whose). In 2006, Prem Singh came to my house and presented me a can of homemade ghee. When I asked him the reason, he said: ‘Subhash thik-thak pension aagaya hai aap logon ki meharbani se.’

A unique Kashmiri translation of 40 poems by Bhai Vir Singh on the heritage and glory of the Valley will be unveiled by J&K Governor NN Vohra today

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 1

As Kashmir gets back to normalcy, a Delhi-based Punjabi literary centre has prepared its own contribution to the ongoing national efforts aimed at healing the Valley of its wounds. Bhai Vir Singh Sadan has published a unique Kashmiri translation of the Punjabi poems the Father of Modern Punjab Literature Bhai Vir Singh wrote over a span of many years starting 1922 when he first visited the Valley. From then on, he returned to Kashmir every summer to capture its virgin beauty in thoughts and words.The title of the anthology — “A Valley Nonpareil” — is a literal translation of Bhai Vir Singh’s famous poem describing Kashmir as “Tukdi jag ton niari”.Featuring 40 poems, each illustrated by a photograph of the location that inspired the work, the book will be unveiled by Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra at a special ceremony in Srinagar tomorrow. Each verse bears the Kashmiri and English translation of the original Punjabi poem on Kashmir by Bhai Vir Singh.The work brings to life the Valley’s diverse heritage using the poet’s tender verse which often laments how Kashmir’s beauty has become its bane. The works mirror Kashmir in all its glory as the poet reflects on the Punjabi love legend of Heer and Ranjha unfolding on the banks of Chenab, captures the beauty of Kashmiri damsels, relishes the cadences of Valley’s countless streams and even rues the axing of grand Kikars.A rare gem in the work is a photograph of Bhai Vir Singh basking in the beauty of Alpathar he visited on September 7, 1927 — a picture Sadan’s Director Mohinder Singh dug out from the archives as evidence of how the Valley inspired generations of saints, artistes and writers alike. Yet another Bhai Vir Singh poem the book reproduces is on Gulmarg. It carries as an illustration a postcard the poet himself wrote on August 10, 1928.Then there is an especially heartwarming longish “Dumel de Panian da Naad” in which Bhai Vir Singh traces the heritage of Kashmir and its rendezvous with Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Budhha and Guru Nanak.Referring to the association of Sikh Gurus with the Valley, the poet dwells on Guru Nanak’s dialogue with Pandit Brahm Das in Srinagar on his way to Kailash Parbat. He then captures the Valley’s age-old tradition of peaceful coexistence by writing of how Gurdwara Matan Sahib and the temple in the memory of Brahm Das stand side by side in Kashmir, as testimonies to its s all embracing culture.“How could such a land and beautiful Valley become a centre of conflict?” wonders the poet.The book has a preface by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a foreword by NN Vohra and an introduction by eminent litterateur Dr Surjit Patar.

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NEW DELHII: Video footage of surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) that took place on September 29, 2016 was aired on TV news channels on Wednesday.

The eight-minute-long video shows how the Special Forces of the Indian Army crossed over the LoC and destroyed the targets on the Pakistani side of the LoC.

The footage was reportedly shot from drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and was shot on thermal imaging cameras used by

Ever since the surgical strikes took place, the opposition had been raising questions and demanading proof of the military action.

The strike were conducted in 2016 when the the Indian Army destroyed terrorist launch pads and killed many terrorists.

“The operation was monitored from a control room in Udhampur, Headquarters of Indian Army’s strategic Northern Command,” Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda, the then Northern Army Commander told Times Now.

“One of the major challenges that the team that went across, faced was that the camps were located close to Pakistan Army posts,” Hooda added. He further said that the “feed was also going to Delhi”. “The whole operation lasted for six hours. The first target was hit at midnights and the last at about 6-6.15,” he added.

A day after the video’s release, the Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government and the BJP of politicising the September 2016 surgical strikes to garner votes.

Addressing a press conference, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala charged that while on the one hand the Modi government is seeking credit for the sacrifice and valour of the armed forces, on the other it has failed to provide direction and vision to deal with Pakistan .

He also accused the government of meting out “step-motherly treatment” to the armed forces by not providing them with state-of-the-art equipment and slashing their budgetary allocation.

In Video: Video footage provides proof of surgical strikes across LoC

The political co-habitation between BJP and PDP in J&K has come to an end. There is no dearth of the inevitable ‘I told you so’ experts who claim that they had predicted it long ago. Equally, there are those who claim that they had the prescience to know of its failure from day one. However, in dealing with the vexed and long-festering problem in the State, which has defied solution for all these years, choosing a new direction was a bold and correct decision.   As such, the experiment failed, is no reason that it should not have been tried.
The question now is what next? It has been suggested that the security forces must go ‘all out’ to hunt down the 200-odd terrorists reportedly present in the Valley. True that. But it ignores the fact that when – and if – the SF are able to do so, there is no denying that more will trickle in from across the border, following the same methodology that these 200 have done. The supply line is unending.
Another view is that the Hurriyat leaders being the real source of the problem, and a conduit for the inflow of funds and other wherewithal for the terrorists, must be imprisoned. This fetches a cautionary call by some. It is argued by the soft pedal group that the present Hurriyat leaders are soft, and if they are taken away, a more hard-line leadership is likely to take over. However, this apprehension is unfounded. Among the terrorists or their supporters, there is nothing known as a soft or  there is nothing known as a soft or hard category. Their mindset is all the same, working against the interests of the country. Since money link of the present Hurriyat leaders with their mentors or handlers in Pakistan has already been established, they must be incarcerated without delay, and must be kept away from circulation in the State. The reality of their active involvement in fuelling unrest cannot be overlooked on a mere apprehension that their successors would tow an even harder line.
In the aftermath of sudden political developments, the flow of debate lost sight of the real issue. Killing terrorists in not synonymous with finishing terrorism.  More will keep coming despite our best efforts to check their infiltration. For indoctrinated militants, who are determined to kill and are prepared to die, no security system can ever be fool-proof. Countering terrorism is akin to tackling the menace of malaria. Swatting mosquitoes in not the solution; their source of breeding has to be neutralised. That brings us to the basic question. We have to deter Pakistan from sending terrorists and from perpetrating violence in the Valley.
Read more at:
http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/the-kashmir-valley-what-next/