Major Leetul Gogoi: In eye of a storm
Current Events :
The government has recently unveiled the long-awaited ‘Strategic Partnership’ policy for defence production. This policy is aimed at creating and nurturing an ecosystem for private defence manufacturing in India. The government has all along insisted that the defence industry would be a centrepiece of Make in India. Strategic partnerships with select Indian firms have long been regarded as essential to enabling significant private sector participation in defence manufacturing. Over a decade ago, a committee led by Vijay Kelkar recommended that the government should identify certain firms based on their technical, managerial and financial strength as ‘champions’ or ‘Raksha Udyog Ratna’ and circulate tenders for major systems to these firms. A subsequent committee was constituted led by Probir Sengupta identified 13 Indian firms that could be designated along these lines.
But the government of the day baulked at the thought of being seen as favouring some companies over others. This concern was overblown and it effectively stymied private sector participation in defence. Although the NDA government has taken its time to approve the policy, it has done well in thinking through its underlying rationale as well as the practical steps needed to unleash the Indian private sector in this critical domain. Nevertheless, there are some lingering problems that the government will need to address as it moves along.
The policy acknowledges that there are few Indian private players with experience in integrating complex defence systems and subsystems. Hence, it seeks to provide a framework for nurturing such capabilities over time. In the initial phase, the government will identify one Indian private entity as a strategic partner to manufacture one major system: single-engine fighter aircraft, helicopters, submarines, and armoured vehicles. This at once caters for the systems most needed by the armed forces and encourages specialisation among Indian firms. The strategic partner will be picked through a well-defined process that will include an assessment not just of the technical capabilities of the entity, but also its plans for indigenisation over time and its ability to foster a network of domestic suppliers. Ultimately, though, the selection of the SP will be based on “the price quoted”. L1 will remain the final arbiter.
In parallel with this process, the government will also prepare a short list of foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with whom the aspiring strategic partners can tie up for technology transfer. The main criterion on which the OEMs will be identified is the extent of technology they are willing to pass on. The joint ventures between a strategic partner and an OEM cannot, however, have more than 49% FDI. They must be owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens. The OEMs, for their part, must obtain prior licence for technology transfer from their own governments.
These provisions are likely to prove onerous. For one thing, the FDI ceiling of 49% will give pause to foreign manufacturers in tying up with Indian firms. If the experience of the past few years is anything to go by, then OEMs will be reluctant to transfer significant technology for production in India under an arrangement that gives them insufficient control. To be sure, the policy does talk about protecting the property rights of OEMs. But this may not be sufficient assurance. What’s more, the governments of the OEMs may also be disinclined to permit significant technology transfer under these conditions.
In consequence, OEMs may choose to supply the advanced sub-systems and components from abroad while enabling the Indian strategic partner to manufacture only lowerend technology in India. On the flip side, the Indian firms may be uncomfortable with the idea of being forced to bear all the risks associated with the venture without commensurate control over key technology.
New Delhi, June 12
The BJP today sought an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi over her party leader Sandeep Diskshit “sadak ka goonda” remark against Army Chief General Bipin Rawat.The BJP, however, remained mum over the “chatur bania” reference to Mahatma Gandhi by its chief Amit Shah as Dikshit sought to use the observation as a counter-attack. The Congress distanced itself from Dikshit’s remarks with Rahul Gandhi saying “no politician should make comments against the Army Chief”. — TNS
Sandeep Dikshit’s Derogatory Comment Against Army Chief Bipin Rawat
Sandeep Dikshit के विवादित बयान से मचा हंगामा, Army Chief को बताया “सड़क का गुंडा”
THE sham trial of Kulbhushan Jadhav by the Pakistan military court will be back in news next week when the ICJ sets down a time table for the full hearing of the case.India’s decision to take Jadhav’s case to the ICJ was a bold and courageous step. Firstly, on the investigation and judicial front, there are far too many loopholes which require to be brought to the notice of the international community. Secondly, in approaching the ICJ, we adopted a proactive diplomatic stance; a turning point in our diplomacy from the kind of chicanery noticed when mutilated bodies of Saurabh Kalia and his colleagues were handed over by the Pakistan army during the Kargil war.Jadhav has been convicted and sentenced to death by a military court established under the 21st Amendment of the Pakistan’s constitution to implement its national action plan against terrorism. This constitutional amendment has given extra-judicial powers to Pakistani military courts. As per sub-clause inserted in Section 2, Chapter 1 of the Pakistan Army Act-1952 (PAA), ‘Any person who is or claims or is known to belong to any terrorist group or organisation using the name of religion or sect and raises army or wages war against Pakistan or attacks the armed forces of Pakistan and law enforcement agencies, or attacks any civil or military installations in Pakistan or kidnaps any person for ransom or causes death of any person or injury, shall be punished under this Act’. With this clause, Pakistan has become the only country in South Asia which allows trial of civilians by military courts.Jadhav’s case has highlighted the violation of the Vienna Convention on consular relations, gross violation of rights and natural justice, and sham probe and trial by Pakistan’s military court.Jadhav was (allegedly) arrested by the Pakistan army at Mashkel (a remote Kharan desert town, 85 per cent destroyed in the 2013 earthquake) near the Iran border on March 3, 2016. Within three weeks, his so-called confession was put out for public viewing on video-tape. Is it possible to carry out a full probe that requires visits to distant locations, examination of witnesses and corroboration of testimony within such a short time? It looks extremely doubtful.He has been charged with providing financial backup and training to several agents involved in terrorist activities against Pakistan. Who are these agents? What and where was their training carried out? Where is the proof of money paid to them? The prosecution of such cases would always be a joint trial for the co-accused. But there is no indication of any other person involved or facing trial with Jadhav.What about the process of law?The amended PAA allows military courts to try ‘any person who is or claims or is known to belong to any terrorist group or organisation using the name of religion or sect’. But in this case, the prosecution has not indicated the identity of any ‘terrorist group or organisation using the name of religion or sect’. In military courts, the accused has a right to challenge the members and question its jurisdiction. There is no evidence that this vital right was offered to Jadhav. He was given assistance of a defending officer — a military officer with little or no legal qualification. Pakistan army court-martials under this Act do not allow the accused access to civil lawyers. The courts conduct trials in total secrecy. The location and timings of court-martials are not made public.Military law, like the civilian code of criminal procedure, mandates a court-martial not to accept a plea of guilty where the charge can involve a death sentence. The trial has to be processed considering the accused as ‘not guilty’. The confession has to be supported by corroborative evidence to establish his guilt beyond all reasonable doubt. There is no such proof in this case.The principle of fair justice warrants a written judgment by a court, explaining the logic behind the verdicts. But Pakistan military courts are not required to give such documents. Even the families of convicts are not told about the investigation and evidence related to the case. How can then one file an appeal against the verdict when essential evidence, findings and legal reasoning are not made public and given to the accused?Under Section 133B of the PAA, an accused has no remedy against the decision of a court-martial except appeal. These Sections state any person to whom a court-martial has awarded a sentence of death, imprisonment for life, imprisonment exceeding three months or dismissal from service may prefer an appeal against the finding/sentence to a Court of Appeals headed by a Major-General within 40 days from the date of announcement of finding/sentence. The decision of the Court of Appeals cannot be called in question before any court or other authority whatsoever.A recent report by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations on the trials of terror cases for 2016 says about 90 per cent accused confessed to the charges. This unusually high percentage of confession has raised doubts. It indicates that questionable interrogation and torture means have been used to elicit such confessions.The civil society in Pakistan has questioned the setting up and functioning of military courts, especially on the trial of civilians. According to Rafia Zakaria, an attorney and political philosopher of Pakistani origin, ‘The secrecy surrounding military courts leaves them open to charges of contravening legal principles and pursuing their own vendettas against this or that terrorist group, instead of sticking to the principles of justice and obtaining convictions via fair procedures…Given that military courts in Pakistan do not work under a system of legal precedent, little information exists as to the basis of convictions and acquittals. Moreover, since evidence is rarely made public, plenty of room is created for conspiracy theorists to place doubt on any conviction that is produced under their auspices’.Pakistan has flouted the Vienna Convention to which India and Pakistan are signatories. The ICJ provisional order has ensured that Jadhav will not be hanged quietly but denial of consular access continues. The legal battle will be long. While India fights for Jadhav’s life, the kangaroo military courts of Pakistan would also be exposed.The writer is a former Army Chief
भारत द्वारा पाक अधिकृत कश्मीर (पाक समझने की भूल ना करे, विभिन्न न्यूज चैनल उन्माद में इसे पाकिस्तान बता रहे है) में सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक किये गए। कई आतंकी ठिकानो को नष्ट किया गया और चैनेलो के मुताबिक 38-40 आतंकियों को हमारे वीर सैनिको ने मार गिराया। चुकीं अलग अलग न्यूज वाले विभिन्न आंकड़े बता रहे हैं पर यहाँ मैंने कोई एक संख्या ले ली है। PoK में ये हमला उरी में हुए फिदायीन हमले का जवाब था। सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक के बाद काफी कुछ हो रहा है जिसकी किसी को आशंका नही थी। सैन्य पराक्रम और सरकार के कुशल नेतृत्व के साथ भारत ने जरूर पाकिस्तान को सबक सिखाया है पर सेना का ये प्रयास एक ‘गुप्त मिशन’ था और इसे गुप्त ही रखना चाहिए था। पर सरकार के इस कदम का ढिंढोरा टेलीविज़न पर अभी तक पीटा जा रहा है और सत्ताधारी पार्टी सेना के इस बहादुरी का राजनैतिक लाभ लेने की पूरी कोशिश कर रही है। सरकार जहाँ खुद को शाबाशी देते नही थक रही वहीँ कुछ चैनल जो सत्ताधारी पक्ष के लिए काम करती जान पड़ती है, वो प्रधानमंत्री को ऊँचा दिखाने का हर संभव प्रयास कर रही है। सेना का ये दुरूपयोग हर कोण से शर्मनाक है। इस तरह के सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक मनमोहन सिंह के कार्यकाल में भी कई बार हुए पर मोदी सरकार की तरह उन्होंने एक गुप्त मिशन का अत्यधिक प्रचार नही किया और ना ही कभी राजनीतिक फायदा उठाने की कोशिश की।
उरी आतंकी हमले में हमारे 19 सैनिक शहीद हो गए। ये भारत सरकार के दावों और चुनाव पूर्व किये गए वादों पर एक बड़ा प्रश्नचिन्ह था। पठानकोट हमला और अब ये उरी हमले ने सरकार को देशवाशियों के सामने घुटने पर ला दिया। पाकिस्तान को लाल आँखे दिखाने से लेकर एक सर के बदले 10 सर लाने की बात जुमले लगने लगे। पूरा देश एक स्वर में सरकार से अनुरोध कर रहा था कि उन्हें भाषण नही अब काम चाहिए। सोशल मीडिया और न्यूज चैनल पर घनघोर युद्ध चलने लगा। इसी बीच नरेंद्र मोदी ने केरल में एक भाषण दिया जिसमे उन्होंने कहा की पाकिस्तान और भारत गरीबी भुकमरी भ्रस्टाचार हटाने में युद्ध करे फिर देखे कौन जीतता है। उन्होंने पाकिस्तानी नागरिको से अपील की कि सरकार को इन सब मश्लो पर काम करने बोले। इसी के साथ युद्ध की अटकलों पर विराम लग गया था। इसके बाद विदेश मंत्री सुषमा स्वराज ने संयुक्त राष्ट्र में पाकिस्तान को अलग थलग करने की बात की। लगा की अब भारत पाकिस्तान से विभिन्न तरह से लड़ना चाहता है। पर विपक्षी पार्टियों और सामाजिक तत्वो की ओर से लगातार होते आलोचनाएं और अपनी साख बचाने के लिए भारत सरकार ने सेना के द्वारा PoK के आतंकी ठीकनो को निशाना बनाया। सरकार के इस कदम का सभी ने जोरदार स्वागत किया। यहाँ तक की कांग्रेस ने भी राजनीती को अलग रख कर सरकार का पूरा समर्थन किया। पर इन सबके बाद भारत के मीडिया ने जो एक गुप्त सैन्य मिशन का ढिंढोरा पीटा वो वाक़ई शर्मनाक है और देश के अश्मिता पर सवाल है।
हालाँकि पाकिस्तान अपने अधिकृत इलाके में हुए कार्यवाई को मानने को तैयार नही है या यूँ कहिये की मानना नही चाहता। पाकिस्तान के मानने ना मानने से फर्क नही पड़ता पर संयुक्त राष्ट्र और विश्व के कई जाने माने अख़बार जैसे की वाशिंगटन पोस्ट, cnn, bbc इत्यादियों ने भी प्रश्नचिन्ह लगा दिया है। इससे हमें फर्क पड़ता है क्योंकि ये हमारे सैनिको के पराक्रम के ऊपर एक सवाल है जिसका जवाब भारत सरकार को देना चाहिए। ऐसा क्यू है की उनके पास इस सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक को ले कर दूसरी धारणाये हैं? ऐसा उस वक़्त क्यों नही था जब कांग्रेस के समय में ऐसी कार्यवाई हुई? क्या भारत सरकार का फ़र्ज़ नही बनता की उनके सवालों का विस्वसनीय जवाब दे और बताये की हम क्या क्या कर सकते हैं? संयुक्त राष्ट्र के प्रवक्ता ने बताया कि UNMOG ने नियंत्रण रेखा पर किसी तरह की गोलीबारी नही देखी और किसी प्रकार के हमले का खंडन किया। अगर भारत सरकार ने इन दावों का खंडन नही किया तो हमारे सेना के पराक्रम की साख के ऊपर सवाल आ सकता है।
बीते 2 सालों में देशभक्ति विषय पर काफी चर्चाएं होती आ रही है। इन गंभीर मश्लो को काफी सूक्ष्म दृष्टिकोण से देखा जा रहा है। किसी को भी देशद्रोही होने का तमगा पहना दिया जाता है जैसे ये बच्चे का खेल हो। यही कारण है कि सोचने समझने वाले लोग भी सवाल ना कर चुपचाप जैसे नदी के वेग के साथ हो लेते हैं। मौजूद स्थिति सचमुच में दुखद है जब लोग प्रश्न पूछने से डरने लगे हैं।
दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल भी नरेंद्र मोदी के समर्थन में पूरी तरह दिखे। एक वीडियो संवाद के तहत उन्होंने कहा – “कुछ दिनों पहले हमारे 19 सैनिक आतंकी हमले में शहीद हो गए। पिछले हफ्ते ही हमारी सेना ने काफी बहादुरी के साथ सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक कर इसका बदला लिया। भले ही हमारे और नरेंद्र मोदी के बीच राजनीतिक मतभेद रहे हों पर मै इस मसले पर उनकी दृढ़ इच्छाशक्ति को सलाम करता हूँ। पर हमारी कार्यवाई के बाद पाकिस्तान पूरे विश्व में प्रोपेगंडा फैला रहा है और सभी को गुमराह कर रहा की भारत के दावे गलत हैं। दो दिन पहले ही संयुक्त राष्ट्र ने पाकिस्तान की बातों में आकर कहा है कि कार्यवाई के कोई सबूत नही हैं। पाकिस्तान ने विदेशी पत्रकारों को बुला कर ये दिखाना चाह रहा है कि सब कुछ सामान्य है। मैंने जब ये रिपोर्ट देखी तो मेरा खून खौल उठा। भारत सरकार को पाकिस्तान के इस प्रोपेगंडा का मुंहतोड़ जवाब देना चाहिए। ”
बस इतना कहना था कि पाकिस्तानी मीडिया ने इस वाक़या को अपने फायदे के लिए गलत तरीके से ये दिखाया की कैसे केजरीवाल मोदी से सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक के सबूत मांग रहे हैं। भारतीय मीडिया से इस मसले पर कुछ बुद्धिमानी के अपेक्षा की जा रही थी पर उन्होंने भी केजरीवाल के बयान को तोड़ मरोड़ कर दिखाने की कोशिश की और ये माहौल बना दिया की केजरीवाल पाकिस्तान के हक़ में बोल रहे हैं। “केजरीवाल बने पाकिस्तान के हीरो” जैसे हैडलाइन दिखा कर देश की जनता को भ्रमित करने की कोशिश की गयी। वैसे ही मोदी समर्थित मीडिया का केजरीवाल से 36 का आंकड़ा रहता है। काफी संख्या में लोग इन्ही चैनलों को देख अपनी अपनी राय बनाते हैं और जैसे ही इस खबर को मीडिया ने अपने तरीके से पेश किया, वो कस्बा जो नरेंद्र मोदी को अपना भगवान् मानता है, वही पुराने ‘देशद्रोही’ का राग अलापने लगे। बिना विडियो देखे लोग अलग अलग गंदे तरीके से केजरीवाल पर गालियों से भरी टिपण्णी करने लगे। कैसे एक राजनीती से प्रेरित मीडिया समाज में नफ़रत पैदा करता है इसका जीवंत उदाहरण देखने को मिला और समय समय पर हमेशा मिलता रहता है। केजरीवाल ने बस इतना कहा कि पाकिस्तान जिस तरह से दुनिया को सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक पर गुमराह कर रहा है उसपर भारत सरकार को मुंहतोड़ जवाब देना चाहिए। मुझे लगता है कुछ गलत नही कहा बल्कि पूरे देश को ऐसा बोलना चाहिये। ज्ञात रहे की केजरीवाल ने सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक पर कोई सवाल नही उठाया और न ही खुद के लिए सबूत माँगा। इसपर सरकार और इनके समर्थको और इनकी मीडिया में ऐसा उबाल और नफ़रत की भावना एक बिभत्सव राजनीतिक साजिश की और इशारा करता है।
एक तरफ जहाँ भारतीय सेना युद्ध के मुहाने पर बैठी है और उनकी छुट्टियां रद्द हो रही है वहीँ दूसरी ओर सत्ताधारी पार्टी सेना के द्वारा राजनीतिक रोटियां सेंकने में व्यस्त है। उत्तर प्रदेश में अगले वर्ष चुनाव होने को हैं और सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक पर खुद को शाबाशी देते ताल ठोकते भाजपा की पोस्टरें जगह जगह पर लग चुकी है। भारतीय सेना का ऐसा दुरूपयोग ना तो किसी ने पहले किया ना ही एक सभ्य सरकार ऐसा करने को सोच सकती है। कुछ वोट पाने के लिए इस तरह की शर्मनाक हरकत वास्तव में पहली और ऐतिहासिक है। पिछली सरकारों ने भी कई बार इस तरह की कार्यवाई को सफलतापूर्वक अंजाम दिया था पर किसी सरकार ने अपनी पीठ इतने दिनों तक खुद नही थपथपाई थी। भारतीय राजनीति में ये एक नया शर्मनाक अध्याय जुड़ा है। हालाँकि सत्ताधारी पार्टी भाजपा के लिए ये नया नही है। 26/11 के समय जब हमारे जवान आतंकवादियों से मुम्बई की सड़कों पर लोहा ले रहे थे तो तब गुजरात के मुख्यमंत्री रहे नरेंद्र मोदी एक प्रेस कांफ्रेंस बुला कर सरकार को कोस रहे थे और राजनीति कर रहे थे। अब जब वो दूसरों को राजनीति करने से मना कर रहे तो उन्हें अपने गिरेबाँ में झाँक लेना चाहिए।
कुल मिला का संक्षेप में कहें तो हर भारतीय को भारतीय सेना के DGMO के वक्तब्य पर कोई संदेह नही है पर अगर दुनिया इसे झुठलाने की कोशिश में है तो भारत सरकार को जवाब देना चाहिए और कुछ तथ्य पेश करने चाहिए। जरूरी नही की तथ्य आपरेशन का वीडियो हो पर ऐसा कुछ तो हो जो सवाल उठाने वालों के मुंह पर तमाचा हो। सैन्य कार्यवाई के ऊपर प्रचार और राजनीति बंद हो। भाजपा उत्तरप्रदेश में लगाये गए पोस्टरों का संज्ञान ले और उसे तुरंत हटाये ताकि हमारी सेना अपमानित न महसूस करे। रक्षा मंत्री ने कहा कि सेना को अपनी ताकत का एहसास उनके कारण ही हुआ है। मंत्रियों को चाहिए की सोच समझनकर बयान बाजी करे। रक्षा मंत्री मनोहर पर्रिकर की तरह ऐसी बाते न कहें जिससे सेना की अस्मिता को ठेस पहुचे।
— दीपक झा
The views and opinion expressed in this article are author’s own and do not reflect the views of The Political Funda
Ishrat S Banwait
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 2
Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Ved Prakash Malik at an event today at Panjab University expressed his views on the ‘human shield’ incident. Malik said Major Gogoi should be warned against repeating such an action. However, Malik also said that Gogoi’s ‘intentions were good’ and that he should be complimenting for saving lives.At the event themed, ‘Jammu and Kashmir: The Way Forward’, Malik said he was optimistic and by his past experiences, he was sure that the issue would be resolved soon. However, Malik says that strong army action is needed for the same. “To negotiate with Pakistan from a position of strength, armed forces have to be used,” said Malik.Stressing on the need to adopt tough measures, when situation demands, Malik said, “It is fashionable for people who do not know politics to say that a political solution is possible in the issue.” He criticised the BJP government and said that the party hurried into coalition with PDP and is now backing out of it.Former ambassador KC Singh expressed concern over the excessive use of social media as a propaganda item. He said social media should not be allowed to affect domestic policy of the nation. He blamed the medium for colouring the youth against Pakistan which he felt was not in accordance to reality.Going back in history, he brought forward the various facets why India went to the United Nations Security Council and also how the Plebiscite clause came into being. He also argued that the composite dialogue arrangement is a flawed one as Confidence Building Measures and disputes cannot take place in the same platform.Former Lt Gen DS Hooda said the education sector was badly affected in Kashmir and the youth who form majority of the population today were being driven towards terrorism. He agreed that the police have a bad reputation and has added to the anger of the youth. He also said that there was a need to reach out to the Kashmiri youth.Vice-Chancellor AK Grover came up with the thought of creating academia contact with Pakistan. Such a platform could be used to hold annual meetings of every subject between university of Punjab in Lahore and the various universities in Punjab, Haryana and PU.
भाजपा ने सत्ता की जल्दी में किया पीडीपी से गठबंधन
जोगिंद्र सिंह/ट्रिन्यू
चंडीगढ़, 2 जून
भाजपा को जम्मू-कश्मीर में सत्ता पाने की जल्दी थी, जिसके चलते उसने अलगाववादियों की समर्थक पार्टी पीडीपी से गठबंधन कर लिया और बिना सोचे-समझे न्यूनतम सांझा कार्यक्रम पर साइन भी कर दिये। मगर आज भाजपा जो चाहती है, वो वह कर नहीं सकती। ये विचार आज पंजाब विश्वविद्यालय में पूर्व जनरल केजे सिंह की पहल पर एलूमनी एसोसिएशन द्वारा नवगठित थिंक टैंक ज्ञान सेतु के एक कार्यक्रम में पूर्व सेनाध्यक्ष जनरल वीपी मलिक ने जम्मू-कश्मीर : द वे फारवर्ड विषय पर अपने वक्तव्य में व्यक्त किये। उन्होंने कहा कि भाजपा-पीडीपी का गठबंधन कभी भी खत्म हो सकता है। यह तो पक्का ही है कि यह अपना कार्यकाल पूरा नहीं करेगा। जनरल मलिक ने कहा कि कश्मीर के भीतर जवानों के साथ बदसलूकी हो रही है, इससे पहले भी घटनाएं होती रही हैं, मगर सेना का राजनीतिकरण नहीं होना चाहिए। उन्होंने कहा कि यूनिफाइड कमांड की कोई बैठक हुए 7-8 माह हो चुके हैं। जनरल मलिक ने कहा कि कश्मीर समस्या के हल के लिये केंद्र सरकार कोई राजनीतिक समाधान निकाले और इसमें सेना की मदद ले क्योंकि सेना को ही पता है कि हिंसा पर कैसे काबू पाना है।
कार्यक्रम में पूर्व राजदूत केसी सिंह ने इस अवसर पर कहा कि पाकिस्तान को लेकर 60 से 70 फीसदी लोग पूर्वाग्रही होते हैं। राजनेता, ट्विटर आर्मी, सोशल मीडिया और मेन स्ट्रीम मीडिया जैसा दिखाता या प्रचारित करता है, उसकी जरूरत नहीं है। अंधराष्ट्रवाद नहीं होना चाहिए।
उन्होंने कहा दोनों देशों के बीच संबंध बेहतर बनाने के लिये समग्र वार्ता होना जरूरी है। ले. जन. (अवकाशप्राप्त) डीएस हुड्डा ने कहा कि कूटनीतिक तौर पर पाक को अलग-थलग कर देने से ही काम नहीं चलेगा बल्कि कश्मीर मुद्दे के हल के लिये नयी नीति अपनानी होगी। के जे सिंह ने कार्यक्रम का संचालन किया और सवाल-जवाब के सत्र को बखूभी चलाया।
दिल्ली को बनाया जाये क्रिक का हिस्सा : कुलपति
कुलपति प्रो. अरुण ग्रोवर ने इस थिंक टैंक की आवश्यकता पर बल देते हुए कहा कि चंडीगढ़ के उस पार दिल्ली को भी चंडीगढ़ रीजन इनोवेटिव एंड नॉलेज कलस्टर (क्रिक) का हिस्सा बनाया जाये। उन्होंने कहा कि पंजाबियत के बल पर दोनों ओर एकेडमिया संबंध बनाकर रिश्ते सुधारे जा सकते हैं।
New Delhi, June 1
The strategic partnership policy in defence will help attract FDI as global investors would be assured of orders, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday.He said unless the opening of the FDI rules is accompanied by some reasonable possibility of getting orders, an investor is not going to set up an establishment in the country.Entry of foreign investors “is linked to the kind of orders they will get and the only entity which can place the orders is the Government of India.“There are no two procurers, there is only one and that is why the strategic partner policy now has been brought in as it will supplement the FDI policy,” he said when asked about the reasons of poor response of investors in the sector.Whether the strategic partner comes through FDI route or the investor comes with just a technology tie-up, they would be free to do so, he added.Seen as a major initiative, the ‘strategic partnership model’ aims to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country through involvement of both the major Indian corporates as well as the MSME sector.Under the policy, select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.In 2016, the government relaxed FDI norms in several sectors, including defence. India imports 70 per cent of its military hardware from different countries.As per the policy, foreign investment up to 49 per cent has been permitted in the defence sector through automatic route, and beyond that limit through government route on case-to-case basis, wherever it is likely to result in access to modern and state-of-art technology.The minister stated that the FDI changes in the sector opened the door and effort is to encourage them to set up facilities in the country.“They are enabling. They themselves do not ensure that immediately the entry of participants will take place and the reason is very simple that there is only one purchaser within India and that’s the Government of India,” he said.Talking about the procurement proposals, Jaitley said that under the Defence Procurement Policy, a particular mechanism is there by which decisions are being taken.“The manner in which the proposals have been cleared by the defence acquisition council over the last three years is unprecedented when you compare it with the inaction during the previous regime,” he added.During April 2000 and March this year, defence sector has attracted FDI worth only USD 5.12 million (Rs 25.49 crore). PTI
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley claimed that while India had taken several significant steps to ease tensions in the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan responded with terror attacks at Pathankot, Uri and mutilating Indian soldiers. PTI file photo
New Delhi, June 1
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday accused Pakistan of scuttling the environment that must exist for bilateral talks between the two neighbours even as he asserted that Kashmir situation was better than it was being perceived.
He further said that while India had taken several significant steps to ease tensions, Pakistan responded with terror attacks at Pathankot, Uri and mutilating the bodies of Indian soldiers.
“The Government of India has taken significant steps to ease the situation in the past… The fact that our Prime Minister dropped in at Lahore at a social function in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family — steps intended to ease the tension.”
“But each one of these have been responded by, let us say, a Pathankot or a Uri or by mutilation of two of our soldiers. And, therefore, that environment which must exist for a talk has been successfully prevented by Pakistan,” Jaitley said, addressing the press as Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked three years of being in power at the Centre. Jaitley said the Indian Army and the BSF were “dominating” the Line of Control (LoC) regardless of where the troubles are being created by foreign insurgents or domestic terrorists.
“The security forces have been able to build up a lot of pressure on them, and the results, some of which are evident almost on a daily basis… The situation in Kashmir is better than the impression,” he said.
The Indian Army had last week said it launched “punitive fire assaults” on Pakistani positions across the LoC, inflicting “some damage”, days after two of Indian soldiers were beheaded.
Read more:
Read more: J&K: Two militants killed in Sopore gunfight Labourer killed, two injured as Pak troops shell LoC posts in J&K Infiltration from Pakistan came down post surgical strikes: Rajnath Jaitley accuses Pak of scuttling environment for talks
It had also released a video of the military action, which showed some structures in a forested area crumbling in a heap under the impact of repeated shelling.
Admitting that the situation in challenging in South Kashmir, he said it is normal in the rest of the state and recently the two-day meeting of the GST Council was held in Srinagar. — PTI
New Delhi, June 1
In a rare gesture, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday broke protocol and hugged BSF constable Godhraj Meena who has suffered 85 per cent disability after militants’ bullets hit him during an attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur in 2014.Meena’s bus, part of a Border Security Force convoy, was ambushed by militants on August 5, 2014 near the ‘narsu nallah’ area in Udhampur with a heavy gunfire.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)
The citation of the 44-year-old trooper said he was on guard duty in the bus and his bravery, acute presence of mind and accurate fire kept the two militants at bay and thwarted their attempts to enter and target the about 30 personnel onboard.Meena, who is not able to speak properly as one bullet had pierced through his jaw, received a thunderous applause from the officials and jawans when the home minister pinned the gallantry medal on his chest.Even before Meena could accord the mandatory salute, the home minister hugged and patted him and saw him off from the dais with a firm and long hand shake.BSF officials said as per protocol, the home minister, after pinning the medal and handing over the citation, has to shake hand with the awardee and the person moves ahead after according a salute to him.”What we saw today is rare, very rare. This is only in very special cases like that of Meena who has suffered 85 per cent disability after the attack. He is not able to talk and walk properly but despite this he dons his uniform with pride,” a senior officer said.The officer said Meena has now been deputed for conducting administrative duties.This retaliation had led a total of four BSF personnel, including Meena, being decorated with gallantry medals.The others included constable Subhendu Roy, driver Daljit Singh and constable Rocky who was awarded the ‘Shaurya Chakra’.Later, during his speech, Singh said he was proud of Meena’s bravery and grit.He also awarded the police medal for gallantry (posthumous) to the wife of the constable and cook of the BSF unit Sanjay Dhar.Dhar was posted at the ‘Pittal’ border post along the Indo-Pak International Border in Jammu and laid down his life while saving his friend who had got injured in an unprovoked firing incident by Pakistan on July 16, 2014.Singh, during the annual investiture ceremony of the BSF, also awarded gallantry medals to a total of seven troops of the border guarding force for their daredevil actions during ceasefire violations along the India-Pakistan border and while handling attacks by militants in Jammu and Kashmir.He also decorated five personnel of the 41st battalion of the force for undertaking an anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker in 2014, where the team killed two Maoists. PTI
The award of Commendation Card by the Army Chief to Major Leetul Gogoi has strirred a hornet’s nest. Those looking at rule-book correctness of the means employed need to remember that the rules are framed for normal circumstances. Irregular situations demand bending of those rules
Major Leetul Gogoi: In eye of a storm
THE action of Major Gogoi, in tying an unarmed civilian on the bonnet of his jeep last month, aroused both admiration as well as scorn. Social media had a field day. The first to tweet was Omar Abdullah, who termed the action as shocking but his views no longer merit being taken seriously. The veterans were divided, with a majority applauding the officer’s action.The interest in the issue had barely begun to flag, when it hit the headlines again with the award of Commendation Card by the Army Chief to the officer. Both his action and the award merit discussion. Military operations seldom follow a predictable path. This is even more true in the irregular scenario of counter-militancy operations. There are no chalkboard situations or template solutions. The proverbial fifty-third card invariably shows up. Tackling such situations demands out-of-the-box thinking and an innovative mind. Major Gogoi’s action needs to be viewed in this light. Even with the sketchy information, one was convinced that Gogoi had displayed a remarkably quick-thinking mind. After he himself addressed the media on May 23, one also saw him as a mature commander possessing high equanimity in the face of adversity. As he explained, his small party was confronted with a nearly 1,200-strong mob armed with stones, blocking his route. He announced on the hailer that he had come to collect the polling party and requested for passage. Many in the mob would actually have taken this as a sign of weakness. The most obvious option for a conventional military mind would have been to use force to extricate his heavily outnumbered party. But that would have caused dozens of deaths among the civilians. His maturity did not allow him to do so. On the spur of the moment, he thought of using one of the stone-pelters as a deterrent. And that is how Ghulam Ishaq Dar got to travel on the bonnet of his vehicle. The mobsters were too stunned to act. Finding a window of opportunity, Gogoi managed a safe passage for his men. Thus using his wit instead of his weapons, Gogoi accomplished the rescue mission without letting even a drop of blood be shed.How does one view the Major’s action in doing what he did? Those seeped in Army’s conventional ethos and culture decried it. But they miss the point. The prevailing scenario of irregular proxy warfare, calls for an innovative approach. A straitjacket approach, which may work in a conventional setting, has no place in fluid and unpredictable situations that our commanders are encountering almost daily. Given the Army’s result-oriented culture and philosophy, where methodology plays a subordinate role, Gogoi comes out with a high score.Critics who chide him with violation of human rights, are off-track. The most fundamental right of a human being is the right to life. And lives are what Gogoi saved through his unorthodox action. In the end, the result is what matters. Like the ditty goes, “I eat my peas with honey/ I have done it all my life. It may look funny/ but it keeps them on the knife”. Metaphorically, Gogoi kept the peas on the knife. He acted with honest intent. Flexibility should remain the cornerstone of Army’s functioning. Those who are looking for elegance and rule-book correctness of the means employed, need to remember the rules are framed for normal circumstances. Irregular situations demand bending of those rules. I will say: “Well done, Major Gogoi”. I wish the Indian Army has more of his brand and ilk.The award of a Commendation Card by the Army Chief to Major Gogoi raked up a lot of heat, including by a few politicians from the Valley. Some even went to the extent of calling the Army Chief’s action as an insult to the Kashmiris. Strong words of condemnation were no doubt meant to please the ears of their constituents. One wonders how many of them spoke with conviction. It was even more disconcerting to see the leaders of some mainstream political parties, with high national visibility, speaking critically of the award. But that is India, where freedom of speech is stretched to extremes. It may be advisable to eschew populist comments on subjects where one has no expertise.To every rational thinking Indian, the award is very well-deserved and timely. It serves a dual purpose. It sends out a clear signal to the Army rank and file to act boldly and that the hierarchy stands solidly behind them in their efforts towards normalising the situation. Even more importantly, it is a signal to the militants that the Army means business and it is high time they stopped taking law into their own hands. The writer is a former Deputy Chief of Army Staff
NEW DELHI: Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi promised on Thursday he will defend Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi in court on the Kashmir human shield row, if needed.
“I salute Major Gogoi,” he said, joining a long list of people praising the army officer under investigation for tying a Kashmiri weaver to a military jeep’s bonnet and driving around during a violence-marred Lok Sabha bypoll in Srinagar in April.
The major’s action triggered a fierce debate about military ethics and atrocities on people in the insurgency-hit Kashmir Valley. He defended his act saying he did it to save people from a stonethrowing mob.
Gogoi was nominated to receive the COAS commendation award despite facing a court of inquiry for alleged human rights violation.
He is also named in an FIR registered by J&K police.
Rohatgi, the country’s top law officer, supported the military officer and said he will “defend Gogoi if a case is lodged against him”.
“Major Gogoi risked his life for the nation. His critics are speaking rubbish and they have no respect for valiant soldiers…”
“I salute him for his presence of mind” to avert violence and that should not be condemned, the attorney general said. According to him, the officer followed “principles of restraint” to resolve an explosive situation and “he did so without any loss of life”.
Rohatgi has defended the armed forces during litigation in the Supreme Court, the latest being his defence of pellet guns used by paramilitary forces in Kashmir for crowd control.
These weapons are called nonlethal, but blinded and maimed many people and caused fatal wounds too during last year’s public unrest in the Valley.
Rohatgi criticised the top court’s verdict against the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which allowed security forces extra-judicial powers and protection against prosecution during counter-insurgency operations.
The verdict last year restrained security personnel from using “extreme force” even areas where the AFSPA is invoked. The act is blamed for several alleged extra-judicial killings in Kashmir and the Northeast throughout the past decade.
But the attorney general argued that “the principles of right to self-defence cannot be strictly applied while dealing with militants and terrorist elements in a hostile and unstable terrain”.
Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
Imphal, May 25
To end the decades-long insurgency in Manipur, the BJP-led government in Manipur is ready for talks with militants willing to lay down their arms. Chief Minister N Biren Singh, in an interview with The Tribune, said his government was working on surrender and rehabilitation package for armed militants in the state bordering Myanmar.“We are going to invite the insurgents for talks. We have deliberated on the issue in the Cabinet. I have already spoken to Home Minister Rajnath Singh for a package to ensure security, including financial security, to militants who surrender,” he said.Despite emerging the second-largest party in the state Assembly poll, the BJP was able to form a government. The CM, exuding confidence, claimed his government would last full term. “Stability is not a problem. People are with me. The Naga People’s Front is also a part of my government.” Biren Singh, who took over as the state’s first BJP CM on March 15, claimed militancy-related violence had come down.“My biggest challenge is insurgency. I want equal development of hills and plains.” he emphasised.“After their surrender, where will they (insurgents) live? How will they be integrated with the mainstream? We have to work out these things. Anybody surrendering will be taking a big risk. He will be under threat from his group members. The surrendered militants have to be given financial support for rehabilitation,” he maintained.A state with a population of barely three million, Manipur has over 30 militant groups, some demanding independence. As of now, surrendered militants are kept in camps, isolated from their families and society.Biren Singh said he expected a financial package from the Centre. “We have to construct a housing colony for the surrendered militants so that they can live with their families in a safe environment. Schools, banking facilities, everything has to be provided to them and their families. They should feel secure. We have to create that kind of atmosphere,” the CM said.Pointing out that the Centre spent a huge sum on counter-insurgency operations in the northeast, he said: “If we implement a surrender and rehabilitation policy, it will yield better results, both in terms of peace and development.” On the blockades imposed by the United Naga Council, an apex body of Naga insurgent groups, Biren Singh said the 139-day blockade of NH-2 and NH-37, to protest the creation of Sadar Hills and Jiribam districts by the earlier Congress government, was lifted four days after the BJP had formed government. “Besides, the Railway line from Giribam to Imphal will be completet by 2020. It will be very useful during such blockades.”On the demand by certain Naga groups for including Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur to form “Greater Nagaland,” he said: “The territorial integrity of Manipur will remain intact. Even the PM has said so.” He claimed his government was not aware of any talks between Naga insurgent group NSCN (IM) and the Centre in this regard.The Chief Minister, who has been a footballer, said his government wanted to encourage sports and tourism.
