Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 21

Pakistan has opened a window for India to launch across-the-border operations to crush terrorism as it itself has gone in for anti-terror operations in Afghanistan.The border, when it comes to launching anti-terror operations, holds no sanctity. Pakistan has proved that in the last few days following the carnage at a Sufi shrine in Sindh.America was the first to do it after 9/11 when it bombarded Afghanistan and landed its forces there to stamp out the Al-Qaida and the Taliban.Now Pakistan has done it. By that standard of anti-terror operations, Pakistan cannot deny India its right to strike at terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for terrorists have been using Pakistani soil to attack India. Besides, Pakistani terrorists have been hyper active against India in Afghanistan as well.Pakistan did not hesitate even for a moment to conclude that the terrorists who killed worshippers at the Lal Shabaz Qalandhar shrine in Sindh were from Afghanistan. It went on to ask for 76 terrorists from the Afghanistan government. The Afghan envoy was not summoned to the foreign office but to the General Headquarters of the Pakistan army.The Pakistan army claimed to have killed over 100 terrorists in Afghanistan. It has also warned Kabul that it would repeat the operations as and when Islamabad would suspect that Afghanistan-based terrorists were targeting Pakistani people or establishment.The message was heard loud and clear in Pakistani Senate when on Monday, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told the House: “The Prime Minister had authorised the army to take out terrorists wherever they might be.”There, however, was a dichotomy in his statement when he said: “It had been established beyond doubt that foreign soil had been used to orchestrate the two latest attacks — in Lahore and in Hayatabad.” He recalled Pakistan’s commitment that its soil would not be allowed to be used for terrorism in any country and noted that the time had come to ensure that no other country’s soil was used against Pakistan.Pakistan’s soil has excessively been used by terrorists to target Afghanistan and India. It is an undeniable fact that Pakistan’s soil has given birth to several terrorists, who have been trained to strike the western countries too.Terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad and some sections of the Taliban having links with the Islamic State have been operating under the direct patronage of the Pakistan army.So, for a Pakistani minister to say that “Pakistan’s soil would not be allowed to be used for terrorism in any country” runs into the face of the realities that have traced terror camps in Pakistan, wherefrom terrorists are prepared for “jihad” in J&Kand other parts of India and Afghanistan.India for its own security has the right to strike at terrorist camps wherever they exist, here or across. The sovereignty definition cannot be a one-sided definition. Pakistan itself has shown the door officially. Now, it is time for India to learn the right lessons, this time from the neighbouring country, also troubled by terrorism.It is a universally acknowledged fact that Pakistan is an epicentre of terrorism. The best course for Islamabad, as military experts would suggest, would be to first decimate its home-grown terrorists. The terms “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists” hold no ground. By now this fact should have dawned on Pakistan.

Aspirants await their turn for a medical test during a recruitment drive in Ludhiana on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan

Shivani Bhakoo & Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 21

On the second day of the recruitment rally for 14 vacancies in Territorial Army here today, syringes and other objectionable material, including empty bottles of cough syrup, was found from the bags of several candidates.Army officials said the material was obtained not only from the candidates of Punjab, but also from Haryana and Delhi. Col NK Sharma, under whose guidance the recruitment process is being held, said the candidates’ bags were checked on both days randomly.“We found used and unused syringes and empty bottles from their bags. This shows that to enhance the performance the candidates must have consumed drugs. We did not let them go for any physical or other test and they were immediately sent back,” said Col Sharma.On being asked the number of such candidates, Col Sharma said the bags were randomly checked by Army personnel at different points and they did not maintain any record.“We are also conducting dope test of candidates, who have scored well in physical tests. Each testing kit costs around Rs 250 and is used on one person only. It is not viable to conduct dope test on each and every candidate. But those selected and have scored well are being minutely watched,” said Col Sharma.Most of the participating candidates are from rural background from states of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The rally will conclude on February 28.At least 6,000 candidates are expected to take part for 14 vacancies of Territorial Army.

Tribune file photo for representation.

New Delhi, February 21Dhobi, safai karamchari, mali and mochi at CRPF will soon get English titles, while cook will become chef and barber will be called hairstylist as part of a ‘nomenclature facelift’ suggested by the government.Fitter will become automotive mechanic, mali will be gardener or horticulturist and safai karamchari — house keeper, while those working in kitchen including masalchi, kahar and water carrier will be known as assistant chefs.Other proposed changes for titles of trademen at the paramilitary force include dhobi to laundryman, chowkidar to security assistant and mochi to shoe maker.These changes were suggested to the Central Reserve Police Force by Union Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy under the skill development programme.“Hoping to enhance the respect of the work force in CRPF the minister wants to do away with tags such as chowkidar, mali, mochi, safai karamchari,” a senior official told PTI.“Though there is no substantive change in the rank and nature of job, yet their trade title is proposed to be changed. Further there is no financial implication in this case,” the official said.The changes have also been shared with other paramilitary forces like CISF, ITBP, BSF, SSB and Assam Rifles.Sharing his thoughts with CRPF jawans while distributing certificates of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) earlier, Rudy had noticed that the nomenclature associated with the skill sets and work force are archaic and needed a facelift, the official said.The minister had expressed the need to recognise and prepare a new and more aspirational vocationally skilled work force with a view to ensuring their employability, and making them more respectable and indicative of the trade. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, according to media reports, has sought a report over the short supply of medals that has forced soldiers to buy duplicate ones from the market.

The medals are for various achievements including bravery, distinguished service among others. According to sources, while those medals awarded at investiture ceremonies were available, lakhs of others awarded over the years are not.

This includes those given for completing a certain number of years in service, serving in difficult areas or taking part in various operations. The situation has been such that only a handful of medals have been officially issued over the last 7-8 years while over 10 lakh medals are pending. Media quoting a defence source said, “The Defence Minister has sought a report on the situation and why it (the medals) has not been issued for so many years. The Medals Department of MoD is responsible for issue of medals to the Armed Forces.”

Defence Minister Parrikar should also ask for figures of how many medals were dispatched by post to soldiers say in the last 10 years long ‘after’ after they had retired from service. The numbers would likely shock him.

Of course, the Medal Section is quite capable of obfuscating the real figures. According to an unnamed source in the Ministry of Defence, non-availability was due to some “financial constraints”. This is nothing but a weak bureaucratic cover up especially considering the crores of rupees from the defence budget that gets surrendered each financial year.

Soldiers perforce have to buy duplicates of their hard-earned medals. One favourite place for purchasing duplicate medals is Gopinath Bazar in Delhi Cantonment. The difference between the original and the duplicate is that the name of the soldier and his service number is engraved on the rim of the original medal.

Why does a soldier buy a duplicate medal? Not understood by many, it is what medals he wears on his chest that adds to his ‘izzat’. He does not favour his chest bare without the medals due to him and – consequently less medals compared to his contemporaries. And why should he not receive his medals promptly rather tham several years later when he has earned them through sweat and blood. MoD’s Medal Section will of course excuse the inexcusable to the Defence Minister, blaming shortage of funds and the like.

The problem of giving the medals to soldiers’ years after these were awarded is endemic and the actual issue is institutionalized corruption.

Fancy what a MoD official had revealed some years ago. When the Government of India decided to award the 50-year Independence Medal to all security forces (Armed Forces, Para Military Forces, Central Armed Police Forces and Police personnel included), the overall contract worked out to some Rs 100 crores. This was with the cost of every individual medal worked out at Rs 100, even though the duplicate was available in Gopinath Bazar for less than half that price.

Awarding the contract itself took considerable time because vendors were being hunted who could pass on Rs 20 crores under the table before the agreement was inked. Thus not only is awarding the contract delayed, timely delivery of medals becomes a casualty with no pressure on the vendor with the money jingling in the pockets.

It is also very likely that the same vendor or vendors, who produce the actual medals, also makes the duplicates. This can be easily verified from the shops selling duplicate medals.

Obviously, delayed delivery of actual medals boosts the sales of duplicate medals. After all, the vendor has to somewhat make up, if not completely, the bribe paid while securing the contract for delivering the actual medals.

What the defence minister may wish to examine is that why even today, is the cost of the duplicate medal less than the real one and how much should it actually cost to engrave the service number and the name of the awardees on the rim of the medal? Incidentally, the engraving of the name and service number is generally quite crude.

In this age of advanced metallurgy, it certainly should not make such a vast difference between the cost of the real medal and the duplicate one. Inordinately delayed issue of medals has been a perpetual problem perhaps from the time since Independence because of deep rooted institutionalized corruption, and this needs to be probed and eradicated.

It remains to be seen what explanations / excuses the Medal Section will put forward and what decision the Defence Minister will take. It is quite possible that there may be no further news on the issue in the media.

(Lt General P.C.Katoch (retired) is a veteran officer of the Special Forces)

Wang Qi (77)

Bhopal, February 10

Five decades since he crossed over to India post the 1962 war and raised a family in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, a Chinese soldier is all set to fly back to his native country.Wang Qi, now 77, was caught when he entered the Indian territory shortly after the Sino-India War of 1962. He was later released from jail.”Wang with his wife Sushila, and their son Vishnu and two other family members will be flying to China,” Balaghat Collector Bharat Yadav said.He said Wang and his four family members got visa today and they might fly to China tomorrow, adding this became possible due to the help they received from the Ministry of Home and External Affairs. Official sources in Beijing said Wang and his family members were expected to arrive there tomorrow.After their arrival, they would travel to his native place in Shaanxi Province to meet Wang’s relatives, they said. Yesterday, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that it was following up the case and helping Wang and his family members to visit China to meet his extended family. The development has come within a week after a delegation from the Chinese Embassy met Wang who had been wanting to visit his country. Wang, who lives with his wife and three children in Tirodi area of Balaghat, has not been able to visit China for want to permission from Indian government, according to the family. — PTI

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 6

The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) has convicted Col BS Goraya (retd) in a case of selling his attached agricultural property in Punjab. Judge Akshdeep Mahajan has scheduled the quantum of sentence for February 8.In 2011, the court of special CBI judge had ordered initiation of criminal action against the former Army officer and had filed a complaint against him in the court of the then CJM. Proceedings against him under Section 340 of the CrPC were started in the court of the CJM. The property of the Sector 9 resident was attached during the investigation of a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The court had directed that he was not entitled to sell his land. However, he sold off one of the attached properties.A case was registered by the premier investigating agency under Sections 13(2) and 13(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. It was stated that between January 1987 and August 1990, the accused and some others had acquired properties worth Rs 82.58 lakh. The properties were disproportionate to his known sources of income. The CBI court, during the trail, had also attached the Sector 9 house of the former Army officer.  He had several properties in his as well as his family members’ name in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, which led to the registration of the case against him. Colonel Goraya, however, had submitted an application on March 26, 2014, seeking verification regarding the sale of the Sector 2 plot.

Shanta Kumar

Our Correspondent

Palampur, February 6

Member of Parliament and senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar today said a war memorial would be set up at Palampur soon.“A 10-acre plot at Saurabh Van Vihar near the town had been earmarked for the project. The Palampur war memorial will be bigger than that in Dharamsala as there is no shortage of land at Palampur,” Shanta Kumar said.He told The Tribune that a society would be formed to run and maintain the project. He said he had already discussed the matter with the Nek Chand Rock Garden Society, Chandigarh, which would provide the technical knowhow to establish the memorial.He said he would also urge other institutions like the Ministries of Defence and Home to extend the technical support to him so that one of the best war memorials could be set up at Palampur.Shanta said statues of all martyrs like Vikram Batra, Saurabh Kalia and Sudheer Walia who had sacrificed their lives in wars fought before and after Independence, militancy operations and the Kargil war would be installed in the war memorial.He also sought suggestions from other experts and asked them to come forward and give their suggestions to make his project a success. He said he had already released Rs 40 lakh for the project from his MP LAD fund and more funds would be procured from other sources.Shanta said Himachal’s contribution of personnel to the defence forces was the highest in the country. Besides the Kargil war, the state had lost hundreds of youths in militancy-related incidents and proxy war being fought with Pakistan in the past 15 years in J&K and other parts of the country. Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi districts of the state were the worst affected as hundreds of jawans were killed in Jammu-Kashmir and North Eastern states while fighting militancy and Maoists in the past 10 years.He said unfortunately most of the projects named after the soldiers killed in the Kargil war in the year 1999 had been left mid-way for want of funds and other official bottlenecks by successive governments that ruled the state. Despite repeated requests to the government by the families of martyrs, no headway was made to complete the projects launched in memory of martyrs.