Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 10

Fourth Battalion of the Rajput Regiment, one of Army’s oldest and most illustrious infantry units, is marking 200 years of its existence from November 11-14 at its location in the Western Sector.Also known as the “Fighting Fourth”, it has the distinction of having taken part in almost every operation or war ever since its raising in 1815. The battalion began its long march from Danapur in Bihar as the 1/30th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry in East India Company.A host of regimental and social events are being organsied to commemorate the occasion. On February 10, 1845, as part of the 7th Brigade of the 3rd Division, the battalion charged into enemy entrenchment at Sobraon in Punjab and captured it using only bayonets and in the process received its first Battle Honour ‘Sobraon’.

Tribune News Service
Bhiwani, November 4
Digvijay Chautala, president, INSO, today visited the family of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, who ended his life over OROP. Digvijay said, “What does Khattar know of a soldier’s pain? He has only worked for the RSS.”
He slammed the government’s decision to not give the status of a martyr to Grewal. Digvijay said the INLD would begin an agitation to ensure the implementation of OROP.
He also attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal for politicising Grewal’s death.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 3

The state Congress will organise a statewide protest tomorrow against the “callous attitude” of the Centre in dealing with defence issues, especially OROP, leading to the suicide of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal yesterday. They will also protest “ill-treatment” meted out to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi when he went to meet the victim’s family.The announcement was made by PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh while addressing a press conference here today where SAD and AAP leaders joined the Congress. Prominent among the Congress entrants included AAP convener from Hargobindur Harvinder Pal and former Rajya Sabha member Varinder Singh Bajwa, who had resigned from the political affairs committee of the SAD. Another SAD leader to join the PPCC was SAD general secretary Ram Parkash. Hardev Singh, member of SAD working committee and Zila Parishad, retired IAS officer TR Sarangal and Harjinder Rehal, general secretary, SAD, Hoshiarpur, also joined the Congress.

Rahul, Kejriwal detained after hospital visit, slam govt

NEW DELHI: A 70-year-old army veteran seeking uniform pensions for military personnel died on Wednesday after consuming poison, sparking an ugly political brawl that appeared set to reignite a debate over the government’s controversial retiral policy for soldiers.

But Grewal’s death was soon overshadowed by political theatre, as Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia were detained by police for protesting outside the hospital.

Scenes of pandemonium broke out at Mandir Marg police station, forcing police to move Gandhi and Scindia around in a bus, first towards Parliament Street police station and then towards Connaught Place police station before being finally taken to the police station at Tilak Marg.

“A family that sacrificed for the nation, what happened to them is wrong,” Gandhi told reporters. “The government should at least apologise to the family, say what happened to you was wrong.”

Political workers were also seen scuffling with policemen at the two central Delhi police stations and again at the RML hospital. Gandhi was detained twice before being allowed to go late in the evening. Kejriwalw as stopped from entering Lady Hardinge Hospital and was detained at the RK Puram police station late into the night. Doctors at the hospital said the post-mortem analysis was delayed as the family was yet to give their consent. Grewal consumed sulphas tablets at around 1 pm on Tuesday on the lawns of Jawahar Bhawan, a short distance from Sena Bhawan. He was rushed to the RML hospital by his friends, all ex-servicemen who had travelled with him from Haryana. He died on Wednesday.

The death is expected to provide a handle to the opposition to attack the government over the One Rank One Pension (OROP), which came into force about a year ago

Critics say the new policy is discriminatory, especially for those taking premature retirement. At least a third of all military personnel take voluntary retirement.

Activist Anna Hazare also threatened to relaunch his agitation over the OROP issue, saying the Centre’s betrayal of the nation’s ex-servicemen resulted in the suicide of Grewal.

The suicide comes just three days after Prime Minister Modi spent Diwali with soldiers deployed near the India-China border and in the middle of the government’s sustained proArmy campaign following the surgical strikes across the Line of Control in September.

Delhi Police’s special commissioner Mukesh Kumar Meena said Gandhi and other Congress leaders had been held for “disruption of duty”. “The hospital is not a place for demonstration,” he said.

Grewal’s friends said he had been trying to deliver a petition to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in South Block, but had been turned away on two occasions on Monday and Tuesday. A typed application letter addressed to Parrikar, on which a suicide note had been penned, was found on him. “I am sacrificing my life for my country, my motherland and my country’s brave soldier,” it said.

RAVI CHOUDHARY/HTCongress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is taken away by the police after being detained. >>MORE REPORTS 8

Chaotic scenes broke out outside the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital as police stopped top opposition politicians from meeting the family of the deceased Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal, who friends said had unsuccessfully tried to meet defence minister Manohar Parrikar before killing himself.

An audio clip surfaced later in which a man said to be Grewal is heard telling his son he was consuming poison as he felt the treatment meted out to jawans was “unfair”. The Central government’s response was officious and combative. “The reason for his suicide being reported is OROP, don’t know what his mental state was, need investigation,” said Union minister and former army chief VK Singh. Sources in the defence ministry said Grewal had been drawing his pension benefits as per the Sixth Pay Commission report and had also received the first set of his OROP arrears.

They said if there was any problem it was probably at Grewal’s bank. They also said there was no record of any veteran seeking an appointment with Parrikar and questioned why his suicide note was dated October 31 when he committed suicide two days later.

When asked about the Delhi police action against Congress and AAP leaders, home minister Rajnath Singh defended it by saying: “Whatever has to be done for risk reduction, the Delhi Police will do.”

The Prime Minister has been clear that she intends to raise it with Prime Minister Modi during her visit next week,” the spokesperson said. PIB file photo

London, November 2

Prime Minister Theresa May will raise with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi the issue of six former British soldiers lodged in a Tamil Nadu jail during her upcoming visit to India.A UK Foreign Office spokesperson today confirmed to the families of the ex-soldiers sentenced for carrying arms on a commercial ship that the issue will feature in May’s bilateral talks during her three-day visit to New Delhi and Bengaluru starting this Sunday.”We recognise what a difficult time this is for those involved and we have taken significant action on this case.The Prime Minister has been clear that she intends to raise it with Prime Minister Modi during her visit next week,” the spokesperson said.The Foreign Office also highlighted that the Indian-origin Foreign Office minister for Asia, Alok Sharma, had also “pressed for progress” on the issue during his first official visit to India in July, and again last month.Earlier this year, the then-Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire had travelled to India to meet the men personally.The Foreign Office said it continues to provide ongoing support to all six men and their families and is “working to make sure the men’s welfare is protected in prison”.However, Lisa Dunn, the sister of Nick Dunn — one of the jailed men, said May must not “waste” all her time talking about trade deals while in India.”Theresa May has the power to end this now, and that’s what we want her to do. She cannot waste this opportunity face-to-face with Modi, she has six British men at her mercy, and can’t just waste it talking about her trade deals,” Dunn told BBC.”These were six British soldiers who served this country and they need help. It’s an absolute travesty if she fails to raise it. The power is in her hands and we’re begging her for help,” she said.The men were arrested in 2013 among 35 crew members and sentenced by a Tamil Nadu court to five years in prison in January this year for carrying unlicensed firearms.An appeal has been lodged against their sentences, but a judge in Chennai ruled the men cannot be released on bail.They were held while working for an anti-piracy security company protecting commercial ships off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. All six men have consistently maintained their innocence.Joanne Tomlinson, the sister of another jailed ex-soldier — John Armstrong, said that while the men have had consular support from the Foreign Office, “we feel there is so much more they can do”.”They have spent more than 18 months in prison now, and we feel there must be more diplomatic pressure that can be put on (India). Six of our veterans are imprisoned there. They should be speeding the legal process up,” she said.The men –- Dunn, Armstrong, Billy Irving, Ray Tindall, Paul Towers, and Nicholas Simpson — have been backed by more than 20 British MPs, including former British Premier David Cameron. — PTI

Pall of gloom descends on deceased jawan’s native village in Kurukshetra

Rifleman Mandeep Singh’s widow Prerna mourns at her residence at Anteri village of Kurukshetra on Saturday. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, October 29

A pall of gloom descended on the native village of army jawan Mandeep Singh, who was killed by terrorists in Machil sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.The family members of the 30-year-old were inconsolable.Several women from Aantehri village here reached the jawan’s house on Saturday and tried to console Mandeep’s widow. The couple had got married two years ago, the family said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Deputy Commissioner Sumedha Kataria also visited the jawan’s home and offered her condolences.The martyr’s neighbours described him as a “go-getter” who always had a smile on his face.Subhash, husband of the sarpanch of the village, said Mandeep was a helpful person who always offered help to anyone who approached him in need.Mandeep’s widow Prerna is a head constable with Haryana Police and is posted at Shahbad Markanda here.Mandeep joined 17 Sikh Regiment as a sepoy in 2008 and got married in 2014His father Phool Singh, a truck driver, said the government should give a free hand to the army to tackle the menace from Pakistan. He said Mandeep had called him around 10 days ago and promised to him to come home on Diwali.His brother Sandeep Singh said, “Give me a chance to join the army. I would avenge his death.”His cousin Jagbir Singh, an ex-serviceman, said it was an act of cowardice and urged the government to take revenge.The mortal remains of Mandeep will reach the village by 5pm and would be consigned to the flames later.Mandeep’s sacrifice came within a week after Sushil Kumar (47), a BSF constable was martyred in Jammu district. He also hailed from Kurukshetra district and belonged to Pehowa town. With PTI

Human rights of Army soldiers are supreme: Jitendra

Rajpura (Kathua), October 29Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday that an Indian soldier’s rights should take precedence over those of terrorists.He said a militant forfeits his entitlement to human rights the day he engages in terrorism, the “biggest violation of human rights”.”Human rights of an Army soldier are supreme…The human rights of Indian soldiers should take precedence over the rights of terrorists,” he said.Singh, who arrived in Jammu this morning, drove straight to International Border, saying he would like to begin his visit by meeting the security personnel posted at the border and greeting them on Diwali eve.He addressed a public meeting organised by Seema Jan Kalyan Samiti, comprising ex-servicemen, their families and local residents.He said people find Army a convenient, soft target as it was trained to exercise restraint but they did not have the courage “to call a terrorist a terrorist” or to condemn the atrocious act of mutilating a soldier’s body.Singh said was time to rise and call the bluff of the “so-called human rights protagonists and the pseudo-intellectuals” who sought to promote their politics at the cost of army jawans. He said when you asked whether Burhan Wani was a terrorist, instead of saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’, they come out with long platitudes, philosophies and postulations.“Those who lack the courage of conviction to call a spade a spade, have no right to point a finger at an armed forces jawan because of whom they are in a position to conveniently sit in their drawing rooms and issue lofty statements,” he said.Stressing that this year’s Diwali was dedicated to the army and paramilitary forces, Singh said we are able to celebrate the festival in the country, because of the young soldiers who are guarding the border day and night and spending sleepless nights.”It is a sin to say or do anything that would directly or indirectly compromise the morale of armed forces,” he added. — PTI

I am saddened that in the last few weeks, actions taken by the government, far from reassuring the soldiers, have indeed caused them pain and hurt. RAHUL GANDHI, Congress vice-president

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over reports suggesting that his government has decided to downgrade the status of military officers compared to their civilian counterparts.

Raising the issues of reduction of disability pension and the “anomalies” in the one rank-one pension rolled out by the BJP-led NDA government, he said these developments have “adversely affected” the morale of the armed forces soon after they conducted surgical strikes against terror launch pads across the LoC.

“I am saddened that in the last few weeks actions taken by the government, far from reassuring the soldiers, have indeed caused them pain and hurt,” Gandhi said in the October 28 letter to the PM.

“Just days after our soldiers conducted the surgical strikes, the disability pension system was converted to a new slab system, that in many instances drastically reduces the pension received by these brave men in case of a disability,” he said. NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern over reports suggesting that his government has decided to downgrade the status of military officers compared to their civilian counterparts.

Raising the issues of reduction of disability pension and the “anomalies” in the one rank one pension rolled out by the BJP-led NDA government, he said these developments had “adversely affected” the morale of the armed forces soon after they conducted surgical strikes against terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC).

I am saddened that in the last few weeks, actions taken by the government, far from reassuring the soldiers, have indeed caused them pain and hurt,” Gandhi said in the October 28 letter to the PM. “Just days after our soldiers conducted the surgical strikes, the disability pension system was converted to a new slab system, that in many instances drastically reduces the pension received by these brave men in case of a disability,” he said.

The defence ministry had earlier this month referred the representation of the armed forces for a percentage-based system rather than a slab-based one for determining disability pension to the Anomaly Committee of the 7th Central Pay Commission. The decision followed widespread criticism over a move that introduced a slabbased by the 7th Pay Commission, for determining the disability pension for forces.

The Congress vice-president claimed that the roll out of the 7th Pay Commission continues to keep the defence forces at “disadvantage and further exacerbates” the disparity between them and civil employees. “To add to that we learnt through the media that the government has downgraded the status of our military officers visà-vis their civilian counterparts in a letter dated 18 October 2016,” Gandhi wrote.

The rank parity controversy erupted after hindustantimes. com broke the story on October 24. On Friday, the government took a U-turn and decided to form a panel to look into the row.

Rahul writes to Modi on raw deal for defence officers

I am saddened that in the last few weeks, actions taken by the government, far from reassuring the soldiers, have indeed caused them pain and hurt. RAHUL GANDHI, Congress vice-president

From page 01 NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern over reports suggesting that his government has decided to downgrade the status of military officers compared to their civilian counterparts.

Raising the issues of reduction of disability pension and the “anomalies” in the one rank one pension rolled out by the BJP-led NDA government, he said these developments had “adversely affected” the morale of the armed forces soon after they conducted surgical strikes against terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC).

“I am saddened that in the last few weeks, actions taken by the government, far from reassuring the soldiers, have indeed caused them pain and hurt,” Gandhi said in the October 28 letter to the PM. “Just days after our soldiers conducted the surgical strikes, the disability pension system was converted to a new slab system, that in many instances drastically reduces the pension received by these brave men in case of a disability,” he said.

The defence ministry had earlier this month referred the representation of the armed forces for a percentage-based system rather than a slab-based one for determining disability pension to the Anomaly Committee of the 7th Central Pay Commission. The decision followed widespread criticism over a move that introduced a slabbased by the 7th Pay Commission, for determining the disability pension for forces.

The Congress vice-president claimed that the roll out of the 7th Pay Commission continues to keep the defence forces at “disadvantage and further exacerbates” the disparity between them and civil employees. “To add to that we learnt through the media that the government has downgraded the status of our military officers visà-vis their civilian counterparts in a letter dated 18 October 2016,” Gandhi wrote.

The rank parity controversy erupted after hindustantimes. com broke the story on October 24. On Friday, the government took a U-turn and decided to form a panel to look into the row.

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 27

Following ongoing drive to address grievances of ex-servicemen a Veterans’ Rally was organised at Beas Military Station today. The rally was attended by as many as 250 ex-service personnel and Veer Naris.During his address, Brigadier Sandeep Singh, Station Commander, Beas Military Station, highlighted benefits of online registration of complaints with regard to pension and other assistance to ex-servicemen without having to visit any office. Giving information about various welfare measures being taken by the Army, the Station Commander added that special emphasis would be laid on self-reliance and as such employment opportunities had been created for veterans, Veer Naris and their dependents.Presently, 70 ex-servicemen, Veer Naris and dependents are employed by the Beas Military Station on various civilian posts in the Ex Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), canteen, schools and polyclinic, he added.Representatives from different departments, including banks, Department of Defence Service Welfare Office (DDSWO) and Defence Pension Disbursing Office (DPDO), were present at the rally to resolve grievances and apprise veterans about various schemes and facilities offered by them.Meanwhile, medical specialists examined several veterans and Veer Naris in a separate camp held concurrently with the rally.Later, Station Commander and Soni Singh, chairperson, Family Welfare Organisation, Double Victory Brigade, interacted with veterans and Veer Naris and reiterated commitment of the Army towards ex-servicemen.

TA cycle rally spreads awareness on social issues

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 27

A cycle expedition organised by the 152 Infantry Battalion (Sikh) of the Territorial Army (TA) to spread social awareness on drug addiction and saving the girl child culminated at the TA Group Headquarters here today.Covering a distance of 152 km, the 11-member expedition was flagged off from Ludhiana on October 24 and was flagged in by Maj Gen AK Sanyal from the Western Command Headquarters.The expedition halted en-route at different villages where the troops interacted with school children and local residents to spread awareness on the above causes.Local ex-servicemen supported the troops’ endeavour.

As a serial infiltrator into disputed territories, Beijing has no grounds to complain about who goes where on Indian soil

T hat China has professed displeasure over a recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh by Richard Verma, the US ambassador to India, is both unsurprising and irrelevant. Beijing is merely effecting to be hopping mad, when it has no leg to stand on. Resorting to classic 1950s Communist Party vernacular, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang pronounced that Beijing was “firmly opposed” to Verma’s visit to Tawang — how does one oppose something that has already happened? — on the highly dubious grounds that it might “damage the hard-earned peace and tranquillity of the China-India border region.” Lu told a press briefing in Beijing that “any responsible third party should respect efforts by China and India to seek peaceful and stable reconciliation, and not the opposite.” He went on: “We urge the United States to stop getting involved in the China-India territorial dispute.”

PTI(Left to right): US ambassador to India Richard Verma, chief minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal and chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu at Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, October 21

One imagines he wagged an admonishing finger as he spoke.

For all the faux umbrage, Lu’s argument is bunkum. The travel plans of a foreign envoy, even one from the US, represent no material threat to relations between India and China. Nor does Verma’s visit to Tawang in any way compromise his government’s “respect” for India-China peace. Lu knows this, and it’s not the point: Although the scolding was notionally directed at Verma, the message was meant for the Modi government. Beijing knows the ambassador would not have made the trip without New Delhi’s knowledge and blessing.

What China is reminding India, with all the subtlety of a giant dam across the Yangtze, is that it will not renounce its claims to the swath of Arunachal Pradesh it calls “South Tibet”. If India thinks allowing ambassadors to visit might change the status quo, then it is sorely mistaken.

But there’s nothing to suggest this was India’s calculation — New Delhi views the status quo in Arunachal Pradesh quite differently. Its reaction to Lu’s pouty posturing was as bland as it was blunt: “The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it,” said Vikas Swarup, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs.

Swarup is an accomplished novelist (he wrote the book that became the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”) and it can’t have been easy to restrain himself from using much more colourful language — and from exercising an entirely different finger gesture.

Were he not shackled by diplomatic considerations, he might have mentioned that if the “hard-earned peace and tranquillity” along the India-China border is being damaged, it is not by the scheduled and advertised visit of the American envoy, but by the clandestine infiltration along the frontier by Chinese troops. There were 350 such transgressions last year alone. India’s restraint in this matter has been remarkable.

Swarup might also have pointed out that China is a fine one to preach about the need to tread carefully on disputed territory, when its soldiers have been spotted in border posts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir: Earlier this year, Chinese officers were seen in the Nowgam sector, close to the Line of Control. Imagine the hyperventilating in Beijing if Verma had been accompanied by a handful uniformed US army officers!

Other soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army have made their presence felt near the Tangdhar sector. The ostensible reason is the construction of a hydel project there by a Chinese company, but that’s not much of an excuse: Either Beijing doesn’t trust its ally, the Pakistani military, or the soldiers are there for another reason.

There will be many more excuses for a growing Chinese troop presence in PoK in the months ahead. Beijing is literally bulldozing a highway, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, through areas India regards as its own. CPEC, a $46 billion project that seeks to connect the Chinese province of Xinjiang to the Pakistani port of Gwadar, will pass through Gilgit-Baltistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj have expressed New Delhi’s reservations about this to Beijing, with little effect.

Nor has Beijing been especially accommodating of the claims of other nations in the South China Sea littoral, where international arbitrators have ruled against its spurious proclamations of ownership. China has opposed India-Vietnamese oil exploration in the area, and maintains, without explanation, that there are no parallels between its presence in PoK and India’s commercial pursuits in the South China Sea. What’s more, operating on the principle that possession is nine-tenths of the law, China is building islands in disputed waters with the sole purpose of turning its claims into a fait accompli.

Two can play that game. Having dispensed with Beijing’s blather over the American envoy’s North-Eastern trip, the MEA should now consider building metaphorical islands in Arunachal Pradesh. The area is ripe for tourism, especially of the environmental kind favoured by many Westerners and a growing number of Indians. An economic corridor in Arunachal Pradesh would be welcomed by locals for the jobs and opportunities it would bring.

In the meantime, the Modi government should encourage more foreign diplomats to visit Tawang — individually, and in groups. After all, as Verma tweeted after his trip, it is a place of “stunning mountains and wonderful people.”

Better yet, why not hold an international event there, inviting ALL foreign envoys currently in New Delhi? Yes, China’s too.