काश्‍मिरातील स्थितीबाबत राजनाथ-पर्रीकर यांची चर्चा

नवी दिल्ली - उरीमधील दहशतवादी हल्ल्यानंतर पाकिस्तान सीमेवर असलेल्या तणावाच्या पार्श्‍वभूमीवर गृहमंत्री राजनाथसिंह आणि संरक्षण मंत्री मनोहर पर्रीकर यांनी आज काश्‍मीरमधील परिस्थितीबाबत चर्चा केली. तसेच अंतर्गत सुरक्षेचा आणि पुढील महिन्यात गोव्यामध्ये होणाऱ्या "सार्क‘ परिषदेच्या सुरक्षेचाही या दोघांनी आढावा घेतल्याचे सांगण्यात आले.

गृहमंत्रालयात दुपारी बाराच्या सुमारास दोन्ही मंत्र्यांची बैठक झाली. उरीमधील दहशतवादी हल्ल्यात 18 जवानांना हौतात्म्य पत्करावे लागल्याने देशभरात संतापाची लाट उसळली असून, पाकिस्तानविरुद्ध ठोस कारवाईसाठी सरकारवर दबावही येत आहे. त्या पार्श्‍वभूमीवर राजनाथसिंह आणि पर्रीकर यांनी अर्धा तास चाललेल्या या बैठकीदरम्यान काश्‍मीरमधील परिस्थिती, तसेच नियंत्रण रेषेवरील स्थितीचा आढावा घेतला आणि सुरक्षा व्यवस्थेबाबत चर्चा केली. पाकिस्तानला लागून असलेल्या आंतरराष्ट्रीय सीमेवर डोळ्यांत तेल घालून लक्ष देण्याचे आदेश सुरक्षा दलांना देण्यात आले आहेत. सीमेवर होणारी घुसखोरी रोखण्यासाठीच्या उपाययोजना, त्याचप्रमाणे महाराष्ट्रात नौदल तळाच्या परिसरात संशयितांचा वावर असल्याची माहिती याबाबतही दोन्ही मंत्र्यांनी चर्चा केली. "ब्रिक्‍स‘ परिषदेच्या सुरक्षेचाही मुद्दा या चर्चेत होता असे सांगण्यात आले. गोव्यात (पणजी) 15 व 16 ऑक्‍टोबरला ही परिषद होणार आहे. यात भारताव्यतिरिक्त ब्राझील, चीन, रशिया आणि दक्षिण आफ्रिकेचे उच्चस्तरीय प्रतिनिधी सहभागी होणार आहेत. सध्याच्या तणावग्रस्त वातावरणात या परिषदेची सुरक्षा महत्त्वाची असल्याने त्याबाबतही गृहमंत्री व संरक्षण मंत्र्यांनी आढावा घेतल्याचे सांगण्यात आले.

- - सकाळ न्यूज नेटवर्क

सीमा सुरक्षा दलांना जम्मूत "हाय ऍलर्ट'

जम्मू - उरीतील हल्ल्यानंतर पाकिस्तानशी निर्माण झालेल्या तणावाच्या पार्श्‍वभूमीवर सीमा सुरक्षा दलांना (बीएसएफ) जम्मूतील 198 किलोमीटर लांबीच्या आंतरराष्ट्रीय सीमेवर "हाय ऍलर्ट‘ देण्यात आलेला आहे. त्यांना अतिदक्ष राहण्यासाठी सांगितले आहे.

बीएसएफच्या वरिष्ठ अधिकाऱ्याने सांगितले, की सीमेवर रक्षण करणारे सीमेपलीकडील घडामोडींवर डोळ्यांत तेल टाकून लक्ष ठेवून आहेत. चोवीस तास ते अतिदक्ष आहेत. या जवानांकडे आधुनिक टेहळणी यंत्रणा देण्यात आलेली आहे. सीमेवर तिहेरी कुंपण असून, तेथे प्रकाशझोतदेखील बसविण्यात आले आहेत.‘‘
जम्मू, सांबा तसेच कथुआ या भागात सीमेवर दहशतवाद्यांच्या हालचाली सुरू असल्याचे वृत्त या अधिकाऱ्याने फेटाळून लावले. तसेच पाकिस्तानकडून हवाई हद्दीचा भंग झाल्याचेही त्यांनी फेटाळले. वीस ते तीस दहशशतवादी नेहमी भारतात घुसण्याच्या प्रयत्नात असतात. काळजी करण्यासारख्या कोणत्याही हालचाली सध्या सीमेवर नाहीत. या दहशतवद्यांना नेहमी एका टिकाणाहून दुसऱ्या ठिकाणावर हलविले जाते. जेणेकरून त्यांना घुसखोरी करता येऊ शकेल.

PTI

67th Republic Day: Colourful tableaux, military might stamp Rajpath

DECCAN CHRONICLE WITH AGENCY INPUTS Published Jan 26, 2016, 9:34 am IST  Updated Jan 26, 2016, 6:50 pm IST

India celebrated its 67th Republic Day with French President Francois Hollande as the chief guest.

Security forces march during the Delhi Republic Day parade in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: India's military prowess and multi-hued images of the country's rich cultural diversity and achievement were on display at the majestic Rajpath today during the Delhi Republic Day parade which was attended by French President Francois Hollande as the chief guest.

Read:Five firsts that marked the 67th Republic Day celebration

Thousands of people flanking both sides of the imposing Rajpath, India's ceremonial boulevard facing the seat of power Raisina Hills, braved the winter chill and cheered loudly as the marching contingents and tableux went past them.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with French President Francois Hollande and Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar watch the flypast during the Delhi Republic Day parade. (Photo: PTI)

The national capital, particularly the Central and New Delhi areas, were brought under unprecedented security blanket as thousands of personnel kept a hawk-eye vigil to thwart any untoward incident. There were intelligence inputs that terror groups may target some important installations in the city.

A French military contingent also marched down the Rajpath, a first by any foreign armed force. In 2009, an Indian contingent had also participated in France's annual Bastille Day parade.

Read: Five facts about Republic Day parade

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of Republic Day and paid tributes to the framers of the Constitution, especially BR Ambedkar.

 

Here is a blow-by-blow account of the event:

9.45 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave President Mukherjee and Francois Hollande a warm welcome as they arrived at the main viewing gallery along Rajpath. Earlier, Hollande, who is on a three-day state visit, was received by Modi who introduced him to the three services chief -- Army, Air Force and Navy.

Modi greets people as he arrives for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

10.00 am: Alongside Hollande, the fifth French President to attend the celebrations, the parade was watched by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP president Amit Shah and the country's top political and military brass, besides the diplomatic community.

President Pranab Mukherjee, French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajpath.

Minutes before the parade began, Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the three service chiefs laid wreaths at 'Amar Jawan Jyoti', the war memorial at the India Gate where an eternal flame burns in memory of those who laid down their lives defending the frontiers of the nation.

 

10.15 am: Before the start of the ceremonial parade, Mukherjee presented the Ashok Chakra (Posthumous), highest peacetime Gallantry award, to Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of 9 Para (Special Force) for his bravery in fighting with terrorists on the intervening night of September 2/3 last year in Haphruda forest at Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. The award was received by his wife Bhavna Goswami.

Read: Braveheart honoured posthumously for killing 10 terrorists in 10 days

President Pranab Mukherjee presents the Ashok Chakra to Bhawana Goswami on behalf of her husband, Late Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami at the 67th Republic Day parade. (Photo: PTI)

 

10.20 am: A 76-member French Army contingent led by a French military band consisting of 48 musicians march on Rajpath as they present a ceremonial salute to the President of India.

Read: French troops become first foreign contingent to march down Rajpath on Republic Day

In a first, French soldiers march on Rajpath during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

10.22 am: Apart from India's missile firing capability T-90 'Bhishma' tank, Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP II (Sarath), Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the BrahMos Missile System, Akash Weapon System, Smerch Launcher Vehicles, the highlights of the parade also included a canine squad.

The synchronised military and police contingents led by General Officer Commanding (Delhi), Lt General Rajan Ravindran marched proudly to the lilting tunes of the bands through Rajpath where Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, took the salute from a specially erected dais.

10.25 am: After a gap of 26 years, an Army dog squad drawn from the Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) took part in the parade, along with their handlers, adding a special charm to the occasion.

Read: Canine soldiers make spectacular comeback, lustily cheered on

Army's dog squad march down Rajpath during the 67th Republic Day parade in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

10.35 am: Another attraction was the colourful BSF Camel Regiment consisting of 56 camels. For the first time the parade saw an ex-servicemen tableau, displaying the role of veterans in nation building.

A 34-camel mounted band marched alongside the BSF camel regiment.

Union ministers and political leaders were among thousand of spectators who cheered at the military contingents, dance troupes performances and tableaux from various states during the Republic Day parade today at Rajpath.

Union Ministers Suresh Prabhu and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore took the lead in cheering the marching contingents of the Parachute Regiment and NCC girls.

10.45 am: Tableaux from 17 States and six Central Ministries and Departments, featuring varied historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the country, were among the major attractions at the parade. The parade of tableaux begins at Rajpath with Goa, followed by Gujarat and Sikkim.

The Tableau depicted some rare and exotic varieties along with Sidi community, settled in the Gir forest, performing their traditional dance number.                                     Gujarat Tableau (Photo: AP)

TV cameras focused on Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar -- who was sitting in the VIP enclosure along with President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande – when the Goa tableau crossed the enclosure. Parrikar was the former Goa Chief Minister.

10.50 am: Tableaux of Rajasthan showcases 'Hawa Mahal' not as a monument, but as a 'lively building'. Rajasthan was followed by Chandigarh, Tripura and Odisha.

Rajasthan tableau

10.55 am: The Bihar tableau beautifully highlights the Champaran movement. While Madhya Pradesh tableau gives a message of conservation of forests, Karnataka highlights coffee production.

Bihar Tableau (Photo: AP)

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad cheered the tableau from his state of Jammu and Kashmir, while Union ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and Ananth Kumar along with their family members clapped when the Karnataka tableau drove past Rajpath.

11.02 am: The tableau of Chhattisgarh depicts Khairagarh Music and Art University. Uttarakhand's tableau depicts the festival of Ramman based on the story of ‘Ramayana’ while Tamil Nadu showcases the Toda tribe of Nilgiri district.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi was seen cheering young artists from Odisha who performed the state's Sambalpuri folk dance.

Read: 23 vibrant tableaux on display at Republic Day parade

11.15 am: Similarly floats of Ministry of Communication and IT based on 'Digital India', the Ministry of Panchayat Raj float on 'Empowered Women and empowered Panchayat Raj and Society' and float of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation on 'Swachh Bharat Mission' showcased some of the flagship programmes of the Government.

Digital India tableau

11.25 am: Folk dance from various states follow the display of tableaux from different states. Folks from Rajasthan depict the uniqueness and spirit of bravery through their dance ‘Dharti Dhora Ree'.

Twenty three of 25 children selected for the National Bravery Award 2015 also participated in the parade. Two children have got the award posthumously. In the children's pageant section, about 500 boys and girls drawn from five schools in Delhi and a group of school children from South Central Zone Cultural Centre performed colourful dances on Rajpath.

11.30 am: 'Dare Devils'- the motorcycle display team of Corps of Signals was a major attraction of the parade. They performed different stunts like 'Salute to President', 'Signal Rocket', 'Signal Fighter', 'Abhimanyu', 'Shradhanjali' and 'Human Pyramid', etc. on moving motor cycles.

Read: Army motorcyclists leave Republic Day parade audience spellbound

Motorcycle display team of Indian army's 'Corps of Signals', popularly known as 'Dare Devils', make a formation on a motorcycle as they roll down Rajpath. (Photo: PTI)

11.40 am: The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the IAF. It started with the 'Chakra' formation, comprising three Mi-35 helicopters in 'Vic' formation, followed by the 'Hercules' formation comprising three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Trailing them was the 'Globe formation' comprising one C-17 Globemaster flanked by two Su-30s. Next, five Jaguars flew in Arrowhead formation. Then the breath-taking 'Trishul' formation comprised three Su-30 MKI.

The ‘Globe’ formation during the fly past.

The flypast concluded with another Su-30 MKI carrying out a 'Vertical Charlie' anoeuvre over the saluting dais.

11.40 am: The celebrations ended with the national anthem.

Tags: francois hollande, french president chief guest, pranab mukherjee, republic day

Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi

A trust deficit – Indian Express

Three military chiefs’ joint memorandum to defence minister on pay commission report sends disquieting signals.

The public debate over the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission report has focused on its financial implications and likely impact on the government’s fiscal deficit target. Little attention has been paid to the issues raised by various Central government services affected by these recommendations. As per procedure, their concerns are considered by a committee of secretaries under the cabinet secretary, which sends the recommendations to the Union cabinet for approval. This method has worked well so far, as it doesn’t deal with the substantive questions or allege an inherent bias in the deliberations of the pay commission. Now, by writing a joint memorandum to the defence minister over the pay commission recommendations, however, the three military chiefs have taken the controversy to a different — and disquieting — level.

Not only is it extremely rare for the three chiefs to jointly sign a memorandum — the seniormost service chief usually signs tri-service letters as the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee — but also the issues raised by them point to a complete lack of trust in the commission’s recommendations. The defence services believe that their joint presentations to the pay commission, unlike those made by civilian employees, have been dismissed without even being included in the report. A downgrade of the status of military officers vis-a-vis their civilian counterparts, fixation of hardship allowances at lower rates, and denial of a real non-functional upgrade have been identified by the service headquarters as issues that emanate from the allegedly anti-military bias of the pay commission.

The three chiefs have asked the defence minister to institute an expert committee, with members from the armed forces, to look into these grievances. These issues have also been flagged by the three chiefs informally to the defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, who has asked for a formal presentation this week. It will take more than a presentation, however, to bridge the widening trust gap between the uniformed personnel and the government. The unresolved issue of one rank one pension has already created tensions that are adversely affecting the military. The political leadership needs to actively reach out to the military, redress their genuine concerns and restore their trust in government. Simultaneously, the top military leadership needs to quell the tide of heightened emotions in the defence forces to reinforce the well-established balance of civil-military relations. India is situated in a tough neighbourhood and beset with several internal security problems. It cannot afford to have a disaffected military, least of all over the issue of pay and allowances.

[Indian Express]