Newsletter 30 September

Sino-Indian Standoff: 'No War No Peace' status

China provokes India on Ladakh, Delhi shoots down unilaterally defined LAC: Ministry of External Affair

It wasn’t clear on what basis China rejected India’s move last year to reconstitute Ladakh as a union territory separate from Jammu and Kashmir, or why it considered that illegal. However, that was likely due to the ongoing conflict over the Line of Actual Control that runs through part of the high mountain desert territory, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in evening on Tue.

India has never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control (LAC). This position has been consistent and well known, including to the Chinese side.

Furthermore, under their various bilateral agreements including the 1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the LAC, 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in the military field, 2005 Protocol on Implementation of CBMs, 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, both India and China have committed to clarification and confirmation of the LAC to reach a common understanding of the alignment of the LAC.

In fact, the two sides had engaged in an exercise to clarify and confirm the LAC up to 2003, but this process could not proceed further as the Chinese side did not show a willingness to pursue it.

Therefore, the insistence now of the Chinese side that there is only one LAC is contrary to the solemn commitments made by China in these agreements.

China does not recognize the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh illegally established by India, and opposes infrastructure construction in disputed border areas for military control purposes, FM spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to India building roads along the border.

However, China’s Min of Foreign Affairs, hands Hindustan Times a statement claiming China’s 1959 claim line is the LAC. HT prints it as top story. But the statement isn’t published on MFA’s own website. Why? Because it’s intended only for Indians—to help sow confusion.

The statement negates the border-management accords or protocols China has signed with India since 1993 to define and confirm the LAC.
China has since Apr 2020 intruded into areas located even beyond its 1959 and 1960 claim lines, demonstrating its ever-expanding claims.

Media manipulation, disinformation and law fare have become favored tools of the Chinese dictatorship’s diplomacy.

Look at the paradox: While China has hidden its foreign-ministry statement from its own citizens, India’s reaction is publicly available on the Indian MEA’s website.

Multilateral cooperation should follow a spirit of openness and transparency. We hope relevant countries can act in the common interests of regional countries and be conducive to stability and development, said Chinese FM about Japan’s plan to host a foreign ministers’ meeting. See yesterday’s later.

India successfully test-fires over 400 km strike range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

India on Wed successfully test-fired the extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile which can hit targets at over 400 km range, India successfully test-fires over 400 km strike range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile
Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy said that this will lead to adding “more indigenous content” to the supersonic cruise missile.
The test-firing was carried out under the PJ-10 project of DRDO, under which the missile was launched with an indigenous booster.
The BrahMos is a ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, fighter jets, or land.
The missile has been developed as a joint venture between the DRDO and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia.

HAL rolls out 300th Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv

In a remarkable feat in the indigenous weapon production program, the 300^th Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv) rolled out from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) hangar in Bengaluru on Tue.
According to an official release, HAL is producing 73 ALHs contracted for Army (41) and 16 each for Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.

Out of this, 38 ALHs have already been produced and the remaining will be completed by 2022. With over 280K flying hours ALH has proven to be a multirole helicopter for ‘any mission, any place, any time’.

PM Modi, Bangladesh counterpart to hold virtual bilateral summit in December

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina are set to hold a virtual bilateral summit in December, the MEA said on Tue.
MEA said that the entire gamut of bilateral relations between the two neighboring nations was reviewed in the 6 meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC), co-chaired by Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar.
“Reiterating the commitment of India to prioritize the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, the Jaishankar emphasized the importance of Bangladesh in India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy,” MEA said in a statement.
The two Ministers also reiterated their commitment to the finalization of the Interim Agreement for sharing of the waters of the Teesta, Interim Agreement on sharing of waters of 6 other joint rivers, namely, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar.
They jointly unveiled a commemorative postal stamp issued by the Govt of Bangladesh on the occasion of the 150^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Jaishankar announced India’s decision to launch a commemorative postal stamp on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Dec 16, 2020.
Two minister stressed on the need to start work on the Liberation War documentary,” MEA said.
Two minister stressed on the need to start work on the Liberation War documentary,” MEA said.Ministers noted the discussions on border Mangt and security in the recently concluded 50^th DG Level Talks (DGLT) between BSF and BGB in Dhaka.

Babri masjid demolition case verdict: Special court acquits all accused

A special court delivering the verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case on Wed acquitted all the accused after 28 years, saying that the demolition of the mosque was not pre-planned.
Ashok Singhal and other Sangh Parivar leaders wanted to save the structure as Ram Lalla statues were inside, the court said.
The court proceedings were attended by 26 of the 32 accused.
High alert in UP as court to rule on Babri demolition case today
Almost 28 years after the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya on Dec 6, 1992, a special court here pronounced the verdict on Wed.
Besides, unknown kar sevaks are facing trial for demolishing the structure.
Iqbal Ansari main petitioner of Babri masjid, said media that “I respect whatever court has said, as some of accused are no more and many are quite old, even harmony should prevail”.
“Today is a sad day in the history of Indian judiciary. Now, the court says there was no conspiracy. Please enlighten me, how many days of months of preparations are required to disqualify an action from being spontaneous?” Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM, on verdict.

Gang-raped & tortured, Dalit teen dies after 15-day battle

At 6.55 am on Tue, the 19-year-old Dalit girl from Hathras who had been allegedly gang-raped by four upper caste men in her village died after a 15-day battle for life.
She had been referred to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital from Aligarh’s Medical College a day before that.
CM Yogi Adityanath constituted SIT, and sought report within a week and assured that the trail of case will be conducted in fast tract court.
Moreover, PM Narendra Modi also called CM and instruct to appropriate action in the case.

Where was the problem:

All 4 accused were on bail, as trails are going in court and they have committed various crimes in past too.
Police in-Charged didn’t take note and filed FIR of case as he should be, and victim were not in position to say anything.
Looking the media hype then police register the case based on the statement of brother against one accused.
After gynecological examination, which has done 8 days later, and on the statement of victim, charges were imposed on 3 more accused, including NSA (National security Act), which is the most stringent act, included the rape in it, by CM nearly week back.
It is also clear that police forcibly performed last rite of victim in night around 2 am, without the consent of Family, of as per victim family.
As per reports, protests have come from various part of country.
We demand from state government that this matter be investigated and the culprits be hanged. We also want security. Administration is putting us under a lot of pressure. We don’t trust the local Police, there should be judicial investigation: Brother of victim
No, they did it on their own. We’re scared. Police forced us to take the body to cremation ground. We’d said we’ll do it in morning: Brother of victim when asked if family had given consent for funeral
Delhi Commission of Women, Chairperson Swati Maliwal on Wed wrote to the Chief Justice of India demanding action against those officials who were allegedly involved in covering up the Hathras gang rape incident. Maliwal usually speaks for crimes against women everywhere except Delhi.
While, UP assistant director general (law and order) Prashant Kumar said the funeral was conducted with the consent of the family.

Whatever the result of case will be but now media’s camera shifted from Sushant Singh Rajput to this case.

Shopian Fake Encounter: Bodies Being Exhumed For Burial in Rajouri

Bodies of three youth laborers from Rajouri, who were killed in an “encounter” at Amshipora village of Shopian district by the Army on July 18.
This has labelled as “militants”, are being handed over to the families “after due process of law”, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, Vijay Kumar said on Wed.
Ahmed (25), Imtiyaz Ahmed (20) and Mohammed Ibrar (16)-and immediate arrest along with stern punishment to those behind the killings.
The statement also comes more than a week after army said its high-level Court of Inquiry brought out “certain prima facie evidence indicating that the powers vested under the AFSPA 1990 were exceeded during the operation.”

Amnesty International's statement far from truth: MHA

The Ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Tue said Amnesty International’s statement that it was being subjected to an “incessant witch-hunt” was unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth.
The glossy statements about humanitarian work and speaking truth to power are a ploy to divert attention from activities which were in clear contravention to Indian laws, said the MHA.
Yesterday’s stated to ‘halt on operation in India’, which undertook many Human Right acts.

Sitharaman slams Sonia's 'bypass Centre farm laws' advice to party-ruled states, cites Cong's 2019 manifesto

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tue targeted the Congress over party chief Sonia Gandhi’s advice to party-rules states to bypass farm laws brought by Centre through legislative measures.
Sitharaman said the opposition party in its 2019 Lok Sabha manifesto had promised repeal of Agricultural Produce Market Committees Act.
“From Section 7 page 9 of the INC India Lok Sabha 2019 manifesto: ‘Congress will repeal the Agricultural Produce Market Committees Act and make trade in agricultural produce–including exports and inter-state trade–free from all restrictions’,” Sitharaman said.
Gandhi on Mon advised the Congress-ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their respective states under Article 254(2) of the constitution, which allows the state legislatures to pass a law, “to negate the anti-agriculture central laws encroaching upon state’s jurisdiction under the constitution“.
The Parliament made three laws – The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 – during the monsoon session.
Sitharaman said ‘Fight us in House, attract smaller parties, keep us under watch…but Cong moving further to fringe’
However, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee on Tue said India is among the worst-performing economies in the world and the Govt’s economic stimulus was inadequate to tackle the problem.

38.2% Persons Engaged in Employment, Related Activities in 2019: NSO

As much as 38.2% of persons who were of the age of six years or above were engaged in employment and related activities in the country in 2019, according to the time use survey report of National Statistical Office (NSO).

Kerala political killings: CBI issues notice to crime branch, asks for case diary

Parents of the victims had moved the High Court later saying that the investigation was not conducted properly and many leaders were left out by the crime branch due to political pressure and they sought a CBI probe.
the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wed sent a notice to the Kerala crime branch asking it to hand over the case diary of the twin political murders of Youth Congress workers and cautioned that the agency would be forced to seize it if it was delayed further.
The CBI has sent the notice under CrPC 91 (summons to produce important documents) after the crime branch failed to hand over details after six requests, a senior official of the agency said.
The notice was issued to the deputy superintendent of police who investigated the case.
The state government is trying its best to prevent the CBI from taking over the probe fearing the central agency will implicate its senior leaders in the case.
Youth Congress workers Kripesh and Sharth Lal were waylaid and hacked to death brutally by an alleged group of CPI (M) workers in Periya in north Kerala in Feb 2019.

NEIGHBORHOOD/WORLD

Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid during his United Nations General Assembly speech on Tue thanked India for the $250 million budgetary support to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

INDIA COVID UPDATE

Serum to make extra 100 million vaccine doses

Serum Institute of India will produce up to an additional 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for India and low and middle-income countries in 2021.The company made this announcement taking forward the collaboration between SII, Gavi, Vaccine Alliance and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The expansion follows Aug’s announcement of up to 100 mn doses to be delivered by the collaboration and bringing the total now to be delivered to up to 200 million doses of vaccines.

WHO lauds Odisha govt for efficient COVID-19 management, despite cyclone Amphan, influx of migrants