Newsletter 26 October

Sino-Indian Standoff: No expectations of a concrete Breakthrough

Army Commanders to deliberate on Ladakh situation, reforms

Army’s winter preparations will be reviewed at the conference chaired by Gen. MM Naravane beginning on Mon
With the standoff continuing along the disputed boundary in Eastern Ladakh, the situation on the ground in Ladakh as well as the Army’s winter preparations will be reviewed at the highest level at the Army Commanders conference chaired by Gen. Naravane beginning on Mon. The conference also has a series of reforms on its agenda for discussion.
“The first day will be spent deliberating on matters related to human resource management,” an Army source said.
The Commanders will brainstorm on a series of reforms to cut down on ceremonial practices among other measures, a second source said.
There will be a comprehensive review of the situation across all the borders, including Ladakh, the second source said.
China has deployed close to 50,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control which has been matched by India and with no breakthrough in talks for disengagement both sides have made preparations to be deployed at high altitudes in the harsh winters.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat as well as the Navy and Air Force Chiefs are scheduled to address the conference on Tue.
The biennial conference is attended by senior officers of the Army, including the Vice Chief, all Army Commanders, Principal Staff Officers of the Army headquarters and other senior officers.
On Wed, the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only tri-service command, will give an update to the Army commanders.
Several studies are currently under way for the formation of integrated tri-service commands beginning with a joint air defense command.
The last day of the conference will include an update by the Director General of Border Roads Organization (BRO) on the various infrastructure development projects being undertaken by the BRO and allied formations.
Automation initiatives to optimize utilization of manpower at various levels of the Army will also be discussed, the first source added.

Will fight on our soil as well as on foreign soil, said Doval

India will fight not only on its own territory but also on foreign soil which becomes the source of a security threat, national security advisor Ajit Doval said in remarks that struck many as significant in the context of the military standoff on the Line of Actual Control.
Addressing the Parmarth Niketan ashram in Rishikesh, Doval said while India has never attacked anyone first, the new strategic thinking holds that perhaps we could have acted proactively to nip security threats.
Official sources, however, emphasized that Doval was speaking more in the context of civilizational ethos and his remarks were not directed against anyone in the current context.
“We never became aggressors to serve our personal interests. We will surely fight, on our soil as well as on foreign soil, but not for our personal interests.
However, coming on a day when RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat talked about China’s encroachment, Doval’s remarks struck many as reflecting the government’s intent to apply the doctrine of pre-emption to nip security threats.
Chinese President Xi Jinping put out an equally stirring nationalistic message on the anniversary of the Korean War. It could have been about the US, Taiwan or India, the three big challenges to China at present.

Think of troops at borders, light a ‘diya’ for them: PM

At a time when India and China are facing off on the LAC in eastern Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sun exhorted people to light a ‘diya’ in their homes in support of security forces guarding India’s borders.

In his monthly radio address ‘Mann ki Baat’, Modi also made a strong pitch for unity.

Won’t let anyone grab an inch of our land: Rajnath Singh

India wants to peacefully resolve the military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh, said Singh.
He made the remarks after reviewing the operational military readiness along the LAC with China in the eastern sector and performing ‘shastra puja’ on the occasion of Dussehra at the Sukna-based 33 Corps of the Army.

India’s reaction to aggression left China rattled: RSS chief

India’s resolve in standing up to China had led to more countries realizing the need to confront the expansionist power that had been taking on several nations.
“Unwavering caution, vigilance and preparedness are the only ways to respond,” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said.

2+2 Ministerial dialogue | India likely to sign geo-spatial agreement with U.S.

US Sec. of State Mike Pompeo arrives for the 3^rd 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. He is joined by Sec. of Defense Esper. EAM Dr S Jaishankar & RM Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian side for this Dialogue tomorrow which has been significant in propelling India-US ties forward. MEA tweeted

India is likely to sign the last foundational agreement with the U.S., Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial cooperation (BECA), at the 2+2 ministerial dialogue on Tue, a senior official said.
India is likely to sign the last foundational agreement with the U.S., Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial cooperation (BECA), at the 2+2 ministerial dialogue on Tue, a senior official said.
The foundational agreement BECA was set to be signed, said the source.
A maritime information agreement was also under discussion between India and the U.S., the source stated. India already has such agreement with other Quad countries, Australia and Japan.
A U.S. State department official said in Washington on Sat that the talks would focus on 4 themes — regional security cooperation, defense information sharing, military-to-military interactions, and defense trade.
The official said both sides had made “significant progress” towards concluding the last foundational defense enabling agreement, BECA.
The U.S. is keen that India sign the last foundational agreement, Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial cooperation (BECA), at the next India-U.S. 2+2 ministerial dialogue likely to held in Oct end, a defense source said on Thu.
A meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers is scheduled to take place in Tokyo in Oct, the source said. Earlier, the meeting was expected to be held in New Delhi.
Both U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are arrived in New Delhi on Mon for the dialogue.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral talks with Mr. Esper on Mon afternoon while External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Mr. Pompeo are scheduled to hold talks in the evening at Hyderabad House.
Later, Mr. Singh and Mr. Jaishankar will host a dinner for Mr. Esper and Mr. Pompeo. After the talks on Tue, U.S. officials will leave on a trip to Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia.
Beginning 2016, India has signed three foundational agreements: the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) while the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was signed a long time ago. An extension to the GSOMIA, the Industrial Security Annex (ISA), was signed at the last 2+2 dialogue.
Last week, India announced that Australia will join the Malabar exercise next month consisting of Japan and the U.S. Before this, there has been a sharp increase in India’s maritime interactions with the Quad countries on a bilateral basis centered around information sharing for improved Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the Indian Ocean Region and Indo-Pacific.
While the LEMOA has since been operationalized, the COMCASA is in advanced stages of being operationalized. In increasing military to military interactions, the U.S. has posted a liaison officer at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) meant to promote MDA.

On Sept 25, for the first time a U.S. Navy P-8A long range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) landed at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands for refueling under LEMOA.
In July, frontline warships of the Indian Navy conducted a passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz carrier strike group near the A&N islands as it was transiting the Indian Ocean after carrying out Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea.

The second B-777 VVIP's aircraft, Air India One landed at the Delhi airport on Sat.

Air India one aircraft is exclusively for the President, Vice President and Prime Minister.
The first of the two VVIP aircraft Air India One arrived in India earlier this month.
Officials said the total cost of purchase and retrofitting the two planes has been estimated to be around Rs 8,400 crore.
The B777 planes will have state-of-the-art missile defense systems called Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS), which US agreed to sell the two defense systems to India at a cost of $190 million in Fab.

'Maritime Cluster at Verna Industrial Estate will give boost to industrialization', says Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sun laid the foundation stone of Maritime Cluster at Verna Industrial Estate, Salcete Goa via video conferencing and said that this initiative will give a boost to industrialization in the coastal state.
“The cluster development program is a scheme of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises where 80 Common Facility Centre projects have been completed all over the country and 80 are under implementations,” he added.
Highlighting Goa’s long history in the maritime sector, the Minister said: “Konkan Maritime Cluster would be a growth engine for the development of Goa creating employment potential for thousands of Goan youths. Goa has a lot of importance and long history in the maritime sector.”

Bihar, Poll: BJP posters leave out Nitish Kumar, spark row on polls eve

Just three days ahead of the first phase of Bihar assembly elections, BJP put up life-size posters with only Narendra Modi’s image across the state, manifestly indicating that the party has decided to seek votes only in his name, observers here felt. The saffron party also released the posters as full-page advertisements in local vernacular dailies.

Bihar manifestos rain jobs, but reality is grim

The latest estimate of the Periodic Labor Force Survey conducted by the National Statistical Office, Bihar saw one of the country’s highest youth unemployment rates. Among large states, only Kerala with 35.2% reported a higher unemployment rate among the youth (15-29 years of age) than Bihar’s 30.9%.

Chirag Paswan, LJP leader, claimed at a rally on Sunday that chief minister Nitish Kumar would be behind bars if his party is voted to power.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday said that besides unemployment, inflation is the biggest issue in Bihar Assembly Elections as onion prices are skyrocketing. He also alleged that 60 scams to the tune of about Rs 30,000 crore have taken place in the state under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.

SC stays M.P. High Court order directing ‘virtual’ campaigns for by-Polls

The Supreme Court prima facie agreed with the petitions filed by the Election Commission and BJP candidate Pradyuman Singh Tomar against the High Court order of Court refuses to “say anything on the merits of the case”, asks EC to consider the issues raised in the petitions.
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Madhya Pradesh High Court order which directed “virtual” election campaigning and rallies for the by-polls to 28 Assembly seats in the State.
The High Court made a condition that physical gathering is permissible only if the local District Magistrate is convinced that virtual mode is not possible.
But even then, physical gatherings would be allowed only after the political parties deposit with the District Magistrate money sufficient to buy “double the number of masks and sanitizers required for protecting the number of persons expected in the gathering“.

Try and topple my govt if you have the courage, Uddhav dares BJP

Maharashtra CM, Uddhav Thackeray on Sun attacked the BJP, questioning the Hindutva of “clanging bells and utensils”, and daring the Modi regime to topple his government. “Since the day I became the CM, I have been hearing different dates on the toppling of my government. So far it hasn’t happened… if you have the courage… then go ahead and do it,” said Thackeray.

J&K: 3 held while trying to hoist tricolor at Srinagar's Lal Chowk

Three people, who tried to hoist the tricolor at clock tower in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk here early Mon morning, claiming to be BJP workers from Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, detained while trying to hoist the tricolor at the historic clock tower near the city center here, officials said.
They said the trio, claiming to be BJP workers from Kupwara district of north Kashmir, raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and in favor of the party and tried to hoist the tricolor at the clock tower.
However, the police swung into action and took them into custody, they added.
On Mon J&K Accession Day to India, some political activists in Jammu burned the erstwhile J&K state flag and unfurled the tricolor. Issue warning to ‘Gupkar Gang’ to not dare abuse the Indian national flag.

3 senior PDP leaders quit the party allegedly as a protest against Mehbooba Mufti’s comment on the Indian flag.

First organic vegetable market introduced in Srinagar

Stop victimization of Republic TV journalists, Editors Guild urges Mumbai police, after quite sometime

It is also states that the channel should start “behaving responsibly”.
The Editors Guild of India on Mon called on the Mumbai police to stop victimizing journalists of Republic TV by filing FIRs against them, while also stating that the channel should start behaving responsibly.
The Editors Guild said in a statement that it was “pained to see the unedifying spectacle of hundreds of FIRs being filed against journalists of the Republic TV, which is under probe for allegedly manipulating TRPs and spreading discontent against the Mumbai police”.
The Guild said the ongoing standoff between the channel and the Mumbai Police was unprecedented.
The Guild said the police should not hurt the journalists while investigating or making arrests.

Ex-Union minister Dilip Ray gets 3-yr jail in coal scam case

A special CBI court sentenced former Union minister Dilip Ray to 3-yr imprisonment in a coal scam case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of a Jharkhand coal block in 1999. Ray was then a minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Govt in 1999. The court also awarded 3-year jail term to two former officials of the ministry of coal.

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

China illegally occupies Nepal's land at many places, India's intelligence agencies sound alert

China has illegally occupied Nepal’s land at several places spreading over 7 bordering districts and Indian intelligence agencies have sounded an alert in New Delhi.
The agencies have flagged that Beijing is fast moving forward and further pushing Nepali boundaries by encroaching more and more landmass.
“The actual scenario could be worse as the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) is trying to shield the expansionist agenda of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” an internal intelligence agency report pointed out.
The report also talked about the Survey Department of Nepal flagging China’s attempts to grab land before Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli which was ignored.
It stated that Nepali districts which are victims of China’s land-grabbing plan includes Dolakha, Gorkha, Darchula, Humla, Sindhupalchowk, Sankhuwasabha and Rasuwa.
China has pushed the international boundary 1,500 m towards Nepal in Dolakha including pushing the boundary pillar Number 57 in the Korlang area in Dolakha, which was previously located at top of Korlang.
Similar to Dolakha, China has relocated Boundary Pillar Numbers 35, 37 and 38 in Gorkha district and Boundary Pillar Number 62 in Nampa Bhanjyang in Solukhumbu.
The first three pillars were located in Rui village and areas of Tom River.
Though Nepal’s official map shows the village as a part of Nepali territory and citizens of the village have been paying taxes to Nepal Govt, China had occupied the region and merged it with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in 2017.
Numerous houses that used to be a part of Nepal have been now taken over by China and assimilated into the Chinese territory.
The Nepal Ministry of Agriculture also recently came up with a report highlighting multiple cases of land grabbing by China.

Pakistani PM asks Facebook CEO to ban Islamophobic content

In a letter, which the Pakistani Govt posted on Twitter, Imran Khan said that “growing Islamophobia” was encouraging extremism and violence across the world, especially through social media platforms such as Facebook. “I would ask you to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam for Facebook that you have put in place for the Holocaust,” Khan said.

Pakistan’s PM accuses French President of ‘attacking Islam’

Pakistani PM Imran Khan accused French President Emmanuel Macron on Sun of “attacking Islam” after the European leader criticized Islamists and defended the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. Khan’s comments follow statements Macron made last week after a French teacher was beheaded near Paris.

China a 'number one national security threat' to US: Haley

China is the United States’ “absolute number one” national security threat, said Indian-American Republican politician Nikki Haley on Sat (local time), adding that US President Donald Trump has made sure Beijing does not steal American intellectual property.

Explosion reported on Sat, in Pul-e-Khoshk area in west of Kabul. At least 13 people died. According to the ministry, 30 more were wounded in the blast: Afghanistan’s TOLOnews

COVID-19

India reports over 50,000 new COVID-19 cases, recovery rate touches 90%

‘Oxford Covid vaccine trials show robust immune response in elderly’

Early results from tests for a coronavirus vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford, in collaboration with AstraZeneca Plc, show it produces a robust immune response in elderly people, the group at highest risk, the Financial Times reported on Mon. It has been discovered that the vaccine triggers protective antibodies and T-cells in older age groups.

India recorded just over 3.6 lakh fresh cases during the week, the lowest in absolute terms in three months (since 3.2 lakh were detected in the July 20-26 week), as per data collated from state governments.

RBI governor Shaktikanta Das tests positive for Covid-19