Newsletter 25 December

Sino-Indian Standoff: Next round Talk Occur soon but, any Conclusion is ill expected

India, China agreed that next round of military talks should be held soon: MEA

The 8^th and last round of military talks had taken place on Nov 6 during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.
India and China have agreed that the next round of military talks should be held soon for working towards an “early and complete” disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh (its ‘only’ what New Delhi Wants) in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thu.
MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the diplomatic and military talks have helped both sides to enhance understanding of each other’s positions on the issue. (However, nothing is visible on ground.)
Last week, the countries held another round of diplomatic talks under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs.
In the virtual meeting, both sides agreed to continue work towards ensuring complete disengagement of troops in all friction points along the LAC in eastern at the “earliest”, MEA stated in response of questions on the over seven-month border standoff.
“As you are aware, a meeting of the WMCC on India China border affairs took place on Dec 18 and the two sides have agreed that the 9^th round of senior commanders meeting should be held at an early date so that both sides can work towards an early and complete disengagement of troops along the LAC in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols and fully restore peace and tranquility,” he said.
Asked whether India cancelled all diplomatic events planned with China to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Srivastava said the activities have not yet been launched.
“This is the 70^th year of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China. However, the activities that have been agreed upon have not yet been launched,” he said.

China Not Letting 2 Ships With 39 Indians Onboard Unload Cargo For Days; Others Allowed

India has said that it is in constant touch with the Chinese authorities regarding two cargo vessels stranded in China’s ports with 39 Indians on board.
“There is a considerable amount of stress on the crew members on account of this unprecedented situation,” MEA said.
“We also understand, however, that some other ships, which arrived after Indian ship had arrived, have actually managed to discharge cargo and leave. The reasons for this are not clear,” he said, adding India has taken note of the Chinese FM’s statement about the provision of necessary facilitation and assistance.

India welcomes "positive developments" in Yemen with new Cabinet formation

India welcomes the positive developments in Yemen with the formation of the new power-sharing cabinet in the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement.
We appreciate the role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and others in facilitating these developments.
Hope that this will be an important step for comprehensive resolution of the conflict in Yemen.
We support all efforts to preserve the unity and integrity of Yemen through a political dialogue involving all sections of the Yemeni society: MEA said.
The Riyadh agreement was pushed by Saudi Arabia in an effort to end hostilities between Yemen’s internationally recognized Govt and southern separatists.

Navies of India, Vietnam to hold PASSEX in South China Sea

Indian Navy ship INS Kiltan, which arrived in Vietnam on Thu to deliver relief material under Mission Sagar-III, will hold a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the Vietnamese Navy in the South China Sea (SCS) later this week, the Navy said.
“On departure from Ho Chi Minh City, the ship will undertake a PASSEX with the Vietnam People’s Navy in the South China Sea from Dec 26-27, 2020,” the Navy said in a statement.
INS Kiltan arrived at port Nha Rong and will deliver 15 tons of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material to Vietnam’s Central Steering Committee for national disaster prevention and control, the Navy stated.

Pakistan shells forward posts along LoC in JnK's Poonch

At around 1815 hours on Thu, the Pakistani army opened heavy fire and shelled mortars at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district officials said.
Indian troops mounted an effective retaliation to the unprovoked ceasefire violation from the other side, they added.

Pakistan military claims Indian shelling kills 50-year-old woman at LoC

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media arm, alleged that Indian troops resorted to unprovoked shelling and targeted the civilian population with mortars and heavy weapons in Tatta Pani and Jandrot sectors along the Line of Control. The injured included a 4-year-old child, the ISPR said.
The shelling incidents were reported by ISPR hours before Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, visited Pakistani troops stationed at the LoC.
Tension at the LoC has been high for the last 2 years and both countries routinely blame each other for ceasefire violations.

In Jammu & Kashmir

A youth hailing from Qazigund area of south Kashmir namely Riyaz ahmed arrested from Narwal area of Jammu along with arms and ammunition this morning
Awantipora police on Fri arrested 1 person identified as Amir Ashraf khan and recovered a Chinese hand grenade from his possession which he had kept concealed in a plastic jar in the compound of his house. JnK Police.

PM Modi pays floral tributes, releases book on Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 96th birth anniversary

The Prime Minister will also release a book titled ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Parliament: A Commemorative Volume’ today.
The book, published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, highlights the life and works of the former Prime Minister and contains his notable speeches delivered in Parliament. The book also contains some rare photographs from his public life.
The day is also observed as Good Governance Day.
The book has released at a function in the Central Hall of Parliament. The late leader was conferred Bharat Ratna in 2015. He had also been awarded Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Award for Best Parliamentarian in 1994.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases Rs 18,000 crore instalment under PM-Kisan, addresses farmers:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Fri released instalments of more than Rs 18,000 crore under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme to more than 9 crore beneficiary farmer families. Under the PM-Kisan Scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000/year is provided to the eligible beneficiary farmers, payable in 3 equal 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2,000 each.

Here are the highlights from PM Modi’s address:

Today, 18000 crore rupees have been deposited directly in the bank account of more than 9 crore farmer families of the country at one click. Ever since this scheme started, more than 1 lakh 10 thousand crore rupees have reached the account of farmers.
Today I regret that more than 70 lakh farmers and my brother & sisters from West Bengal have not been able to get this benefit. More than 23 lakh farmers of Bengal have applied online to take advantage of this scheme.
But the state Govt stopped the verification process long ago.
Mamata Banerjee’s ideology has destroyed Bengal. Her actions against the farmers have hurt me a lot. Why is the Opposition quiet on this?
The parties who do not speak in the interest of farmers in West Bengal, come here to Delhi and talk about farmers. These parties who today talk about APMC-mandis have forgotten that there are no APMC-mandis in Kerala. These people never protest in Kerala. Those ruling Kerala for years are joining Punjab farmers for selfies, but not doing anything for the mandi system in their own state.
We aimed to reduce the input cost of the farmers of the country. We introduced the soil health card, neem coating of urea, and scheme for millions of solar pumps. The Govt tried to improve crop insurance and today, crore of farmers are benefitting from the PM crop insurance scheme.

Protesters agitating against the new farm laws run a tractor over a police barricade in Bajpur, of the Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand

Centre tells farmers that it is ready to discuss ‘all issues’

The agriculture ministry letter to the group of 40 farm unions said that though clubbing the MSP issue with farm laws for specific discussion did not appear logical as the legislations had nothing to do with the support price mechanism, the govt would still like to discuss them along with other issues. The Centre told unions that it is ready to discuss “all issues raised by you“.
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at 3 border points of Delhi is expected to meet later to discuss the Centre’s letter and respond to it formally
“There are some farmers from Punjab who have been misguided by vested interests. I hope they come on the right path and abandon the ongoing protests”: Narendra Tomar, Agriculture Minister
The Opposition is misleading farmers regarding MSP, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Mehrauli, Delhi. He underlined that the MSP system will remain

PM-CARES "Established By Government" But RTI Doesn't Apply, Says Document

In the reply, the government says PM-CARES is a body “owned by, controlled by and established by the GoI” but does not come under the Right to Information law as it receives private funds.
“This fund is completely financed by donations received from individuals/organizations/CSRs (Corporates)/foreign individuals/foreign organizations/PSUs and not at all financed by the appropriate Govt and administered by private individuals as trustees, which is a compulsory condition to invoke section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, therefore, PM CARES fund can’t be considered a public authority,” the RTI reply of Dec 24 says.
The document has deepened confusion over PM-CARES after a contradiction emerged in official documents. It now appears that while the fund has been designated as a Govt entity that receives crores from various donors, it is not bound to disclose them as required for such organizations, NDTV questioned.

India, Bangladesh finalizing first bilateral rice deal in 3 years: Report

Bangladesh is finalizing a purchase of 150,000 tons of rice from India’s NAFED, the New Delhi-based state agency told Reuters, in what would be the first such bilateral deal in 3 years after floods in Bangladesh sent local prices to a record high. India, world’s biggest rice exporter, is offering a steep discount to supplies from rivals Thailand and Vietnam to cut its surplus.

Very infamous Hathras case: Rs 100 crore sourced to UP to incite caste, communal violence

Of the Rs 100 crore, funding of around Rs 50 crore was sourced by the Popular Front of India (PFI) from Mauritius to incite violence in Hathras.
In yet another twist to the case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed on Wed that at least Rs 100 crore were sourced to Uttar Pradesh to incite caste and communal conflicts in the name of seeking justice for the Hathras victim.
On Tue, the UP Police alleged that funding of around Rs 50 crore was sourced by the PFI from Mauritius to incite violence. ED officials are now tracking suspects and examining data relating to the blacklisted website “Justice for Hathras” to ascertain whether it was used as a gateway for foreign funding.
The agency may begin a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against admins of website.
On Mon night, 4 persons who were on their way to Hathras from Delhi were apprehended from Mathura.
They were found to have links with PFI, UP Addl DG of Police (Law & Order) Prashant Kumar said.
The 4 have now been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and for sedition. They have been remanded to 14 days judicial custody.

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

Nepal SC issues show cause notice against govt over dissolving Parliament

Constitutional Bench started hearing on writs against House dissolution around 3 pm. Chief Justice Rana has picked Hari Krishna Karki, Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, Anil Kumar Sinha and Tej Bahadur KC as members of the Bench.

China wades in but India stays off Nepal political flux

India sought to maintain a safe distance from the latest political crisis in Nepal saying Thu that the developments this week in Kathmandu, triggered by PM KP Oli’s decision to dissolve Parliament, were Nepal’s internal affairs.
India’s official reaction was in stark contrast to China’s efforts to apparently broker a truce between the Oli and PK Dahal Prachanda factions.
Official sources also said the crisis which has already seen the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) effectively split into two is unlikely to come in the way of India’s development work in Nepal.
India had been looking to provide a fillip to its economic and trade ties with Nepal.
Unverified sources said that, Nepalese Envoy meets COAS MM Naravane in background of political turmoil.
A leader considered close to Dahal said Thu that NCP co-chair had discussed “bilateral concerns” with Hou who has worked ruthlessly to prevent a split in party.
The Kathmandu Post quoted a member of the Prachanda’s secretariat as saying that “discussions must have revolved around contemporary political developments.”

Afghanistan will be invited in next trilateral meet of India, Iran and Uzbekistan regarding Chabahar port

The first meeting of India, Uzbekistan, Iran held trilateral meet on Chabahar on Dec 14
The meeting has jointly chaired at the deputy minister level from Uzbekistan and Iran and at the secretary-level from India. The announcement comes just a day after the virtual summit between PM Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The proposal for the trilateral meet was made by the Uzbek side and India has welcomed Uzbekistan interest to use the Chabahar port as a transit port,saying “this would open up economic opportunities for the traders and business community of the region“, a statement by the MEA read.

Taliban commander Haji Lala, who was captured by Pakistani spies and held for 2.5 yrs over information on a spy working against the group, has surrendered before Afghan police. But, like many other fighters, Lala too is scared of Taliban’s fury. Afghanistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry releases a statement saying, “The overt presence & activities of Afghan insurgent elements and their leaders in Pakistani territory clearly violate Afghanistan’s national sovereignty & continue to cause crisis & instability in the region”

Pakistan: Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed sentenced to 15 years for terror financing

The Mumbai terror attack mastermind was convicted on the charges of terror-financing for managing the assets of a proscribed organization, and help in raising the funds.
Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief, Hafiz Saeed was on Fri sentenced to 15 years and 6 months imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court (ATC), Express Tribune.
The ATC also forfeited property possessed by Saeed, besides imposing a fine of Rs 110,000 on him.
According to the details released by the proscribed outfit, those convicted would also have to pay a fine of Rs 200,000 each, reported Express Tribune.

China backing away from its initial financial promises to Pakistan under CPEC: Report

China appears to be backing away from its initial financial promises to Pakistan under Beijing-financed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a US$60 bn infrastructure building plan, amid rising corruption and militant attacks on Chinese engineers.
According to Asia Times, Pakistan Army is set to take near-total control of the CPEC in a bid to reassure Beijing that their investments will be more secure amid militant attacks on Chinese engineers and others facilitating the infrastructure projects.
The new bill comes at a time when reports suggest that China is slowly retreating from its promises. Overall lending by state-backed China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China declined from a peak of US$ 75 bn in 2016 to just $4 bn last yr.
Provisional 2020 figures show that amount shrunk to around $3 bn in 2020, according to data of Boston University researchers in the US.