Newsletter 3 February

Sino-Indian Standoff: India ready to ‘defeat any Misadventure’: DM

DM, Singh said India ready to ‘defeat any misadventure’

At Aero India, Defense minister Rajnath Singh on Tue said India’s robust stance, calibrated response and the unrelenting spirit of its soldiers led to stabilization of the situation along the country’s northern borders.
Singh on Wed said India has witnessed unfortunate attempts by its neighbor to employ force to alter the status quo along its unresolved borders, referring to the prolonged border row with China in eastern Ladakh.
“Aero India-21 will showcase this commitment” Singh said in his inaugural speech at the biennial air show.
Asserting that India has to focus on new goals for new India, Singh said the Defense Research and Development Organization is continuously developing technology that will help the country in achieving these goals.
During the 9^th round of military talks on the standoff on Jan 24^th, the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) agreed to push for an early disengagement of their frontline troops at frictions areas on the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
“They also agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the 10^th round of the corps commander-level meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation,” said a joint statement issued the following day.
Though, contrary to this, on ground, China has deployed at least 1 regiment of its Type 99 tanks from one of its Heavy Combined Arms Brigade on the LAC, said some unverified sources.
Until now, the Chinese side was insisting that the Indian Army first pull back troops deployed on strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso.
India has made all preparations to hold ground in Ladakh for an extended duration.
On Jan 12, Army chief General MM Naravane said that the Indian Army was prepared to hold its ground in eastern Ladakh “for as long as it takes” to achieve national objectives in case the ongoing military and diplomatic talks with China are prolonged.
While the LAC in eastern Ladakh has been at the center of the current border tensions, Indian forces are in a heightened state of alert all along the border with China stretching from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh.
Rival soldiers have so far clashed at least five times since the India-China border row erupted in the Ladakh sector last year.

Despite pandemic, French majors participate with intensity in Aero India 2021 exhibition - ANI

The Aero India 2021 is the first major defense and aerospace exhibition to be held, one year since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and French
companies have come in force despite the adverse global public health situation, the French Embassy in India said on Wed.

Biden admin slams China, stands by India

In its first response to the India-China border standoff, the Biden administration has voiced concern over Beijing’s ongoing attempts to “intimidate” its neighbors and said it was closely monitoring the situation.
A top official of the new Biden administration also asserted that the US will stand with its allies to advance its shared values in the strategically-vital Indo-Pacific region said Emily J Horne, spokesperson, National Security Council (NSC) of the White House, told PTI on Mon.
She was responding to a question on recent Chinese attempts to intrude into Indian territories and occupy it. “The US is concerned by Beijing’s pattern of ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbors,” Horne said.
“We will stand with friends, partners and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security and values in the Indo-Pacific region,” she added.
The US has been favoring making Quad a security architecture to check China’s growing assertiveness.

Defense Minister met Iranian Counterpart in Bengaluru

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh meets the Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Amir Hatami on the sidelines of AeroIndia2021 in Bengaluru.

Singh reached in Tehran from Moscow in last September after concluding his 3-day visit to Russia where he attended a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense ministers.

2 Lt Gens at war withdraw complaints as Army chief orders COI

The Army is finalizing a court of inquiry into a bitter tussle between top two generals of the crucial Jaipur-based South Western Command. The “serious” allegations and counter-allegations range from administrative lapses and major functional troubles to even misuse of authority on certain fronts. The two warring generals withdrew their complaints against each other on Tuesday.

Famers’ Protests Row…..(all 3 Acts are on hold)

Supreme Court refuses to entertain pleas seeking intervention into Republic Day violence

The SC on Wed refused to entertain a clutch of petitions demanding investigation into the violence in the national capital on Republic Day during the farmers’ tractor rally.
“We are sure that the Govt is inquiring into it. We read a statement by the Prime Minister that the law is taking its own course. We don’t want to interfere in this case. You make a representation before the Govt,” said CJI SA Bobde.

Farmers agitation at Delhi borders causing inconvenience to residents: Centre-HT

Police security across Delhi was stepped up after thousands of farmers entered the central Delhi area despite warnings during their tractor rally on R-Day.
The Union ministry of home affairs on Wed stated in Parliament that protesting farmers who have been camping at the borders of Delhi for the past 75 days have caused inconvenience to residents of the national capital as well the neighboring states.
Replying to an un-starred question, MoS, MHA, G Kishan Reddy added that in any agitation there is financial loss incurred by people and Govt.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition said in Rajya Sabha “I request the govt to take back the three farm laws. Some people are missing and I request the PM to constitute a committee to investigate this matter. My party condemns the Jan 26 (violence) in the strongest words possible. Strict action should be taken against whoever was involved. But at the same time, I want to say that no attempt should be made to implicate innocent farmer leaders in false cases”.
Three Aam Aadmi Party members were marshalled out of Rajya Sabha on Wed after Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked them to withdraw as they trooped into the Well of the House raising slogans against the new farm laws.
‘Don’t make farmers’ agitation another Shaheen Bagh, as Govt always open its door to the farmers for any amicable solution’ said BJP’s Bhubaneswar Kalita in RS.

Tikait to attend farmers’ mahapanchayat in Haryana’s Jind on Wed

Amid growing support to the farmers’ agitation in Haryana, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait will address a Kisan Mahapanchayat at Kandela village of Jind district Wednesday.
Kandela khap president Tek Ram Kandela said the mahapanchayat is being held in a stadium spread over 7 acres of land.
“We have arranged food and tea for 50,000 persons. There will be 2,000 volunteers to see arrangements of mahapanchayat,” added Ram Kandela.
Soon after the authorities tried to evict farmers from Ghazipur border of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in the late evening of Jan 28, the farmers from Kandela and neighboring villages had blocked the Jind-Kaithal highway in solidarity with the agitating farmers at Ghazipur.
“The farmers from Haryana had turned angry when they saw the entire episode on TV channels.
Our villagers said if anything happens to Rakesh Tikait, then the farmers of Haryana won’t sit idle,” said Tek Ram Kandela.
After the incident, a large number of farmers held meetings to condemn the alleged “atrocities” on the protesting farmers. Some had even moved to the Delhi border the same night.

Why no questions about R-Day violence on police: Delhi top cop defends barricading at farmer protest sites

Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava on Tue defended the fortification of the 3 farmers’ protest sites at the borders of Delhi and said that such questions were not raised when barricades were broken and police was attacked during the Jan 26 violence in the national capital.
Delhi Police announce Rs 1L reward for information on Deep Sidhu, flag-hoister Jugraj Singh.
Delhi Police issued rejoinder to western media outlet ‘The Guardian’ over ‘factually incorrect’ report of Indian journalists facing criminal charges over police shooting reports.

MEA has come out unprecedentedly with a “Press Statement” on recent comments by foreign individuals and entities on the farmers’ protests.

“Some of these vested interest groups have also tried to mobilize international support against India. Instigated by such fringe elements, Mahatma Gandhi statues have been desecrated in parts of the world. This is extremely disturbing for India and for civilized society everywhere.”

Greta Thunberg extends support to farmers protest

“We stand in solidarity with the Farmers Protest in India,” Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg wrote on Twitter on Tue.
Apart from Thunberg, UK Member of Parliament Claudia Webbe also expressed solidarity with the Indian farmers.
Rihanna tweets on farmers’ protests in India, Kangana Ranaut calls her fool

The Centre has issued a notice to Twitter to comply with its order to remove contents/accounts related to “farmer genocide”.

Content with the ‘#ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide‘ was posted on Twitter which was designed to inflame passions and hatred and is factually incorrect, according to the sources.

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

Protestors block minister’s vehicle as demonstrations against Parliament dissolution continue to rage in Nepal

A group of protestors from the student wing of ruling Nepal Communist Party’s rival faction blocked the route of a minister’s vehicle and waived black flags, as they intensify protest against the Parliament dissolution.
Police later arrested the All Nepal National Free Student Union protestors from the agitation site.
The rival faction is led by former prime ministers, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Madhav Kumar Nepal.
Police and security officials did not reveal the identity of the minister who was inside the vehicle.
Protestors chanted slogans against the dissolution of parliament by now caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and demanded the reinstatement of the parliament.
Nepal has plunged into a state of a constitutional crisis as now caretaker PM Oli dissolved the lower house last year calling fresh elections 2 years ahead of schedule.

Security on high-alert in Karachi (Pak) after threat of terror attack

Security put on high-alert in Karachi in view of possible terrorist attack following a threat alert issued by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), ARY News reported on Wed.
NACTA warned that a vehicle has been prepared to carry out an attack against an unspecified or high-profile building in Karachi in near future.
According to the information collected by security agencies, foreign agencies have planned to carry out a terrorist attack in Karachi and prepared a vehicle in the suburbs of the metropolis.
The institution conveyed the threat alert to the concerned authorities.
Earlier on Jan 6, NACTA had issued a threat alert for Karachi, warning that terrorists-backed by foreign agencies have planned to attack key installations.
The handout issued by the NACTA had read that that key Govt’s buildings or installations could be targeted in the attack by foreign-backed terror elements.

Anti-govt protests continue in Gilgit-Baltistan over discrimination in jobs, unpaid salary hikes-ANI

Anti-Govt protests in Pakistan Administered Kashmir’s (PoK) Gilgit-Baltistan continued on Tue as hundreds of disgruntled employees and healthcare workers demonstrated against the discrimination in Govt’s jobs and unpaid salary hikes. As the protest entered another week, anti-Govt sloganeering has gone up with more and more people joining in.

‘Time to extend hand of peace’: Pakistan Army chief Gen Bajwa springs a surprise

General Bajwa’s move to tone down his rhetoric against India came at a time he and Prime Minister Imran Khan have been facing fierce attacks from an alliance of opposition parties.
The army chief’s remarks seen to be aimed at New Delhi were a sharp contrast to his strident pitch against India, particularly after New Delhi carried out aerial strikes at terror training camps in PoK after the 2019 Pulwama bombing and later scrapped JnK’s special status.
CNN-News18, reported by citing “top Sources” that India has welcomed the Pak Army Chief’s statement.
While other media reported that India remains silent and made no comments remark so far.
A Pakistan watcher said New Delhi could be expected to respond to action rather than words, particularly after PM Modi took steps in the early part of his first tenure to mend ties.

PM Modi congratulates PM Rajapaksa on Sri Lanka’s 73^rd Independence Day (Feb 4^th)-ANI

According to a statement released by the High Commission of India in Colombo, PM Modi reiterated the shared deep-rooted millennia-old ties based on shared linguistic, religious and cultural traditions.
“He underlined the cooperation between the 2 nations over the past year, including in the joint fight against the COVID19 pandemic.
He further wished that the strong ties between the two nations would be further cemented in the years to come, and contribute to the progress and common prosperity of our peoples,” the statement read.
This may be seen in lenses of recent development in bilateral relations.
Colombo’s, Despite reports of cabinet clearing the trilateral Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) project between Sri Lanka, Japan and India, PM Rajapaksa on Sun denied selling, leasing out or coming into any sort of an agreement with a foreign country over the ECT.
Today, Ambassador of Japan, Akira Sugiyama met with Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and discussed a range of matters relevant to the bilateral partnership between Sri Lanka and Japan.
Sri Lanka is key in the battle for influence in South Asia between traditional power India and China, which has been making increasing inroads there.
The island nation is a crucial staging post for much of the cargo coming in and out of India, and China’s growing influence has alarmed New Delhi.
Beijing took over Hambantota port in the south of the country in 2016 after Sri Lanka failed to keep up with debt repayments, and is involved in the construction and operation of a neighboring port terminal in Colombo, as well as other critical infrastructure.

Myanmar’s NLD says offices raided in ‘unlawful acts’, computers, documents seized- Reuters

Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party on Wed said its offices in several regions of the country had been raided, including by forced entry, with documents, computers and laptops taken.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD in a statement on Facebook said the raids started on Tue and urged authorities to stop what it said were unlawful acts against the party.
Suu Kyi, has been remanded in custody for two weeks under import-export laws, according to her party’s spokesperson.

China blocks UN Security Council statement condemning Myanmar coup

The United Nations Security Council has failed to agree on a joint statement condemning Myanmar Military’s Coup after China blocked the statement as a veto-holding permanent member of the council.
A Myanmar court has charged State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi with breaching an import and export law-reported Chinese State media, CNGT.
The Myanmar military Mon seized power in a coup and declared a state of emergency in the country for year.
The UNSC was negotiating a possible statement, drafted by Britain that would condemn the coup, call for the military to respect the rule of law and human rights, and immediately release those unlawfully detained, diplomats said. Such statements have to be agreed by consensus.
Myanmar is also a vital piece of Beijing’s huge Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. President Xi Jinping visited the country last Jan, and promised to support the Myanmar Govt on a development path “suited to its own national conditions”.
Myanmar Civil Society responding to the Coup on yesterday’s night. People in downtown Yangon banging pots and honking to against the coup. This even as UNSC begins internal consultation on developments in Myanmar.