Newsletter 25 September

Sino-Indian Standoff:

India and China need to adjust to each other's rise

In his first comments since the Moscow pact, external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar said, while speaking at the world economic forum development impact summit

“India and China need to adjust to each other’s rise – which has been the dominating factor in “diplomacy of both countries“

Calling “border issues” as “one part of that problem” he said, “we are going through a very unprecedented situation, and if one looks at in a longer-term, this is one facet of larger phenomenon” for which both “India and China have to sit down and find a solution.”

Necessary to ensure stability on ground: MEA on China-India border standoff in eastern Ladakh

Two days after its military talks with China to resolve the border standoff in eastern Ladakh, India on Thu said the way ahead will be to refrain from making any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo while the two sides continue discussions to achieve complete disengagement in all friction areas.
At a virtual media briefing, ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said disengagement of troops is a complex process which would require mutually agreed “reciprocal actions”.
“Even as two sides work towards complete disengagement in all friction areas, it is at the same time also necessary to ensure stability on the ground. The latest senior commanders meeting should be seen in this overall context,” he added.
India and China held the sixth round of Corps commander-level talks on Mon following which both sides announced a series of decisions like not sending more troops to the frontline, refraining from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoiding any actions that may further complicate matters.
Srivastava said the talks gave the senior commanders an opportunity to have “candid and in-depth” exchange of views on stabilizing the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The MEA spokesperson further said the next meeting under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs is likely to take place soon.
A standstill agreement, by definition, means the preservation of the status quo, even if created by force. A standstill understanding will allow China to retain its land grabs in Ladakh, thus continuing India’s record of negotiating self-damaging accords-said expert

‘Beijing uses bullying tactics to advance its goals’: US slams China’s nefarious tactics to destabilize order

US State Dept spokesperson Morgan Ortagus on Wed accused China of using bullying tactics to achieve its goals.

Her statement comes just a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping claimed that Beijing does not have any intention to fight either a “cold war or a hot war” with any nation

China has begun constructing at least 13 entirely new military positions, including three air bases, five permanent air defense positions and five heliports, near the LAC.

As per global security consultancy Stratfor, China has begun constructing at least 13 entirely new military positions, including three air bases, five permanent air defense positions and five heliports, near the Line of Actual Control following the Doklam standoff in 2017, one of many misadventures of the ‘Red Dragon’.

Bihar assembly elections live updates: Elections to be held in 3 phases, counting on Nov 10, said CEC

The Election Commission announced dates for Bihar assembly elections, amid corona pandemic. The Nitish Kumar-led NDA Govt takes on the Grand alliance led by Congress and Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD.

	Phase 1^st	Phase 2^nd	Phase 3^rd
Polling	Oct 28	Nov 3	Nov 10
Seats	71	94	78
Districts	16	17	15
Issue of Notification	Oct 1	Oct 9	Oct 13
Last date of nomination	Oct 8	Oct 16	Oct 10
Scrutiny of Nomination	Oct 9	Oct 17	Oct 21
Last Date of withdrawal	Oct 12	Oct 19	Oct 23

The term of the 243-member Bihar legislative assembly comes to an end on Nov 29. In the last Bihar assembly elections, the JD(U), the RJD and the Congress had contested together under the Grand Alliance and formed the government with absolute majority. However the JD(U) later broke away from the alliance and formed the Govt in Bihar with the BJP.
Now, the voting will take place from 7am to 6pm, instead of 5pm previously. However, this will be not be applicable in Maoist-hit areas.
District election officers will identify grounds for physical campaigning and also ensure circles are marked on the ground to ensure social distancing.

Modi speaks to Japan's new PM Yoshihide Suga, discussed plans to further strengthen bilateral relationship

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Fri had a phone call with Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga.
According to PMO, the two leaders agreed that the India-Japan Special Strategic and the global partnership has made great advances over the last few years and expressed their intention to further strengthen this relationship based upon mutual trust and shared values.
The two leaders concurred that the partnership between the two countries is even more relevant in today’s times given the global challenges, including that of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They emphasized that the economic architecture of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region must be premised on resilient supply chains and in this context welcomed cooperation between India, Japan and other like-minded countries.
The two leaders appreciated the progress made in the economic partnership between the two countries, and welcomed the finalization of the text of the agreement pertaining to specialized skilled workers.
PM Modi extended an invitation to PM Suga to visit India for the Annual Bilateral Summit, as the pandemic conditions improves.

Farmers block roads, railways as protests mount over farm bills

Thousands of farmers in India blocked roads and railway tracks on Fri in a protest against new legislation that they say could pave the way for the Govt to stop buying grain at guaranteed prices, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers.
Modi’s Govt has defended the bills – recently approved by parliament – as reforms to help rid India’s vast agriculture sector of antiquated laws and allow farmers to sell to institutional buyers and big retailers.
The government insists the new rules give farmers the option to sell their produce to private buyers while it would still purchase staples such as rice and wheat at guaranteed prices.
But such assurances have failed to mollify millions of farmers who make up an influential voting bloc in states such as Punjab and Haryana – India’s northern farm belt which borders the capital New Delhi.
Modi, now facing the biggest farmers’ protest just weeks before an assembly election in Bihar, India’s third-most populous state.
As well as in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, farmers held protests in the eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal.

A medium-intensity earthquake of magnitude 5.4 hit Ladakh region at 4.27 pm at a depth of 10 km: National Centre for Seismology

Terrorists exploiting financial, emotional distress caused by COVID-19 lockdowns

Due to widespread COVID-19, terrorists are making malevolent attempts to exploit the financial and emotional distress caused by lockdowns to disturb the cohesiveness of societies, Pawan Badhe, First Secy, Permanent Mission of India to UN, said at the 45^th session of UNHRC.

The topic of the debate was “Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention“.

He also said, “Another disturbing trend has been the collection of funds by proscribed terrorist outfits ostensibly for undertaking charitable activities, but which,

in reality, would be used to finance terror. The increased presence of people online and on social media has been targeted by terrorists to disseminate misinformation through hate speeches, fake news and doctored videos”.

India emphasized that Council can’t remain immune to the devastating HR impacts caused by terrorism.
It needs to play a key role in creating awareness about the protection of the rights of the most vulnerable groups particularly children and youths in order to prevent their radicalization and indoctrination by terrorist ideologies.

Bengaluru violence: NIA conducts searches at 30 locations and arrests ‘key conspirator’

Bank recovery agent, who has been identified as Sayed Saddiq Ali, 44 is accused, of attacking K.G. Halli police station on Aug 11, has been absconding since then.
Shortly after taking over the probe into two cases related to the violence at D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli, where the city police invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thu conducted searches at 30 locations in Bengaluru and arrested a “key conspirator”. This is the first arrest made by the investigation agency since it took over the probe.
Officials also conducted searches at 30 locations in Bengaluru to “unearth the conspiracy behind the attacks on D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli police stations.”
In a release, the NIA said, “During the searches, an air gun, pellets, sharp weapons, iron rods, digital devices, DVRs, and many incriminating documents and material related to the Social Democratic Party of India and the Popular Front of India have been seized.”
Large-scale violence broke out in D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli on Aug 11^th, over a derogatory reply on a derogatory post on social media by Naveen Kumar, nephew of Akhanda Sreenivasa Murthy, MLA.
The violence resulted in huge damage and destruction of public and Govt property, said the NIA.

Two LeT Militants killed in encounter in J&K's Anantnag

In JnK, two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) Militants were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Police sources said that based on specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the area, security forces launched a Cordon and Search Operation in Sirhama village last evening.
The search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists fired upon the security forces, who retaliated.
In the exchange of fire this morning, two terrorists belonging to LeT outfit were killed.
Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition was also recovered from the site.

IMF Lauds PM Modi's Aatmanirbhar Bharat Mission, Says 'it Has Supported Indian Economy'

Lauding PM Modi’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director, Communications Department, Gerry Rice said it has supported the Indian economy and mitigated significant downside risks

“The economic package under this self-reliant India initiative, which was announced in the aftermath of the coronavirus shock, has supported the Indian economy and mitigated significant downside risks, so we do see that initiative as having been important.”

The Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission is divided into 5 phases and they are as follows:

Phase-I: Businesses including MSMEs
Phase-II: Poor, including migrants and farmers
Phase-III: Agriculture
Phase-IV: New Horizons of Growth
Phase-V: Government Reforms and Enablers

NEIGHBORHOOD/WORLD

China 'greatest counterintelligence threat' to US: FBI Director

Calling China as the ‘greatest counterintelligence threat’ to the United States, FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thu (local time) said that the Chinese hackers are continuing to target the US firms involved in COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and testing technology.

While testifying to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during a hearing on threats to the US, The Hill quoted Wray as saying,

“We are seeing very aggressive activity by the Chinese, and in some cases by others, to target our COVID-related research, whether it’s vaccines, treatments, testing technology, etc.”

“Sometimes, without being too descriptive in an open setting, we can almost track a news report from some company or research institution that is announcing or revealing some progress … and then almost within days we will see cyber targeting that ties back to Chinese actors focusing on those institutions,” he said.

“Chinese hackers have essentially stolen the PII of about half the adult population of the United States,” he added.

Huawei’s building ablaze Fri afternoon, No Casualties reported (Never!)

One of Huawei’s buildings in Dongguan, Guangdong Province was seen ablaze, local authorities confirmed to the Global Times (Chinese State Media).
No reason for the fire or casualties reported.
The building, which was spotted ablaze, reported to be a research laboratory of Huawei from earlier posts on social media including Sino Weibo, is confirmed to be a building still in construction (then how explode?), the local Govt of Dongguan said.
The building was located is one of the biggest headquarters of Huawei, with 1,900 mu in size.

'Stop Pakistan from treating POK citizens like animals': Activist breaks down at UNHRC

Raising voice against the atrocities by Pakistan on the people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), activist Sajjad Raja Chairman of the National Equality Party JKGBL, broke down in tears as he appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to stop Pakistan from treating them like animals.
Prof Sajjad Raja, while making an intervention during the 45^th Session of the UNHRC in Geneva on Thu (local time), said that the POK election Act 2020 has taken away all constitutional, civil and political rights of the citizens of the POK region. He added –
“Our activities opposing accession to Pakistan have been declared anti-state in flagrant violations of United Nations Resolutions,”

Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent capable of small-scale attacks only, says US official

Top US counter-terrorism official Christopher Miller said the globally banned terror group Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), hasn’t been able to recover from the death of its leader, Asim Umar.
AQIS, a globally-banned terror group, is now probably capable of only “small-scale regional attacks”.
In South Asia, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has struggled to rebound from the death of its leader, Asim Umar, in a US military raid in Afghanistan in Sept 2019 and is probably only capable of small-scale regional attacks, Miller Director, National Counter Terrorism Center, told a Senate committee.

INDIA COVID UPDATE

why Covid may be life-threatening for some patients

Geneticists were called in to investigate after 2 young, healthy men died of Covid. What they uncovered was a path leading from severe cases, genetic variations, and gender differences to a loss of immune function that may ultimately yield a new approach to treating thousands of Covid patients.

Researchers develop cheaper, faster, accurate testing

Researchers have developed a method for fast, cheap, yet accurate testing for Covid-19 infection. The method simplifies and frees the testing from expensive reaction steps, enabling upscaling of the diagnostics.