Newsletter 11 February

Sino-Indian Standoff: India Confirms disengagement at Pangong Tso

China to move to east of Finger 8, no patrolling in disputed area: Rajnath Singh

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thu told Parliament that India and China reached a consensus on disengagement of their frontline soldiers on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, areas that have been at the center of the current border tensions in eastern Ladakh.
Singh said as part of the agreement on disengagement, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will move its forces to the east of Finger 8 on the north bank, and the Indian Army will move to its base near Finger 3.
The Minister said India and China also agreed to temporarily suspend their regular patrolling activities on the north bank.
The Chinese side will keep its troop presence in the north bank area to east of Finger 8. Reciprocally, the Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3.
A similar action would be taken in the south bank area by both sides,” he said.
Singh stated these are mutual and reciprocal steps and structures that built by both sides after April 2020 in both north and south bank areas will be removed.
Minister further stated “China, is in illegal occupation of more than 43,000 sq. km of Indian Territory. It also claims approximately 90,000 sq. km of Indian Territory in the Eastern Sector of the India-China boundary in Arunachal Pradesh. India has never accepted this illegal occupation of our territory or the unjustified claims.”
Apart from the north and south bank of Pangong Tso, the other friction points include PP15 in Hot Springs, PP17A in Gogra Post area, PP14 in Galwan Valley and the Depsang Plains in the far north where Chinese troops have been blocking Indian soldiers at a place called the Bottleneck, preventing them from accessing their traditional patrolling points PP10, PP11, PP11A, PP12 and PP13.
Depsang Plains is close to the strategic Indian base at Daulat Beg Oldie, near the Karakoram Pass.
Indian troops also readjusted their positions on the Pangong Tso north bank, occupying features to dominate Chinese positions on the ridgeline connecting Finger 3 and Finger 4.
This scramble for heights led to warning shots being fired by the two sides.
China insisted that India first move its troops back from the south bank while India said the entire eastern Ladakh region, including incursions in Depsang Plains, should be discussed together in talks to resolve the standoff – this was reiterated by the Indians during the Jan 24 talks.

Disengagement with India has started: claimed China

The disengagement process is happening as per the consensus reached by the 9^th round of the commander-level talks, dated Jan 24^th between China and India, the frontline units of the Chinese and Indian armed forces, according to China Defense Ministry.
The Chinese and Indian armed forces at the south and north banks of the Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh have started disengagement simultaneously, said the Chinese Defense Ministry on Wed in a statement.
According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, Wu Qian, the disengagement process is happening as per the consensus reached by the ninth round of the commander-level talks between China and India.
“The frontline units of the Chinese and Indian armed forces began organized disengagement from North and South bank of Pangong Tso from Feb 10,” Wu said in a brief press release.

Points to note are:

Why all of sudden such execution came in effect while 9^th round took place on Jan 24^th, especially when, the ice would be melting in months ahead?
Why only Pangong first, not Depsang and other point of friction, because in farmer India has bit dominating position?
The situation in Depsang Plains continues to be a concern.
How much it would be translated on ground will be a matter to watch.
This is not the first disengagement attempt even for this standoff.

“Defense Minister confirms India is surrendering its sole bargaining chip by vacating the Kailash Range heights as part of a narrow deal with China limited to the Pangong Lake’s south and north banks”.-Brahma Chellany, Indian geopolitical Strategist

India, China Step Up Guard To Detect Border Intrusions

US State Department “closely monitoring” the situation.
The Indian Army is upgrading surveillance along the northern border with China through drones, electronic warfare equipment, sensors, and reconnaissance.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has commanded the troops of the PLA stationed near the border to be “combat ready” during the Chinese New Year, which is on Feb. 12. “India has a 15,000-km land border,” Lt Gen (R) Gurmit Singh told Zenger News.
“The Indian Army started a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System in 2018. The aim was to check border infiltrations,” said Singh, who superannuated from the Indian Army in Feb 2016 after nearly 4 decades of service.
The Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System is capable of addressing the gaps in border security by integrating human resources, weapons, and high-tech surveillance equipment, states a report by Manohar Parrikar Institute For Defense Studies And Analyses, New Delhi.
Its purpose is to replace manual surveillance/ patrolling of international borders with electronic surveillance to enhance detection and interception capabilities.
China, too, is gearing up. The Central Military Commission, China’s top military organization, is monitoring the logistics supply for frontline troops.
He also asked them to prepare for information warfare because it is key to win over enemy forces.
In a press briefing on Feb. 9, 2021, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the U.S. was “closely monitoring” the situation. “We note the ongoing talks between the GoI and PRC, and we continue to support direct dialogue and a peaceful resolution of those border disputes,” Price said.

Ruckus in Lok Sabha over farm laws; planned strategy, said PM Modi

Opposition members, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi staged a walk out as Prime Minister Narendra Modi explained Govt’s stand on three farm laws in LS.
PM Modi voiced displeasure at continued disruption during his speech and requested Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to allow him to speak.
PM Modi on Wed made a strong pitch for a bigger role for the private sector in the economy, saying that slandering private enterprise was tantamount to distrusting the potential of youth and suspecting their intent. ”Wealth creators are also important for the country, only then wealth can be distributed. How can wealth reach the poor, how can jobs be created,” the PM asked.

'Work in India, bring FDI, but...': RS Prasad's message to Twitter in Parliament

Top Twitter executives in India may face arrest with the Centre making it clear that its list of accounts sought to be censured over “inflammatory content”, especially those with the hashtag of farmers’ genocide, was “non-negotiable”, and warning its patience was wearing out over the refusal of the company to follow the diktat given under Section 69A of the IT Act.
The Govt respects social media but they can’t violate India’s law, Constitution, the Minister said. Double standards will not be allowed, RS Prasad said in Parliament, referring to Twitter’s action after US Capitol violence.
Amid Centre’s ongoing face-off with Twitter, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thu said that the double standards of social media platforms will not be allowed in India.
“Work in India. You have crores of followers here. We respect that. Make money but you will have to abide by Indian laws and the Constitution,” the Minister stated in house.
On fake news on social media platforms, the Minister said that Ministry of I&B has a cell to bust fake news.

Elgar accused says evidence planted

Rona Wilson, one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case, on Wed urged the Bombay High Court to quash his criminal prosecution by citing a US-based forensic lab’s report that indicated planting of evidence on his laptop.
He said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) booked him in the case relying on that evidence. Wilson, a human rights activist, was arrested in 2018.
The Washington Post had first reported findings of the US-based Arsenal Consulting that alleged that Wilson’s device had been compromised in 2016 via a phishing attack which allowed the attacker to conduct surveillance and plant incriminating evidence till April 17, 2018, when electronic evidence was seized by the Pune Police.
The NIA has denied the claim, citing the report of the Indian forensic experts who did not find any such evidence.
The Govt official cited above called the US firm’s forensic report an attempt to discredit the investigation and find faults with the evidence.

Uttarakhand Disaster: Death toll rises to 35; 204 people are still missing.

Making no headway into Tapovan tunnel, rescuers plan to dig deep
Hope is splintered in 40-second fragments here. Every time an excavator moves into Tunnel 1 of the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydropower project, inside which 34 men remain trapped, those waiting outside hold their breath. If the excavator manages to carry some debris out when it emerges, they are relieved.
If not, another excruciating minute is added to their long wait.
Surge in water level of Dhauliganga River, rescue work halted. Rescue team pulled backed at safer place.

Unions to escalate stir in Feb with rail roko, ‘free’ toll plazas

In order to intensify the farmers’ movement against the farm laws, the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wed decided to make all road toll plazas in Rajasthan “free” from Feb 12 and hold a rail blockade program across the country from 12 pm-4 pm on Feb 18.
The SKM also decided to hold a ‘candle march’ and ‘mashaal juloos’ across the country in remembrance of the sacrifice of martyred soldiers in the Pulwama attack on Feb 14.
The decision seems to be an effort at image correction after the “anti-national” act of hoisting a religious flag at Red Fort on Jan 26 drew widespread condemnation.
“On Feb 16, farmers will show solidarity throughout the country on the birth anniversary of Sir Chhotu Ram,” the SKM said in a statement.
Chhotu Ram was one of the prominent leaders of pre-partition Punjab province.
The decisions were taken in a committee meeting of the Morcha as part of its plan to make the agitation a pan-India movement in the coming days.
The mobilization will be a test for the unions as so far, they have been successful in Punjab, Haryana and parts of west UP.

As PM plans two Europe visits, Poland pitches for Warsaw stop-TH

As the planning for two trips by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Europe this summer get underway, Poland is pitching for a visit to Warsaw.
It is also negotiating with India for a travel bubble arrangement to resume direct flights which have been suspended for nearly a year due to COVID regulations, said its envoy.
While PM Modi’s first trip abroad after the pandemic is scheduled for Bangladesh next month, he has accepted invitations to be in Portugal for the European Union-India summit (May 8), and to Cornwall, UK to attend the G-7 grouping where India is a special invitee (June 11-13).
“It would be a very nice move if we could have a bilateral visit at the top level from India to Poland or from Poland to India,” Ambassador Adam Burakowski told The Hindu in an interview.

Trudeau dials India for vaccine; will do best to help, said Modi

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has been critical of the Indian Govt on the farmers’ protests, called PM Modi to request for Covid vaccines.
In a late evening tweet, Modi said, “Was happy to receive a call from my friend @JustinTrudeau. Assured him that India would do its best to facilitate supplies of Covid vaccines sought by Canada. We also agreed to continue collaborating on other important issues like Climate Change and the global economic recovery.”
Canada has asked for 1 million doses of Covid vaccines from Serum Institute.
This would be a commercial purchase, the Govt would have to grant export clearance, which India has said it would do keeping domestic considerations in mind.
Trudeau has been in the news in India recently after he supported the farmers’ protests in Dec drawing a sharp response from the Indian Govt.
Foreign minister Jaishankar darkly warned of bilateral ties being affected. Trudeau Govt has also refused to heed Indian requests to act against Khalistani elements present in that country.

No change in policy on Jammu and Kashmir, says US

‘We welcome the resumption of 4G mobile internet in India’s Jammu & Kashmir’
“I want to be very clear there has been no change in US policy in the region,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters given a tweet from the South and Central Asia Bureau of the State Department which welcomed the resumption of 4G mobile internet in J&K.
This marks an important step for local residents and we look forward to continue political & economic progress to restore normalcy in J&K said South and Central Asia Bureau of the State Department.
Price said on a question over tweeter, “I think when it comes to Twitter’s policies, we’d have to refer you to Twitter itself.”

DGP Dilbag Singh empanelled for central postings

J&K Cadre IPS officer of 1987 batch, Director General of Police, J&K, Dilbag Singh’s name figures at serial no. 4 in the empaneled list.
Singh, has been empaneled by the Appointments Committee of the union Cabinet to hold the post of “DG/DG Equivalent” at the Central government.

Maharashtra CM says no to governor Koshyari for use of VVIP aircraft

Following an unusual turn of events, the governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari was denied the use of state govt aircraft to fly to Dehradun on Thursday morning. After no approval came from CM Uddhav Thackeray for the special VVIP flight, the governor and his entourage decided to board an airline flight to the destination instead, said an aviation source.

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

Biden Administration Quietly Drops Trump Proposal To Track Chinese Influence In US Schools

The Biden administration quietly withdrew a rule proposed by the Trump administration that would have required American schools and universities to disclose their partnerships with Confucius Institutes, which some U.S. officials allege are front groups for Chinese Communist Party propaganda.
The Trump administration submitted a proposed rule to the Department of Homeland Security on Dec. 31, 2020, entitled “Establishing Requirement for Student and Exchange Visitor Program Certified Schools to Disclose Agreements with Confucius Institutes and Classrooms.”
Around 500 K-12 schools and 65 colleges in the U.S. have partnerships with the Confucius Institute U.S. Center, a U.S.-based affiliate of the Beijing-based Confucius Institute Headquarters. The institute, also known as Hanban, is affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education.
Many of Hanban’s directors are members of the Chinese Communist Party or have close ties to the organization, The Daily Caller has previously reported.
The Trump-era proposal was withdrawn from consideration on Jan 26, according to information at RegInfo.gov, the website for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which operates under the Office of Management and Budget and the White House.