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| Thursday, June 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Shift in IMA training policy J&K report: Bitta
holds protest
Voluntary death is suicide : HC 5 institutes get child welfare awards Mohali youth held for cheating |
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Hopes for kharif crop brighten Villagers take away Harappan period gold
Laddoos turn bitter for cop Three eclipses in July
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Shift in IMA training policy DEHRA DUN, June 28 — To meet requirement of the technology dominated battlefield of the 21st century as well as to face the challenges posed by low intensity conflict (LIC), there has been a noticeable shift in the training curriculum for gentlemen cadets at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) here. Before gentlemen cadets pass out of the IMA to join their respective units, they would have learnt the basics aspects of LIC and info-war with an intensity and thoroughness as never taught at the academy before. Info-war and LIC -- two ways of waging war with an entirely different orientation and indoctrination, but both have one common aspect -- to fight an enemy who is hidden, generally unknown and can strike with devastating effect at a place and time of his own choosing. Though LIC is not new to the Indian Army, with its experiences ranging from the NWFP in the late 1800s through NEFA, Punjab, the North East and currently in Jammu and Kashmir, the officers training was earlier
focused on grooming combat leaders for a conventional warfare. ‘‘We are now laying much greater stress on this aspect during pre-commission training. Training hours devoted to CI-Ops at LIC have been significantly enhanced,’’ a training officer said. Earlier, these subjects were barely touched upon during the basic training, with selected officers being detailed after commissioned for specialised courses at the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Mizoram. ‘‘The Army has been heavily engaged in LIC and CI-Ops for the past 10 years and the thinking is that it will continue for some time in future as well,’’ an officer here commented. ‘‘Hence the revision in curriculum and training approach,’’ he added. Another reason for incorporating LIC in basic training is that a large number of officers passing out get posted to units deployed in CI-Ops. Earlier they found themselves engaged in warfare their training had not prepared them for. While some of the lessons learnt the hard way during operations in J&K and the North East as well as earlier operations, including Punjab and Jaffna, have been incorporated into the training syllabus, requisite infrastructure and training aids have also been available. ‘‘A special assault course has been set up where cadets can train in house clearing operations and combat in
semi-built-up areas,’’ an officer said. This apart, several academic sessions on these subjects have been also held. Officers spoken to say that LIC goes beyond mere tactical military operations, where tactical operations may range over difficult terrain over long distances and
time span. This required initiative, resourcefulness and training of a very high order. ‘‘The cadets must understand that the main focus of CI-Ops is control and support of local people for which fairness and impartiality is required. The enemy often operates in small groups in
built-up areas or amid concentrations of civilian population where they can garner support. Here, the enemy also makes efforts to provoke the security forces to overreact, which has a detrimental effect on local population’’ an officer said. Among other things incorporated are measures to minimise the chances of being soft targets, offensive and defensive movements under specific situations and the importance of psychological warfare in CI-Ops. With the battlefield of the 21st century dominated by technology and information warfare being the buzzword among defence planners, there is an increasing use of computers and simulators in training. Several cadets spoken to say that training has become ‘quite technically oriented’. |
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J&K
report: Bitta holds protest
NEW DELHI, June 28 — Activists of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front led by its Chairman, Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta today held a demonstration in front of the Jammu and Kashmir House, protesting against the adoption of resolution for greater autonomy. The Front also demanded the dismissal of the Farooq Abdullah government and imposition of Central rule in the sensitive border State. In a memorandum submitted to the State Governor, through the State’s Resident Commissioner, Mr Bitta said Jammu and Kashmir, including Pak-occupied Kashmir was an integral part of the country. “The resolution passed by the National Conference legislators for autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir is a great threat to the sovereignty and integrity of India. The grant of greater autonomy for Kashmir is bound to encourage other States too, which in turn will weaken India’’, the memorandum said. The Front said it apprehended that the resolution would create a ‘mini-Pakistan’ and deny to the people of the State fundamental rights that they have been enjoying for decades. It also demanded that Article 370 be abolished as it was ‘discriminatory’’ and claimed had this provision not been in the Constitution people from rest of India could have set up businesses there and generated employment opportunities. |
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Voluntary death is suicide : HC KOCHI, June 28 (PTI) — A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today held that voluntary termination of one’s life either by those who are frustrated or those who have achieved their life’s mission would both amount to suicide and declined to allow the plea for setting up voluntary death clinics in the state. No distinction can be made between suicide committed by a person who is either frustrated or defeated in life and by those who are successful, the Bench comprising Chief Justice, A.V. Savant and Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan observed while disposing two petitions by retired school teachers - C.A. Thomas (80) and Mukundan Pillai (69) seeking permission to end their lives. Both the petitioners submitted their families were well settled and they had no further desire to live. However, as law abiding citizens, they did not want to commit suicide but wanted to voluntarily put an end to their life or donate bodily organs to facilitate voluntary death. The possibility of misuse or abuse of such a right and exploitation on that count cannot be ruled out, the Bench cautioned. In the absence of any legislation in that behalf, in our view, no distinction can be made between suicide as ordinarily understood and the right to voluntarily put an end to one’s life as distinguished by the petitioners, the Bench held. In either case it would amount to suicide and thus attract the provisions of the Sections 306 and 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to Mr Thomas, freedom to choose the method of one’s death was a part of the right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution. He had sought the setting up of ‘mahaprasthana kendras’ or voluntary death clinics in each district hospital to facilitate voluntary death and donation of body organs. The question as to whether suicide was committed impulsively or whether it was committed after prolonged deliberations was in our view wholly irrelevant, the Bench opined. What the petitioners have overlooked is the possible loss to society when a person, who is otherwise bodily and mentally healthy, wants to exercise his right to voluntarily put an end to his life. It may be that his family or society at large may stand to gain by his rich experience in life, the Judges said.
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5 institutes get child welfare awards NEW DELHI, June 28 (PTI) — President K.R. Narayanan today presented the National Awards for Child Welfare, 1999, to five institutions and an individual for their outstanding and voluntary contribution to the field of child development and welfare. The awards instituted in 1979 carry a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a citation for institutions and Rs 50,000 and a citation for the individual. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Human Resource Development Murli Manohar Joshi appreciated the role played by the institutions and individuals for the welfare of children and affirmed that the contribution of the non-governmental organisation (NGOs) had been immense in this sphere. Minister of State for Women and Child Development Sumitra Mahajan said the government was paying special attention to the development of girl child and all facilities were extended for this purpose. The institutions which were given these awards were SOS Children’s Village, Balgran, Jammu; Anupama Education Society, Satna, Madhya Pradesh; Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Institute for the Handicapped, South Sikkim and Dakshin Kalikata Sevashram, Calcutta. In the individual category, the award was given to J. Viswanathan, who is running an orphanage in Thanjavur District, Tamil
Nadu.
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Mohali youth held for cheating
NEW DELHI, June 28 — The Delhi Police has arrested 36-year old Sant Singh of Mohali and his two accomplices on charges of cheating multinational banks and a few finance companies. He allegedly did not return the loan taken from financial institutions. The accused was arrested from his residence in Sector 70, Mohali. His accomplices, Dalip Malik alias D.K. Malik and Deepak Chopra, were arrested from Delhi, the police said. They cheated Bank of America, Standard Chartered Bank, the Hong Kong and Shaghai Banking Corporation Limited, Kotak Mahindra, RPG Finance and MGF Finance
Limited. The modus-operandi of the accused was to approach the banks and financial companies introducing themselves as income tax payee. They also gave references of reputed persons and requested for car loans. They assured the bank of their credit worthiness by producing allegedly forged income tax returns, bank statements, ration cards, etc. The official of the bank who went to check the residential address given by the accused was allegedly bribed by the prime accused, Sant Singh, the police said. The bank concerned approved the loans in their name for the purchase of vehicles. The accused purchased the vehicles from the dealers with hypothecation of the bank. They destroyed the original registration papers and prepared forged invoice, Form 21, Form 22 with same engine and chassis numbers of the vehicles. They reportedly got the vehicles registered on the basis of forged documents at the other state transport authorities. Thereafter, they sold the vehicles on less than the original price, the police said. The police recovered six cars, including one each from Chandigarh, Faridabad and Panchkula. They reportedly managed loans for 14 Maruti Zen cars, including loan for five cars from American Bank, four cars from Standard Chartered Bank, one from Hong Kong Bank, two from Kotak Mahindra, two from RPG Finance and one from
MGF.
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Hopes for kharif crop brighten NEW DELHI, June 28 (UNI) — The current performance of south-west monsoon that brings rains to most parts of the country till today is the best in the past five years as 28 of the 35 meteorological sub- divisions have received normal to excess rainfall, brightening the prospects of a good kharif crop. Mr J.N.L. Srivastva, Special Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, said here today that west Rajasthan and the Saurashtra region of Gujarat had received deficient rains this season which was a cause for worry. Other regions which have so far received less than normal rains are Tamil Nadu, Assam, Lakshadweep, Arunachal Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. But scant rains in these areas would not adversely affect the prospects of a good kharif crop production, he said. Referring to the rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Mr Srivastva said, in fact the state received only 50 per cent of its rainfall from the south-west monsoon and the rest from the east-west winds. Last year, the Saurashtra region had a rainfall of 28 cm against the normal of 60 cm. But, this year again the region which should have
received more than 50 cm by now, has been going dry. It would adversely affect the groundnut crop there.
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Villagers take away Harappan period gold MUZAFFARNAGAR (UP), June 28 (PTI) — A Huge quantity of gold and other ornaments, reportedly belonged to the Harappan period, discovered from a site of immense archaeological significance in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh has been taken away by villagers who have given no indication of returning them despite various appeals of district authorities. Failing to retrieve the gold pieces, which look more like beads used for a necklace, from the locals, who are oblivious of its historic importance, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has asked the local administration to take appropriate steps so that no further pilferage was caused. In a letter to the District Collector, ASI Director-General Komla Anand said “it has been reported that some of the villagers have taken away large quantity of antiquarian finds and keeping registrable antiquities in possession without registration is an cognizable offence under Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Site and Remains Act.” “We cannot quantify how much treasure has been pilfered by the villagers. We will, try to take it back as it has a lot of historic significance,” Anand told PTI. She said they had only got 7 kg of gold and other ornaments which had been kept in the custody of district treasury. Anand said they were going to excavate the site soon to find out whether the treasure found was part of the settlement of Harappan civilization or was kept by someone as a hideout for the valuable. “We are going to meet the DC on June 29 after visiting the site and there we will decide what has to be done. Whether we should dig the whole thing immediately or wait till monsoon is over,” she said. “However, I think we should immediately excavate the site because if it is part of the settlement then we have to save it before it is totally damaged or destroyed,” she added. According to reports in the media, there are traders in the local sarrafa (gold market) who had already melted the ‘gold pieces’ which they described as “small, round but flat pieces, covered with dirt.” They also accepted that with the administration tightening their noose, people who possess the pieces have gone into hiding. Whereas on the one hand, the locals feel they have the right to possess this gold, the administration along with the ASI is trying to make them understand that the pieces are not valuable because it is gold alone but also because it has lot of historic value. Whatever is the reason for delay in the recovery of the ‘lost treasure’ the ASI has to move fast before this important link to history will be melted away in the gold market of
Muzaffarnagar.
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Laddoos turn bitter
for cop TIRUPATI, June 28 (UNI) — Even the God seems to have adopted hitech means to trap wrong-doers. Thanks to a closed-circuit camera installed at the gate of the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, the temple authorities nabbed a constable while he was selling laddoos in the black market to pilgrims from Chennai. The Tirumala police said Venkatramana, who was posted at the gate yesterday, had bought six laddoos at the rate of Rs 10 each but was selling them to a pilgrim from Chennai for Rs 120, a piece. The camera caught the cop in the act, who was immediately nabbed.
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Three eclipses in July MUMBAI, June 28 (UNI) — A series of spectacular celestial events are on the cards in July when astronomers around the globe will be able to view as many as three eclipses — one total lunar eclipse and two partial solar eclipses.
The two partial solar eclipses will be on July 2 and July 31 within the southern and northern hemispheres respectively, while the total lunar eclipse will be on July 16, said to be the longest total lunar eclipse in the past 140 years. The July 2 partial solar eclipse will be the second of this millennium. This event is confined to the South Pacific Ocean and southernmost Chile and Argentina. This, however, will not be visible in India, according to Dr Bharat Adur, a senior scientist with the Nehru Centre. The partial eclipse will begin at 11:37:10 (IST) and ends at 02:27:34 am (IST). “This event is the 68th in the eclipse of Saros series 117. The last eclipse of this series will occur in 2054,’’ Dr Adur said. The second on July 16 will be a total lunar eclipse. The second and final lunar eclipse of the year is also total and occurs in eastern Sagittarius. The event is a member of Saros 129, a series, which is in its culmination. This has produced five total eclipses during the 20th century, the last of which has been central. This year’s eclipse is deepest in the series with the moon’s centre passing only 1.6 arc-minutes south of the shadow eclipse. The third partial solar eclipse of the year and the second in July will be on July 31. It occurs just one lunation after the July 2 solar eclipse. The visibility will be restricted to the northern hemisphere, Dr Adur said. This is the fifth partial eclipse of Saros series 155. |
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