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Saturday,
June 23, 2001, Chandigarh, India   |
Pakistan toying with ‘Chenab Formula’ HAL-Smiths Aerospace deal on integrated avionics
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$ 913.8m WB loans for
India Coup in B’desh
‘impossible’ |
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B’desh for talks with India on July
2 China appoints new envoy
to India UNP backs govt on peace process India to buy radar for J&K operations
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Pakistan toying with ‘Chenab Formula’ Islamabad, June 22 “Pakistan may consider ‘give and take’ option on Kashmir,” the source said, claiming that Musharraf’s recent statements about Pakistan being ‘flexible’ on its stand on Kashmir and that he would go to India with an ‘open mind’ were indications in the same direction. “We can end with it. But we sure cannot start with it,” a Foreign Office official said, requesting anonymity. There has been pressure on Pakistan to change its stance on Kashmir for sometime now. “The pressure has increased substantially in the last one year or so and now the idea to divide Kashmir between India and Pakistan on the basis of Hindu majority and Muslim majority districts is being considered even at the top level,” according to a well informed source. Pakistan, however, wants certain assurances from the USA before initiating dialogue on this controversial option because it will generate a hot debate, even a backlash, in the country. “The Foreign Office is weighing all options and Abdul Sattar’s visit to the USA and the outcome of his meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell will be significant in this regard,” a diplomat said. According to the ‘Chenab Formula’, Pakistan may consider ‘Doaba’, a narrow strip of land between Chenab and Ravi in the suburbs of Shakargarh, stretching up to Chhamb, Dhodha and Rajwari districts as international border. “Even the town of Kargil might go to India under this ‘give and take’ but from Kargil upward, India will have to agree to give territory to Pakistan,” the sources claimed. Most of the districts in Jammu and on the left bank of the Chenab are Hindu majority in the state of Jammu and Kashmir while in most of the districts on the western side of the Chenab, the Muslim are predominant. “Pakistan may also agree to forego its claim over Buddhist majority Ladakh region as well, but there will be no compromise on the Valley,” the sources close to the establishment claimed. “The Muslim majority Valley is the main area of concern for Pakistan as Islamabad wants control over it,” he said. “The Valley will be partially autonomous and there will be major changes on the borderline to adjust tehsils and towns surrounding the Valley between India and Pakistan.” The formula had first come up for discussion during Track II diplomacy meetings. Former Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif later floated it to see the reaction. The proposal, which was at its preliminary stage, triggered controversy in Pakistan. “Now the situation has changed,” the sources said.
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HAL-Smiths Aerospace deal on integrated
avionics Paris, June 22 If Airbus, in its dogfight with the Boeing, has staged a sales blitz of $15 billion for 155 airplanes, the latter also broke the sales drought receiving $525 million firm order for three of its aircraft from Japan Airlines. The exhibitors, 1,800-odd, announced business worth $25 billion in the professionals-only first three-days, excluding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed from European governments for A400M military transport pending deals worth another $17 billion. In such big, long-term and short-term deals, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has also found a niche, howsoever, small and modest. The European aerospace equipment suppliers, Smiths Aerospace, have entered into an agreement with HAL to develop integrated avionics for its IJT-36 intermediate jet trainers. The “package” comprises mission computer, head-up display and repeater, rear data-entry panel, attitude and heading-reference and air-data computers. Besides HAL Chairman-designate, Mr N R Mohanty, the Secretary, Defence Production and Equipment, Mr Subir Dutta, and present Chairman, Dr Krishna Das Nair, is also present at the Air Show. There was a meeting today between the Director-General, International Affairs, General Roger, and Mr Dutta. He later told TNS that his primary purposes at the Show was to “review” the progress of the pending projects and contracts signed between HAL and other companies, including French. The occasion provided an opportunity to meet a cross-section of the companies, world wide, enabling him to integrate their working. The Joint Secretary (HAL), Mr Karnail Singh, accompanied him to the Director-General of Armaments of the French government. On the other hand, Air Marshal, T. M. Asthana, Deputy Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), who is also leading a delegation, has met the Chief of the French Air Force, Air Marshal Jean Pierre Job, besides holding talks with a several leading manufacturers of aircraft and helicopter manufacturers and suppliers. At least two important points emerge from the Air Show. One, the French government does not sees the occasion as just a trade exhibition of civil, military and transport airplanes and helicopters vying for a place on the “shopping list” of different countries. For it the event is serious business. It is the Director-General of Armaments who approves and oversees the export of all defence equipment making it a point to meet the visiting civil and military delegations from across the globe assigning officials from the Air Force, the Navy and the Army to escort them and plan their visits to various stalls. France is world’s fourth largest exporter, after the USA, Japan and Germany. The second important point that emerges is that the private industry has the full support of the French government in promoting and supplementing their deals with other countries. In fact, all governments show a strong networking by coordinating the efforts of the private sector. Interestingly, not all make it to Le Bourget through crawling traffic or face a jam. Some fly-in by helicopters straight from downtown or Paris airports, chiefly Charles De Gaule and Orly. Every day between 200 and 300 VIPs land in the helicopter zone at the North of the field. The companies providing logistic support handle all flights. No fewer than 14 “monospace” cars carry clients directly to various companies’ chalet in the show area. India has also carved a niche for itself at the Show. This is apparent from what Air Marshal Asthana told TNS in an interview during the air display today. The IAF delegation is on a “survey and review” mission scouting for equipment that will enable it to upgrade and modernise the existing fleets of airplanes and helicopters. The delegation is looking out for new material in the open global defence bazaar that has to have “quality and remain cost-effective”. The Air Marshal was guarded in his comments on several questions, including if India looked Westward in view of the Russian experience and constraints in back up of requisite spares. He maintained that good progress was achieved on the projects and acquisitions already prepared. “There is no new list. Basic purpose is to meet manufacturers and suppliers and secure assurances on products’ quality. IAF’s requirement is to sustain its combat potential for which we have to consider up gradation of the aircraft. The deals that will materialise will be in the form of ‘package’ meaning that basic machine remains the same while new efficient equipment is fitted out”. Enquiries by TNS with some of the leading companies, like Dassault International, EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) etc. shows their warmth for India. The former has supplied Mirage-2000 to the IAF. Only recently, a company executive said, another 10 Mirage-2000 had been sold again. This only shows the mutual faith between India and such companies. At most of the stalls TNS learnt that there was acute awareness of the desire in the Third World countries to up-date and modernise their military hardware and software equipment procured long back from Russia. Israel is one. There is Germany, Romania and, of course, the EADS, a consortium of leading companies of France, Germany, Spain and Great Britain. The available opportunities and the competition give India wide choice to shop, though, both Mr Dutta and Air Marshal Asthana, denied having come with one. In fact indents are placed by the three wings of the defence forces, as per their requirements, with the Defence Production and Supplies department. Nevertheless, one expected better floor-coordination among various wings of the defence forces as also within the Defence Ministry and sister concerns to take full, comprehensive and co-ordinated advantage at the Air Show. |
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Jaswant: military tie-up with USA possible Adelaide(Australia), June 22 Speaking to reporters at the end of his five-day visit to Australia, he said military cooperation with the USA was possible in new ties between the two countries. Asked what new directions could be opened up in relations with the USA and whether American access to Indian bases was possible, he said: “Military-to-military cooperation is also one of the complements of Indo-US. cooperation.” “Access to bases is moving far too fast, yet,’’ he said, adding that: “Let these things evolve over time.’’ Australia and India were among the few countries which have expressed understanding of President George W. Bush’s planned missile defence system, which has sparked major concerns in Russia, Europe and China. The Bush administration is expected to soon lift sanctions on India imposed three years ago as punishment for New Delhi’s nuclear weapons tests. Singh also said his expectations for next month’s planned meeting between Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan’s President’s General Pervez Musharraf were
“realistic’’. Reuters |
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$ 913.8m WB loans for India Washington, June 22 The funds will help India support programmes vital to lasting poverty reduction at the national, state and local levels, a note by the bank said today. “The Government of India’s strategy for poverty reduction encompasses a range of initiatives from community-level projects to nation-wide development of social and infrastructure programmes,” said Mr Edwin Lim, Country Director for India. “These projects support the government strategy and balance broad economic growth and equitable access to basic services”, he added. Reinforcing the government’s initiatives to support economic reforms at the state level, two of the loans and credits approved today support reforms and poverty reduction in Karnataka. The Karnataka Watershed Development Project to provide improved services to poor communities in semi-arid regions gets $ 100.4 million while the Karnataka Economic Restructuring Project, which supports efforts to improve fiscal stability and government effectiveness in the state has been provided $ 150 million. The Grand Trunk Road Improvement Project, which is part of the Central Government’s broader programme to relieve transport bottlenecks on India’s key highways would receive $ 589 million from the International Board for Reconstruction and Development. The bank is also financing expansion of the national highway which connects New Delhi to Kolkata. The expanded highway, which passes through some of India’s poorest states, will facilitate trade and movement of people and goods while reducing the high rate of road accidents. The Second Rajasthan District Primary Education Project that aims to expand the District Primary Education Programme in the state of Rajasthan which is increasing access to quality primary education for poor people, particularly girls, gets $ 74.4 million. The latest allotment takes World Bank lending to India in the current fiscal to $ 2.5 billion. Roughly 45 per cent of the funds support Centrally-administered programmes ranging from education and health to power and roads, while the rest 55 per cent supports Central Government initiatives to accelerate economic development and improve economic management at the state level. The eight state-implemented loans and credits approved during fiscal year 2001 will help finance highway development, education, rural development and water supply, and state-level economic reforms.
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Coup in B’desh ‘impossible’ Dhaka, June 22 “There is no such possibility. I don’t think the army would cause a disaster to themselves after getting the benefit of democratic rule for five years,’’ Ms Hasina said, in an exclusive interview with the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) yesterday. “It would be very difficult to sustain after staging such an event (army coup) because the people have become cautious about democracy and their vote,’’ Ms Hasina, who hands over power next month to seek a fresh electoral mandate, said. “The President, the caretaker government and the election commission must remain firm and hold elections under any circumstances within 90 days, according to the constitution, so that the democratic process is not hampered,’’ she said. Ms Hasina said after July 12, the last working day for her government, she would go to President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed and request him to fix a date for the swearing-in of the chief executive of the caretaker government. “I will talk to the President for fixing the date. We want to do it nicely and ceremoniously because the caretaker government is my theory,” she said. Asked whether her party would go in for an electoral understanding with any party, Ms Hasina replied in the negative, but added that if elected, she would form a ‘’government of consensus, as we did after the last electoral victory.” She said the Awami League had got 146 seats against 116 of the BNP in the 1996 elections in a ‘’hostile situation, marked by false propaganda against her party, a flawed voter list where Awami League voters were dropped out in a planned way and all mechanisms set by the BNP to retain power.’’ Ms Hasina said in the past five years, the Awami League had worked hard for public welfare and improved socio-economic status and had set up a solid foundation for economic upliftment to make the country self-sufficient. Asked if she forsaw the BNP staying away from elections, Ms Hasina said, ‘’I am sure Khaleda Zia will have to join the elections. She must take part in the process because if she does not, we may get two-thirds majority and in that case, General Ershad may become Leader of the Opposition. Will Zia give walkover to Ershad?’’ On the special security cover for her after she demits office, Ms Hasina said it was ‘’in view of threats to her life from her rivals.’’
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B’desh for talks with India on July 2 Dhaka, June 22 The two countries held talks in New Delhi on June 12 and 13 and agreed on a “roadmap” to resolve problems in the wake of the killing of 16 Indian and three Bangladeshi soldiers in April in the worst border clash between the usually friendly countries. But, despite that agreement, six Bangladeshis have been killed by the BSF the last week along Bangladesh’s north and northwestern frontiers, Bangladesh security officials said. “We have proposed to India another three-day Joint-Secretary level meeting from July 3 in Dhaka to settle border disputes between the two countries,” the Foreign Secretary, Mr Syed Muazzem Ali said. A joint boundary working group will deal with the 6.5 km stretch of the 4,000 km India-Bangladesh border which has not yet been demarcated, Mr Ali said. Another working group will deal with the exchange of dozens of enclaves known as “adverse possessions”, or areas marked on the map as belonging to one country but occupied by the other, he said.
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China appoints new envoy
to India Beijing, June 22 Mr Hua will replace Mr Zhou Gang, who was appointed in 1998. Though Mr Hua’s appointment had been cleared some time ago, Mr Zhou was asked to continue for some more time in order to handle the ‘official goodwill visit’ of senior Chinese leader and Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Mr Li Peng in January this year and other issues, official sources said. Mr Hua is expected to leave for India next month to take up his new post, the official sources said. Mr Hua was earlier Chinese Ambassador in Fiji and concurrently to Vanuatu and Kiribati. Prior to that he was the deputy division chief of the America division of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
PTI |
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UNP backs govt on peace process
Colombo, June 22 Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe called on President Chandrika Kumaratunga on an invitation from the latter and exchanged views on the ongoing peace process. Government spokesman Ariya Rubasinghe said the Leader of the Opposition had assured the President of his party’s support for the Norwegian-facilitated peace process which was in a stalemate due to the insistence of the LTTE to lift the ban on it before talks. On the outcome of talks, the spokesman said, “It was agreed that the government and the UNP will engage in a constructive dialogue to carry the peace process forward”. This is for the first time that the President invited the Opposition for a review of the progress of the peace talks after Norwegian peace envoy was sidelined from the facilitation process. It is not known whether the no-confidence motion came up for discussion between the two leaders. Earlier in the day, the UNP submitted a no-confidence motion against the Kumaratunga government in Parliament even as the ruling People’s Alliance (PA) coalition was confident of sailing through the motion. UNP’s Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya, accompanied by senior party leaders of three Tamil political parties, handed over the no-confidence motion to the Secretary-General. The no-confidence motion against the PA government was signed by 98 members belonging to different parties, including the UNP, the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and the All-Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC). If the motion is in order, the Speaker will decide the date on which a discussion can be held and thereafter voting, sometime in July. The government was reduced to a minority after one of the key partners the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC) pulled out of the coalition on Wednesday. The party’s action was precipitated by the sacking of its leader and minister Rauf Hakeem from the Cabinet by President Kumaratunga. With the SLMC, which has 11 members, withdrawing the support, the government was left with just 105 members in a House of 225. However, a faction of the SLMC, led by Mrs Feriel Ashraff, widow of former minister A.M.H. Ashraff, extended support to the government. Still, the government needs at least four more members to have a simple majority of 113.
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India to buy radar for J&K operations Washington, June 22 The radar, which tracks low-flying aircraft, is crucial for the IAF’s anti-insurgency operations in the Kashmir valley, ‘Defence News’ said. The IAF invited bids for 100 such radar systems in January and sought to pay about half-a-million dollars apiece. A short list produced in March also included systems from Israel’s Eita Electronics, Daimler Chrysler and page radar of Signal, the Netherlands. IAF testers are evaluating these systems in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, it added.
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